Memorable Memorial Day Meanderings

Due to circumstances beyond our control, plus we really just wanted to, we made our Memorial Day run to the cemetery on Sunday this year.  Dan was working, but the five of us packed up  our barely running car and headed out after church to grab grandma and go do our thing with the mums. I was kind of worried the car was going to quit on us, but oh well, you only live once, right?

We left calm blue skies in Syracuse and drove straight into threatening black clouds, wind, and rain drops. By the time we got to Grandma's, ( the car was doing great!) it was pretty much pouring. The kids were grumpy and hungry and didn't want to go visit dead people. It was cold and gray and wet outside. We almost bagged the whole thing. We almost waited until later. Then, we figured we would just head out and make the best of it, and see what happened.

After getting lost on the way to cemetery that we have only been going to for the past 50 years, by the time we finally got there, the storm had vanished. We pulled off our jackets and stepped out into beautiful warm blue skies again.  We got the flowers placed and trimmed the grass from around the headstones and spent a few precious moments telling the kids stories about their Uncle Blake and their great grandparents. It was really a lovely time, and the kids were involved, and interested. I am so glad I made them all come.

Then we hopped back into the car and hit the freeway for the cemetery where my Featherstone grandparents are buried. We had more work to do on their headstone. The grass had really grown around it and it was all muddy and dusty. Fortunately, Olivia had brought along her water bottle and a paint brush ( go figure- only Olivia would be carrying around a paintbrush at a cemetery) so we were able to clean it off pretty well and get the flowers put down.

It looked much better by the time we were done.

By this time we were all really starving, so we climbed back into our miraculous little car that was still chugging along, and went in search of slurpees and Chinese food. Dan met up with us at Grandmas, and just about the time we got back to the house, the black clouds came back and the downpour started. 

It could not have been more perfect timing. It was like the sun came out just long enough for us to go cemetery hopping. Our car got us back home with zero issues, and the rain kept coming down the rest of the night. It was a lovely start to our long weekend that really wasn't since most of had to work Monday anyway.

Today we did yard work and cooked hot dogs and took Piper to the dog park.

Olivia's boots! I love that girl. I love both those girls actually. And even Piper

And now, I'm thinking that hot dog didn't quit cut it tonight. I'm thinking about that leftover Chinese food in the fridge. It is calling to me. I must answer.

No Joking

We were sitting at Will's seminary graduation(more on that later) and Olivia pointed at a scratch on my arm.

"How did you get that scratch on your arm?" she asked me, ever concerned for the well being of all around her.

"Oh, from a unicorn," I answered.

And then the proud mom moment begins.

Without missing a beat, she asks, " Oh, a black one?"

"No," I said. " A pink one with sparkles in the tail."

She nodded knowingly. "Oh, those are the worst."

My little girl is growing up.

Also, Duncan said something about Will that was so sweet. Will was downstairs practicing piano and Duncan and I were upstairs listening.


"Mom, do you know what I think Will is going to be when he grows up?" he asked.

"What?" says me.

" I think he could be an artist, or a composer, or even a genius," he said.

He loves his brother.

Fairy Hunting

Livvi is on break from school for the next few weeks, so we headed out to Gardner Village to check out the woodland fairy festival going on out there. We took Grandma Sally with us too and had a great time finding the fairies they have on display throughout the whole place. Olivia got a fairy garden for her birthday, so it was fun to see all the different ideas. 

And we even got a fairy kiss. Can  you see the sparkles?

Let the Commencements Begin

Will's graduation festivities began in earnest on May 15, when he graduated from seminary.  What a good boy. We will not stew over the fact that none of  us knew it was seminary graduation until the bishop mentioned in passing to Dan that he wasn't going to be home that evening because it was seminary graduation. Dan came home and mentioned in passing to me that the bishop had seminary graduation that night. This information passed through my brain where something slowly gronked into place as it occurred to me that if our bishop was going to seminary graduation, then Will should probably be going too.

We asked Will, but he knew nothing. Checked our emails, nothing there either. Called around and found out that Will was indeed on the list to graduate. Then he ran downstairs to finish his assigned readings in the Old Testament so that he could graduate on honest boy.

We made it to the church on time, and he got his diploma. That's Bishop Keime there with him. He's a good guy. He' seen our family through some tough times.

And there is the whole crew from Harmony Bluff- Julia, Will Mitchell, Emma and the bishop. Wonder where they will all be a year from now.

Holidays and Holy Days

A few days before Mother's Day, I received on my front porch a large package.

I hadn't ordered anything, wasn't expecting anything. Couldn't imagine what it might be. 

It was a gigantic box of PEEPS from Alisa and Erwann.

BEST GIFT EVER.

Now, if I could just stop eating them long enough to let them get stale.

