The Junk Drawer Analogy

You know that random junk drawer everyone has somewhere in their house?  It's a bit of a catch-all for those things you don't know what to do with.  I just peeked into ours and found a couple of rulers, electric tape, command hooks, a pair of kids' scissors, a random protein powder scoop, a tube of chapstick, random screws, a pair of pliers, some glue, a couple of screwdrivers, a few rubber bands, and not one, but two tape measures....plus a few more random items I can't remember.  

I was just thinking that this blog is pretty much like that junk drawer there.   It's got a bit of everything from cute pictures of my littles, random vents, updates from when Spence was sick, my goofy attempts at humor, reflections bordering on serious, and  mostly just a bunch of  really, really mundane glimpses at the day-to-day of our lives. 

There was a time {a long, long time ago}, I thought I could widen my blog audience and turn it into an income stream.   I talked to someone about what it would take and they said that successful blogs have a "brand"...or a certain air that keeps people coming back.   I thought about what my brand would be and  quickly realized that a monetized blog was not what I wanted. I didn't have any desire to be beholden to any audience.  I just wanted to post whatever strikes my fancy on any given day.  Now I realize that the junk drawer style of this blog is my brand and it's also a pretty accurate reflection on the state of my brain on any given day.  

Sooooooooooooooooooooo....get ready for the randomest assortment of happenings from my least favorite month of the year...junk drawer style!  

I gave blood last week.   I made sure I was well-hydrated and it went super smoothly.  Easy peasy. Spencer had a gazillion blood transfusions during his treatment for leukemia, so I try to donate regularly, especially every January, which is the month he was diagnosed in 13 years ago.   It's a small thing, but it is a meaningful way for me to feel like I'm giving back. 

I tried to channel my inner Ellie and  decorated a friend from PA's  door for her birthday...

I also got a chance to talk with Emma L. a bit and it was great to see her!

Afterward, I had a very exciting appointment to get my yearly mammogram done.   Once again, I have been called back for further imaging.   It's an every-other-year tradition for me. 😑

Last week, I met a new friend, A., who was staying with my Mom.  She was in town for a singles' conference and her car rental had a bit of a snafu, so I drove her where she needed to be for a day or so.  She is a political refugee from Russia and her story is fascinating.   It was great to meet her!   

On Saturday, we had a Thai cooking party at our house with Heather and my Mom.  Heather had gotten a bee in her bonnet that she wanted to try to make authentic Thai food, so she got all of her ingredients from an Asian store and we made recipes that purported to be authentic. 

Emma made massaman curry...

 

 

Heather made tom kha gai soup....

Glen and Adam made chicken pad thai.

I made mango sticky rice....

Then  we ate a delicious Thai feast!  

It was all soooooooooooo  good and I ate way too much! 

I tried adding ube to my rice to make it purple, but it ended up being a weird off-color instead.   Luckily it still tasted good!    All in all...a delicious and authentic-ish meal!

After our Thai feast, Emma had a birthday party to go to that had the theme of "dress like you're going anywhere other than a birthday party", so I offered her my pink overalls and plaid shirt for the occasion. 

She looked pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself! 

Alright, alright.   We've covered food, medical imaging, donating blood, a birthday delivery, a cute farmer girl birthday outfit, and making a new friend.   Is that enough topics for you yet?   Or should we keep rummaging through the junk drawer I call my brain and see what else I can find?   

Since I can't see or hear you, I'll just assume you can't wait for more.   So, here you go....

Ellie hits one month on her mission (as of tomorrow) and is doing great.  She seems very happy, though she seems to forget that she's not in California yet and keeps wearing short-sleeves, despite it being freakishly cold right now.

 Okay.  I'm getting to the bottom of the drawer now.   Only a couple more things left. 

One of my sisters recently sent out a text on our sisters' chat and encouraged everyone to send a selfie of whatever they were doing right then.  We may look a little scary, but...no worries...we were just preparing dinner.    I knew you'd be scared if I didn't clarify.  Haha!

Speaking of a little scary...Glen is applying for a new passport and looks a little intimidating in his passport photo.   

But, it's good that he applied, because we just bought plane tickets for our next trip!   It's a destination that's been on our bucket list for a long time and we are excited!   

And that's it. 

There are a few more crumbs I could dig out, but this is getting pretty long now and  I need to save some more junk for the next blogpost.   Thanks for reading along!    

Have a beautiful day!  💗

The January Swirl

After nearly 18 years of blogging, I have to admit that this blog is still a tool for me to sort through and articulate what's on my brain and lately it's been a lot.  January is a time when a lot of conflicting emotions and anxiety bubble up inside of me.    I think the reasons for this yearly turmoil  are somewhat complicated, including it being in the throes of the darkest/coldest season of the year, but upon reflection, I think  the bulk of these feelings boil down to three main factors: 

1. The post-Christmas let-down and this year it was amplified  by Ellie leaving right in the middle of it all. Our house just feels extra empty now.  

