Confessions of a Collector . . . . An Excuse For Some fun!

The reason behind all the fun! Our family has known Will's for years. They bought their home from a family in the ward that we hated to see go, but then we were so happy with our new neighbors, so it was OK. The first Sunday they were at church, Susan & I spotted each other. We both thought, "I need to meet her". We met, and became great friends, who have both benefited from our friendship many times over the years. Of course that meant that we have kept track of each other's kids and had attachments develop.

One Sunday, while I was helping clean up after Break the Fast, a really cute girl pitched. I soon noticed that Will was hanging around too . . . hm -m-m-m. After seeing them together several times, I had the chance to visit with Susan out by the mail boxes, found out that she thought there was a young lady in her son's life, but had not met her. It was so fun to let her know that her little boy had great taste and he had found a "winner". The rest is history! They really seem to compliment each other and I expect to see great things come from this eternal union.

1. Susan, her sister Ann, and I had way too much fun shopping for the open house food. We hit lots of sales, picked up Garrett in the middle of our errands, ate lunch at Pei Wei and then hit some more great sales. Garrett kept up a running dialogue . . . true to the "Weaver", through Nanny, his tongue is loose on both ends. It was very entertaining for two ladies who have no or don't get to see their grandchildren very often. They had never met anyone who could talk while inhaling. All of my grand kids have that talent, ask Sabrina, she knows about the girls at least! All of a sudden it was strangely quiet. 2. We got a kick out of the combo we cam up with for the table center pieces. Kristi had all of the colors of sunset for the wedding. The red runner and small candles are from Catherine's wedding. The large candle, mirror and greenery started out at Mariah's wedding, been used repeatedly. The yellow flowers were taken apart from a big old bush of yellow flowers Arianna and Tati helped me pick out when the flower on my van antenna disappeared. Arianna was afraid I would lose my van without a flower. Now where would she get an idea like that? Since it was so big, she suggested that I put some on mommy's and daddy's antennas while I was at it. Never pulled that one off!

1. The joys of canning jars . . . . I have seen these as the vases in table center pieces, loved them whether it was red roses or a collection of more casual blooms. Sometimes with the glass beads or marbles, sometimes with water, clear or colored. Then as hurricane lamps along a path with just a votive (in glass holder) candle inside. Next time we put pink tulle around the votive holder to give it color. Adding water made it even "mistier" looking. This time we had three colors of organza in sunset colors, the bride's colors. Light didn't penetrate through the organza as easily as the tulle, so the water didn't help. They are tall so the make a good wind shield if there is a breeze, sparkle if they just came out of the dishwasher, sturdy so they don't break if knocked over and so easy to come by. 2. This arch started out at Mariah & Stephen's wedding. I've lost track of how many other weddings we have used them at. Same for the tulle and greenery. The lights and ribbon were Susan's. All of it has been left intact for the next wedding in September :-) 3. Don't you just love the way this turned out? Susan, Kristi & Dormi did this all up using what is always there with the wedding collection tulle, greenery and the rope lights that I use for indirect lighting at my house. made me wonder for a moment if I should have left those same pillars in my house . . . . nah! I got tired of running into them!

1. What's the old saying? "No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to love the kitchen best". 2. Loren, the seminary teacher, and his family joining the fun and humidity on the back patio. I don';t know when Sarah learned this little trick, but that would be her nose on the left side of the picture. 3. Garrett loved enjoying the grown up party after helping with all the shopping.

Oh What a Week End --- Part I

Poor little Gabriel, he is discovering some of the harsh realities of life. When you start school , you just can't quit when you have had enough and you don't get to have an overnighter at Nanny's & Papa's house until Friday night.

So, what do you do to make it worth it? You take advantage of the fact that Nanny married a NUT and ask one simple question about one of his gadgets and off Papa goes!

