Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Birthday, Joseph

With the help of some family and friends, we want to wish you a happy day!










Now go here









Monday, November 8, 2010

Easy Lunchboxes Giveaway

I'm entering a givaway for Easy Lunchboxes. To enter, visit here.

I Used To Be Smarter

This has become somewhat of a mantra for me. I blame it on "mommy-brain." Seriously, I was talking to someone, and she said we should do something, and then I replied with a problem that we needed to address, and then she repeated the thing that she had said, which had addressed the problem before I brought it up. It took her repeating the solution for me to comprehend it. And there have been multiple times when I'm talking to Joseph and he explains something to me that I just don't get--even when I know that it's really not that hard a concept to grasp.

A few weeks ago I got out an old college algebra textbook and started working problems with the intent to sharpen my mind. I also regularly play Scrabble (against a computer; I don't have a human opponent with whom to play) and Sudoku. Those are supposed to help your mind stay sharp, right? I don't think it's working; I still feel like I used to be smarter.

Oh, well. When my sweet babe smiles at me, or stops crying when I pick him up after others have failed in trying to sooth him, or learns something new, my heart melts, and I'm okay with everything that goes with being his mother.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Throw Higher

I had an awakening the other day when Joseph and I took Eldon to the park. After pushing him on the swing and down the slide, we set him on the grass so we could play catch. For some unfathomable reason, I really like playing catch. I'm not very good at it, and I don't like playing baseball as much as I like playing catch, but I do enjoy just throwing a ball back and forth. Anyway...

We were tossing the ball a rather short distance, one I could usually get the ball to Joseph over. Then he moved back a bit. Really, not much farther, but I couldn't quite seem to get the ball to him. I tried, but it was still bouncing before he would catch it. And then he said, "Throw higher." It was such a simple piece of advice, but one that had never once occurred to me.

I was trying to throw harder, but it didn't work for me. Once I started aiming higher, I could throw the ball farther.

How often is life like that? That I'm trying to do something and failing--not because I'm not trying hard enough, but because I'm not aiming high enough?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Dirty Dashing Miracle

Karma, who lives in Missouri, flew out to Utah to run in The Dirty Dash, a 10K race, with Riah. Somehow her visit morphed into our whole family--Mom & Papa, Me, Karma, and Logan, plus the babies, Eldon and Jade--visiting Riah. Riah & Eric live in a one-bedroom apartment. Let me tell you; it was crowded!

Anyway, on the Thursday before the Saturday race, Karma and Riah talked me into running with them. I hadn't brought my running shoes (for which I was later grateful), so we went to DI and I bought a used pair, and I bought a ticket from someone who had preregistered for the race but was unable to run.

Then on Friday I got sick. It was a miserable headcold. And I was definitely regretting my decision to run. I asked Papa to give me a blessing. The blessing promised me that I would be able to meet my goal the next day and to have fun.

I believe in miracles. And in the power of the Priesthood. It truly is the power of God. The next morning I had a slightly runny nose, but I felt pretty good. And I ran in the race.



Now, running is not my cup of tea. Or hot chocolate, since tea is taboo. :) My motto is that exercise should be disguised as something fun, such as hiking. And my sisters had been training for this race, and I had not. But I managed to meet my goal (to finish) and I had fun doing it. It was an obstacle course race on a mountainside that was quite difficult for me. There were lots of ups and downs, and it seemed like most of the ups were at the beginning, designed, I suppose, to wipe me out before I was even really started. But my sisters encouraged me and pushed and pulled me up the hills (sometimes literally), and I was able to finish the race, though I walked much of it.



Then my headcold came back. As Riah pointed out, the blessing promised nothing beyond the day of the race. But for that morning, God blessed me with a reprieve from my cold and helped me to accomplish finishing a 10K.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Creepy Crawlies

Spiders fascinate me. If I'm lucky enough to happen upon a spider building a web, I stop to watch. I prefer capturing spiders inside and releasing them outside over killing them. And occasionally I'll let a spider crawl around on my hand so I can observe it up close.

But all those things are things that I do with an up-front awareness of them; if they startle me, I do sometimes scream.

This morning before I woke up I dreamt of a Fiji-sized spider. This spider I did not, in my dream, let live; I smashed it. While it was still crumpled up on the floor, my dream faded as I woke to Joseph tickling my shoulder with my hair. Only it didn't feel quite right. I opened my eyes and saw a reasonable-sized (but, still!) spider on my shoulder. Aaah! My squeal of surprise as I brushed the spider off elicited a "What's wrong?" from Joseph. I wasn't quite sure I had brushed it all the way off the bed, and I kept feeling ghostly spiders crawling on me. Ugh.

And a few days ago, I found a crumpled up spider next to Eldon's blanket. I didn't want to have it crumble to pieces in my fingers, so I went and got a tissue to pick it up with. I am so glad I did; it turned out to be alive and started moving as I was carrying it to the trash. It paid with its life for startling me.

I hope the arachnids stop harassing me.

No such luck. A couple of hours after posting the above, I found this on my baby's bed. I wonder if he's the same one from this morning.

I have to admit that he died. Since having a baby, I've not let them live like I used to.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Mosquito Lake

I don't remember if it is in the movies or only in the books, but at one point Anne and Diana are talking about names and how they used to like the name Josie but then Josie Pye spoiled it for them. Anne thought it was a good idea to live so that one's name became beautiful. Mosquito Lake has done that for me. I mean, most people would hear that name and want to steer clear of the place, while I, on the other hand, hear it and want to go and completely forget that there might be mosquitos on the way.