2. That New Year's pressure to do better and be better and wondering what that looks like for me. The holidays, for me, are a time of being a little more lax with exercise, habits, and food, and now I'm staring "getting back to it" in the face and it intimidates me.  Frankly I like being lazy and I like ignoring tasks I don't enjoy, but know that those habits will not yield the results I want long-term. 

3. Last, but not least, January 10th was the anniversary of Spencer's diagnosis with leukemia (13 years ago!!!), so this time of year brings back all sorts of fairly traumatic memories of everything to do with that.   In years' past, I probably could have been diagnosed with PTSD.  I don't think I'm there anymore, but I'm not sure I'll ever escape facing a hodgepodge of difficult emotions this time of year.  

So, that's where I'm at right now.  

In the midst of all this inner turmoil, I'm trying to devote a little more time each day to reflecting on the good parts of my life, of which there are many.  As part of that effort, I'm attempting to restart a habit of writing in a daily gratitude journal and to be better about expressing gratitude to the people around me.  And that's what's brought me to the blog today, to do a little post on some things that I've been extra grateful for lately.

So, here they are, in no particular order: 

My dining room window!    I think I missed all the greenness of the East Coast when we moved here, and have developed a love for houseplants since moving to Utah!  I love the splashes of green around my house and the challenge it is to keep them thriving...a skill I'm still working on!   The hanging plants were a gift from my friend, Jen C, and they were the perfect way to finish off this window.  It makes me super happy every time I walk by!  

My Valentine's decorations.  I think my Christmas decor has gotten a little overwhelming of late and it may be time to pare down on what we put up every year.   As such, I was kind of relieved to take it all down as soon as the New Year hit and pull out the Valentine's decor.   I don't have near as much Valentine's stuff (thankfully), so it gets mixed in with my everyday decor.  I like the way it all came together this year and I love the splashes of red, of which I don't use much of in my daily decor. 

Homemade sourdough bread (that I can't eat).  When asked why do I put effort into baking something I can't enjoy myself, I just have to acknowledge that I do it because it makes my family happy.  I also love the smell of the bread baking and the challenge of making something from scratch. 

Having the college kids home for the holidays.  I LOVED LOVED LOVED having a full house over the holidays and all that that entailed.  I liked cooking in bigger portions, I liked all the conversations, I liked the games, the puzzle, the treats I didn't make myself, and just plain being together.  Eventually I'll get used to the empty house {probably}, but in the meantime, I treasure every time we can gather.

Living at a crossroads.   One of my very favorite parts about living in Utah is living close to our own college kids and the college kids of people we love.   We get to see our nieces, Lauren and McKenzie,  as much (maybe even more) than we did when we all lived in Virginia. 

Pictures from our brand new missionary!  We eagerly look forward to hearing from her and seeing her sweet face each Wednesday she's in the MTC.   I pour over the photos and try to figure out what she's up to in them.  She seems incredibly happy. 

Family phone calls!   One of my favorite parts about having a missionary out, is the way it gets us to drop everything (whenever possible) and join in for a family phone call every week.  I think knowing that she has a limited time to talk makes us expend more effort to join in than if I were just trying to plan a perfect time in advance.   Honestly, it probably won't be too often that we're all on a call, but it is an extra treat when the stars align and it happens! 

Silly moments on the family calls.  Speaking of family phone calls, here's how that ↑↑↑↑↑↑ same phone call started out with just a few of us.  Lucie was being a bit silly and I thought it was hilarious when we all naturally mimicked her facial expression! 

A fun surprise.  The other day I got a notification that my brother, Pete, had Doordashed us a fun treat--gluten free cinnamon sticks from our favorite pizza place (Via313).  It was sent to thank us for driving Lauren and McKenzie to and from the airport.  We didn't need any thanks, but It was a fun surprise nonetheless! 

Last, but not least, I'm grateful for some much needed spiritual nourishment this past weekend.  Because of the aforementioned swirl of emotions in me right now, I  needed a little extra uplift.   It was stake conference and every single talk seemed like it was written for me.  Some people say that all the time with conferences, but that is definitely not my usual experience.   One of the themes was D&C 6:36 and seeking genuine connections...not just with God, but with each other.   It was a timely reminder for me as I sort through all the things in my brain right now!  

And that's all I have for now.  Have an amazing day! 

 

Fourth Time Around

They say that the more you do something, the easier it gets, but I'm here to say that that is definitely not true when it comes to sending missionaries out into the world for 18-24 months!   We are on our fourth time around and perhaps the actual process of getting them physically ready is a bit easier, but certainly not emotionally.    And when I say, "emotionally," I'm not talking about her.  This girl was as ready as they come.  As with all of our other missionaries, she was very independent with the whole process of applying and submitting her papers.   With her epilepsy, she had a lot more hiccups and hurdles along the way than our other missionaries, but she navigated them with poise, patience, and independence.   By the time it was time to drop her off at the MTC (on New Year's Eve), she was excited and ready.  

