Arg!

This is a little family memory I wanted to record here. David is in Boston for a few days on business. Son Ryan and two of his kiddos were here for a good part of the day Saturday and when David mentioned that he was going to Boston, Ryan launched into his song. It is a song that Ryan mimics from the Veggie Tales....about pirates who don't do anything...and they've never been to Boston in the fall. If you haven't heard, you need to hear it...but truly, nothing is as good as son Ryan singing it in his Cockney/pirate accent- (and Happy Birthday, Ryan! you're an awesome son!)

All: "'Cuz we're the Pirates

Who Don't Do Anything!

We just stay home and lie around.

And if you ask us to do anything,

we'l just tell you.."

Mr. Lunt: "We don't do anything.

And I never hoist the mainstay

and I never swab the poop deck,

and I never veer to starboard '

cuz I never sail at all,

and I've never walked the gang plank

and I've never owned a parrot,

and I've never been to Boston

in the fall."

All: "'Cuz we're the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything!

We just stay at home and lie around.

And if you ask us to do anything, we'll just tell you....

Actually, I have been to Boston in the fall. With David and Kirk and Cathy. We spent hours driving around with a crazy GPS lost, looking for the Boston Temple. That was after Cathy had luggage stolen on the train from the airport....what a great trip.

That really isn't what I wanted to talk about.

T & T came over Sunday and we were laying around on the grass while the kiddos played,eating chocolate creamies and talking. I was telling them "Brian" stories. Brian is this boy/man we love in the neighborhood. He has some syndrome, not Downs, but if you live in Sandy, you've probably seen him riding his bike around, helmet on, pulling a bike trailor. He's probably the most physically fit person I know. He bikes all day, everyday. He loves to go through everyone's garage looking for treasures. That got him into the garbage business. For several years, Brian goes from home to home, taking out everyone's garbage. We live in a rural/residential area, on the side of a mountain, with lots of up and down roads. Many houses have long driveways...a few like ours aren't paved (my husband pretends we live in the country...) He takes our garbage out each week (3 large cans) and brings it back in after the garbage trucks have been here. He knows which days are recycling and which aren't. I bet he easily does 50 homes. His payment? Shirts.

Brian loves shirts. Men's cast-off shirts. His mom and dad are tired of shirts and really don't want us giving him more but we do anyway because....well, he takes our garbage out and it is such a little thing that brings him great joy.

What does Brian do with all those shirts? He flys them.

Brian puts them on a folding chair, outside, so the wind catches them like a kite. They billow in the wind. (Can you see it in your mind?) Such a little thing to bring someone great joy.

So, we save our shirts for Brian. It is a great excuse for me to not sew on buttons that are missing. Brian could care less if a shirt has buttons.

Which brings me to the Pirates. This spring we had monsoon weather. Torrential rains. Rain or shine, Brian is out, riding his bike, pulling his trailor, serving people. He rode over to my house a day early. There was a break in the rain clouds. He came to ask me a question. He asked if I would drive him around to all the houses he takes garbage cans out for.... because, as he said, "You know, I was thinking of all the people I know, and asked myself who do I know that probably has nothing to do all day. And I thought of you."

Somedays, I don't know, I just feel like a pirate who doesn't do anything. Thanks, Brian. I'm totally flattered you'd think of me. I think.

Heartaches

There will be a time when all of the pieces will fit together and we will understand the reason for the pain.


Yesterday our Ward and community learned that a friend lost her 34 year old daughter in a rafting accident in Idaho (family reunion.) It is so tragic...her daughter leaves behind two children and a husband. I can't even begin to imagine my friend's pain. I do know what it is like to think you have woken up in a nightmare and each time you hope that is what it is. The pain of reality is the inability to breathe in and out. I hope that she can find pause in the burden. I hope those around her can help share her pain. I hope she can hear God in the middle of the storm (it is hard) and that her heart (and her families hearts) can be lifted and carried and feel some minutes of peace.



And I feel the same about my dear friend Brendalyn. Her husband Joe isn't doing well at all. The night before last, they airlifted him to another hospital here in Salt Lake. He's on a ventilator with problems with his lungs and all the fluid surrounding them (and in them.) Today they are doing surgery....maybe tomorrow back surgery while he is still on the ventilator. (The other hospital said that wasn't an option.) Our circle of close friends is shell-shocked that this is happening and hoping and praying that all will be well.

Somewhere in the past few days I read a talk that included in it a true child's prayer....where the child was praying for someone to get well, and praying for God's will...and then praying that when God's will occured, he wouldn't be mad at him. I think that "maddness" is a part of the grieving stages...and God certainly understands...but also knows that He is the comfort and it truly won't come without him. This Sunday's lesson I'm preparing includes Christ's final days and the atonement (in which Christ suffered all things and took upon him all things, not just sins but also the pain of the world...and he truly does understand what we are going through in a very personal way.)

