US AGAINST THEM

Us girls have got to stick together!  Kitty (K-2 or Kitty 2.0) and I are feeling overwhelmed in our male-dominated household. The week before Christmas, Sam, one of Jared's good friends from school moved in.  Now, because 2 of the "posse" live here, our house has become "party central" for most of Jared's friends.  Most afternoons I will find 4 or more 17-18 year old boys downstairs killing zombies on XBOX.  Now that Becca has gone back to college for the winter, I have reclaimed my "office" (actually her bedroom), and Kitty and I spend most afternoon/evenings holed up in there in my favorite Papa-san chair against the testosterone onslaught. Notice Kitty is sticking out her tongue, showing her disgust with the situation.

While I am known to grumble and complain, I actually love having a lot of teenagers around.  I love to feed them and give them a chaperoned place to hang out.  When they all start to call me Mom, it feels wonderful. However, I do have my days when it feels like this:

 Sam has been very enjoyable to have around.  He appreciates having a roof over his head and regular meals on the table.  He is the type of kid that will load the dishwasher without being asked. His bed is neatly made every morning before he leaves for school.  If he finds clothes in the dryer when he wants to use it, he will take them all out and neatly fold them into stacks on the counter. So far, he has been a joy to have around.  He and Jared have started taking my dog route every Wednesday afternoon when they get out of school early at 12:30 to earn money. 

Sam loves animals and is lobbying Chuck persistently to let us get another dog, (he doesn't yet realize just how hopeless that is).  He has taken over the care and feeding of our 6 guinea pigs (3 male/3 female).  Sam has spent a lot of time and energy building them a bigger enclosure outside, after the piggies started to tunnel out of the cage that I had made.  Two of the ladies are pregnant and getting bigger by the day. All of us are anxiously on "baby watch".

A Backwards Look

Today I am sick in bed, actually I have been sick in bed for two and a half days.  Right after I finished my dog route on Wednesday I started to get a sore throat and feel achy all over.  Yesterday was the worst, I slept most of the day, with fever and chills and annoying sore throat.  I hate to breath through my mouth, but I was so congested that it was required so I wouldn't suffocate. Today I feel better, but sound worse.  Froggy throat, blowing nose, and continual coughing.  I have stayed in bed all day (just because it is fun) but I haven't slept.  I have finished a couple of animal books I would recommend to all:  "You Had Me At Woof" by Julie Klam and "Homer's Odyssey" by Gwen Cooper.  I am a sucker for animal books, even though I know the animal usually dies at the end (not the case with Homer's Odyssey however).  Books about animals usually have a riveting storyline (at least for me), are inspiring, have no profanity, lurid sex or violence- in essence a "clean" read.  Not too many of those out there.

While I have been keeping myself entertained in bed today, I perused some photos that were taken at Thanksgiving that I have yet to post on my blog.  I thought I would give it a try all by myself with out having to ask Chuck for technical assistance (he is downstairs watching a football game) or calling Rachel in Idaho and getting her long distance help.

This  is our main dish for Thanksgiving dinner- split cornish game hens on a bed of stuffing.  We have done cornish games hens instead of a large turkey for the last 3 years running. We love them! they don't take days to defrost, only an hour to cook , they don't dry out like turkey, taste great with all the traditional accompaniments and BEST OF ALL- no leftovers!! We always use Grandma Elaine Bishops stuffing recipe with the golden raisins (a family favorite- we make sure to have plenty of that left over).  We fill the roasting pan half full of stuffing and set the game hens right on top to cook, so the stuffing gets all the juices- it is to die for and only dirties 1 pan.  Becca came up with all the accompaniments this year as usual. We tried a new recipe for roasted sliced yams (in the picture) with cumin and lime juice: so good! Will definitely do that one again.  Fresh steamed asparagus with homemade holladaise sauce (another new experience neither Becca or I had ever made our own Hollandaise before- so simple and yummy).  Then Becca's specialty relish- ciproline onions in a basalmic vinegar with craisins and pomegranates.  This entire meal came together in about 2 hours! and it was scrumptious.

As always, the Saturday after Thanksgiving is the day we put up the Christmas decorations- both inside and out.  I love to do it then because Becca is always home from school and she enjoys the decorating.  We even got Jared to help with the tree this year!  Usually Dad does the out side decorating, and Mom and the kids do the inside. Chuck got ambitious and put the new LED type lights on a tree in our backyard. It  makes me feel all warm and mushy inside to be able to sit in the house and look outside on a winter wonderland!

p.s. I posted these pictures all by myself!

Festival of the Nativities

Sunday evening Chuck, Jared and I attended the "Festival of the Nativities" at our stake center.  It was amazing! The outside and inside of the building were decorated with white Christmas lights, 200 pointsettias and hundreds of lit christmas trees both large and small, including a 20' tree in the center of the cultural hall that reached to the ceiling. On display were hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world.  While we were browsing thru the display, live music was being performed in the chapel.  There were other rooms in the building to visit as well. There was a "life of Christ" room that was filled with beautiful framed pictures of Christ, depicting scenes throughout his life and ministry. Another room that drew a lot of attention, was the "tent room".  The inside of the room had been draped dramatically with fabric to give one the impression that you had walked into a tent from biblical times.  Once inside there were gorgeous theater quality costumes that families could put on and pose around a manger as if you were present in Bethlehem on that first Christmas night, with a photographer on hand to record the magical moment. At the end of the evening we were able to retire to the chapel and watch a broadcast of the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  It was a beautiful and spirit-filled experience.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: how to recognize a meth lab

Although my business has scaled down considerably over the past 1+ year with the down turn of the economy, I still find myself out of doors 3 days a week in any weather thoroughly enjoying my doggie friends.  Although all TOO frequently some of them resemble the meth lab in the above picture, there is nothing else I would rather do (ok, hold my new grandbaby, is right up there on the top of the list).  Dogs are fascinating, entertaining  and plain fun to hang out with, and they seem to feel the same way about me.

