Sami is Home!!

Our girl is home! Dan and I flew down to Provo, Utah to get her on April 21. She was all packed up - I was so proud of her efforts. We did a little cleaning in her apartment, and then we were free to do what we wanted. I had a list of stores to shop at - ones we don't have here at home. We managed to get to all of them, and fit in visits with family and friends. On Saturday April 23 I flew home and Sami and Dan drove home. They stopped along the way and visited family, and still made it home Easter Sunday at 2:30 am. We are so glad she is back! She hopes to gain employment this summer to help with college costs, and enjoy home cooked food. I hope the summer is a nice long one so we can enjoy her before she goes back in the fall. And yeah, I don't know how to fix the pic - you get the idea though.




It stormed in Utah when we were there - aren't these clouds something else? The wind was so strong it really knocked the car around on the way back from the airport. Sami was nervous -she almost pulled over to let Dan drive but then it calmed down a bit. A truck with garbage packed in the back started losing his load - and garbage rained down! I was glad to get through that all.




I thought I would add this pic of Dan eating this scorpion laden sucker. Why he would do such a thing is beyond me...other than he can now say he did it. YUCK~!

My Garden "Becomes"

So as you can see, I've weeded a bit more and am now up to the crawlspace entrance. I'm now 1/3rd of the way there! If you compare this pic to my last post, you can see what I've done. I've been disappointed with the weather - I am a fair weather gardener, and pouring down rain doesn't help my causes! By the time I went back out after the days of rain had passed, I found new weeds in my already weeded garden. So patiently I plucked the new ones out and then moved on to the old. It kind of reminds me of life. When we work hard at overcoming a bad habit, or work at maintaining a new one, we can't just say "okay I conquered, I'm done with that and on to something new!" Periodically we have to go back over old territory and pluck weeds to make sure we are maintaining what we've gained. It doesn't take much usually, just a little care.

Oh, and I've learned how to grow the best, most wonderful lawn anyone has ever seen! Plant a garden - you'll have all the most hardy, hard to pull grass you could ever want.



I thought I would update you on Zeus too. Here he is with his second most favorite play thing. Yes its a log - and a small one at that. Usually he will get one from our wood pile that is nearly too big for him to carry in his mouth, and then proudly run around with it. He was tired in this photo because he ran around "visiting" his neighbor doggy friends (from his side of the fence - he didn't run loose) while I gardened. He is getting shorter of breath now, and if he runs too hard he nearly passes out. Generally though, besides a little coughing he does okay. He coughs occasionally, some days more than others, but other than that he seems happy. The lump on his side gets bigger with each day, but it doesn't seem to slow him at all. We are watching closely for signs of pain, although the vet said he probably wouldn't have any, just a tougher time breathing as time goes on. We are just loving him, and taking one day at a time. It is a good outlook on our own lives, don't you think?

Zeus the Wonder Dog

Two posts in one day, I know, can you believe it? I've decided to become better at blogging since I love reading my friend's blogs. This is Zeus. He is my best friend during the day when no one else is at home. He lays behind my computer while I work; when it is raining and we can't walk outside he lays by my treadmill as I sweat away; he even follows me to the bathroom and sits outside the closed door. He lets me know when someone comes to the door, and he makes me feel safe. I don't hesitate to walk around the block or even in the next neighborhood when I have him by my side. We found out recently he has lung cancer. A strange diagnosis for such a young dog (6 years). He still runs around outside like crazy, but he coughs more every day. We will be sad when it is his turn to go to heaven, but I am so grateful to have had him in my life. Love you Zeus!

The Turtle vs the Rabbit

So we've had this raised garden spot for years. I've planted in it quite a few times, although in recent years mostly it is a spot for grass and weeds. Oh, if only the grass grew as well in my lawn as it does in the garden! Anyway, prior to last year I hadn't gardened in a few years. Too much to do in other places. Last year I decided I really wanted homemade salsa - from fresh grown tomatoes. So the kids and I spent a day digging out the weeds and grass...til we got down to the opening to under the house. We had to stop there because we found a bird's nest in the grass. Anyway, I figured we had enough space for tomatoes and peppers. We planted....and it rained, and rained, and rained. I gave up, the tomatoes finally came back but the peppers died. I let the garden to to seed..again.

It was suggested by my doctor that I need to be outside more during the day. I need the sun on my face so that I sleep better at night. So I decided to take on the garden again. I decided to start today by just pulling grass a little at a time. Slow and sure wins the race - like the turtle, right? So the first pic above shows what I finished today. Doesn't look like much, but it was the end with the bird's nest in it last year, so this was 2 years worth of grass and weeds. It felt good, and I decided that even if I only plant flowers in May, I will have my face in the sun whenever it shows. I'll post more pics as I get more weeded.

Someone Turned 50!

Dan turned 50 on March 17, 2011 and we had to have a party to celebrate! We held it on March 19 at the home of friends of ours. It was a blast to connect with people we haven't seen in awhile, and to share stories about Dan. Funny stories were shared of course, but people also told what a good person he is - and how he would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. It was a great night!

The Flower

We moved into our house in March of 1992. Sami was not yet a year old, and could barely see out the front window when standing on her tip toes. Our yard was full of flowers - big flower beds everywhere, and along every side of the house. It was beautiful....and overwhelming. I couldn't keep up with it and keep up with everything else. So we tore out all of the beds and replaced most everything with grass. All around the house we dug down and put in black rock bordered by landscaping timbers - the red ones. It made a sidewalk all the way around - and we didn't have to mow next to the house, which was nice. The year after we made all of these changes a lone tulip pushed up through the black rock and bloomed. It was very pretty - and I thought "as soon as it is done blooming I will dig it up and transplant it." Spring turned into summer, and I totally forgot about that tulip. Until next year - and it bloomed again! And so on and so on. Now we are in 2011 and that tulip is now sprouting 4 blooms instead of one. The kids and I look for it every year - and none of us is planning on removing it any time soon. As I was pondering today during church about trials and what makes us move through them I thought of this tulip. When going through a trial I think about being in a black tunnel. I can't see light behind me, yet it is most familiar as that is where I came from. The urge to turn around and go back is strong. I can't see light ahead of me, and the fear of failure keeps me from wanting to move forward - even though I know the light is there - my Heavenly Father tells me it is and I so desperately want to believe it. When I take one step forward, and step with faith towards the light - opposite of where I have been - I grow. With each step the darkness becomes lighter....and finally I see peeks of light - until I burst through the dark rock into the beautiful day. Kind of like the tulip....and each year we grow more and learn more until we blossom into a bouquet.

Here we are again...

Well it is that time of year - again. August, late summer, the time of hot days and scurrying to finish the last of summer while preparing for fall. We have had a great summer. We've tried to take it a little slower - like my last post - and just enjoy our family. Having Sami home was wonderful! And David now has his drivers license and is driving everywhere. This fall will seem a little strange when the kids are back at school (Sami at college and David a high school junior). I'm a little unsure about it. When we started the summer it seemed to stretch out before us like a long break...now it is almost over and I feel like it just started!

We had the opportunity to attend an 80th birthday party for Dan's uncle in Port Townsend. It was really a family reunion for most of us. I loved being able to reconnect with those we haven't seen in a long time, and commit to seeing those who live close by more frequently. We had great entertainment - we have some very talented family members who are brave enough to share their talents. Most of all it was wonderful to drift from group to group and catch up on life. How often do we have the chance to do that in our busy lives?

My hope for this next 12 months is that we continue to reconnect with those we have lost touch with. Let a little of the "busyness" of life relax a little, and just take time to savor a few minutes with those we love. Anyone want to join me?