Giving Thanks

I am back to work after enjoying the last 4.5 days "off". Our Thanksgiving dinner included most of the family this year, except for Ben and Caitlin who were up with Ben's family in Camp Verde, and the Tramundanas kids. Kathy and Victor stayed in Utah and made dinner up there, and Andy hosted Thanksgiving for his side of the family. It's always fun to have a house full of people. I love the moment when you get that first whiff of cooking turkey. Yummmmm. Jeanette made rolls with help from Emma and Sadee. Sarah made a beautiful raspberry jello salad, Stan brought corn, Alisha made some cheesecake pies and Jennifer made a lemon meringue pie. Other offerings: Mom made cranberry sauce, Zack made his traditional hot pickles (which I hear are very nummy, but I cannot eat them), Jeff used his muscle to mash the potatoes, then carve the turkey, and Becky and I continued our sweet potato war. I never really liked sweet potatoes until I saw Aunt Sadie cook them with brown sugar and butter, kinda chunky and really nummy. Becky liked that recipe, too, until she discovered cinnamon! Now she makes them like baby food - bake the sweet potatoes, peel, mash, and add all the other flavors. I am not a fan, but that's ok. She loves them, and so does everyone else. A couple of years ago, she was making the sweet potatoes. I assumed she would make them the "normal" way. I love the combination of a little bit of stuffing with sweet potatoes. I was horrified when I realized that instead she made the baby food style, almost completely pureed and flavored with cinnamon! I just about left the table, I was so disappointed. Since then, we have served 2 different bowls, cooked 2 different ways, and after a week, we usually have 2 different piles of yuck to throw away. We just can't seem to get the proportion right. Leftovers always sound sooo good BEFORE Thanksgiving.

Later that evening we enjoyed a wonderful rain storm and we even got some hail. It was like 45 minutes of winter, so we quickly got out the hot chocolate and marshmallows. I think it was an enjoyable day for everyone.

Friday and Saturday were days of doing nothing - for me. I crocheted and watched TV. I'm trying to get a new blankie finished for Sarah Ritchie. She loved her old one to death. Soon, very soon! Sunday - prepare myself for the marathon that is Primary. We found out that in 2 weeks our meeting time is changing to 8:30am! That's the best news I've heard in a long time! It is a really early time for families to get ready, but it's seems to be so much easier on the children. Afternoons from 3-5 pm is not a good time for Primary. We'll be home by 11:35, with the rest of the day to be productive. Or something like that.

We will be decorating our Christmas tree this evening, I hope. Should have done it this weekend when there was "nothing" to do. I love to have the house decorated for Christmas!

I'm off to Canada a week from tomorrow night for our annual BS trip, and just so you don't go "there", BS stands for Banff Springs. I get a little taste of Winter right before Christmas and I get to visit with some of my favorite people in the world! Have I mentioned before that I also look forward to breakfast at Eau Claire, and somewhere in there, lunch/dinner at Peking Garden? I know for a fact that there are some Canadians who look forward to Cafe Rio in Utah (we have one in Arizona, too), and In-n-Out Burger here in Arizona. So I guess it goes both ways. But we have something Calgary doesn't have....Baskin Robbins ice cream! I think I can be brave for a few days and live without the BR.

I'd also like to give thanks to Lara for updating my blog background. Sometimes a change is nice! Signing off....

Cyst Assistance

I have to say that time flys by soooo quickly when you try to record things. I've always been terrible at keeping a journal. There will be no way to ever write my biography because there are no records. All my stories will go with me...when I go. Maybe that's a good thing?

