Week #44: Airborne for Arizona

This week we...

...partied in A-ri-zona! We left on Friday of last week, but I decided to put our adventure all together here on this week. It was so much fun! We stepped off the plane in Arizona to clear skies and a warm breeze. Goodbye overcast, rainy Washington!

Landscape: We were intrigued by the desert landscape and foliage. It was so crazy seeing cactus, palm trees and desert plants. No sagebrush and tumbleweeds. They use a lot of rock in their landscaping. At some of the overpasses they had rock art of rattlesnakes, cactus, and the deadly gila monster. I was a little intrigued by these guys, mostly because the word monster is in their name and because they can kill you. 

source

We were so intrigued by the cactus that grew everywhere. As I said, it's one thing to hear about cactus in the desert, it's another thing to see it. The holes in the Saguaro cactus below are from birds nesting inside. Seeing palm trees was also different. (Notice the police car in the shot of the palm trees - no matter where we go, we're thinking cop.) I had to laugh a little inside at all the cactus we saw propped up with 2x4s on either side. We do that with trees here; they're saving the cactus down there.

Food: I had In-N-Out for the first time and LOVED it!  We ate there twice. We went to Cave Creek, a town built to look like the old west, for lunch at Harold's Corral - ribs, brisket, and baked potatoes. We met up with Katie Potts Taylor and her family, a sister missionary from our mission, for dinner at Five Guys- home of digital soft drinks and all the way toppings. Raleigh and Jordan introduced us to World Market where we ate Hi Chews, a fruit chew from Japan. They taste a little like star burst only they don't get stuck in your teeth. We also went to Trader Joe's where I purchased Pumpkin Pancake Mix, Corn Salsa, Speculoos Cookie Butter and we ate Strawberry ice cream Mochis - They were surprising to bite into, but very tasty. Yum! Yum!

Activities: We had so much fun hanging out with Raleigh and Jordan, and to be in Arizona on top of that was amazing. We stayed up way too late talking when we got there Friday night, and every night. We ate German chocolate cake at 11:20 at night for my birthday, yum. Saturday we went to Kellen's soccer game and watched him tear things up. We also went to the Haunted Zoo. I'm not a big fan of spook alley type Halloween fun, but I went for Jason's sake. Jason and Raleigh kept trying to get us to go to the 13th Floor - the scariest haunted house in the US. No thanks! We were able to see Jason's twin, Todd, and his little family. Many of you have wondered what Jason's twin looks like, or if we are even telling the truth about a twin...well, here's proof. :)

We were able to go to the Mesa, AZ temple and I was so glad. We were intrigued by the grapefruit trees on the temple grounds and watched the Joseph Smith movie in one of their theaters. Just before we left, I discovered that they in fact had a Christus, which I've been thinking about a lot lately as I remember my mission days. (I served my mission at the Washington DC Visitor's Center.) I couldn't help but cry as I saw the statue, heard the words play, and thought about my mission.  As a missionary, I loved to invite people to sit around the Christus and listen to the words play. It was amazing to hear those words every day and testify of the Savior as people came in. Oh, it was wonderful (in DC and AZ)! I've missed it lately and it was so comforting to hear again.

Thank you Raleigh and Jordan! We had so much fun!

...went trick-or-treating! The kids had a blast this year. It wasn't a cold night like last year so it was much more enjoyable going around to the houses. Lainey was really into trick-or-treating this year. She ran from house to house with the older kids, trailing behind them and yelling, "Wait! Wait me!"

...found a ghostly milk message. In case you haven't noticed, we have a lot of spilled milk around here and that has made for a lot of cool messages. :)

...have fall leaves in our back yard. One thing I miss about older neighborhoods is all the trees/foliage that change color in the fall. Well this year we do have a few autumn leaves falling off our trees in the backyard. They're not large in number, but they belong to us.

Week #43: Have a Voice, Cast a Vote

This week we...

...voted. This is so important. I remember when I turned 18. I was so excited to be able to vote. I knew then how essential it is for everyone to take this right and privilege seriously. We need out vote to count now more than ever.

...diverted Lainey from the lemon juice. She wanted me to fill her sippy cup with Lemon Juice thinking it was pop. It's definitely not Sprite. That would have been a puckery pop. (Note her cute little horns. We fixed her hair in the morning. She took the clips out before nap time, but the quirky horns remained.)

...found Lainey in a pool of something red and freaked out, slightly. She doesn't stay in her bed at night now that she's not in a crib. This is where we found her tonight - curled up in the boys' room fast asleep during her color fest. Only she forgot to put the lid on her red marker and it bled all over her leg. It was SO freaky seeing a big, red spot on her pants and leg, but comforting to know she wasn't seriously injured.

...put clips in Lainey's hair and caught her being cute. 

...got some real good chocolate from our friend Shela Berry. This is her modeling the delicious treat. My favorite is the Kinder chocolates that she shares with us. Mmmm! Her grandmother lives in Germany and she sends them packages with chocolate and treats. I'm so glad that our friends share with us. :)

...carved pumpkins. We thought we better get this done before we headed off on our trip. These are the four pumpkins that we grew in our garden. I can't believe we didn't plant pumpkins sooner. It's so expensive to have to buy them at the store. 

