A BELLEVUE MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dunn insisted on wishing all a Merry Christmas!!

It is hard to get a picture of a dog that is the exact same color as the carpet- he just kind of blends in.

BABES IN TOYLAND

 

 

Even though Rachel and I drove the kids back to Utah more than a week ago, I was looking at pictures taken during their stay and missing them.

I worked hard  to make sure they were entertained while they were here.  Which meant gathering some toys for them to play with.  Some were borrowed, some were bought and some were made.

I fell in love with the purple hobby horse I found at a local thrift store.  I always wanted one when I was a kid.  The kids got the hang of galloping around with a stick between their legs pretty quickly.  Grandma provided the sound effects.

Besides toys, we also did activities and crafts:

The kids are naked because they are using an eye dropper to drip vinegar and food coloring into pans of baking soda and watching the resulting foam/fizzing (reminiscent of a science fair volcano).  I didn't want the food coloring to stain their clothes, so I pulled off their shirts- luckily they are still young enough they don't care.

Evelyn and Douglas had two very different methods of experimentation.

 

Evelyn very meticulously dripped her colors in a little at a time and kept her colors separated and tidy.

 

 

Douglas' was more of a "hands on" mish/mash approach.  He started adding colors with the eye dropper, progressed to a spoon, then a measuring cup and ended just picking up the jars of food coloring and dumping all the colors into his pan resulting in brown/gray sludge he delighted in squishing between his fingers.

 

 

 

We ate ice cream, although I'm not quite sure why they are eating it on the floor.

 

 

Here is Evelyn wearing grandma's glasses (upside down).  Somehow I feel like she is mocking me.

 

 

Odie  looks a little nervous sharing a bed with Dunn.  That was about all Dunn was willing to share, certainly not his favorite cow, and certainly not his family's attention. Poor Odie, he tried so hard to stay out of Dunn's way so he wouldn't get snarled at.

 

 

When Rachel arrived home from her trip to Peru, both Odie and the kids just couldn't get close enough.

 

 

 

And Douglas just couldn't smile big enough!!

10 DAYS OF BLISS

Yes, we all had fun, especially grandma!!!

 

 

 

We decorated gingerbread boys (Jared's was a ninja)

 

 

We played on the toys at various parks

 

 

 

We went to the beach...

 

 

 

Where it was literally below freezing in spite of the glorious sunshine,

 

 

and Douglas walked into the water and got deep enough for his rain boots to fill up (which ruined his day!)

 

 

While the dogs enjoyed the frigid lake.

 

 

 

Best of all was spending a lot of time with Aunt Becca

 

 

GRATITUDE

I am grateful for.....

 

 

an amazing husband that makes his family his first priority, works hard to provide for us and supports me in all I do.

 

 

4 wonderful kids that make me proud and enrich my life every day.

 

 

 

A fantastic son-in-law that adores his wife and children and works hard to care for them and provide them with all they need.

 

 

Two adorable grandchildren that fill my life with delight.

 

 

 

and the sweetest dog on the face of the earth that loves his toy cow.





SNUGGLE HEAVEN

There is nothing in the world better than a lap full of grandbabies!!!  I think I have died and gone to heaven.

We are keeping busy with the usual play dough, reading books, watching the Lion King, and taking walks with the dogs.

With the help of family and friends this grandma has been able to step up her game.  Great Uncle Rick donated some big boxes, my friend Marie Davidson let me borrow a Thomas the Tank train set, a wooden dollhouse fully furnished and inhabited by an Asian family as well as a magnetic "paper" doll, complete with wardrobe.

I have forgotten what it is like to not be able to take a step without stepping on a toy or baby blanket, but I have decided to embrace the chaos!! I only have a short time with them and I am treasuring every minute. 

THE LONG ROAD HOME

I flew down to Salt Lake this last week to meet up with Rachel to help her drive with Evelyn, Douglas and their dog Odie to Seattle, a 14 hour trip.  Chuck and I are babysitting the grandkids (and dog)so that Rachel and Nate can go to Peru for 10 days to visit his parents who are serving a mission in Lima.