Yesterday I had 2 Dr's appointments: One with a urologist, a follow-up on the little kidney issue I had last year (the kidney isn't little, the issue was little). A year ago I got a pain early on a Sunday morning that wouldn't go away. Finally I agreed to go to the ER since I had started to vomit (lovely). I knew that was not a good sign. At the ER, the first order of business was to start an IV - not so fun. After a few attempts, they finally found a vein and started to give me the pain medicine. They gave me 3 different kinds before I felt like I could finally lie down on the bed and relax a little. I had some tests - CT scan and whatever - and initially they said I had a "growth" on my kidney which kinda freaked me out a little. All I could think was "kidney tumor". Zack and my home teacher gave me a blessing. I was in the hospital for 3 days, for no good reason. The urologist determined that I have a cyst on my kidney that had blocked the drainage, or something, which caused the pain. He said there was no reason to remove it as long as it wasn't causing any trouble. Honestly? The pain went away on Sunday night and never came back. It was a mystery to me - I wasn't sure what happened to make it go away. But then one of my friends looked at me like I was stupid (I was), and said, "Hmmmm, didn't you have a blessing?". Oh, duh. So, that's how it works! My arm looked terrible from all the iv's, and I was able to go home after they determined that my kidney's did indeed function. So the appointment yesterday was to give me the results of the follow-up CT scan I had a week ago. No change in the size of the cyst, and absolutely no problems for a year. Everyone was happy, but mostly me.

After that appointment, I had the pleasure of my annual mammygram. Yes, it's a pleasure. I was also blessed with an ultrasound of my left chestal region. Guess what I have? Yup, cysts. I have cysts throughout my body, I guess. There are also a couple of little areas that they are watching, but again, no change in them, so good news all around. After being adjusted, squished, mushed and inspected, I went home with all the dignity I could muster. I don't think anyone could tell by looking at me what I had just experienced, even though I felt like announcing to everyone in the waiting room, "I'M CLEAN!".

I Should Be Working...

Thirty days in 1000 words or less...quite the challenge. There is life after chocolate cake. Our ward was split the end of July, and I spent the better part of August trying to accept that fact. It was a terrible jolt to me. Most of my family was aware of that, but then, I think it was a jolt to all of us. We really, really loved our ward and our bishopric, and we felt so comfortable with so many friends. Going to church was an exciting event, even at 8:00 in the morning. The first few weeks in our new ward seemed like everyone was in shock - parts of 2 different wards suddenly thrust together to be one big happy family. It's getting better, I guess. I didn't have a new calling until last week. I was starting to wonder if I would get one at all. Unless I have a calling, it's very hard for me to spend 3 hours at church just sitting, waiting for it to be over. So, I'm the Primary Chorister. I have experience with that, but it's been about 20 years, if you can believe that. Back in the olden days, we didn't have the internet. So I've been given several resources for teaching songs and keeping the kids attention. I hope I don't turn into the "reverence troll". I just can't help the "shhhhh" sound that comes out of my mouth. I am determined to teach them reverence, with or without props. Wish me luck.

I love reading others blogs. I don't stalk very often, but when I do, I find myself lost in the chain...how did I get here? Can I ever find my way back? It's a little frightening, actually, like I have to get back to where I belong before somebody finds me where I don't belong. I feel like a blog voyeur. Peeky peek at your life? I don't make very many comments, but I read a lot and smile. I know some of you are on Facebook, but I'm not savvy to that. Any teachers out there? It just seems so young and hip for someone like me. Makes me feel like I'm trying to rap, or dance hip-hop, or even text! Texting exhausts me! I got one of those phones with a mini-keyboard. Better, but I still have the urge to spell everything out, spell everything correctly, and use punctuation. I might just as well call you since texting doesn't save me anytime. Anyway...I can text, I just don't like it much.

We have planned a little family campout/sleepover for Conference weekend. The plan is to put up a couple of tents in the back yard. Some of us will be sleeping there, and those who will not, can find a spot in the house. Wake up in the morning, have breakfast and watch Conference, etc. We will move the firepit on to the grass, with the tents pitched around it, and sit around the fire at night and sing camp songs. Ok, I admit, I have a vision in my head that probably won't happen, but I think it will still be fun, as long as the weather cools down a bit. What can be better than camping so close to indoor plumbing? I got the idea from "Jon and Kate", but I added the Conference part. Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy - that's a given. But I know 2 little girls that are excited about it!

Do any of you feel challenged when thinking of a title for your post? It gets me every time. Huge obstacle for me. I always wanted to write a children's book, but I can't think of a good title. Shouldn't you have that before you begin?

