How To Get A "Bicycle" ....by Garrett

I got the funniest call recently. Mariah called my number and put Garrett on the phone to talk to Nanny concerning a "need". He was so excited and and just went on and on. Finally I figured out that he had gone poop in the toilet. So I got excited for him, praised him, told him what a big boy he was, asked if he had gotten his pennies. Well, that set him off!

After what seemed like an eternity, I figured out that he thought going poop in the toilet warranted something like . . . . . a bicycle! I couldn't believe it. My kids went through a stage when they thought of my mom as Grandma Moneybags, but me? I don't think so!

Mariah and I talked it over and decided that she would make a chart and when he had filled it with stickers by going poop in the toilet, I would get him a bicycle (trike). We never gave him a present for his third birthday, so I felt like it would be for that too.

Today, he was so proud when he went poop in the toilet again, called me and asked if he could have a bicycle. I told him sure. Fortunately, Mariah had figured out that this is what he was actually asking for . . . . . .

One More Family Get-To-Gether

Forgive all the pictures, but I seem to be feeling more and more sentimental as Rob's ship off date approaches. You know how you get the feeling that things are going to change and never be quite the same? I am experiencing that again ... we'll see. I guess that is what brings about growth and progress. Something about life that must be accepted.

1. Uncle Rob practices with the boys once in awhile, just in case, he manages that one boy per Huish man! 2. Papa Jon, gotta catch him before he sits down and dozes off. 3. When you can't find Tati, check the toy corner first!

1. Quick, get a picture, they're helping in the kitchen! Yes, I did say that and yes I got the "looks". 2. Stephen came home from working hard all day, he held up pretty well, I'd say. I love to see he and Garrett together, I feel like I am watching him growing up, through Garrett. 3. Our little Tatianna, my little Hummell doll. When I watch her, I feel like I am watching Brianna growing up. Sabrina, Brianna's mom, said that she does look a lot like her mommy did. The girls' Papa Mar-Kay snuck some baby pictures on to Sabrina's blog yesterday. Tati also looks a lot like her Grandma did!

1. Catch Arianna's expression. that little girl can sure give stink eye! I seem to remember her Aunt Mariah doing that to little boys at about this age. They didn't mess with her. Hope it works for Ari too! She and Gabriel can sure compete for "Top Dog" sometimes. Kind of funny when two cousins are the oldest child. 2. Aunt Sassy loves to snuggle her little monkeys. I'm glad that she is close enough to enjoy her nieces and nephews. They are all special to each other. 3. So ... who has the most hair? I think Lincoln is catching up!

Talents Come in Many Packages

Like the way for the way I rip off a picture from my own daughter's blog and used it?

I have been thinking about a lot of life's lessons these days. Gabriel has taught his grandmother a wonderful lesson that she had forgotten. He was telling his mom the other day that he wanted me to make him a Lamanite costume and a Lamanite holder. I told him that I would make him one but what is a Lamanite holder. After several attempts by pronouncing it more clearly for me, he proceeded to describe a Lamanite holder, slowly, distinctly and with great detail. For quite a while, he has been so good at describing something to help others figure out what he is talking about. Sometimes he helps me understand what it is that Garrett needs. He gets such "I will be patient" look that is so funny. At least he recognizes that I am trying to "get it" and will work with me!

He can analyze things and break it down in detail in his mind to figure it out. He can think problems through and figure out how to solve it. He is often telling me that if you have this many and then get this many you will have this many (adding in his mind). Recently Mariah was looking at some stuff (don't remember what) and she there were only five left. Gabriel told her that someone had taken two so there were only five left. Funny kid could add and subtract in his head at age four!

Last night Jon and I went to the adult session of Stake Conference. Kathy and Caryn shared a beautiful rendition of "Love at Home" on the piano and violin. It was very sweet and I appreciated it. Ever since the King Family used that to end their TV show back in the 70's, I have had a problem with enjoying that song. But listening to them, I felt the spirit it was written in.

As I listened, I thought of Gabriel. A few weeks ago Kathy accompanied the ward choir. During her first solo part, Gabriel stopped all his wiggling and stared up front. When the piano and choir joined in, he looked at me with big round eyes and said, "Nanny, that was so pretty!" He was just a little wiggly as they sang on but when Kathy had another solo part, he froze again. When the rest of the group joined the number once again, he snuggled up to me, looked up with a huge smile this time and said, "THAT was the sweetest thing ever! I want to do that. Now those of you who have "experienced" Gabriel know that there isn't much that will freeze that bundle of energy! To see the spirit of music touch him that deeply is wonderful.

He has such a sweet little sensitive side that shows itself from time to time. When he sees someone he loves hurting, it can break his heart, sometimes ;-)

I hope he can grow up recognizing the talents he has and appreciate them. Wouldn't we all be better off if we could? Too many of God's children sell themselves short and it holds them back and the good they can do. Kind of sad, isn't it?

