Ducks vs Geese

Kevin and I went to the lake in town today to feed the babies. We have been using the short weeks we have left wisely. You know....quality time. It has been really fun. We talk and laugh and have meaningful discussions....and we just enjoy hanging out.
We both LOVE baby animals. It's that tender-hearted side we get from my Mom. She was such an animal lover. These babies were fabulous. They were cute and fluffy and they made the sweetest little chirping sounds.
Last year at this lake I noticed, for the first time, the different parenting styles of the ducks vs the geese. Geese, as you may already know, are in control. They swim with their babies in a straight line with one parent in the front and one in the back. Ducks, however, let their babies swim willie nillie all over the place. The Mom will even leave the lake without all of her babies following behind. It gives me heart palpitations just thinking about it.
I was wondering if Kevin would pick up on this difference. We watched them both for a while and sure enough. He picked out the similarities between me and the geese right away. I think his comment was something like..."Man, you're sure no duck." He's right. I am a goose all the way.
I asked him if (looking back) he thought that was a bad thing. After thinking about it for a minute he said, "Nope. Just think of all the trouble you kept me out of. Thanks."
No problem, my fluffy little chick. No problem at all. I was reading a blog of a girl (she's actually like 25 now) that was in my ward in Blackfoot. She is due to have twins any day now. She said something that really struck a cord with me. It actually kept me awake last night. She was having mixed feelings about the birth of her babies. The page was turning on one chapter in her life just as a new chapter was about to begin.
She was a little sad when her newly-wed chapter ended with the birth of their son. And now the chapter with her being able to focus on her son was closing too. She looked forward to the new chapter and the joy it would bring into her life.....but a little sad at the same time.
I can totally relate to her feelings here. For almost 19 years now Kevin has been this angel that God sent into my life when I REALLY needed an angel. We grew up together and learned about life together. I am so excited for a new chapter to begin....but I am sad for this one to end. No longer will he be my little chick to fuss over and boss around. He will move out and I won't see him every day. I won't get to see that $5000.00 smile (that's how much his orthodontist bill was) every morning. I guess I am sad....because I don't know the fullness of the joy to come.
I do know that each new chapter I've started (with only one exception) has been even better than the last. I'm sure I will find things in this new chapter....like more time with Jo....that even it out a bit. One thing I can say is....man those fuzzy chicks grow fast.

Torn

I am so in love with my kids. We are in such a {mostly ;) } fun stage in our lives. They are a hoot to hang out with . They are witty and smart and just plain fun. Our conversations surprise me and I want to keep them with me all the time. Of course....as some of you have heard.....they can also be cheeky and rude and obnoxious. They are, after all, still teenagers. I had the most fabulous discussion with a missionary who spoke in our Branch today. He is from Grace, ID and he is just fabulous. He was self assured, and sweet and expressed a genuine love for the Savior. I loved talking to him and hearing about how his love for his family has grown while he's been out on his mission. He is almost finished. He is at the 20 month mark. He told me how much he loves his sisters (they're 8 & 10) and how his relationship with his Mom has deepened and how much he loves her. He gave us some great tips about what pants to buy and which shoes have lasted the longest. He bore testimony of the miracles he has seen and the wonderful people he has met. Mostly, he wished he could trade places with Kevin and be just heading out. He told us it has been the BEST two years of his life. So here is where I am torn. I love Kevin so much and I LOVE spending time with him. But here was this self-assured man standing in front of me as proof that Kevin can get even better than he already is. All I have to do is trust him to the Lord. Let Him have his undivided attention for two years. If I can do my part and Kevin can do his....I will just have to trust that all will be well...and the man that returns will be so much better than the boy that he was.

Travel Log

I know you all have been wondering where I have been. Well, I'll tell ya. I have just had a fabulous week visiting my family in Idaho. My little sister, Michelle, had a new baby. His name is Cooper and he is fabulous. He changed so much in the week I was there. He was so much more alert and awake more of the time....and he is just starting to smile. Heaven....My Dad took us on a Daddy/Daughter date. It was fun. We started at Texas Roadhouse. We laughed and talked and had a blast. Then we went to the movie "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past". Fun movie...kinda glad I wasn't the one to sit next to the parental unit. That happened to me when my sisters and Mom went to see a movie. It had a pretty graphic conversation (about sex) and I was sitting next to MOM! Let's just say it was a bit uncomfortable...
Michelle and I hung out and lunched and visited. We made THE PERFECT LUNCH!Turkey and avocado sandwiches on Harpers Homemade white bread. I made potato salad (Grandma's recipe). We had chips with Nalley's Bacon and Onion dip, and carrots with Chiz's ranch to dip them in. I also introduced Michelle to Simply Lemon lemonade mixed with Simply Lime limeade. Oh. My. Yum.Bridger kicked my rear in Wii bowling and tennis and Super Smash Bros. He is quite the athlete for real or Wii he is the king. Lacey and I talked and went to lunch and played a board game. I got to snuggle Cylie. She is the sweetest baby!! She had mastered crawling by the time I left.Brook graduated from pre-school. Her teacher (Ms. Connie) was so cute! Brook and I played barbies too...of course. We spent a lot time time hanging out. She is so grown up. Of course I didn't take nearly enough pics. I always fail in that area. I did think I got some of Lacey, Cylie and I...but I didn't. When they come next month I promise I will take TONS of photos of me with my kids. All in all it was a great trip. I miss them so much when I'm not there. I felt so torn in two when it was time to leave. Half my heart longed to stay with them while the other half was aching to get back to my family. I love them all...now if I could only find a way to move us all closer together.

