A Piece of My Heart

   My days in Alabama were slow and filled with dreamy newborn snuggles and entertaining toddler conversations that often left us giggling!  I didn't sleep great and my exercise was definitely lacking in intensity and regularity while I was there, but I wouldn't have traded those two weeks for anything.   I think it's safe to say that grandma-hood is right up my alley!    Sometimes I wonder if I'd feel differently if they didn't live across the country from us, but I don't think I would.   I really liked the parenting toddler/baby stage of life and I find that 18ish years later, that still rings true for me...and it's even better as a grandparent, because I don't have to be the rule enforcer! 

 So, here's a little glimpse of the rest of our time there in Alabama.  Glen arrived on Wednesday, as did Garrett's parents,  and they blessed little Oliver Glen on Friday morning. Friday morning may be an unusual day to bless a baby, but the life of a 2nd year medical resident is not super glamorous and Friday morning was the day Garrett had off, so that's when they did it! 

Glen, Garrett, Travis (Garrett's Dad), and Graham (Garrett's brother) were in the circle to bless him.   Amy (Garrett's Mom), Cami, Lucie, and I were there to watch.   I found Oliver's blessing outfit at a cute boutique here in Utah and everyone else was dressed on the casual side.   Oliver is a pretty easy-going baby, mostly just crying when he needs something.   It was a special day and we were glad to be a part of it!  

Some other highlights of our time there, included helping Lucie perfect her potty-training skills.   Honestly, she's doing awesome and mostly just needed a little help getting to the potty in a timely manner or helping empty the potty after she goes.  There were a few messes here and there, but,  after potty-training five kids, I'd definitely say that she fell on the easy-going side of things.  

Glen and I enjoyed taking Lucie on outings and listening to what crazy thing would come out of her mouth next.   She is VERY verbal for her age (2 years and 3 months) and she is a delightful conversationalist.  She randomly quotes parts of books, she breaks into song, she asks to see our nipples, she tells us what sounds animals make, she tries to get Alexa to play certain songs, and just, in general, makes sure there's never a dull moment.    Lucie is quite fond of her "Baby Brudder" and it was fun to see how she dotes on him.

One of my tasks most days while I was there was to get Lucie out of bed, so Cami could keep sleeping.  It was a task I looked forward to for a few reasons.  First to hear what she'd say first (often quoting parts of "Caps for Sale" and telling me that the monkeys had stolen her cap or to request that we make breakfast together), but also to see what crazy bedhead she'd awakened to that morning.   

Glen's favorite task was to be the official Oliver snuggler.   He'd always loved snuggling sleeping babies back in the day when our kids were babes, so it looked really natural and invoked a bit of nostalgia to see him with Oliver snuggled into his chest for hours.   The two of us also enjoyed getting Lucie out of the house for a bit each day (with a quick errand, a trip to the zoo, or short walks around the hallways or outside).   I love how Lucie likes bringing her special "Bear Friend" with her on outings a lot of the time.  

The beautiful blanket you see Oliver wrapped in below is one that Emma knitted for him. I have done a bit of crocheting in my time, but never learned how to knit, so that is definitely a skill she learned from her Grandma Sandy!  

Glen left for home on Monday and I had two more days before it was time for me to say goodbye as well.   It was honestly one of the hardest goodbyes we'd had.   After two weeks, I felt like my bond with Lucie was stronger than it had ever been and it was so hard when she started telling everyone she was coming home on the airplane with me (as she's done before). I love that girl.   I also really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Cami and Garrett, and of course snuggle Oliver as well.   All in all, it was a delightful visit and I hope I was at least somewhat helpful to them along the way. 

Though, I know they were good and ready to have their own space back when I left, I still am really missing them and definitely feel like I'm suffering from withdrawal pains.  It didn't help that I was coming home to a to-do list about nine miles long and a very quiet house with Glen in Saint George.  I've decided that the only way to ease these pains is to get another trip on the books as soon as possible.  Google flights...here I come! 

 

A Hole in the Roof

With weather that has looked like this for days on end....

 and with Glen out of town all week...


it wasn't a great time for a branch like this to fall on our roof....

and poke a hole that looks like this....

so that when it rained it poured down through the attic, soaking the insulation, and started dripping through the dining room ceiling right on top of our hardwoods, a box of cabinets, and our brand new fridge....

Sounds miserable, right?

It certainly could have been, but through a whole series of tender mercies it turned out to be much less stressful than it sounds.

All this happened in the middle of a drenching rainstorm, within an hour of me leaving the house for what was intended to be a 5-hour outing.  Thank goodness it was the one day of the whole week that the kitchen workers were there to do some work.  They caught the leak very fast, located the hole in the attic, set up a bucket, and even called a roofer to come do an emergency repair.

All before they had even called me to give me the news.

By the time I rushed home, they had even mostly already mopped up the mess.  The cabinets and floors were wet but fine.  Our fridge was almost directly underneath the leak, but somehow the water missed it completely.   I was shocked at the amount of water there was after such a short time away from the house and can't even imagine what the damage would have been had that same scenario happened on a day that the workers weren't there....or during the middle of the night....or any other  time when it would have taken longer to notice.

And how stressful it would have been to figure out how to locate the leak myself (in the darkest, furthest corner of my attic), clean up the mess, and find someone to come fix it in the middle of a drenching rainstorm.

The only downside.... the fact that we not only need a new roof (something we'd been hoping to put off until springtime), but that we also need to trim our trees.  Both expenses that we hadn't  quite figured into our kitchen remodeling budget.

Still, you won't find any  much complaining here.

Nor will you find me complaining about the fact that Glen got out of this place....

within a couple of hours of one of what is predicted to be one of the most powerful and devastating cyclones ever.