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

Photography By Rylee

Sunday afternoons, T and T's family usually comes to visit. (Travis calls with a tornado warning to alert us before.) When the kiddos are here, I like to grab my camera, but this time I gave it to Rylee, age almost 9. These are the pictures she took!

Her mommy and daddy...

Brother Boston doing grass angels....










Isn't this one sweet of LoLo and Sister Sadie? Cousins.











Can you tell LoLo just finished her chocolate creamie? (as soon as LoLo got to my house, she said, "Grandma, do you have eggs?") (meaning, the Easter egg hunt! Lolo's really not my granddaughter but I count her as mine...)












I love this one of Nash. Go Jimmer! (actually we are so sad Jimmer is going to Sacramento. I'm not even a sportsie but my boys are all Jimmer-basketball-crazies so I caught the bug.)





And this one is precious of Sadie.









Don't you just love digital photography...where you don't have to worry about developing costs of the film (or buying film???) I think she took a hundred pictures, had a ball and I got some treasures. Awesome job, Rylee!








(but I did save the best for last!)




"A child needs a grandparent, anybodies grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world."

What Are The Odds???

Saturday Brandi and I hit the first (for us this year) Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park. It is a favorite of ours to go to.









I love my daughter time. Since she is a busy mom of 4 kiddos, I sometimes feel selfish that I just want "her and I time" alone. So when I get my wish, I'm excited!

First stop Bruges Waffles. I think I should do advertisements about this place. Oh wait? I think I am. If you are coming/going to Salt Lake, it is a "must go to." (Do not think normal waffles. These are European waffles which are yeast-risen with pearlized sugar inside. Oh man, oh man!)

I loved our day at Market. I loved the stilt man....


the incredible ruffled day lilies for sale....

I loved the hand crafted jewelry, getting a chair massage, the watermelon lemonade, buying Cottage Cheese Dill bread from Volker's Bakery.

But the best part????

Let's go back to Bruges for a minute.


Last week, a blog reader/friend, that I've never met, wrote to me saying that she was planning on a mother/daughter trip to the Salt Lake area and wanted to have ideas of fun places to visit. I didn't have a clue where she was from but for some reason (I usually have no reason why I think the way I do) I thought she was coming from the south....
so I gave her ideas from Provo, to American Fork, to Highland and Lehi to Draper and Sandy to West Jordan and Murray and Salt Lake. It is the famous "If you were coming to Marilyn's, where would she take you" tour. I listed many places in a 40 mile radius. It ran the gambit from funky stores (Dear Lizzy's) to consignment to restaurants to Thanksgiving Point and Rodworks to Gardner Village and.....on and on and on. I did mention that the Farmer's Market is held in downtown SL from 8-1 each Saturday now, and if they went, they NEEDED to go to Bruges for waffles.

That was that....

You have to know Bruges is a little dive shop. No bigger than a large bathroom. People stand in line and squish like sardines inside to place their orders, then wait outside for a worker to holler your name out a window when it is done. Brandi and I "did" our line waiting. We had barely squished into the actual eatery...I was almost body to body with strangers. A stranger. She looked at me....and I could see her starting to mouth the words...."Are you...." and I'm looking at her....."Are you????" And she was she and I was I and we laughed and squealed and her daughters and my daughter just shook their heads and we continued to laugh and squeal like we knew each other, like we were best friends, like we had planned to meet and have a waffle.

What are the odds of that????

It was awesome! (and Becky, WHY didn't we get a picture? Were our daughters too embarrassed of us? I can't wait to hear your whole travel itinerary!)

It made my day. Well, that and the waffles.....

"It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends."

The Art Show

Friday night BFF Valene hosted a garden reception featuring her husband's art. It was so lovely. Perfect weather. Perfect yard. I think at least a hundred people attended.

Beautiful art! They had printed information that you could learn about each painting, the history behind it. It was awesome!

I love the Cook's backyard!

And have I mentioned Valene is my favorite chef? She did a spread fit for a wedding.

I mentioned I wished I could grab David and we could renew our wedding vows....everything was that beautiful. But alas, he was hiking up the mountain in front of our house with the scouts, preparing for their big Wind River trip next month.

Painting is just another way of keeping a diary. ~Pablo Picasso

Brandi met up with me with at the art show and we actually had a sleepover, watching movies until late. (Actually, son Ryan and his Ward were camping in our backyard- all father's and sons....for their yearly event. The smell of carne asada was delightful! David got home in the morning in time for their horseback activities and they also did a service project for me. Lots of swimming and laughter. I think this is their 4th or 5th year coming here.)