Chocolate Heaven

Another one. We made another cake. I spent all week baking the layers and wrapping them for the freezer. Friday night I made 5 double batches of chocolate butter cream icing (we still have leftovers). Saturday morning we began the great assembly. Becky was the designated "icer", I made sure she had enough product. She managed to squirt out all the little "kisses" without biting her tongue off. One thing we don't have is a shot of the finished product. Once we got to Wade and Kathie's house we added chocolate curls to the top, and the little horizontal edges of each layer. The chocolate curls and shaving were added free-form, they spilled over and we also artistically decorated the board around the bottom layer of the cake. It really was a sight to behold. But even better than looking at it, you should have smelled it! If you like chocolate at all, it was the best air freshener around.

The last shot shows how we delivered the cake - in the back of the van on a day when the temperature was about 108. We put the van in the garage, and turned it on (the garage door was open) about a half hour before leaving to let the AC cool it off as much as possible. We put the chocolate shavings in a container, in an ice chest. We loaded the little girls, and Mom. The middle seat of the van was put forward, with the cake sitting very heavily on the back of the seat with a folded towel and Becky's knees as shock absorbers. It tooks us about 45 minutes to get to the Melchin's house. We were very happy and relieved to deliver it safely. I hope it was delicious. At least I thought it looked yummy!

Later Gator!

I'm just counting the minutes until I can leave the office. It's 4:37 and I'm leaving at 5:00 for the airport. Mom and I are flying to Calgary tonight. The most exciting part is that we are flying stand-by, and hoping that we both get "on". I think we will. We are gone for a week. It's my third trip up there this year, but the other 2 have been weekend deals. I'm looking forward to a whole week! I won't bore you with the repitition of my favorite things to do, but I'm still looking forward to doing them! Zack always gives me the charge to take lots of pictures. I usually take a few, I'm just lazy about posting them. Make sure you check his blog for a rundown of our "Daycation" to the Grand Canyon. It was fun.

Well, so far I've eaten up 3 minutes. I have my files pretty much in order, so there is nothing for me to get started on. I'm seriously killing time. No doubt that right before I walk out the door, I'll get a phone call. Always happens.

When I get back I'll blog my recollections of the trip, and I will try to get some photos. It's 4:42. Only 18 minutes left.

No, I didn't forget...

Just over a week ago was Father's Day. I was out of town, so I was not able to enjoy the songs and talks that would have been presented at Church. And I don't really need to send out a card to my own dad. I think he knows my thoughts on that. So I sort of ignored the holiday, at least on the outside. But over the last few days, I have thought a lot about my father and what he did for me and my family during his lifetime, and how his life continues to bless us all. Is it necessary for me to share this? No, but I'm going to share it anyway.

Thank you, Dad, for:

1. Marrying Mom. I'm not sure what stars had to align for you to cross paths with her, but I'm glad you did. And you wooed her with a milkshake...how appropriate. Not that she necessarily loved milkshakes, but appropriate that you thought a milkshake would make an impression. I guess it did, and she does.

2. Working. During medical school he had 3 jobs, which he juggled while he had a wife and 2 children, then 3, and a calling at church. I never felt neglected and my mother never complained about the time he spent away from the family. She knew that he was doing it for their future, and she kept the "homefires burning" while Dad was at school or work. When he was home, he always made a little time for us (or we just took it), then it was back to studying late into the night, I'm sure.

3. Laughing. My dad had a great sense of humor, and I think he passed that on to his children. We sometimes laugh at each other, and sometimes it goes too far. But mostly, we enjoy laughing. I remember a conversation I had with my dad within the last couple of years of his life. He commented that he thought we should plant some seedless grapes in the back yard. I just looked at him and said, " Now, how are we supposed to do that?" He immediately got it, and sat there laughing, silently, with his shoulders moving up and down, and a big grin on his face. He also loved the line from the movie "The Great Race" - "Leslie, ran off with a chicken?". (I'll explain it later for those who are not familiar with that movie.)