Does Nanny Need to Get a Life?

I have been in Michael's repeatedly trying to describe the letter stamps that I needed to make these stepping stones for my garden/yard. I wanted to have each grand child's foot print put into the middle, with their name and birth date, maybe ( need to think of ID theft, etc. doggone it), and let them decorate them.

Aren't I clever? NOT! My little buddy, Danette, helped us make these up at girl's camp the year we got evacuated for the Aspen Wildfire. I loved them but took several years to ask if I could borrow the stamps. By that time, she had taken them up to Utah and used them with her family . . . nerve! Anyway, last week she told me where she had found them, Michael's.

Mariah and I were pricing stuff there and just stumbled on to them! I am so excited to find them and get to work on the stones. I am going to be a little ornery and not let their parents help them with the trimmings, I want them just the way the kids want them. When we are done, they can make them for their own homes and parents can have a little control if they want!

So, my questions is, if I get this excited about this, "Do I need to get a life?" Naw, I have a pretty good one, even after shopping all day with Garrett, Mariah, Garrett, Lincoln, and Garrett. No, there wasn't more than one Garrett. It just seemed like it after listening to the little guy WHINE all day! He is darling, but his whine . . . . cheese wouldn't help it go down!!

A LITTLE SIDE NOTE . . . . If you want to make these, don't buy the over priced forms, Danette just used the clear trays that you put under plants and they made a couple of hundred using just a handful of those trays. I will have to find out where she found so many cute little doo-dads.

LITTLE SIDE STORY - - - Now don't anyone snitch on me! When we were evacuated, we had to grab the girl's clothes in a back pack, any RX they might have with them and their scriptures, NOTHING ELSE! No one could come up to help haul girls down, so we shoe-horned them into the vehicles we had and drove very carefully down. I had two girls in my passenger bucket seat and five in the back bench seat of a crew cab. I had to judge the width of the girls' hips so that we could put two girls in each seat belt. In just over an hour an half, we had just over three hundred women and girls out of there . . let's see men do that! The brethren couldn't believe it, they have seen those girls and how the value their "stuff". This picture is after we came done. For days this is all we could see of the mountain.

A few days after we came down to the valley, Jon was at the command center for the fire, talking to someone with clout. He told them that all the food had been left up at the camp with no power and there was concern about the toxic mess that might develop if left there too long. It had all been put into closed picnic coolers, the walk-in coolers and freezers. The hope was that the fire would be contained quickly and we could go back up before it got too rotten. It wasn't.

He got permission for three pickups, no more, could leave the bottom of the mountain two hours after he talked to them, have one hour at the camp and report back at the bottom of the mountain at a designated time. If we were late to leave, the deal was off. If we were late getting back down, they would come looking and be in BIG trouble . . . and Jon would be in hot water. So, I had to make quick calls to people who I knew could be trusted to not try to go sight seeing, etc. and would not try to stretch out the time at the camp. These fires are very dangerous and if people are where they don't belong, it can cost lives trying to find the ding-a-lings.

Up we went with lots of black bags and rubber gloves, for protection in case there was rot already. We loaded bags went through everything like lightening. In case you are wondering, we should all eat aw well as those girls do at camp! Shee! Not one package of

bologna for sandwiches, more like deli cuts! I had to laugh because I have heard the stories when those girls come home ;-). BTW, one more day and it would have been awful! We did find lots of ripe food get pretty icky.

When it was all loaded and tied down, we had five minutes, so I ran over to where the stepping stones were left drying and grabbed all I could . . . . When we got down into the valley, I hightailed it to the dump. It was Saturday afternoon and I did NOT want that sitting next to my driveway until Monday morning! Made it with 5 minutes to spare, they didn't want to let me in, so I plead desperate and told them what I had and they let me in. Whew!

I don't know if I ever admitted it to Jon . . . should I? Hm-m-m-m-m, if he reads this, I will probably get the "eye-brow". Oh well, he's stuck and after 31 years, I've become a bad habit that is impossible to break . . . in other words, in spite of myself, he loves me!

My Little Boy Will Soon Be On His Way . . . to What

Sunday was a very busy day, for all. Brianna, the Pettys and our family planned a surprise farewell get-together for Rob. He will be leaving for Basic Training in the Army National Guard on the 16th. He will be gone for several months between that and MOS training. We won't see him again until Christmas time.

It seems kind of funny to be looking at one our children leaving again for an extended time. At least for awhile, no one will hear from him. It makes me glad that we do have email and phones to stay in contact. Of course, we probably won't hear much from him, directly. Brianna will ;-) That's OK, it's as it should be and she is great at communicating . . . she's all girl! She'll keep us posted . . . . on what's our business!