Needless to say, it was a very long drive- even the dog complained. However the kiddos did really well, no whining or crying.  Evelyn just kept asking, "where are we going?" Rachel had filled a bag with car friendly activities to keep the kids busy.  Evelyn, who does everything at mach speed played with everything in the bag in the first hour of the trip. Great- only 13 more hours to go!  To her credit she continued to entertain herself for the duration of the trip.  It did get harder after dark when she could no longer see to read, color or put puzzles together.  Rachel had thought ahead to include glow stick necklaces in the bag, but when we opened them up none of them worked (thanks Dollar Store!!!).  So we sang "The Wheels on the bus" for the net 6 hours.

Evelyn is big enough to be in a booster seat these days, which is unfortunate because there is nothing on the side to rest her head against like there is in an infant car seat.  When she fell asleep she would just fall over sideways. Oh, to be a kid again, and be able to sleep anywhere!!

This little guy had to sit on the sunny side of the car the whole way home and never fussed!  During our night time "sing along" we discovered that he loves "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and requested it repeatedly.

Rachel stayed here 2 days helping to get the kids acclimated to Grandma's house before she flew out to meet up with Nate in Atlanta and continue on to Peru.

I am SO excited to have the grandkids over the next 10 days!!! Luckily because this is Thanksgiving week, Chuck and Becca will both be around more than usual to help me keep up with the little rascals.  Even Jared and his girlfriend Yujay have offered to babysit, so that Chuck and I can have a date night!

50 YEARS SINCE CAMELOT

Like most people my age or older, I remember exactly where I was when President Kennedy was shot. It was my generation's version of 9/11 when everyone could tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard the news.

I was in 5th grade at Parkside Elementary School in San Bernardino, California.  The lunch recess had just ended. All the kids had already returned to the classroom, but I was standing outside the door to catch my teacher Miss Alanco who was late coming back to the room to tattle on another kid's lunchtime misdeeds. As she neared, she abruptly told me to get in the room, without giving me a chance to explain myself.  She then proceeded to make the announcement to the class that President Kennedy had be shot.

I got the message from the office that my mother had called and I could leave school early and come home if I was upset. I wasn't upset- just confused.  Surprisingly, I didn't take my mom up on her offer, because no one else was going home early, and I would be too embarrassed to get up and walk out alone.

I remember the next few days the entire family was glued to the TV.  There were a lot of tears and anguish in our home.  There was never a family prouder to be staunch Democrats than ours. My family was enamored with the Kennedys.  My oldest brother Mike was 20 and attending a local junior college and had worked on the Kennedy campaign locally. I can remember him coming home wearing the straw boater with the red, white & blue "Kennedy for President" hat band.

My mother, especially, was heart broken.  She thought JFK was best thing since sliced bread.  When she died at age 90, almost 40 years later I found the newspaper from the day he died in pristine condition.  My guess is that a lot of people saved that edition.

I think that even after surviving the horror of WWII our nation really experienced a loss of innocence that day.

His death really seemed to start an avalanche of disastrous events that, while at times has slowed down, has never really stopped.

HUMANELY HELPING

 

I am still struggling with the decision when or if to start my dog business back up. I certainly need to keep busy, and I do love to walk the dogs. Besides the money comes in handy.  It isn't a lot, but it does help with the kids college expenses, and it bought Becca the car she got as her graduation present.

But the thought of building back up a clientele from ground zero is daunting. I keep coming up with reasons not to start just yet, if I do start at all:
1)I can't do it in November because I am babysitting the grandkids for 10 days, plus traveling back and forth to Utah to pick them up and take them back.
2) I can't do it in December because we will be gone a week over Christmas, and it is such a busy month anyway.
3) I can't do it in January because Chuck and I are going to Hawaii for a week. Since Sam is on a mission and Jared is going to school full time and working full time, there is no one to cover my dog route while I am out of town.

