Memorial Day

For FHE tonight we--being the 3 older kids, Stephen, my mom and SIL Marni--shared memories about my grandma, whom my kids call "Mormor".

I remember that when I was a teenager I used to love to make chocolate chip cookies, well, I liked to mix them up and eat the dough, but absolutely hated putting them on the cookie sheets! Grandma would always do it for me. One year she found a neat contraption that made putting the dough on the sheets easier, and bought it for me. And always canning with her. She always helped me--and often did it for me!

Stephen remembered that she always remembered that he liked root beer, and so whenever we would go and visit she would have a case of it in the downstairs refrigerator just for him. She'd push it on him (not a hard sell!) and send it home with us. Mom remembered that Grandma even sent it with her when she would come and visit us in Portland.

Grandma always remembered little things like that. She would make 3 different kinds of potato salad so that everyone could have what they liked best. Mom said that one time she mentioned to Grandma that she liked her milk room temperature, so Grandma would pour a glass an hour before dinner and let it sit on the counter so that Mom could have it just how she liked it.

Elise was pretty choked up, so we skipped her until she could talk.

Mason remembered getting pushed by Mormor on the Peach Place carts. (this picture is from 2007)

Sammy remembered her giving the 3 older kids quarter books and all the state quarters to fill them. That's actually the last activity they got to do with her.

Marni remembered that just after she and Scotty were married they needed a few more household supplies and she mentioned that she was going to go buy some tin foil. Grandma told her to come with her, and took her down to the garage and loaded her up with tin foil, napkins, saran wrap and other stuff like that. Marni said that she and Scotty still haven't had to buy tin foil!

Lincoln was just over a year when Grandma passed away, but he was the only one who came to the funeral with me. I was pregnant with Trevor when Lincoln and I flew out for the funeral, and I like to think that Grandma got to be with Trevor for a little while before he came to earth. I'm certain that she is close to my family still. Sometimes I just feel like she is near me, cheering me on through the rough days.

Elise pulled herself together and said that she used to love playing barbies and dolls with Mormor. They would dress them and undress them and have so much fun together. Elise cried the most (not counting me or Mom) because she knew her the longest.

We love you, Grandma!

P.S.

I found a couple more pictures...including some of the elusive Cameron!

How do 3 babies look on me? Cameron loved his Auntie.

Isn't Cameron's wink adorable?

On our way out of town we stopped by Grandma's grave. Being home for canning was a little bit empty without her there.

Flashback

In October 2007, President Henry B. Eyring gave an address in General Conference titled, "O Remember, Remember". His closing comments were:


"Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him."


For a couple of years after President Eyring gave that talk I faithfully, daily, wrote experiences down where I had seen the hand of God in my life. I just took a few minutes every night, and I have several notebooks full of these small miracles--which by themselves seem small and inconsequential, but added together are an incredible testimony of God's love for me.


I just got started doing it again (after 1 1/2 years of not), and so was going through my most recent "miracle journal", and found the following entry (it's much, much longer than my normal entries...):

Monday 16 March 2009

What a fun day! We went out to the farm this morning, went on a hike after a McDonalds lunch, went shopping with Grandma (just me--and we bought things for Brett & Scotty, too), and had FHE with "dirt dessert" for dessert. It's 8:45pm and I still hear the pitter patter of little feet sneaking back and forth. They are so sure they are so sneaky!

Mom just kindly reminded me how exciting it is to be in a new place and how hard it is to settle down. That's right--I remember visiting Grandma & pa in their house on Kings and having such a hard time going to sleep. So I am ignoring the excited whisperings and visits back & forth. It's not every day we get to visit Grammy's house! And half the fun is not getting caught!

Elise and Mason were playing outside at the farm today, and when they came inside Elise asked if she could talk to me alone. We went into the sewing room and I closed the door and sat down on the futon. Elise came and stood by me and started sobbing. She explained what had happened: She and Mason were playing on the teeter-totter. Mason was getting off and she was trying to get on and the seat split in two.

She was sure that she had broken something special and would be in big trouble. I hugged her and held her and told her the story of when I was about her age and broke one of Grandpa's wine glasses. I was certain that it was an expensive special glass, and I was heart broken.

Dad came and talked with me and when he left, Grandpa came in. He sat next to me and put his arm around me and told me that he could get any old wine glass for a nickel, and the one I broke wasn't anything to him. Then he said, "Gosh, you even made your old grandpa cry!" And he wiped away a tear. I don't think I ever loved any one so much as I loved my grandpa then. And I knew he loved me, and I was more important than any old wine glass!

