Four Years Old

I never want to forget Isaac's excitement during our first few hours at the cabin. He was all over the place, saying, "Look at me mom! Look at how I can sit on the bed! And, lay on the bed! And jump between beds! And, run across the nightstand between beds! Look mom, look, look, look at me!!!" Then it was out to the porch for some, "Look mom! Look at how I can walk on the porch! See how I can tiptoe? See how I can run? Look, look, look at me!!!" And so on and so forth.

Into the nighttime hours he was still walking around, chest puffed out like a peacock, saying things like, "Yeah, we live here now. This is our new home." When we packed up on Sunday, he cried genuine tears of sadness over leaving.

All three of my older kids entertained themselves by collecting rocks throughout the weekend. Ian ended up with a huge ziplock baggie full and notions about selling the largest ones for a big profit when we got home. Brian said we should leave all the rocks there because it's such a hassle to have rocks floating all over the house (where they always seem to end up in spite of the "keep them outside" rule). But, I thought we should let them pick a few favorites to take home. It seems like our kids are always collecting rocks right now, but, in a blink of an eye, rocks will no longer hold the same magic for them anymore. Soon it will be IPODs and then cars and dates and off to college before we know it. Then I'm sure we will miss the days when rock collections graced our home.

Even this morning, as the kids were getting ready, they had those rocks out, rinsing and polishing them. Discussing which ones were igneous and which ones were sedimentary and wagering on which ones were solid marble. Now Sophie and Ian are off to their first day of school. Katie is sleeping. Isaac is in the tub. And, I am daydreaming about more days like this one. When things are just a little bit quieter and calmer and lunch at a girlfriend's house is a real possibility.

The Best of Times

Friday afternoon, we began our ascent up Logan Canyon and I said the same thing I always say to my kids:

"Get ready to drive through one of the most beautiful canyons in the world!"

I can't help it. Of all the picturesque places I've visited, this canyon must be one of the prettiest. And, I hope it's one of those silly memories that will stick with them when they are adults. Driving through Logan Canyon with me.

We arrived at a lovely log cabin in Southern Idaho in the early evening and as soon as we pulled up I knew I was going to love our time there. Everything was perfect. A wrap around porch with a view. Picture windows facing the mountains. A loft with pitched ceilings that was a magical place for the older kids to bed down with their cousins.

My dad grilled succulent steaks on the charcoal BBQ while the rest of my siblings arrived. We had a carnivore feast accompanied by all manner of yummy side dishes and desserts.

Saturday was a perfect day at the lake. Bear Lake with it's gorgeous aquamarine water and sand that is just right for digging. The day was hot. But, also overcast so it wasn't too hot.

That evening, back at the cabin, there was more feasting. More four-wheeling and Ian riding his red bike on the dirt roads and trails. More quiet meditation under the stars.

It all ended too soon when we had to pack our things this morning and drive home. Back in Logan Canyon, it was raining hard and a thin fog rested around the majestic cliffs making it even more beautiful. We drove through the section where the trees make a tunnel over the road and I looked to my right at the river rushing by. I thought about my own childhood and memories of trips taken through that very canyon to Bear Lake. A childhood that is now past. And, I thought about my children. Two of them go back to school tomorrow. Another summer passed.

I reflected on the summer and decided it was the best of times and also the worst of times. Having a May baby was a delight. And, summers with my kids are my favorite time of year. There was also a lot of fighting, chaos, exhaustion and mess to deal with. Too many kids. A lesson learned that I'm not ready to take on seven for a summer break.

I thought about how Kindergarten Ian is gone forever. I really loved Kindergarten Ian with his dimples and stick straight Dutch-boy blonde hair. Before he lost any baby teeth. A boy who was eager to please and obey all the rules. Who daydreamed in numbers and equations. His long fingers flying over the piano keys while his feet didn't even touch the floor. Those same fingers feeling the fringes of his car blankie as we laid together at bedtime. My peacemaker Ian.

Katie Jane is 3-months old today. Sleeping through the night (knock on wood), calm, bright blue eyes and smiles. She's ready to roll over any day. We are all drawn to her tranquility. And, I melt at the way she is such a novelty to the other kids. "Mom, can Katie watch me come down the slide? Here I come Katie! Did you see that Katie!? Did you see me come down the slide to you?"

Sophie has adopted a Punky Brewster-esque style of clothing. As in, she tries to see how many different colors of the rainbow she can wear at one time. Including mismatched stockings and different colored rubber bands in her pony tails.

Isaac, ever adventurous, is still mesmerizing me with his baby blue eyes.

We drove through the canyon and I thought about this summer. The trip to the cabin was the perfect ending to summer break.