Me, not so much.   With her being my baby AND having an ongoing health issue, it felt like an even bigger leap of faith to send her out into the world, than with her older siblings.   Having said that though, we couldn't be prouder of her decision to serve a mission.  We do not pressure our children to serve whatsoever.   They grew up knowing that Glen's mission meant the world to him and they certainly know they come from a legacy of missionary service (5 of my siblings, 1 of Glen's,  my parents, and many great-aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents), but we felt strongly that the decision to serve their own missions had to stem solely from them.   It's been a beautiful thing for us, as parents, to watch them as they've prayed, pondered, and ultimately made the decision to step away from their schooling and social lives to serve the Lord completely on their own.  

I'll be honest, it was a really hard goodbye for me, but I wouldn't have it any other way.     

I'm glad she is where she is and I know she's going to change lives!  💓

A New Missionary in the Family

 Back in April, Adam received the call to serve in the Portland, Oregon Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The ensuing months brought a lot of craziness to our lives and getting him ready to go was more stressful than I care to admit, but AFTER he completed his weeks as an FSY counselor and after my Dad's funeral, I finally had a little more time and brainpower to help him  get  ready to go.   Then, before we knew it, it was time to begin.   On August 14th, he gave his farewell talk at church and later that day he was set apart as a full-time missionary by our stake president.   We shared this invitation with friends and family on social media and by text beforehand.   

Because Adam's only real time living in Utah was his time down in Provo at BYU, then away from home most of the summer as an FSY counselor, we didn't really expect very many people to come.  Maybe a handful of friends (who were mostly away for the summer or already on missions) and some family.   We were pleasantly surprised, though, when we he had quite houseful!   

He had a big group of his FSY kids show up....something that definitely made his day!  

Glen had some aunts, uncles, and cousins show up from his side of the family.  I also had a handful (the Larsen's, my Mom, and siblings), but it wasn't as many and they didn't stay long enough for us to take pictures.  

We had everyone from our immediate family there, except Cami, Garrett, and Lucie.  

We were 100% delighted that the Richards family came.  They were our neighbors during our second year in PA and made us feel so loved--something we so desperately craved and needed after our first year there ended up being a bit of a fiasco.   It's a long story that I'll probably never share fully here on the blog, but suffice it to say, when we moved down the street from them (smack in the middle of the entire state being  shut down by COVID), we were quite lonely and had very tender feelings after gossip and misunderstandings tainted our first year there. 

 Their sweet conversations, spontaneous visits to see  Rocky, and their welcoming arms were healing to our hearts and helped us to feel loved again.  They will forever hold a special place in our hearts and we very much enjoyed the opportunity to see them again at Adam's farewell.    

 Everyone needs friends like the Moores.  Natalie is one of the most amazing people you'll ever meet in your life and I have felt blessed a million times over for her son's Scott's friendship with Adam.   Last August they were traipsing through Europe together and this year they're starting missionary life at the same time.  He's heading to the Philippines and started Provo MTC the same day Adam did.  

I don't consider myself much of a hostess and our house certainly isn't fancy...

but I love, love, love having a house with a  layout that allows us  to host people comfortably...

It made my heart happy to see our house so full..

of people who love us...

and wanted to show their support for Adam...

as he goes off to serve the Lord for the next two years...

Here are a couple of Glen's cousins' kids...💗💗💗

Glen with his Aunt Debbie 💗💗💗

A candid shot with Scott and a friend from FSY...

Catherine, Nicholas (two of Adam's cousins), Uncle Alex, and Glen's cousin, Stephanie and son, Cooper 💗💗💗

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Here is the spread of food we had.  It got almost entirely consumed...

Sydney was the only one of Adam's freshman year friends that was able to come, but I think it meant a lot to him to have her there....

I somehow missed getting a photo of him with Rocky (who likely won't be around anymore when he gets home), but I did get this sweet one with Denali.  💗💗💗

Adam spent the next 1-1/2 weeks at home doing Home MTC.  We totally enjoyed having him home for that time and put him to work....

 We LOVED having the spirit in our home that having a missionary brings!  

Before he started at the MTC in Provo, we made sure he had the opportunity to say his goodbyes...

  

Then on August 24th, we dropped him off at the Provo MTC.

I have a lot of tender feelings about sending him off for two years, and there were quite a few tears shed {mostly after he left}, but we are happy he's doing what he's doing.    A "miserable joy" is what my good friend, Karen Harrison once told me it was like sending off a missionary and, third time around, I have to say that I agree with that description.  

He had a great two weeks in the MTC, but was ready to leave by the time departure day came around.   

We got a message that he'd arrived safely in Portland, but that's about all we've heard so far.  

In the meantime, a huge piece of my heart is living in Portland now and we miss him dearly already.  I'm sure you'll see some more Elder G updates on here in the coming months.

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