Ahhhh....summer

This summer has been an amazing, peaceful, fun-filled, work-filled summer that felt so "normal" it has me wishing it could linger. It started with a huge chunk of time off. I swear we didn't plan it but we do consider it among our greatest blessings that FMLA (a.k.a. family leave) came right at the beginning of summer. Just to re-cap: There were SCUBA lessons and certifications, Megan's birthday, Tim's birthday, Megan's birthday party, Joie's adoption, Joie's adoption party, taking down a tree, Tim in Georgia, Father's Day, temple open house, the kids and I landscaping the front yard, camping, treking to Juniper for the 4th of July, cooking lessons, swimming lessons, headstones, 11 year-old Scout Camp, Scout Camp, saying farewell to Tim's favorite car, shopping for a new car, Family Reunions, family visits, cousin visits, Jeran's birthday, Jeran's birthday party, Lagoon, temple open house (again), Joie's birthday, Joie's birthday party, Boise trip, Nate in Juniper, picking up Nate from Juniper, cousins visiting again, random acts of kindness, familiy traditions, temple dedication, and back to school shopping. Add to that the projects around the house--finishing the outside of the house, a new closet, a new storage room, painting and staining the fence, a new outside bench and (kind of) patio furniture, re-finishng dressers, garden, yard, and loads and loads of swimming. The closest we came to a vacation this year was our trip to Boise, but after two years of adjustments and changes, we couldn't be happier with our "normal" summer. It has truly been a long time since we haven't thought about healing, closing estates, and getting childen through major life adjustments. It has been a long time since we've felt the satasfaction of working in our home and yard, working together, and being together. It feels good to be enjoying the little things! (Take a peek at the new photos on the sidebar for summer fun that didn't make the blog.)

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Off To School They Go!

The energy level was high around our house this morning!



The elementary school kids.

They were so excited they woke up at 6:00 a.m. and all four of them were ready to walk out the door by 7:00...they don't even have to leave the house until close to 8:00. (Nate doesn't look it in the picture but he was as excited as anyone.) Give them a week and I'll be calling them out of bed at 7:00. They all wanted cold lunch and made their lunches, but Jeran and Megan forgot theirs and even though we drove they were so excited to get there they opted for school lunch on the first day rather than go home to get their cold lunches. Joie wanted me to walk her to her class line, but Megan and Jeran said they just wanted a wave. I hugged Joie good-bye and walked past Jeran and Megan's line on the way to the car thinking, "Just wave...just wave..." Then one of Jeran's friends said hi to me so I walked over to say hi and talked just long enough that auto pilot took over and as I said good-bye I did the UNTHINKABLE...I hugged my 6th grade son in front of his friend. My hug was met by a stiff-as-a-board non-response from Jeran and in an instant I saw the look on his face and realized what I had done. Then he kind of lauhed a little and his friends kind of laughed too. Rather than embarassing him further by saying sorry, I just smiled and waved and waved to Megan and left. Here we go into another school year!

Joie Then and Now

Joie is feeling left out. Our scanner isn't working so I haven't done then and now pictures of her for her birthday. The scanner is OUT OF ORDER and I keep forgetting to figure out what is going on with it when I'm on the computer...sounds so fun! So we didn't forget, we just can't do the "then" part, and like I told her, it wasn't like we didn't blog about her birthday...she got a surprise party and a smilebox! We love her and will find a way to work in then and now for her so she can read comments from everyone her cute, cute baby pictures. (Can't you just hear her saying that? She's definitely not shy.)

Randon Acts of Kindness 2

Sometime late yesterday I started to feel August 18th, 2009 approaching. For weeks now there have been reminders--Joie's birthday, back to school shopping, all reminders of an anniversary we prepare for rather than look forward to, one we wish we could shut out but have pledged to never forget. Yesterday evening as I pulled into a store parking lot I could see the sun shining through the clouds, much like I imagine Ruth described seeing as she left the temple the night before they died. I ached like I do so many times to see Ruth, Nick and little Audrey again, to talk to them, to hear their laughter and voices.

I finished shopping. It was beginning to rain as I came out of the store and as is often the case with Utah rain, the sun was shining through the rain and I could see two rainbows that I could have sworn from where I was sitting ended right at my house. I thought of the promise associated with the rainbow--that no matter how difficult the storm there will always come a bright new day. (I know...not quite the way God said it to Noah, but that's how it's said in the book of Mary.)

And so we go, feeling the pain, feeling the promise, and it is the promise, not the pain that moves us forward. Once again this year I find myself thinking in terms of living in memory of Ruth, Nick and Audrey, quite frankly because that is how I get through the pain. A year ago, in honor of the lives of service lived by them, and by those who came so willingly to our sides to support us through the most difficult of times, we committed ourselves and anyone else who wanted to join us to performing random acts of kindness on August 18th in memory of Ruth, Nick and Audrey Weaver. Once again this year we invite everyone to join us in doing something to spread kindness, love, and compassion to others. Some examples posted in comments last year included helping friends, helping family members, babysitting for a friend, inviting a friend to play, writing a note to someone, offering to shop for someone, letting someone go in front of you in line for the grocery store...all wonderful ideas. Thank you for helping their memory to live on (and we'd love to hear what you do).

Surprise!

Combine 1 part ingenuity, 3 parts helping hands, 1 dose of perfect timing, and the result is the PERFECT surprise party. Adrienne, one of my nieces, is here from Boise for a few weeks. She's going on 18 and was loads of help pulling off the surprise. Megan loves to party plan, and we even got Joie involved in helping us pull off her own party by telling her we had to get things ready for her party before we went to Boise so we could have her party the day we get back. She bought the entire story, so the party was exactly what she wanted, just a week early. I even took her to the store to pick out a cake and after she had chosen a cake I sent her to the deli to pick out some lunch so I could tell the bakery the REAL date we needed the cake. Today she went with Megan to her cooking class and Adrienne and I spent the next few hours pulling together all the last minute details...Adrienne left to pick up Megan and Joie and by the time they returned...

SURPRISE!!! The look on her face was priceless. She didn't have a clue.

Make a Smilebox slideshow