We didn't visit Pineview Reservoir once a week as I had hoped. But, we did manage to take two boating trips to lakes. We didn't hike as much as I had planned. But, we did make it to our beloved Birdsong Trail once. And, we still have the fall. We didn't go swimming much because I didn't feel ready to brave the pool with all four, but, the kids did spend lots of time sweating on the inflatables and the skating rink of Classic Fun. We didn't spend too many nights in a tent, but, we did spend days at Tony Grove (and, nights at a hotel in Logan -- my kind of camping with a new baby!) and evenings roasting hot dogs and s'mores in our own backyard. We tried something new one day when we visited the art building at Weber State University. The gallery was closed for the summer, but, we explored, rode the old fashioned elevator, enjoyed whatever art we could find, and sketched some totem pole statues in our sketch books. Then we fed the ducks and fled from a gang of angry geese. All things considered, it was mostly the best of times.

Gifts

Sunday night was the annual pop's concert and fireworks show at Weber State University.

Tens of thousands of people come and literally cover every inch of grass at the university with their blankets. All surrounding parking lots, yards, etc. are also filled with spectators for this event.

As we prepared to attend, I explained to my kids that some people in our community (the Lindquist's) have a lot of money. So, one thing they decided to do with their money is to give everyone a gift -- this awesome fireworks show -- every year.

What a great gift.

A college friend of mine who I only see once per year or so, contacted me to see if we could attend the show together with our families. I was so excited to see her, and then she made me even more happy by calling me to say that her family is good friends with the Ligoris (who own Ligori's Pizza and Pasta) and we were all invited to his restaurant for basically Sunday dinner Ligori family style.

Mr. Ligori (who looks like Danny DeVito) filled the restaurant with guests and treated us all to a nice meal. Afterwards, the kids were invited out to the parking lot for carnival games and some pretty sweet prizes. Then, we set up our lawn chairs right there in the parking lot and had a front row view of the fireworks show.

What a great gift.

My friend took a picture of us right after there was a short downpour of rain while waiting for the fireworks to begin (another advantage of our set-up -- sending unhappy wet children to the van to wait out the storm) and posted it on her blog with the nicest tribute to the many beautiful women who have bestowed their friendship on her life.

Lately, I too have been thinking of the many, many amazing friends I have been blessed to have in my lifetime. Being with my friend Chris reminded me of all the fun we use to have in college. The way her laugh comes so easily. And, the way she makes everyone feel like they are special.

My life is abundantly blessed with amazing, beautiful women right now who help me grow spiritually in ways I never imagined possible. I missed my mom and my exercising buddies and Joy School mom friends and my priceless Neighbor Lady and the lunch group gals more than I can say when my family moved to China. How wonderful it was to come back home and bask in the rays of their friendship.

It is not possible to write this post without talking about the women I taught English in Russia with so many years ago. Just last week, we met up for a reunion. What is it? About 15 years now? (sheesh) I had no idea back when I was a freshly graduated from high school just starting college gal how much these ladies would truly impact my life. What amazing examples they have been in both the past and the present. That experience, and the friends I made while there, definitely shaped my life for the better. It was wonderful to see them again. Though one evening was way too short.

Some people go their entire lives with only one or two good friends. I feel so blessed to have had so many.

What a gift.

2009 Farmer's Market Begins

Yesterday was the first day of the Farmer's Market in Ogden -- a pretty exciting event in my world.

It took me an hour-and-a-half to make it out the door accomplishing the following:

Me: fed, dressed, some make-up
Katie: fed, dressed, clean diaper
Sophie: fed, dressed, hair brushed
Ian: fed, dressed, hair brushed
Isaac: cereal in a baggie, striped P.J.s with a Hawaiian shirt over the top (what he slept in), hair not brushed

Sophie, Ian and Isaac: still donning traces of Hawaiian fruit punch on their faces from a party the night before

An hour-and-a-half just to get out the door I tell ya! You'd think we would have been ready for family portraits instead of only half presentable to the world.

Embrace it.

The Farmer's Market was the most crowded that I have ever seen it. The street with the produce vendors was shoulder to shoulder human traffic. I carried Katie in the Ergo and the other three were surprisingly courteous and mindful about staying near me on their scooters. I felt a little out of sorts in that sea of humanity. It was not so easy to relax and pick through vegetables while trying to keep an eye on all of those kids. Which is, perhaps, why I walked all the way to the end and bought my produce at a lone booth where it wasn't so crowded. I bet that guy was happy. And, Brian made his famous fried potatoes last night and they were amazing. Home grown potatoes are so much tastier.