1. Everyone lined up when we finally go there. Cameron, Mar-Kay, Rob, Sarah's back and Jon. It took us longer so that we could swing through downtown to pick Sarah up. That saved her enough gas to get out to the fairgrounds area for work on Saturday. Sabrina made her fry bread. She does make it really well. Tasty, tender and light. Mine tastes OK, but it's kind of thick and tough. Gotta learn her secret! The chili beans were really good, too. I got off easy with toppings! 2. This is Shantell (taking a bite), Paige, and Papa Mar-Kay, Brianna's Dad. Have you noticed some people always seem to have their heads turned? He managed! 3. The little people table. The little gal on the far side isn't Arianna, it's Aunt Brigitta. Then of course, Gabriel, Garrett and Arianna's back. She was another one who can dodge the camera. don't know what happened, she usually gives me big ole smiles!

1. Starting with Stephen, cutting his taco, Tati, Aunt Aimee, Ty-Kell in her lap, Uncle Tyrone, and Uncle Kendrick taking a bite. Mariah is in the background talking with Grandma Sabrina. Kendrick is Brianna's youngest brother. He is sure a sweet young man. He is generous with his time and Start Wars stuff. It kept the younger kids busy . . . and a little scary! 2. Dallin, Cameron and Michelle's little guy. He and Ty-Kell are two of the five boy cousins that Arianna and Tatianna's get to grow up with. Notice the light Saber . . . only about a year old and he knows what to do with that thing . . someone is going to have their hands full!! 3. I finally got Arianna! She just gave me a little "stink-eye" when she saw that I caught her!

1. Gabriel Skywalker. 2. Garrett Skywalker with Kendrick and Tati. They are in front of a beautiful baby grand piano. The kids find it to be a wonderful place to hide under and climb around. Sabrina is either too used to bedlam or deserves an Academy Award. She seemed way to calm with all that going on. The piano is a beautiful instrument and a big part of their lives. I was a wreck worrying about it . . . . I still have a slight headache :-} 3. Tati Vader . . . it took some work to get this shot.

1. The girls go over there a lot to be babysat, so they are into Star Wars and the world of super heroes. The Maskey boys thought they had hit the jackpot! Kendrick, a "big boy", had light sabers and the rest of that Star War stuff. 2. Mariah trying to work off some energy from Garrett. he still has a bubbly laugh that makes everyone else laugh when they hear it. We all hope he keeps it! Brianna has Lincoln one happy little camper. He loves to snuggle her.

3. The last picture is the Maskey boys telling Uncle Rob good-bye because he is going a way for a few months . . . they don't know we are getting together on Friday to "finish" Brianna's June birthday . . . I know lame, but the gift I started for her months in advance wasn't done yet! Our birthdays can last as long as 6 months. We call it a "tradition" most just call it lame . . .

Sundays Are the Best

I went to the University 1st Ward yesterday. One young sister shared a quote that she has glued in her scriptures that really touched me. It is by Hugh Nibley and was given as part of a funeral address.

"Who is righteous? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting, he is a righteous man. There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been, if he is not repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing. The man at the top of the stairs looking down is much worse off than the one at the bottom step facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance; and that is what determines whether or not we are good or bad.

I have been pondering and rereading this repeatedly and learning each time. I noticed that it is when we are on that bottom step, looking up that we are in a good place. Not just standing there at the bottom or nearby, thinking about it, we are on the ladder, climbing that ladder and looking up.

How often do we look from this "ladder", judging ourselves and others? I know I have found that sometimes I am at the top of the ladder and other times at the bottom. It seems to depend on my frame of mind, what circumstances I find myself in, what part of my make up I am examining.

I have been reminded of the statement that Stephen R. Covey made in a book (Spiritual Roots of Human Relations) he wrote years ago, that whenever we compare ourselves with others, our progress will stop. If we judge that the other person is better than we are, Satancan use it to discourage us and hold us back. If we judge that we are better than the other person, Satan will, again, use it to stop our progress because we are full of ourselves.

If we are at the "top" of the ladder, and looking "down" we will feel like we have arrived and our progress will halt, we will cease to see where we still need to repent. With our backs to the ladder, we will miss all the rungs continuing up. As long as we have taken that first step, are looking up to our Savior and continue to climb, we will be humble, teachable and making progress.

It has made me appreciate the gospel more than ever. It's clear, concise, in loving black and white. No questionable gray areas to make it difficult.

Did Motherhood Cause the "Slow Learning"?

Mariah used to never miss a thing. It gave us lots of laughs from the time she was 2 on. Now I am worried, she just doesn't to figure some things out . . . . like doing something a little goofy with your husband around with his cell phone around! And then letting him show it to Mom . . . . LOL

That skinny little neck would be from my mom. She used to complain about hers.