Back to today...I asked Elise if she would like me to send Mormor in, and after a few minutes she said yes.

She and Grandma were in the room for about 10 minutes. When they came out, Elise was beaming and very happy. I had a chance to talk to her a few minutes later and she told me what Grandma told her--that there was nothing in her house more important that a granddaughter. And, Mormor told Elise of a time that she broke a lamp and felt so bad about it.

Elise's comment was, "When I'm older and have a daughter or granddaughter and they break something I'll have a story to tell them! Just like you and Mormor!"

I talked with Grandma some while shopping and told her Elise's response. She told me about how when she was a little girl they had an old coal-burning lamp, and about 10 years after they got electricity (they no longer used the lamp), she knocked it off a shelf and broke the glass lampshade. She felt so terrible that she climbed onto a pile of blankets and hid there all day. Finally her mom found her--and the lamp--and said, "This has got to stop. Is this all you are worried about? I've been meaning to get rid of this for years!"

She had a story that Elise needed to hear, and she knew Elise's distress was real, and was willing to take time to help her.

Blast from the past

My mom sent me an email that I wrote back on March 11, 2007...and for history's sake, I'm putting it on my blog!


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I had the most wonderful primary music time today. We're learning "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" this month, but the kids mostly know it, so really we're just reviewing it. Anyhow, I have been thinking all week about what I was going to do with the kids, and yesterday the thought came to me that I should call all the parents and find out nice things that their kids had done over the week. So I did that this morning, and got quite a list! I told the kids (anonymously) about some of the different acts of service, then sang the chorus, then told them more of the acts of service, then had them sing the chorus with me. Then we went over the words for the verse, and when we put it all together, I completely lost it. They started singing, "I'm trying to be like Jesus,  I'm following in His ways..." and I started weeping. I have NEVER felt the Spirit so strongly as when those little 3-8 year olds sang that song and believed it, and live it. Kids and music is a pretty powerful combination!


Another Sabbath story...this morning I was printing something off on the computer and noticed that it was 10 am. Our church starts at 11 am, so I fed Sammy and asked Elise to get her shoes on when I was done. Stephen looked at me quizzically and, pointing to our wall clock, said it was only 9:30. Great! More time! We sang hymns and finished getting ready to go, and were out the door by 10:40. Perfect. When we got to church the parking lot was completely full, so we figured the previous ward was having ward conference. When we walked in the building we heard a voice from the pulpit, which was weird because we were 10 minutes early. Then we saw our friend Paul in the hall with his little boy. That's when it hit me - Paul is never early...daylight savings time!!! 


To make the story better, I was supposed to give the opening prayer! And to make it even better, Mason and Elise just ran right into the meeting. Stephen was able to find Elise quickly, but Mason ran to the front of the chapel. Stephen followed after a few minutes, but couldn't find him anywhere. The bishopric had lost sight of him, but fortunately another astute ward member pointed to the opposite side of the chapel from where Stephen was, and sure enough, there was Mason sitting on the front pew on the opposite side of the chapel. Poor Stephen! He retrieved Mason and retreated to the hall. He did go back in and say the closing prayer...boy, was I embarrassed! Our computer updates automatically, but not our wall clocks! :o) 


In family scripture study we just read Alma 33. Elise was very attentive on this particular night as we explained the different places the prophets said we could pray. For example, Zenos says, "And when I did turn unto my closet, O Lord, and prayed unto thee, thou didst hear me." The next morning Elise came out of her room, and as she passed by me in the kitchen whispered, "I just prayed in my closet." and walked on. I'm so glad she is paying attention to the scriptures! She is very into treasure hunts right now, and the other day explained to Mason what the treasure would be, "The treasure would be something beautiful, or handsome, or something that President Hinckley said. Or a paper doll." I love it!


Mason's latest phrase is, "Won't do it anymore again." And he sure tries to not do it, be it spitting, dropping Sammy or dumping toys out. At least for a little while. :o) He and Elise are in a really fun dance class, and we "Hurry, hurry, drive the fire truck" all over the city! He's into snuggling right now, which is great if it's not way past bedtime...which is usually when he thinks of doing it! His momma ain't raisin' no dummies! Smart kid, that one!