Jason did most of the carving with the kids this year. It was so nice of him to give me a break. He used his screw gun this time to cut the eyes and nose on a couple of them. Emma and Paul didn't want him using it for theirs, but Jason and I both loved it. Paul even drew out some constructions (instructions) for Jason to follow.

Week #42: My Velcro Daughter and Me & Family Pictures

This week we...

...made Velcro bracelets. 

Here's the story. Emma loves her new school and her new teachers. She has already made some really good friends with whom she enjoys being in class and playing at recess. She enjoys what they do in class and all that they are learning. Even with all of this, she still gets sad and worried to go to school every Monday, and several other days of the week. She just likes to be at home, with me. She thinks she's missing out on so many wonderful things. I have reassured her that it's all household chores and maintenance operations around here when she's gone, but that doesn't always convince her. I've tried to send her off with more love, prayers, and mother/daughter together time, but she still feels this reluctance to get out and go. She has a great time once she's there. It's just the initial idea and setting out.
   One morning, Emma was having a particularly hard time and just couldn't get on the bus because her emotions weren't quite under control. So I drove her to school. As we approached her classroom, we met her teacher, Mrs. Mathews, in the hall. Sensing something was a little off, she wondered out loud if everything was OK with Emma that morning. I proceeded to tell her that Emma had had a hard morning, how she likes to be close to home and me, etc. Her teacher said the perfect thing. Mrs. Mathews said, "I have a daughter like that, and she's 21. I call her my Velcro daughter because she's always by my side if she can be. She goes to college now, but comes home to visit as often as she can." So I hugged Emma and sent her off with her teacher.
    I have often referred to that day and her teacher's little story. We made Velcro bracelets to wear because I thought it would help Emma throughout the day at school to see the bracelet and be reminded of me and how much I love her. (They worked for just a couple of days. We have to fashion something different out of Velcro that is less in the way.)

...played with salt and pepper shakers. This is my inheritance from my grandmother. Her collection of ghetto interesting delightful salt and pepper shakers. I am supposed to share them with all of the great grandchildren in the family. So we set them out to see what there was before we give them to goodwill (I don't really think anyone is going to want them). I let my kids pick a set, but they won't last very long. Paul has already broken the leg and horn of the bull set that he picked out.

...are working on some refinishing projects. I received this glass display case from my Grandma Wilson before she moved to Utah, this came with the salt and pepper shakers. I thought about painting it red, but I'm not so sure The kids thought it would be fun to play in and I joked that we were measuring them for their coffin.

This table is one that I played with when I was a little girl. My Grandpa Hill made three identical tables for my sisters and myself. I always thought it was so cool that you can raise the side flaps and support them with a dowel underneath. I'm going to paint it and let my kids use it as a coloring/drawing table.

...opened an etsy shop. (http://www.etsy.com/shop/creativesayings) I'm really excited about this. I should have done it sooner. I've talked about it and thought about it for a long time. My friend Jordan Hayter told me to do it soon after we started our business five years ago, but I was unsure. Now we're finally giving it a try. This is one of my first listings. More on the way...

...are posting our family pictures. My friend Haley Harris took our pictures again and did a fan-tab-ulous job. I really like how they turned out this year. Benjamin made it through the first couple and then broke down because it was taking too long. He was ready for his doughnut - his bribe price.

Week #41: My Conference Highlights

This week we...

...said goodbye to our wonderful friends, the Cooks. They moved to Utah, which was great for them and sad for us.  Chris is Hawaiian and Melanie is Polynesian. Every encounter with them seemed like such a fun splash of culture and goodness. They would wrap you in a hug and kiss you on both of your cheeks. Our next trip just might have to be to Utah to see them and bum free lodgings. :) (My poor Benjamin didn't want to give up his spot at the old school merry-go-round. He was having a tough time as you can see.)

...watched the second day of the 182nd semi annual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was no less wonderful on the second day. I'll share a few highlights.

 Lainey's spot was cuddling up with either me or Jason

Benjamin was really into the Bingo this year. Emma only helped sometimes. She got tired of them just looking at her board to find the words they missed.

Russel M. Nelson - 

    1.Stop the boys on the bikes!

    2. Ask the missionaries; they can help you.

***

*Dieter F. Uchtdorf *

1. We are all mortal. I hope this does not
come as a surprise to anyone.

2. We often wear our busy-ness as a badge of honor. 

As though being busy by itself was an 

accomplishment or sign of a superior life. Is it?

3. It's not a race. It's a journey. Enjoy the moment. 

4. One sees clearly only with the heart. 

Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.
5. Therefore, let us: 
•Resolve to spend more time with those we love. 
•Resolve to strive more earnestly to become 
the person God wants us to be.
 •Resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances.
  Many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be 

prevented by following the Savior today.

6. Don't wait until you are ready to die 
before you truly learn to live.

***

L. Tom Perry -

1. It is wonderful to see husbands and wives 

who have worked out real partnerships where they 

blend together their influence and communicate 

effectively both about their children and to their children.