Good friends! Good food! Good times! Goodnight!

Sunday

“Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch." Ramona C. Carroll

Easy Salad

I just wanted to re-post this salad which is a must for the season. I know it seems strange but the crunch of bitter and sweet is delicious and refreshing!

Just slice fresh strawberries.

Add cucumbers that are peeled, seeded and sliced (I cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then scoop the seeds out with a melon baller, then chunk)

Mix equal amounts of sugar and raspberry (or red wine) vinegar. Stir into strawberries and cukes and serve immediately. Or eat the bowl by yourself. You don't want to marinate this salad since the cukes will turn pink. But strawberries are on...and sometimes you get tired of the same spinach/strawberry summer salad. Okay, I never get tired of that but in case I DID, this is a nice, quick dinner alternative. When I made it Monday night, I used half sugar/half Agave. I think it works.

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

Rylee dances with the Utah Dance Center at Kingsbury Hall each June. This year's production was Mary Poppins. We started off our Girl's Night Out, not with a spoonful of sugar but with spoonfuls of noodles. We love noodles and company.


Brooke and Peyton met us for dinner. Peyton does NOT get any noodles. He just turned 3 months old....and now weighs 17 lbs. 2 oz!!!

Here is Travis and Tenille and Rylee after her performance. Rylee's Grandma Jo always brings her flowers.


Here am I with Brandi and a crew of kiddos- all my granddaughters except for baby Sadie. She didn't get to see her big sister perform.



The production each year is over the top....with both Mary Poppins and Burt flying high above the stage. Hundreds of kids performing, beautiful dancers. Makes me want to get out my leotard....

Rylee, love you so much! Thanks for another wonderful date!

[Mary Poppins measures herself with her tape measure and reads what it says]

Mary Poppins: As I expected. "Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way."

Hard things...

On our way home from Lake Powell, David received a text that our next door neighbors (one of the elderly couples I take Monday meals to) had lost a granddaughter to drugs. This poor family has literally had one horrible thing after another. Don has been struggling with cancer (two kinds) and heart issues, his wife is in early Alzheimer's and with back and other issues where she is wheelchair limited, a daughter who came to take care of them and got breast cancer...and had another surgery this past week. Although the granddaughter didn't live here in our area, our Ward did the funeral for her yesterday. Just a sad, sad day for them.




Yesterday morning, I woke up ready to tackle the aftermath of our trip. There are plastic tubs filled with everything to be re-washed and put away. Everything hosed off from the red dirt. Unpacking is not nearly as fun as packing....




Then I got a phone call that BFF Brendalyn's husband Joe had been in a serious accident on Saturday while we were gone. He had actually gone with a group to our church's girl's camp property to clear more trees and make improvements, when a tree someone had cut fell on him. He's seriously injured- helicoptered to Provo (after a horrendous ambulance ride on the terrible rutted wilderness roads to get to a place where the helicopter could land.) He is in the ICU there- his back broken in 5-6 places, lots of ribs broken, lots of stitches and other injuries. They won't be able to fix his back with surgery so yesterday they put him in a turtle shell (body shell) so they could move him upright (he started getting fluid on the lungs.) He is in so much pain...it just breaks my heart for all of them. It will be a long recovery to a body that will never be the same. So in mourning here.....





Okay, since I'm on a roll of unhappy, my dear friend Elsa also had her second knee surgery yesterday. She'll be in the hospital for a few days, then go to the rehab place where Brandi will be her therapist. Elsa is AMAZING. Brandi's never seen anyone come out of surgery like her. I'm taking lunch Friday for Elsa and Brandi. Aunt Pat is also having knee surgery next week and I'm her rehab house! I'm going to get a stack of movies and we are chilling for a week. She can't go home...she has stairs.... so I'm lucky to have her come here.



Yesterday when I was taking dinner to Kay, a widow in our Ward and neighborhood, one of her neighbors (that I don't know but just wave to each week) was out weeding Kay's flower beds with the promise of coming back to plant flowers. I was touched. At the church, to see tables arranged with tablecloths and centerpieces and a kitchen full of food donated and lovingly prepared by people who didn't know the girl or even the family involved just hit my heart strings. Last night when Ben and Susie just showed up to clean the boat inside and out, after all the work they did for us at Powell, again, just filled me. The goodness of others is probably the best medicine shared. Yesterday in the middle of heartache, I just kept seeing amazing service circling around everyone. Two quotes come to mind-


Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily.



and....We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other.

Well, it is time to go pick up kiddos for the day. My MIL has been in Hyde Park all week with her sister while we were in Powell and will come home today. Have lots of work to do. Life happens (changes) in a minute!

Lake Powell Memories

Wow! What a wonderful trip!