4. Loving chocolate. My dad handed this down to me. I love chocolate in most forms. One Christmas, instead of making a gingerbread house, my dad made a chocolate house. I think he was a frustrated architect, too. Anyway, he used every type of chocolate candy he could find to put that house together. I remember him carefully heating up a scalpel to cut the chocolate into the right shape, and then melt the sides a little so that they would stick together. It was a beautiful creation. Lovely to look at, lovely to smell. I don't remember if we ate it, but I'm sure there was some sneaking of little bits here and there.

5. Serving in church callings. My dad always had a calling in church. And sometimes he recruited us to help him. When he was Sunday School Superintendant (back in the olden days), he printed up nice programs and decided to attach little scripture cards in each one - a reminder to memorize or read the verse during the week. We had a system of glueing with Rubber Cement glue - another wonderful smell! We put a blob of glue on a paper and used a tongue depressor or the eraser on the end of a pencil to dab into the glue and put it on the program, then the next person would stick the card on the dab of glue. Once they were dry, we folded them, again, very efficiently. You fold about 10 papers at a time, then pull them apart and make the final crease. I learned this from dad. What does it have to do with church callings? I guess it taught me to go the extra mile.

6. Teaching me how to type. During the summer between 5th and 6th grade, my dad signed me up for a typing class at my school. Every morning, I went to school with all the other typing nerds and learned to type on a manual typewriter. I think that's worse than walking to school uphill both ways! I could never really use my little finger to type on that monster, but boy was I a happy camper when electric typewriters were invented! Anyway, without saying anything to me about how this little skill would bless my life, my dad made it possible for me to learn how to type. i wll be fOrefer geatfil.

7. Letting me go on a mission. My dad planted the seed when I was 11 years old by giving me a gift at Christmas. The gift was pocket size scriptures, and he said I would be able to use them on my mission. That seed was planted VERY deeply. Ten years later when a mission was actually becoming a reality, I called my parents very early one morning (I was living in Hawaii, they were in Dallas) to tell them I had decided to go on a mission. My dad's response? "I've know that for years, but I'm glad you finally found out." He never once hesitated to support me in that decision. I think I'd put my parents through enough anxiety, so they were relieved that I had finally decided to do something worthwile.

8. Taking me fishing. Corny, I know. I used to love to go fishing, mostly because I didn't want to be left out. I was even able to thread a worm on a hook, or stick a hook through the back of a minnow. I was a little more distressed about actually catching a fish and taking out the hook. But I did it. I even cleaned fish with my brother, Jeff. Dad told us he couldn't clean fish because he needed to protect his hands from any cuts or germs. Once I realized that the reason dad didn't clean the fish because it was really gross, I didn't clean them anymore either. In fact, I lost interest in the whole process. A worm, no matter how simple a life, I'm sure has feelings. But at least my dad indulged me in the learning process, a little. He also took me duck hunting once. I never asked again.

9. Loving the simple things in life. My dad showed me how to enjoy simple joys. We used to go camping at a little lake near Dallas. If I told my friends we were going to the lake, they would assume Lake Dallas or that other big lake east of Dallas - Lake Ray Hubbard? But no, we were at a little private, scruffy lake. At this little lake, there was an old abandoned house on the hill. I loved to walk through it and imagine the family that used to live there. I always wanted to find some artifact that would give some clue, but I never did. We also used to vacation in Mexico. Cabo, you ask? Puerto Vallarta? No. The interior. Deep, deep interior. No beaches, no stores, no nothin'. But you know what? We still had fun and I have great memories of those vacations. As a side note, my dad taught me to appreciate a good cemetary - the older the better.

10. Taking care of us all. My dad used to say "We have everything we need, and most of the things we want." I think my dad would have done anything to give us those things. When I was little, I would beg nicely for some spending money. I remember a time period right after my mission, within the first week home, when every morning, my dad would come into my room and wake me up and ask what I was going to do that day. I never had a plan, but he would always ask if I needed any money. I always said no. But he would always leave $20 on the dresser. I felt so guilty - I would never touch it until I had cleaned up the family room, or the kitchen or something, so I would feel like I deserved the money. Dad has always taken care of us ALL. Even now, we are blessed financially because of the decisions that dad made at some point in his life.