LIFE CHANGES: milestones and passings

It has been a while since my last entry.  Why did I decide to resurrect my blog now? The reason is two-fold: first there have been some major changes in my life recently, and secondly, people that I love and adore (Dick and June Elder) have moved far away and it seems like the best way to share my daily life to keep them in the loop.

First major change: I have become a grandmother!! My oldest child Rachel had a little girl, "Evelyn Rose" on July 12.  I got to fly to Rigby Idaho and stay with her for 3 weeks after the baby was born.  It was too fun!!  My son-in-law Nate finished off a beautiful bedroom and bath downstairs in their house for me, so it was just like being at home. I got to play with Evie every day, meet all of Rachel and Nates friends, walk their dog Odie, decorate my bedroom/bath, do some gardening, feed the horses over the back fence, see a lot of Becca who lives in Rexburg, Idaho, ride a bike occasionally, and help entertain our whole family and Nates family who arrived for Evie's baby blessing- all the things I like to do!

Chuck and I celebrated our 25th anniversary by taking a cruise to Alaska.  It was a very fun trip, we saw lots of glaciers, whales and beautiful scenery.  We canoed up to the face of a glacier, we went 4 wheeling, we did a 22 mile bike ride on a tandem bike, lots of sightseeing, and shopping.  On board we did a lot of eating, working out in the ship's fitness center and went to shows nightly. But mostly, we just really enjoyed one anothers company.

Over the summer I was released as a seminary teacher after 5 years, which has been a major life change.  I no longer have to get up a 4:45am every day to shower and get dressed in Sunday clothes to be at church by 6am to meet a class full of teenagers. Nor, do I have to spend 2-4 hours a day preparing a lesson about the gospel to present.  I am enjoying sleeping in, and the extra time I have on my hands, but I have lost a sense of purpose and part of my identity.  I was given the new calling of Sunday School teacher for those same youth, which is a blessing- because the best part of the job is getting to know those kids. I just love teenagers and enjoy their company.

Sadly, one other major change in my life is the passing of my dog, Kobe.  He is pictured with me at the top of the blog.  He was my constant companion, my best friend for the past 10 years and my business partner for the past 4.  Two weeks ago I took him to the vet because he wasn't eating well and found out that he had lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) and it had already spread to his blood stream and bones by the time we knew he had it.  We started on Chemotherapy within the week which was successful in shrinking his lymph tumors almost overnight.  But within a few days the bone involvement was such that he started getting microfractures in his bones that were so painful for him that we had to make the agonizing choice to have him put down.  2 weeks after his diagnosis he was dead. I am devastated.  There is a huge hole in my life and he is sorely missed by our whole family. I started my business because of Kobe and without him, it makes it very hard to continue.

I am also missing my mom and dad and best friends Dick and June Elder who have recently sold their house here in Bellevue and moved to Draper, Utah. They completed our family- they were there to share every trial and triumph, gave counsel, support and unconditional love.

Fortunately, through all of these significant life events I have had Becca home on break from college to support, encourage and entertain me. Somehow she keeps me sane. Soon she will be leaving to go back to Idaho for an internship in graphic design working at a hospital in Blackfoot until school starts up again in January. She is anxious to get back to her life and new challenges.

In contemplating the saying "when God closes a door, he opens a window", I have wondered what the recent losses in my life bode for the future.  What opportunities will open up because of, or in spite of recent events- a job change? spending more time in Idaho and Utah with my grandbaby and Dick and June?  Time will tell.

Back from the dead

It has been over 2 years since I have posted any thing new on this blog. So much has changed- for one thing Jared is now 16  and literally 2 feet taller.
 He has started dating and driving (both scary!).

Jared has obtained his Eagle rank in scouting!! We are so proud of him (and soooo glad it's finally done). He did a free electronics recycling event in our community and collected over 12,000 lbs of computers, monitors, TVS, etc. Jared is now a junior in high school.

BOYS RULE AND DOGS DROOL

Our household has been taken over by members of the male persuasion. With the girls gone I am living in a male dominated world. We have had a 12 year old boy named Ian Bowlin living with us for the past 3 months, which has helped increase the environment of XBox, computer games and airsoft in which I live.

Chuck and Jared have been training hard to participate in the "STP" (Seattle to Portland) 200 mile bike ride coming up in July. They both got new road bikes and have hit the trails every Saturday. They are up to riding 50 miles at a time. Of course they also have acquired all the cool clothes and shoes so that they look good doing it. They will be going to Orcas Island for 3 days over Memorial Day weekend to ride around the Island every day with a group of friends. I am boarding a number of dogs that weekend and need to stay home.

As of last Wednesday night, Jared is now a Life Scout and as such is on to working towards his Eagle. It would be nice if he can get it out of the way before he turns 16 and starts dating and driving, and has too many other things competing for his attention. He is looking for suggestions for a project. Jared is in the Teachers quorum presidency at church and on the committee to plan a "superactivity" for the young men in our ward.

Chuck is still traveling for business and usually gone 2 nights a week on the road-this week the "road" leads to Nebraska. Although I know the traveling is hard, and he rarely sleeps well in a hotel, he doesn't complain. He works to make the best use of his time at home doing fun things with the boys and giving me a much needed "date night" now and then. Since I have started my business he has also done a ton of dishes, laundry and cleaned toilets- my hero!!