The good news about the crowds is that Brian is selling his Ogden Book at the Farmer's Market. So, more exposure, right?

I found two booths selling flower hair clips and had to buy one from each vendor for Katie. I think I'll have to buy at least one every week from here on out (did you hear that Photoguy?). Sigh. It's so nice to have one daughter who (for now) will let me dress her and fix her up any way that I please.

I adore the Farmer's Market. It's become sort of a mid-summer through early fall tradition for me. It delights me from head to toe. The brightly colored stacks of produce, intoxicating smells of blooming flowers and fresh picked herbs, the luscious flavors -- honey on a stick, dripping slices of peaches, homemade salsas, Beehive Cheddar, old fashioned rootbeer -- not to mention the fabulous culinary adventures to be had at home after the purchases are made.

I love hearing live music from the stage, seeing the arts and crafts by talented tradesmen and youngsters out to peddle their wares (i.e. Sophie bought a 50-cent shrinky dink keychain from someone about her age). I enjoy seeing our community out and about on a Saturday morning, baskets on arms, gathering treasures (though, I wouldn't mind seeing a teensy bit less of our community on Saturdays yet to come . . . or, leave the kids with a sitter). I always see friends and neighbors.

Yesterday, the kids were fascinated with the man selling honey and his glass encasement of bees in the process of making it. Sometimes, there is a 4-H demonstration for them to participate in making something.

In the spring months, I admit, I had a bit of a love affair with strawberries. Homemade jam on everything, and strawberry banana smoothies. Then, watermelon and corn on the cob hit the scene. I've got a whole lotta blueberries in my refrigerator right now. Could anything be finer than fresh blueberries on a bowl of cereal? Cherries -- mmm-mmm. And, now, the whole Farmer's Market has come to town!

In other, unrelated news.

It seems that Katie Jane, who will be two-months-old at the end of the week, decided over the weekend that I'm her favorite. As in, she only wants me to hold her. And, last night when I was rocking her, she swiveled her face upwards so she could look at me and then broke out in a joyful grin.

Another pretty exciting event in my world.

Embracing the Present

"[Motherhood and Homemaking] is surely, in reality, the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? . . . [The homemaker's] job is the one for which all others exist"

~Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis

I came across this quote today and I liked it. It made me feel like, I don't have to move mountains every day to be a successful mother and homemaker. Keeping my loved ones fed, safe and warm? Now, that I can do.

Sometimes I am way too dramatic in my worries.

For example, recently, we've been more drawn to the T.V. than usual. In fact, a couple of times last week, after a long day of looking after seven, when the evening of my husband working the late shift began, we found ourselves staring at the Discovery channel (we just got cable - so novel) for a few rousing rounds of "Cash Cab" and "How it's Made." It turns out that my kids love these two shows and I don't mind them either.

In my mind, I berated myself. "Too much T.V.!" My inner voice shouted. "You are training your kids to be couch potatoes. When they are teenagers, they will do nothing but sit on the couch and watch T.V. every single night. And, they will be overweight. And, they will never listen to a thing you say. And, they will have no self-esteem and diabetes and no success and never get married and it will be all your fault!" My horrid perpetuater of mommy-guilt warned.

Then, the other day, a new thought occurred to me:

"What if I embraced this season of my life for what it is?"

What if I admitted that I am just a little bit tired and I cut myself some slack? What if we made a standing date for "Cash Cab" and "How it's Made" now and then when I babysit and Brian works late? What if we celebrated this event by eating toast (easy prep + less dishes + kids don't complain) for dinner and popcorn and hot chocolate for dessert? Could it be that maybe, just maybe, we won't still be parked in front of the T.V. most evenings of the week six-months from now? And, that my children will grow up well adjusted with normal lives in spite of these few weeks of brain rotting T.V. indulgence? And, maybe we will even have great memories of relaxing and watching T.V. together while their daddy worked late, later on when they have grown into vibrant successful beautiful teenagers.

For now, you may find me rocking my baby with my little ones cuddled around me. And, we might be learning "How it's Made," or seeing who is the next big winner in the "Cash Cab." Fed, safe and warm.

I'll save moving mountains for another day.

Rebroadcast

The radio spot went really well this morning and turned out to be a very positive segment on Ogden. Katie and I got to watch the live broadcast through a glass window, which was pretty cool since I've never done anything like that before. I got to meet Bill Allred (from X96) again, for the second time. He strikes me as very friendly in person. The hour-long piece will be rebroadcast tonight at 7 p.m. on 90.1.

Radio Spot

Brian will be the featured guest on 90.1 tomorrow (Monday) at 11 a.m. He will talk about his book for 15-minutes and then other guests will discuss Ogden until noon.