I would like to say that these words are not meant to exclude my mother in any way. Dad would be the first to admit that most of the time it was Mom who had the good idea, and I would have to agree. She quietly supported my dad in everything, never asking for recognition, or credit.

Also, this is not an complete list of reasons that I appreciate and love my dad. But you get the idea.

Ketchup!

Let's see if I can remember what's been happening over the last few weeks that I have not posted!

Since April 11th, hmmm.... Ok so I don't remember anything in April yet. The first weekend of May, though, was really fun! I came up with a plan to surprise Cathy for her birthday. I enlisted Lara to help me, and of course, she enlisted Erin and Melinda. There was a wise decision to NOT tell Rick. As wonderful as he is, there was a huge risk that he might blurt it out. I flew in on Friday afternoon, Cathy's actual birthday. Lara picked me up, and the coordinating began so that Erin would get to the house at the same time. When we got to the front door, Melinda answered and said that Cathy was on the phone...wait, wait, wait. Then we decided to all go in, kids included, and wait inside. Erin had made a beautiful cake and the kids were going to sing Happy Birthday. I waited on the stairs, just below the wall to the TV/bedroom level. When they got to the ending, I jumped up and sang with them. I think I am safe to say the Cathy was indeed surprised! Speaking from experience, it is very disorienting to be surprised. We visited for a few minutes, then Lara and Erin left to take the kids home so all the girls could go out for dinner. Part of the perfect plan is that Rick was out of town, so he didn't have to deal with all the chaos.

That weekend was all about the "food". We went to Earll's on Friday night which is always delicious, then back to the house for a visit. We are not a "party" bunch. The next morning Cathy and I went to Eau Claire downtown to our favorite little breakfast place. I've probably posted about it before cause I'm having a little deja vu right now. Anyway, after that we did some errands - always fun when you run errands in another country and have someone to laugh with! We tried really hard to work off the breakfast because we planned to somehow get in a dinner at Peking Garden. We succeeded! Yes, it was all about the food. Sunday was Church and a little visit before going back to the airport. It was another quick trip, but it was so much fun! I had to keep reminding myself that it was Cathy's weekend. The fact that I was enjoying it was a bonus.

At work, the month of May started out just fine. As we progressed to the end of the month, it got more stressful and the last week was a killer. I'm just so glad it's over and that everything has basically worked out. It's very frustrating to have to depend on others to complete the job that I started, and to have others do it poorly.

I have a new great-niece! Her name is Camille, and her parents are Jeff and Alisha. We got to see her on Memorial Day, and she is just gorgeous! She has a full head of dark hair and she looks like her mama. Jillian looks just like her daddy. It looks like Camille will have huge eyes like her big sister.

I have a weird feeling that my time in YW may be over soon. Maybe not. But I think they will be making a change in the YW president after camp in a couple of weeks, and you never know what that will bring. I would be really sad to go.

The weather has been pretty nice lately. A few weeks ago it got really hot, then it cooled way down to the 50's! Weird. It has slowly warmed back up, but it's been very comfortable.

I just remembered something else from May...Kerri and Cade were down for her work. I went up to their hotel one evening to watch Luke while they went to a formal dinner. I decided to take Emma with me because Luke doesn't know me that well, and I know that babies always relate better to little people. Well, I was right. It was so funny to see him laugh at Emma, and when it was time to put him to bed and he cried, he grabbed onto Emma and wouldn't let her go. He is not that much smaller than she, but he still felt more comforted holding onto her. I even asked her to climb into the little crib with him, which she did willingly (for $5), to help him settle down. Did it work? Not really. He did settle down, but Emma fell asleep before he did. Luke was awake when Kerri and Cade came back, but the good news was that he was alive and well. I always think that's a good goal to have when you are in charge of a child!

I promise to post some pictures so my posts aren't so boring! Ta! Ta!