Sammy likes to blow (or at least chew on) Mason's train whistle, much to Mason's consternation. He also likes to empty drawers and find treasures in the trash can. What a fun age! He'll be one on the 27th, and I can hardly believe it! He'll be walking any day now, and will soon be able to keep up with Elise and Mason running up and down the hall. He gets so frustrated when they run one way, and he follows, only to have them run by him going the other direction. So he follows again...and finally finds something else to do. Like play the piano. He loves music, and has a cute little dance. Woohoo!


I made it on 3 runs this week! Yay! And I'm almost not sick anymore! Yay! And the kids are almost not sick anymore! Yay! That means I'll (maybe) get more than 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep one of these nights! YAY!!!!!! I also FINALLY finished Sammy's curtains. Loving my new sewing machine! :o) :o) Now I just need to make Elise a new skirt that I can't see through...she still wears one I made for her 3 years ago, and it's a mite bit threadbare!


Okay, this is way too long...see you all later (or sooner!)


Love,


Claire, et. al.


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Happily ever after

A rainy August day, the Portland temple. Oregon State, KinderCare, Computer Science.  A pregnancy, a miscarriage, a drawing of strength from each other. One year.

Another pregnancy, a beautiful baby girl. Love we never knew existed.  A graduation, a job. Two years.

Commuting from Wilsonville. “Get there together.” A little boy waiting. Three years.  

Another pregnancy, another graduation, a chubby baby boy. More love. A house in Portland, late nights, lots of laughter. Four years, five years.  

Another pregnancy, another healthy baby boy. More love. Six years.

Friends, parties, kids getting older. Homeschooling. Seven years.

Back to school, Provo, BYU, MBA. Stronger and stronger. Eight years.

Trust, primary discussions. Homework. Another pregnancy, a new place to live, another baby boy. More love. Nine years.

Another graduation, more school, new house, Minnesota, PhD. Four amazing kids, deep love. Ten years.

Happily ever after

It's been a great 2 years!

As we prepare to leave the "promised land" and head out to the "mission field" (seriously, I've heard people say that!), I thought I'd share some things...

Things I'll miss about Provo:

• The mountains. Looking out my front window and seeing Mt. Timpanogos. Majestic. Beautiful. Watching the clouds roll in and hide the mountains. Seeing the "Y" every day.

• Elise's ballet teacher. Miss Amber at Ruby Shoes Studio. Elise has learned so much--and learned to love the beauty of dance from someone I trust to teach her. I'm pretty sure that dance will be a part of Elise's life for a long, long time, and I wish we could pack up Miss Amber and take her with us wherever we go. It's okay, though, because Amber's baby, Ruby, and my Lincoln are betrothed to each other. So we'll be in touch.

• Yield signs, not stop signs.
• U-turns
• Never worrying about taking my kids to on-campus events. I know the dancing, etc., will be modest and appropriate for them to see. 
• Our cul-de-sac. 5 duplexes of some of the best people around! A quiet, safe neighborhood full of great kids and parents. 
• Friends. Like Sarah, Marisa, Candace, Anna & Eirene. When I'm around them I am a better mom. I need friends like that! Winter, Pam, Stephanie, Nicole, Tepoe, Amanda, Kristen, Jamie, Tiffany, Lori...I guess I'm okay moving on because I know there are more amazing women out there for me to meet. 
• WINCO! One just opened up here a couple of weeks ago. And I'm leaving it AGAIN! I hope they expand to Minnesota!
• Kid to Kid. Gifts of the Heart Exchange. Free clothes. Service opportunities.

• MBA Spouses Association. It's like Relief Society on steroids. Amazing women making amazing things happen. 
• The hiking. We are moving to FLAT. 
• Being close enough to family that I can make the drive on my own in a couple of days. 15 hours vs. 29 hours. Ouch!
• Bella Natal and my midwife there.

Things I won't miss:

• Crazy Utah drivers. Red means STOP! Really! Tailing while texting. Going slow in the fast lane. Not watching out for pedestrians and bikers.
• Inversion. Can you say yuck?!
• The arid climate. We dry out here!

There are so many wonderful people and places in Utah. I am so glad we chose to come here for school. I am also looking forward to our next adventure!

My, how times have changed--or--Four tuna

9 years ago: When I was in college the combined OSU choirs performed "Carmina Burana". "O Fortuna" is one of my favorite songs from Carmina.

9 minutes ago: Mason found (in one of the bags of food from our neighbor), some cans of tuna fish. At first he only found two, and Sammy was "skating" around the kitchen on them. Then, he found two more cans. Says he, "Sammy! Four tuna!"

My fortuna has become four tuna.