If I do start it back up, it needs to be a time when I can commit fully to it.

So in the meantime, what do I do with myself?

Perfect solution: volunteer at the Seattle Humane Society which just happens to be 5 minutes from my house.

I attended the necessary orientation for volunteers last month, which was an overview of all the different volunteer positions available. There are literally HUNDREDS of different ways to help out.  They ask for at least a six month commitment.  A lot of the jobs that I would like to do you need to commit to a specific weekly time slot at a specific task.  I can't quite commit to that yet because of my travel schedule. So right now I am helping out with administrative duties where I am just kind of on call.  I went in on Wednesday for 3 hours to help get a newsletter mailing out. It was fun, and I got to meet a lot of new people.  Plus I got my own volunteer badge on a lanyard!! I guess that makes me official!

WEBBED FEET

Water fowl are not the only animals with webbed feet.

Retrievers, also have webbing between their toes to make them efficient swimmers.

Dunn is a swimming machine.  There is no wasted effort.  He takes it very seriously.  No frolicking, no splashing, he just calmly wades into the water and goes, with a purpose- retrieving.  He doesn't swim for fun, he doesn't swim to cool off.  He won't even get in the water until he sees the splash that means something has fallen in the water that needs to be brought to shore at which point he becomes a dog on a mission. No temperature too cold, no current too strong, no distance too far can deter him from his goal.

EVELYN ROSE

I have been thrifting lately (visiting thrift stores and consignment shops). In the process I have been able to find new stores that I didn't know even existed, like the one above.

Evelyn Rose is a high end women's consignment shop in Redmond.  While "high end" is not usually what I am searching for, considering it carries my grand daughter's name, I had to go check it out.

It is a very small store (truly a "boutique") and I am sure the owner thought I was nuts when she saw me standing on the sidewalk out front taking pictures of her storefront. 

I went inside to explain myself.  I told her I was fascinated with her shop because it was my grand daughter's name.  I asked how she had come up with it, was it her name as well?  She said it was the middle names of her own two daughters.

Serendipity? A happy coincidence?  I think so.

FAST FRIENDS

Last week Dunn and I had the pleasure of walking with an old friend.  Oban is a Border Collie that used to be in my pack.  His owners were busier than usual and asked if I could come by a couple of days and take him out on walks with us.  It was so much fun to see him again. Having a high-energy dog around perks every one up, we all have to take it up a notch to keep up.

We went to the Sky Mountain area of Cougar Mountain Regional Park.

There are 27 miles of trails, yet the trail head is 5 minutes away from my house. This time of year the trails are still dry, mostly covered with fallen leaves.

Dunn is very camouflaged among the leaves, sometimes at a distance he is hard to find. Oban's black and white makes him much easier to see.

 

 

On this particular day we traveled "Fred's Railroad Trail".  This area was a hotbed of coal mining activity in the 1800's and apparently Fred decided he wanted to build a small gauge railroad to help with mining logistics.  He cleared a trail through the woods, but never installed the tracks.  His cleared trail leads to an elevated "saddle" between 3 mountain peaks with a stream that runs through it.  It is a nice place to pause and let the dogs get a drink, and me to catch my breath before venturing off to one of the peaks for the view.

FALL FELL

All over our sports court......

In some places they blew into drifts which were deep

Dunn and I enjoyed playing in them.....

Dunn enjoyed the soft bed they made....

 

 

The crunchy leaves are fun to walk and play in, but I will miss the glory of fall colors.

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL !!

Rachel is 27 years old today! When she was little we called her our little "pumpkin" because she was born on Halloween.  While most people dislike having a holiday birthday, our family has had the most fun celebrating Rachel's. Having a holiday birthday makes it seem like the whole world is celebrating with you.

Rachel has been such a blessing in our family.  As a child (and even now) she was never competitive, so there was never any sibling rivalry between her and Becca or Jared.  She was always loving and sweet to her sibs.  She gave them compliments freely.  She was good about sharing toys.  She was determined to be the peacemaker in the family- and she succeeded. What a great home environment that created!