 #prayforindia

One-by-One

Each Thanksgiving, we have an activity where each member of the family writes on a slip of paper the things they are grateful for at that time.  Depending on the year, sometimes it's a one-time deal.  Other times we try to keep it up during the whole month of November.  Some years I'm creative and have the slips of paper cut into cutesy autumn shapes, while other years we rip off corners of paper and throw them into a shoebox. However formal we are or aren't though, reading through the slips always proves to be an entertaining experience, while we get a little glimpse into everyone's state of the mind at the time they wrote the slip.  We've read things like "I'm grateful for rolling down the hill," and "I'm grateful for being able to take a nap in homeroom." and "I'm grateful for squirrels," and "I'm grateful that I didn't swear when that guy cut me off today."


We haven't started our Blessing Box yet this year, but sometime over the next few days we will gather as a family and each write down some of our blessings. 

I envision it being a very full box this year. 


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Here are some of the entries I plan on putting into the box: 

• Doctors that were responsive to our concerns and got the ball rolling for Spencer to get diagnosed on the day he did.

• A former boss who offered a generous severance package for Glen to stop working for them

• The HR employee who was helping Glen through his termination papers, who was so stricken with our situation that she became our advocate and made sure that we stayed insured at far less cost than most people incur for COBRA insurance.

• Family who traveled across the country on a moment's notice to lend their assistance and ensure that our kids' lives could stay as normal as possible while we were taking care of Spencer. 

• Excellent insurance which required us to only pay very little out-of-pocket expense for Spencer's $250,000+ treatment for leukemia  {we heard several times during his treatment that our insurance was among the best they'd ever seen}

• Myriads of doctors and nurses who used their skills to help Spencer's body to regain its health.

• The opportunity to work through the swirl of my emotions by writing on this blog.

• Dozens of friends who filled sign-up sheet after sign-up sheet (usually within mere minutes of them being published), so that our family could continue eating delicious and nourishing food while we took up residence in the hospital with Spence.

• A strong network of friends, young and old, who visited regularly and made sure that Spencer was never lonely during his months in the hospital.

• The kids' elementary school teachers who not only were sensitive to our upside down home life last school year, but also went out of their way to show support to Spencer and to us. They seriously couldn't have been any more amazing.

• The Gospel of Jesus Christ which kept us grounded and gave us the courage and perspective we needed to face this challenge.

• A whole network of people around the world (many who we didn't even know) that sent cards and gifts, and most importantly just prayed for our son. The thought still brings tears to my eyes.

• The scriptures, which brought so much comfort to me--especially on those quiet mornings in the hospital when Spence would sleep late and I had none of my normal morning responsibilities.

• Family that has continued to come visit us, even after he was better.

• New callings at church, which we both love.

• Five months of clean check-ups. 

• A fitness challenge to help us get back into a better life balance.

• A new job that Glen is excited about.

• God's comfort and guidance through every step of the way, along with the knowledge that even in the darkest moments of our lives, that we are not forgotten.

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And with that, I sign off today with one of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns and the wish that your Thanksgiving will be filled with love, joy, and lots of good food!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Bright Side

In rereading my last couple of posts, I  realized that I have been dwelling a bit too much on the negativity in my life right now.  Although I am the first to admit that we've had a bit of a rough year this year, I am also the first to acknowledge that our blessings far outweigh our trials.   In an effort to refocus my brain to paying more attention to the bright side again, I've compiled this list of some of the blessings that have been most meaningful to us lately.  The list is definitely not all-inclusive and is not written in any particular order. 

10.  The gorgeous weather.  Clear blue skies and mild temps have been the norm the last few weeks and I am loving it!  I am trying to get everyone to spend as much time outdoors as possible and am considering moving my washer and dryer to the backyard for the next few months to help me amp up my vitamin d levels before winter hits. 

9.  Politics.  Although I am growing weary of the increasing negativity between parties, I am so grateful to live in a country where the people have a voice in who will run our country.

8. Having Glen home.  For as much as we pray that he will find a new job soon,  in the meantime I am enjoying having my hunny to keep me company during the day and also to have him around to help with all the driving. 

7.  A nearby grocery store.  When I am missing an ingredient or two for dinner, I absolutely love being able to walk to the grocery store which is only about 3/4 mile from home.  It's a good excuse for a walk and knowing I have to carry everything home prevents me from buying too much. 

6.  Early morning seminary.  It's a challenge for Spencer and Cami to get up at 5:00am each day, but   I seriously couldn't imagine a better way for them to start each school day  than by studying the New Testament.  On the same note, I love weekly Institute where I can study and discuss the New Testament as well.    

5. An amazing support system.  Family and friends have flocked to our aid this year and never have we felt so indebted to so many people.  Your selflessness in attending to our physical, spiritual, and emotional needs this year has been a blessing beyond measure for our family. 

4.  Good music.  When I am having a hard day, I love how soothing it is to my soul to listen to good music.  I especially love upbeat classical music (like the Piano Guys) and soundtracks (like Les Mis and Wicked). 

3.  Great teachers.   Once again, I love all of the kids' teachers this year and have a sense that they are a good fit for each child's personality. 

2.    The gospel of Jesus Christ.  Nothing has brought me more comfort during the difficulties of the past year, than knowing that God was over all of it.   Although the leukemia itself was a pretty stinky thing to go through, we have witnessed far too many miracles, large and small, along the way not to realize that God has truly been with us every step of the way. 

1.  Five sweet kids.  A couple of them have been doing more than their fair share of fighting lately, but I love and live for those gentle moments when they are kind and sweet to each other.