Mission Call

It's official!! Kevin reports to the SLC Mission Training Center on July 15th. He will be serving in the Fort Worth, Texas mission. I am SO excited for him. I do wish I had been there when he opened his call....but....what could I do. He is very excited and looking forward to serving the Lord for two years. I will keep you updated as I get more details. For now...YAY TEXAS!!

Olive and Banna Cream

I love the colors in my living room. Laura Ashley Olive #4 and Bear Banana Cream...casts a warm glow on the room where we live. I thought the room before was beige...but after seeing the Banana Cream on it...it was totally taupe. When we first moved in...every wall in this house was covered in this beigey/taupe color. It was OK. It was neutral. It was blah. After 23 months in the house, the kitchen/family room, the dinning room and the living room all have my personal stamp on them. Surprisingly they all have yellow in them.
I've never thought of myself as a fan of yellow. But I must admit, it's sunny nature and warm tones leave the room felling like an inviting place to sit and visit....or curl up with a book and one of the many blankets.
I do like the fact that as I sit at my computer I can see my favorite red in the kitchen, the sunny yellow in the dinning room and the perfectly fabulous green in the living room. It is hard to get better than that....unless I have found something chocolate to sit at the computer and munch on....

Where I Learned To Be A Mom

These are the women who started it all for me. My Mom and her Mom....my Grandma. They taught me patience, and love. They taught me charity by example and instilled in me a sense of fair play. My Grandma taught me how to use a sewing machine and to make taffy. My Mom taught me how to see the other side in an argument and how to be a good peace keeper. They both taught me how to work hard and to see the inherent value in others. They taught me how to be friends with my kids and to put their needs first. Above all they taught me that love is eternal. No matter how far they go from me they will always love me.....and I will always love them. I will always cherish the things they taught me. Happy Mothers Day!!

Too Old

Are we ever too old? Sure, I am too old to wear bows in my hair and sit on my Dads lap...or am I? I'm probably too old to throw a tea party for my friends, complete with tiaras and our favorite teddy bears...or am I? I'm definitely too old to play on the jungle gym at the park and go down the slide....but why? Would it be unseemly for a woman of my advanced age to participate in those activities? Maybe....if I gave a rats patoot about what anyone thought.
My daughter and Steph are of the same mind-set. This is what they did for a couple of hours a few nights ago. They were giggling and really getting joy out of something so simple....so childish. I love that they don't care who saw them or what their friends would say.
I got a Cabbage Patch Doll for Christmas the year I was 11. My cousin who is 3 weeks younger than me got a Walkman. HHMMMMM.....When Jo was little we would play Barbies in her room for hours. I guess I've never quite acted my age. Maybe I never will. Let's hope not.

I Can Always Count On Jo

It's true. I can always count on Jo for the brutal truth. So I get to this point in my painting this morning and Jo saunters through on her way to school. I was having an avocado moment and wanted some reassurances that this color was as fabulous as I was hoping it would be. "Well, what do you think?" I asked her earnestly. "It looks like poop." She very plainly stated....and walked out of the room. I had such a Steve (my Dad) moment. My Dad has been known to drop bombs like that and walk away leaving you feeling eviscerated....bleeding in a crumpled heap on the floor. Not to be deterred I countered with, "Oh yeah.....well then someone ate a lot of broccoli!" Ha, I told her. She just laughed at me. Seriously, who does she think she is? Laura Ashley herself? Bah. She doesn't know. But I was having a bit of an insecure moment and was about to go into panic mode...and Kevin walked in. My own little ray of sunshine. "Hey, Mom....this looks great! You should just stop with one coat. It really does look good." THANK YOU!! That is all I needed to hear. Hey, Mom, take a step back and see the big picture. It looks great from here. Sometimes it's good to adjust our perspective. Take a second, back up and look at the big picture. I'm going to do that today. Not just with my paint (BTW I do love it and can't wait to get the second coat on) but with life in general. Man, I will miss this kid. SIDEBAR: Mission call update....6 more days until we can start to wait anxiously by the mailbox....every day.....until it gets here.

To Paint Or Not To Paint

That is a good question. I always grapple with deep questions like this. What color should I paint the living room? Or this comes up frequently as well.....Do these pants make me looks fat? And I love this one....If my teenager puts a ding in the left rear fender of the car, and I wasn't there to see it...was it really them? Yes, these questions and SO many more are going through my head at any given moment. To focus on one is sometimes more that my addled brain can handle. But for today....and the previous 2 weeks...I have been trying to find a paint color that I love. Not easy for me. I have been trying out this one (I just want it on 2 of my walls because with the wood trim I don't have any white to break it up a bit). What do you think? I think I like it. Now if I could only convince Home Depot to carry Laura Ashley colors. Communists. This was me trying to decide between 2 greens. Moss 3 and Olive 4
This is the Olive 4. I think I like it best. Jo keeps voting for red. I have red in my kitchen and my last living room was red. I'm ready of green....I think....