1. You start with something simple like the little flashlight Papa carries in his pocket when he will need it from time to time. If you play your cards right, you will soon know how it turns off and on, comes apart in to little bitty pieces. You will know how to drive Nanny nuts from now on when you take all of her handy little flashlights apart and lose the important stuff. 2. Next you move on to Papa's little pocket leatherman tool and inventory all the features, making sure that you understand the best technique to injure yourself. 3. Now it is time to go to the BIG leatherman tool! It has even more ways to cut off a finger, maim your brother or refinish Nanny's furniture.

4. Next you pick up this little gadget that Nanny has shown you several times and explained and take it to Papa. He falls for it and gives it a way cool name, a "high pressure water nozzle with a ball valve". 5. Next he will show you the inside of it so you can see how the ball valve works and why they call it a "ball" valve. If that doesn't seem to impress you enough (it's important to look UNimpressed) he will take you out in the front yard and blast the neighbor's yard across the street. Good thing Papa's distant cousin lives there! 6. Papa is a way cool old guy and believes in little guys having growing experiences. So next you talk him into you letting having a go at it. When you get done turning it on while aiming at the ground between the two of you, this is what you look like, after Papa tries to clean you up before Nanny comes out and sees the mess. She thought it was pretty funny because she looked just like this a while back and besides, "it mama's problem, not mine!" What did that mean?

What a Week End ---- Part II

We had just kind of a quick last hurrah before Rob left. Stephen came and went according to his schedule and Sarah had to work and couldn't come at all, so it was just smaller and a little quieter. I think reality was also setting in since we were down to the last 24 hours before my little boy left. Isn't it funny what memories and feelings creep in on you sometimes?

1. Rob playing with Arianna. 2. Mariah trying to keep a restless little Lincoln happy. 3. Garrett playing in the middle of everything, under foot, as usual ;-)

4. Tatianna and Gabriel playing back in Tati's favorite corner, the toy one. 5. Jon wandering around and Brianna adding to a continuing to-do list.

I can already tell that I am going to have to get used to not hearing from Rob every day and it was just phone calls. I know it is very minimal compared to the adjustments that Brianna and the girls are going to have to go through. How do you really explain to such young ones about the time element in this experience? I don't know. I never usually had to do it more than a week at a time. I know that Brianna will find the way, she is an exceptional young woman.

What a Week End ---- Sunday -- Part III

On Sunday morning we met Rob, Brianna, and the dollies just off the freeway so they could show us something. It was the first diggings of the house they are having built. Pretty exciting. I'm glad that they all have something to enjoy, anticipate and help make the next few months a little happier.

1. Sarah, Kyle (the newly returned missionary), Jaala (little sister), and Blake, (cousin, on the other side of the family) 2. Nickie ( Colton's young lady friend), Colton (oldest brother), Jacob, ( second oldest brother) and Jennica (his young lady friend). 3. A couple of hitchhikers I picked up on the side of the road.

4. Taryn, new RM's second oldest sister and her little doll. She is sure a quiet cute little girl. We had some fun with that one LOL. Tell you in a minute. 5. Vicki and Tonette, mother and aunt of the new RM . . . . and a couple of great sisters. Love them both to pieces! 6. Buster and Hal, father and uncle of the new RM.

7. Devani (oldest sister of the RM). She is working on building a career in the fashion designing industry. I am so proud of her for going and getting it done!! 8. Garrett playing with the little vacuum cleaner that the boys did fight over some. 9. I this was a cute doll in the middle of the toys, until it started kicking and rolling!

THE STORY -- Sometimes I am so funny (ornery), I can hardly stand it ..... I admit so humbly. I am the youngest in my family and was at the mercy of two very ornery brothers. Being very over protected and sheltered by my mom, I was easy prey on their jokes, for so-o-o-o long. I'm afraid that when I get the chance to pull something on my brothers, I have a really hard time resisting.

While we were sitting behind the Weavers in church, Buster kept looking back at my very lively grandsons and smiling. At least I think he was smiling, at them, it was pretty quiet, but as usual, perpetual motion, Who knows, maybe he was grimacing in embarrassment.