We had all our family at Lake Powell this past week- except for Brooke and new baby, Peyton and also Sadie (2 years old.) We also had Aunt Pat and Cousin Casey....and Jake and Torah Welch.


Here are the kiddos in their Lake Powell jammies.

The ski boat had problems right off the bat...so David and Travis drove it all the way back to the marina and left it and brought back two jet ski's. They actually pulled up skiers just fine and everyone loved driving them. We have some new skiers...Hallee Babe skied for the first time (age 7), Rylee skied for the first time last year (almost 9) and really took off this year, Annee (age 10) skied all around the lake for the first time, Gracie and Parker had some good "almosts" ......




We went up the Escalante and stayed at a fabulous site at 50-Mile. The kids could swim across our bay for some serious rock climbing and cliff jumping.

All the kids loved fishing...and just kept hauling them in (while I was crying...please just throw them back!)

We ate until we were silly. Below is a picture of a recipe I can't wait to share....kicking BBQ chicken sandwiches up a notch with a tangy slaw and Havarti cheese.

Our cove was perfect for playing in the sand and lizard hunting. The cousins did great and had so much fun together!

Lake Powell. We LOVE you!

Oh What a Feeling!

Nothing is better than tru-luv! What a beautiful wedding for Duvae and Nate!

I think there should be a law that no one should be so pretty....

And then you get a pretty her AND a pretty him???? Really not fair.

Have you ever seen a cake shaped like this? It was darling!

The food was divine. I just captured the cupcakes. Linda's cupcakes are the best in the world. They also served teriyaki chicken with different dipping sauces, meatballs, a fabulous mango salad and on and on and on. Heaven!




This wasn't the best picture but I wanted you'all to see her dress. It was one of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen.
Totally gorgeous! What a bride!

(did anyone see her on "Say Yes to the Dress?")

Totally Random Thoughts

Just a lot of random thoughts-



In our last home, by the front porch, I had an heirloom lilac planted. It was a start by one of David's great aunts. It just wasn't an ordinary lilac bush...the edges of the purple flower are edged by white. I missed my bush so much and 3 years ago planted one at my current home. I only got two lilacs this year (it is the first that it has bloomed) but it made my heart sing!

~I almost forgot the Lake Powell jammies I got oh-so-long-ago and had put away! Here's the boys and girlies jammies.

~had an awesome trip to the Timp. temple with friend, J. It was just what I needed to fill a few holes in my soul today. We had a couple of real funnies but I thought to write them here, they didn't translate. But they are in my heart. J. makes me think, ponder and....laugh!

~I ate an entire can of black olives today. It was crazy! I think it is called nervous energy. It's not like when my feelings were hurt one time and I had been given a large chocolate Easter bunny and I ate the whole thing, intermittantly with two bunches of radishes, crying the entire time. How bizarre was that? I was sicker than a dog. No one hurt my feelings today. Maybe it is like when some mineral is lacking, people eat dirt. Or maybe it is just my soul yearning for Italy. We've got our tickets!!!!! November!

~been downloading music for Lake Powell. It's David's birthday this coming week so I got him the new Ronnie Dunn album ( I KNEW he would go solo after Brooks and Dunn split up.) I also got some Adele, Jason Mraz, Joshua Radin, Maroon 5 and Ingrid Michaelson. My music drives David crazy. He's pure country. The older the better. Errrrkkkkkk! I also burned a couple of kids cd's for Addi (sorry Brandi!) The Wheels on the Bus, You Are My Sunshine and Eitsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini etc. I'm not riding in that car....

~tomorrow night is friend Loretta's daughter Duvae's wedding! Duvae's a doll....she was on the reality show "Say Yes To The Dress." I think you can google her on the show- Duvae Duncan. Brendalyn and I have a date to the wedding. Our husbands can think of a million other things they'd rather do than go to a reception.....

~it was Brendalyn's birthday and Aunt Pat's this week. Happy Day! I can't imagine my life without these two in it.

~how cute is this. Once a year my mom and my niece, Lisa, fly to Las Vegas for a weekend together. Lisa recently moved to Colorado and my mom lives in Washington so I know this will be an especially awesome weekend. I love that they have this tradition. Just grandma/granddaughter time.

I'll be a summer-sitting

grannie for sure this

summer. I've been watching baby Peyton the past two Thursdays and now Annee is out of school as well. Peyton doesn't take a bottle and so that is a real struggle. We both had a little cry (!) on Thursday....it is a good thing I love him. And I do. He truly is a sweetheart. I also watch Addi on that day and now her siblings so Tuesdays and Thursday will be crazy at our household. If anyone feels compassionate, just bring me a can of olives! Or a box of cherry chocolates. We can pretend we are in Italy....

"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go." --Truman Capote