I have to thank Kaitlin for getting us out there. She came down to Bend from Portland to meet Eldon and while she was here she went to Mosquito Lake, which was catalyst enough for me to take Joseph. Joseph and I hiked from Little Cultus to Mosquito Lake and then rode with Kaitlin and Co. back from the lake to our car. And, wonderful husband that he is, he carried a watermelon 4 miles for me. :)

It was beautiful and lived up to my memories. Mosquito Lake is one of my favorite places on earth.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Dandelion



Eldon was a little fussy this afternoon and Joseph took him from me and went outside and sat on the lawn with him. A bit later Joseph (who knows how I love flowers and so must be teaching his son that) brought Eldon to me. He was clutching a dandelion and had the sweetest smile on his face. My first flower from my baby. :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hopes and Dreams

We were at Mom and Papa's house in The Dalles last month. While we were there, Mom and I were adoring Eldon. (Who wouldn't?) And Mom asked me if I had any hopes and dreams left unfulfilled.

It hadn't occurred to me before she asked me, but when I thought about it, I realized I don't. I mean, sure, I have goals I still want to accomplish, and I look forward to the day our student loans are paid off, and we own our own house, and money's not so tight, etc. But the hopes and dreams I really wished for have come true.

I was reading my journal and came across an entry that went along with this. I was thinking about some of the cool things some of my friends have done, such as visited Europe, lived 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle, gone to Africa, New Zealand, Fiji, etc. And then I realized that, as cool as these things are, I've done some pretty cool things too. I served a mission. I lived in New York City. I worked at Anasazi. And I wouldn't trade the things I've done and learned for the cool things my friends and family have done.

When it really came down to it, though, all those things were things that I chose to do to be happy while I waited for what I really hoped for and dreamed of. And then I married Joseph, who is more wonderful than I'd imagined. And then Eldon was born. Though I want more children, Joseph and Eldon were the miracles that fulfilled my hopes and dreams.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Cloth Diapers? Not Yet.

Note: I started this post on June 8th but was interrupted. Parts of it are now outdated.

I just started using cloth diapers. Two days ago. I have enough diapers for two days. That meant that this morning I needed to wash diapers.

I live in an apartment, and my laundry facilities consist of a laundry room which is shared by 15 other apartments. And the washing machines are the type where I stick quarters in and choose a cycle; I can't choose a pre-wash or a double rinse. From what I understand of how to care for cloth diapers, you should wash them in cold water, wash them in hot water, rinse them in cold, and rinse again in cold. That would mean three times through the washer for me, which would defeat my pecuniary purpose of cloth diapering.

Eldon is still on only breastmilk, which means that I could just throw the diapers in the washer without rinsing them out. But I thought that to eliminate the need for the pre-wash, I'd rinse the diapers before washing them the first time. I don't have a diaper sprayer yet. So this morning I rinsed my dirty diapers in the toilet.

I'm not sure why I thought it would be a quick little job and then I'd be done. I'm really not sure why I thought I wouldn't need a shower afterward; in fact, before attempting this feat, I got dressed--in clean clothes. I'm sure anyone who knows me is also wondering what I was thinking.

Not only did this task require that I shower afterwards, but I also ended up cleaning the whole bathroom. It took all morning to do the job.

Since beginning this post, I have purchased a diaper sprayer. I haven't hooked it up. I'm using disposable diapers. I'll try cloth again when I move in a few weeks to a house that has a washer and dryer.

Such is life.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Creative?

I have a new calling. I'm the ward publicity chairman or something like that. Basically it means I update the bulletin board. When I was extended the calling, I was told that I could decorate the board. I said that I'm not very creative and that I'm sure it was fine the way it was, but I would be happy to update the calendar that showed ward events.

Then I saw the board.

It didn't even have our ward's name on it!! I figured I could at least fix that. So I went to the craft store and bought some butcher paper to put on the background (so I could be sure that the paper that I chose for the words wouldn't clash; besides, I didn't like the flaggish look) and some scrapbook paper for the ward name. But I had to buy the paper before I could use the die cutters, and I bought one page too many. Since Eldon was sleeping--in the carrier Karma made; thanks!--I used the extra sheet of paper and the scraps from the letters to make little other shapes.


Then yesterday after church I updated it. The calendar still said March. Of the 5 papers posted on the board, 2 were for events that were past. I trashed those. One of the others was an advertisement for the Church's radio station, which was also posted on the other half of the bulletin board for another ward. I felt that was redundant. So it's gone, too. And whether it's very creative or not, I like it better than when I started.

Ta-da!

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Best Part

After my mission, I bought a housing contract from a girl who was getting married. This was one of the most influential happenings in my life--it gave me Megan M. as a roommate, who, besides being one of my best friends, is also the reason that I went to work for Anasazi, which is where I met Joseph.

But that's beside the point. :) Megan was a great roommate; in fact, she was the only one of my dozens of roommates that I arranged to live with twice. She was preparing for her own mission at the time we became roommates, and her example helped me to keep some good habits from my mission.

After the lights were out and we'd gone to bed, we'd often lie awake talking before succumbing to sleep. At the beginning of the semester, she suggested, as a way to focus on the positive, that we ask each other what the best part of our day had been. It was a simple little ritual that I loved. It made me think through my day and identify blessings I'd received.

I carried this tradition into my marriage, and at night before we go to sleep, Joseph and I share with each other what the best part of our day has been.

Thank you, Megan!