Anyhow, after we all had tired arms from wrestling with Lincoln I handed him to Sarah and told her,"Go hand him over to his great uncle Buster." So she walked up to the other row, handed him over and told him, "My mom said to give him to you to hold." Mariah looked at me like, "What's going on?" "I whispered, watch this."

About 5 seconds later, Buster looked at Vicki, just a little wide eyed. About 30 seconds later I saw him mouth "WOW!" to Vicki. I am afraid we were way too entertained by spectacle for the rest of church. it was so funny seeing this big ole guy trying to keep up with Lincoln. Linc just about beat Buster to a pulp, wiggling all over and squirming. Nothing like a good humbling for an older brother who doesn't feel badly about the rotten things he did to you when you were growing up! Yes, little sister's perspective, I am one and I am entitled. It has been pretty fun admitting things to them when they had no idea I was the one that pulled it on them ;-)))

After being cooped up for the 2 1/2 hour trip over, those poor boys had all had all they could take. I was impressed with how screechy, they weren't. They just never stopped the whole day after we got over to their house! We hung around longer than we had planned hoping to get the chance to go see Grandma Jeanne and the Keiths, but I never got an answer on the phones, so we finally left around 7:00 PM. Buster finally looked at me and asked, "Do they ever slow down?"

I admitted the only thing that seemed to work is to run errands with them until they are really hungry, hot and tired. Mariah and I have actually debated on whether we should feed them before we get home because it takes just about 10 minutes and they perk up again, but we are still tired. Don't worry, we have always fed them, at least so far we have . . . .

Remembering and Looking to the Future

I was clearing some of the "way too much stuff" on my desktop and found this. Sorry it is so long, I do ramble, don't I? This took place last Spring.

Friday morning was pretty exciting in our neighborhood. Gabriel had spent the night and we were just eating breakfast when he got very excited because he could hear a “hewicopter”. I listened and realized that it was close and flying LOW. We ran out front just in time to see it head west and could tell that it was getting lower all the time. So of course we ran in got the keys, grabbed shoes, to put on in the car, and started to make chase . . . for two whole blocks.

It was career day at De Grazia Elementary and the National Guard brought a helicopter to show the kids. We gawked through the fence and then finally came home to call and see if we could go on campus and see it up close. They let us so we got dressed (oops!) and went back with Garrett in tow as well. It was pretty cool, but boy did it bring a flood of memories and feelings for me.

First memory was going back to the fifties. I lived on a cotton farm south of Las Cruces, NM. It was very not far from Ft. Bliss, so, we often had planes going over. Whenever I hear a big old cargo or bomber going over, it takes me back to those days of hot afternoons when Mom sent me in for a "nap" and I could hear the B-52's drone over. They must have had a scheduled flight at my nap time. Mom did the cub scout and brownie thing so we kids could have those opportunities. She would take the groups out to the air base for field trips.

Years later when we lived just outside of Holbrook, we would hear the big lumbering planes go over on hot afternoons. They would be going by so low and slow that we could see men standing in side doors. They would often wave back to the kids . . . very cool.

Looking at the big helicopter made me think about the footage I have seen on the TV and what has been going on the last few years, about the day that Desert Storm started.

Do you remember what you were doing when the news announced that the first planes had taken off that afternoon? I was buying a new portable carousel for our old microwave oven. Mariah was standing there listening to the sales clerk and I chatting and noticed that we suddenly stopped talking. Later, she said that she was pretty shook up when she saw the tears going down my cheeks. As we drove back to Holbrook from Snowflake, I tried to explain to her how I felt about the Vietnam War and how it had been, watching friends being sent over there . . . how frustrating it had been when it went on for so many years and I suspected it was to help keep the economy strong. I didn't tell her that I wondered if it would go on so long that my young son, her little brother, might end up involved in it.