 The night before Mother's Day, Mitch came and took me to Iceberg for a rocky road shake, We failed to obtain a picture, but that's okay. We had a great time, and I felt so lucky to have him to myself for an hour or so. I don't get enough time with that boy.

Then on Mother's Day morning, I was awakened by this crew, bearing blueberry scones, gifts, chocolates, cards and even a poem, written by the lovely and talented Audrey.

Audrey also spoke in church later that morning, which was a gift in itself, even though she outed me to everyone as a rebel.

Then we went to Grandma's for a dinner of KFC and pie. And Mother's Day portraits while we patiently waited to be served.

 This was the view from the kitchen table. Look at all those guys in there.

Me and my girl

Later on, Audrey and her brothers cooked a delicious late dinner of chicken alfredo. They colored the sauce lavender, which was a unique and slightly odd twist on Mother's Day dinner, but hey, I'll take it.

The morning after Mother's Day, we woke up to the sad news that our little friend Gideon had passed away.  He was diagnosed with leukemia six months ago.  Gideon is five.  His family are dear neighbor and friends. They are a beautiful family of five boys and one little girl. Gideon was their fifth child and youngest son. I have always thought they were the best kind of people, and the best parents, and with everything they have been through, now I know for sure that they are. We have taught their older sons in church in other years, and Gideon was in Dan's primary class this year.  When I first heard he had leukemia, my first thought was, "oh, thank heavens it's leukemia. They can cure leukemia. Kids don't die of leukemia anymore." I thought they would have a few rough years of chemo and then he would be fine.  I was so so wrong.  Gideon had a mutation that has never been seen before. He never even got to remission, in spite of some of the best medical care in the world, parents who fought hard for him to have every possible treatment, and the prayers and faith of hundreds of people.  I will be donating to curesearch.org in memory of Gideon, and if you read this, I hope you do too.

 We launched blue and white balloons after his funeral today.

One of my Mother's Day gifts was a lilac bush. We finally got around to planting it today after the funeral. I think this little bush will always remind me of Giddy.

Star Student

Today I bribed my boss with chocolate chip cookies in order to break away from work for a two hour lunch so that I could go to Olivia's school and be a part of her Star Student week.  On a Friday around your birthday, you get to make a poster with pictures of yourself, and stand up in front of the class and tell them all about you. Your mom comes in and tells some things about you that the class might not know, then everybody asks questions, and you pass out treats. The poster stays hanging up in the class room for the whole next week.

Since Olivia will be off track the week of her birthday, she got to take her turn today. She was very concerned about what, exactly, I would be telling about her.  And she was super nervous to stand up in front of the class and talk about herself. I can totally relate. When I was her age, my biggest fear was that I would be the spolight kid in Primary, and have to stand up in front of everyone while the Primary president talked about me. I even got my mom to talk to the president and tell her  to never spot light me because I would be mortified and die right down dead on the spot.

So I was very proud of Olivia when she stood up and told all about herself, and confidently answered the questions from her classmates:

"Why do you want to go Hawaii so bad?"

"Because I love the beach."

"If you had a younger sibling, what gender would you prefer?"

(it took me a minute to grasp what in the heck this kid was asking)

"A sister."

"What is your favorite food at your favorite restaurant?"

"Drumsticks at KFC"

"Do you like any sports?"

"Swimming"

"What do you want to name your first baby?"

(huh?)

"Catherine"

(wow. She has thought about this)

"Are you a Ute or a Cougar?

"Uh I''m an Aggie"

  

So then I told them all about how Olivia is the youngest in our family, and all the blessings and curses that go along with that, and how she has four names and what a great sculptor she is.

I think I did okay. She didn't seem too embarrassed. The night before, when she asked me what I was going to say, I told her that I was going to tell everyone how she was the most amazing, wonderful, awesome child ever to exist. She smiled a little, then said,"No Mom, you have to tell them something they don't already know."

I love that kid.

Olivia and Mrs. Lewis, matching shirts.

BUT, I Have a Clean Pantry

I couldn't sleep last night.

Woke up to a dead battery in my car.

Will's car was stuck in park.

Tried to jump start my car.

It didn't work because

The Google videos lied.

Cruz dropped out and now I'm pulling for Bernie.

Found a large animal jaw bone on my family room floor.

Yes, a JAWBONE.

Spilled olive oil all over my kitchen floor.

The cat peed on the living room floor.

Got stuck in the slowest checkout line in the history of checkout lines.

Ran all over town looking for the secret ingredient to make bath bombs for teenagers.

Fought with Olivia about triangles. and cat euthanization.

She is for, I'm against.

Euthanization that is, not triangles.

Duncan worked on onions all day at the mill.

He hates working on onions.

Now he smells like onions.

I need a dishwasher.

I need a water heater.

I need an oven.

I need a new car.

I need

A day off.