Rachel has grown into such an amazing woman! I am very proud of her and all of her accomplishments. She is just the sweetest spirit, and a delight to be around.  I am frequently surprised how capable she is in any situation she finds herself in.  She is willing to take on any challenge and venture out of her comfort zone.

She really seems to enjoy her role as a full time homemaker, and she is truly a great mother with tons of patience and a great sense of humor.

I am not just proud of Rachel- I am in awe of her!

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

I came to this gospel as many people do, because I was looking for something more. Whether you are born into a believing family, or come to it later in life as I did, at some point there is a conversion process that takes place because of a desire to draw closer to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

"Man is a spiritual being, a soul, and at some period of his life everyone is possessed with an irresistible desire to know his relationship to the Infinite....there is something within him which urges him to rise above himself, to control his environment, to master the body and all things physical and live in a higher and more beautiful world."  - David O. McKay

From the time I was a child, I had a strong desire to live in a Christ-centered home.  Even at a young age I knew the home I was raised in was spiritually lacking. Something was missing- some better world, I wanted with all my heart to live in.

Starting in junior high school and then through high school, I attached myself to friends with church-going families. I began to attend church with them.  Through the years I was exposed to many different Protestant denominations.  This seeking continued into my 20's.  I was being exposed to a lot of different doctrine and nuggets of truth were being gleaned along the way.

The first truth I got from my mother- even though she was at best a sporadic church goer, she believed in life after death.  In fact, she believed that if the spirit was strong enough to survive the death of a physical body, it must also be strong enough to exist independently prior to being inserted into a physical body at birth.

From attending a Baptist church I gained a testimony of full-immersion baptism and the importance of following Christ's example as he showed us the ordinance necessary to join his church.  After all, it's His church, he can (and did) set the rules.

While attending a 7th Day Adventist church I learned the importance of not putting harmful substances in my body through their health code. As a result I made a commitment to abstain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea.

In retrospect, the Lord was preparing me through the years, step by step, for the day when I would meet Chuck and be introduced to the gospel in its fullness.  Everything came together seamlessly for me and made sense. That spiritual void I had felt in my life was finally filled.

Maybe, you too, have felt that tug to be someone better, or live something better.  That tug is beyond what I would call self-improvement.  I knew I was being urged to live in a way I could not accomplish on my own.

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him, and deny yourself of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourself of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then His grace is sufficient for you, that by His grace ye may be made perfect in Christ...."  Moroni 10:32

Thus Christ, through His atonement has helped me to reach for a better way, a better life. I realized that there is better way and that it would be in the family that I would someday have.  In that then-distant future, I would be able to live with people in some better, kinder way, beyond even the best and kindest world I had known as a child.

The best part is that better way extends into the future eternally. Through the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I can be sealed to my loved ones now dead (parents, brother and ancestors) as well as my husband and children/grandchildren (all my progeny) so that I can enjoy their company when this life is over.  It comforts me that all the effort and love that I put into creating and sustaining loving relationships with those around me doesn't have an expiration date , that it continues into the eternities.

I have a sure knowledge of the truthfulness that families can be sealed together forever. This knowledge gives me profound joy and enriches my life every day.

BOGS

Bogs: both kinds.  Here in the Northwest as we get into cooler damp weather the ground gets soggy and stays that way until May. Although the constant rain hasn't quite started yet, it will. Already the trails are muddy and will progress to muck that will literally suck the boots right off your feet. Footwear becomes a major concern. I need waterproof coverage that comes up high on the calf to wade through ankle deep puddles, but also a deep non-slip traction that allows both climbing and descending in thick mud. The boots have to be sturdy enough for daily use with ankle support so I am not constantly rolling my ankles on the uneven path where roots, rocks and sticks are hidden from sight first by fallen leaves, then by water and mud. Finally, they have to be comfortable and warm.