***

*M. Russell Ballard* 

1. These simple, daily acts of service may not seem like much in and of themselves, but when considered collectively they become just like the one-twelfth teaspoon of honey contributed by a single bee to the hive. There is power in our love for God and for His children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness, it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and charity.

2. In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help.

 3. Service is the very definition of pure religion.
*** 

Henry B. Eyring - 

1. We remove the pavilion [that obscures our view  of God] when we feel and pray "Thy will be done" and "in Thine own time."

2. "I will give you all of my time; please show me how to fill it."

3. Do things that will make Him 

as familiar to us as we are to Him. 
***

Linda K. Burton - 

1. First observe, then serve.
***

Jeffrey R. Holland - 

1.  Did you love me?

2. The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.
***

President Thomas S. Monson - 

1. Never Postpone a prompting.

2. No concern is too small for the Lord.

3. The Lord is in the details of our lives.
***

David A. Bednar - 

1. We should know the gospel's true

and be true to the gospel.

...met Captain Fuzzypants. Emma was chosen as the Shining Star in her class. That meant that monkey boy Captain Fuzzypants was our companion for the week. She colored an all-about-me poster to share and received compliment letters form all of her classmates. She also shared these photos of her with the Captain and talked about their adventures together.

...made sure to wash Emma's white shirt for church on Sunday. Apparently Emma didn't think I would remember to wash, and then dry, her shirt because she left me some notes to make sure.

...sent a warning. Fruit beware!

Week #40: We met uno de Los Chimichangos - the friends of Skippy Jon Jones

This week we...

...met a chihuahua and were reminded of our friend Skippy Jon Jones. He bounces on his big boy bed and says in a muy, muy, soft voice, "My eers are too beeg for my head. My head is too beeg for my body. I am not a Siamese cat. I am a chihuahua!" Lainey really thought we should take the dog home with us she liked it so much. Me, not so much.

...discovered that Lainey likes salad. Beware if you're eating salad around her. She will take it ALL. She starts out innocently enough, "Have bite?" But she's gets you to hand over your whole lunch.

...drew the winners for the raffle that we put on to raise money for our friend Erik. Dane Riner won the lawn mower, Jackie Mayfield won the TV, a SWAT guy from Jason's office won a set of shooting range headphones and Matt Mackay from the ward won a set of headphones. Some tickets were donated for Fairchild cinemas and those went to Erik and his mom, Chad and Nicole King, and Don and Verna Slaugh.

We were raising money to help pay for Erik's taxi service on Sundays to and from church. He uses Dial-a-ride during the week for free, but they don't run on Sundays. Jason and I just saw how he wasn't as comfortable without his motorized chair at church. Also trying to get him from his chair into the car and back into his chair is quite the shimmying process. We wanted to do something to help.

 Since starting the raffle, Jason has researched other, long-term options. He found the Milford Person Lift that helps to lift a person from their chair into the car without too much effort; Erik's mom could do it on her own. We found a program that will pay half if we put money down. Another organization donated a refurbished, motorized chair for him to use while at church. We're so excited! 

...decided that Lainey shouldn't do makeup professionally just yet. Grandma Zirker came for a visit and Lainey was into her purse not long after she got here. She was putting lipstick on herself and Grandma, and she even tried to put some on Emma.

...have been scanning old photos for my mom. I am really enjoying this process. I'm excited that all these photos will be on the computer and we can share them with family a lot easier. It has been so much to look at all these photos from my mom's side and think about who these people were and what they were really like. I'll share a few of my favorites:

1. This one is my absolute favorites. This is the brother of my Grandpa Hill, Earl Hill and his wife, Thelma. I love that they look so content. Thelma looks so beautiful, not stern or harsh like in some of the photos you see. I also wondered what she must have thought of her life as I tried to relate to her.

 

2. Grandma and Grandpa - Louise and Dorward Hill. I see my brother Corey in my Grandpa and my sister Cherice in my Grandma.

3.This one shows a fun, silly side of my Grandma and Grandpa that I just loved. I don't remember them that way. I have wondered lately what kind of woman my Grandma was. It seems my mom is nothing like her. My mom says she rarely went to her mom for recipes or advice (not that doing so is a prerequisite of a mother/daughter relationship - that's just what my mom and I do). They didn't have many heart-to-heart type talks. I wish I could talk with my Grandma and find out what she was like.

4. This is one of my mother with her sisters - Gelene, oldest; LaDeen, second; and then Linda, youngest. It makes me think of younger pictures of me and current little Emma.

5. This is my Grandmother's Relief Society membership card. Apparently there was a yearly due of $.50. I love finding things like this that tell you what things were like during their time.

...watched our first day of the 182nd Semi Annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was fabulous! The kids all had their own spots picked out and ready to go. I had the treats for every talk by a member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They played Bingo really well for the first time. They even listened to the songs and prayers to get more words.

I know it all looks chaotic and a mess, but they knew where their spot started and ended. They made sure no one else over-sat their boundary.

 

Ben and Paul really were paying attention...really!