That got me thinking about the morning of the 9/11 attacks. I was waiting to get across the freeway to get to work and heard the strangest stuff on the radio. I thought it was must be "The War of the Worlds” broadcast that had been on the radio many years ago. I have heard a recording of that radio show, couldn't believe they had put something like that on the air, then or now. What were they thinking? What if someone came on in the middle of the program and didn't know what it was. Then the horror finally dawned me what I was actually listening to! As time went on, I knew that when Rob came home from his mission in a few short weeks, he would consider joining in the fight for our man’s freedom. He did, but it didn’t work out for then.

August 14, 2009

Rob will be leaving for boot camp in two days. I have a flood of feelings, many conflicting. I was raised with a great love for this choice land that we live in. I was taught that it part of a man's role in this life to defend it. It can be a struggle when your son is getting involved!

My parents had been affected greatly by WWII and their memories were fresh, so I heard a lot about it and what it had been like as I grew up. When the war in Iraq started, I felt like it was the right thing to do. Now, depending on what my son decides in the future and circumstances beyond our control, it could involve him, his sweet wife and daughters and our entire family.

I hope he knows that he will be constantly in our prayers and that we will support him in his decisions. We will do all that we can to be a support for our daughter-on-law and granddaughters while he is gone. My dad was a long distance trucker and I remember what it was like when Daddy is gone for weeks and months at a time. It can make life pretty interesting.

Is He Trying to Tell Me Something?

On Sunday morning I had on the BYU channel to listen to the talks and music. A really neat young woman who teaches in the nursing program at BYU gave a great devotional talk (several years ago). In it she told the story about the young boy who was flying a kite. He wanted to cut the string so it wouldn't be held back and could fly higher. His grandfather explained that the string was actually keeping the kite up. He finally cut the string to let the boy see what would happen. The kite went wild for a few brief moments and then fell to the earth.

I can remember having the same conversation with my children when they were young. At the time I didn't think to explain to them that as they grew up, the commandments might feel like they are holding you back. In reality, they will be holding you up, to fly higher and stronger from where you are at that moment. I love kites and so it really stayed in my mind.

Later that morning, I was in Stake Conference. Guess what story was told! I had to chuckle and decided that I needed to keep this lesson in mind for some reason. When I chuckled, Gabriel asked me what was funny. I told him I had just heard a lesson that I must really need to hear. He looked at me kind of funny :-)

With all the changes that are coming in our family, in the world and just in life in general, I am thankful that my loving Heavenly Father is reminding me that my obedience will be a blessing. To be thankful that I have the gospel and have a plan to lead me to peace of mind and eternal happiness.

Warms A Grandmother's Heart!

May I say, I love these little characters, more than I can express! I watch them and think back.

I met their grandfather, got to know him and realized one day, I love this guy, in a way I have never felt experienced before. Then I gave birth to Mariah, got to know her, and realized, I love this little girl more than I thought was possible. And the wonderful discovery, it didn't take away from my feelings for Jon, they just grew even more.

Next came Rob, and I worried that I could never love another baby as much as I did Mariah. Again, my heart grew, my love grew and I had no worries, I loved him just as much, but it was different, because he was different.

After some disappointment and heartache, Sarah joined our little family. Once again, my heart grew, though it was another daughter, she was unique and I loved her for it. It was such a relief for her to make it safely and we were all so thrilled. I watched Mariah and Rob loving and fussing over her and loved them all the more, for the loving spirits they were showing me.

Next they brought a new son and daughter into our family and I love and appreciate them for who they are and the qualities they have brought to our family.

Now, as my children are bringing these choice little spirits to our family, my heart and love continues to grow as I watch them loving, teaching, and making sacrifices for the future of their posterity.

I just wish my long old arms were even longer, so that I could wrap them all up in a big hug, all at once. Lincoln looks like he should be between the girls, doesn't he? .... Did you notice Brianna's hand holding Tati? There was a lot of that going on that day!