For years I have worn the knee-high rubberized boots made by Hunter, commonly called "Wellies".  The kind you see worn by workers on dairy farms.  They are waterproof, good tread, and easily cleaned by just turning on the hose. The best part of the boot is that it is totally made of rubber. It is impermeable to water and has the tall shaft on the calf that once your get your foot into it almost suctions to your leg so the mud won't pull it off.  The worst part of the boot is that it is totally made of rubber. Rubber conducts the cold so you have to have special "Wellie" liners for your boots, or wear at least 2 pairs of wool socks. Rubber is impermeable to water, which means that when your feet sweat it can't escape and by the end of the day your socks are wringing wet.  Rubber cracks where it is constantly being bent.  While the boots are made for standing and walking, they are not made for driving a car, and I do all of the above on my dog route as I drive from house to house picking up and then delivering dogs home after our walk.  In fact, I usually spend twice as much time driving in my boots as I do walking in them.  Which results in them creasing and eventually cracking right where my foot bends to press the accelerator. I go through a pair of Hunter boots every year.  That is about how long it takes for the crease to turn into a crack and start letting in water. At $80 a pop.

Which is why I LOVE Bogs!!

I got these last year. The foot is totally rubber which comes to the ankle- but it is INSULATED!  These are warm. And very comfy to walk in with good support.  But the best part is the shaft is made from neoprene- the stuff wet suits are made from.  Which allows it to bend without creasing or cracking. They are more breathable, my feet don't sweat (I know TMI).  The added bonus is that they have these great handles on each side that make putting on and taking them off so much easier.

This is my second year in my Bogs and they show NO sign of wear! Yes, they are pricey as well- the same $80 as the Wellies, but it looks like one pair will last me several seasons. Oh, yeah, and because the neoprene is insulating as well, I have worn them repeatedly in the snow and they have kept my feet toasty.

The only drawback to the boot in comparison to Wellies is that the tread is not as deeply etched, but so far I haven't slipped, so maybe it is sufficient for my needs.

As much time as I spend walking, my feet have got to be happy.  When my feet are happy, I'm happy.  Enough said.

A WALK IN THE PARK part 2

Details, details, details. When I am out walking, as much as I love the big picture- hence the pictures yesterday of the gorgeous fall colors at Chism Park, I pay close attention to the small and mundane things around me. Some very interesting things caught my attention yesterday.

If you hear a HOOT, SCOOT.

Dive bombing owls???? Yikes! 

From "yikes" to "spikes"

I have no idea what kind of plant this is, I tried to identify it online without success.  The leaves are HUGE, much like Elephant Ears, but it is the spikes (either the fruit or the seed?) that caught my eye, they were 2 feet tall!! Then there are the pods these spikes grow out of- they look alien.

 

 

These pods were 8" across, making it kinda scary what might erupt out of it.  Reminds me of a movie.

 

And speaking of alien.......

 

What in the heck are these????

 

 Furbys???  Alien Hedgehogs???  There are hundreds of them !!!!

 

 

Each one was the size of my fist, and everywhere  I looked there were more...

 

 

The freaky part was because they were situated among leaves that were rustling in the breeze, it seemed like they, too, were moving.

 

On closer inspection, I noticed some were broken open and I realized they were only seed pods fallen off of a tree. But it certainly was a tree I had never seen before.  Which makes sense.  Who wants tree that fills their yard with spiky hand grenades every fall?

Here is a picture of one of the pods still in the tree showing it cracked open revealing a slimy nut inside the size of my thumb.  Something finds them delicious, because all of the ones on the ground were empty.  I took another picture showing the leaves of the tree.

Armed with this picture I went home to go online to the University of Washington's Arboretum website to do some research.  I identified this tree as a " Golden Chinkapin". I had never even heard of it before, and I had certainly never seen one before, and yet it was right next to a path I have probably walked 50 times oblivious to its existence.

I think that is what they mean when they say to stop and smell the roses. Take the time to really see the beauty you are surrounded with, it will delight and perhaps surprise you.