If She Plays Her Cards Right...

Emily works customer service at a local supermarket and has the joy of working at the store's fuel center. Her shift has been, unwaveringly, 1:45-10:15 p.m. She's my little veal in a stall (after a few of us had said that to her we explained what it meant, she laughed!).

(The cute necklace she's wearing is her "panic button" to summon immediate police assistance. It can provide material for another blog entry which could be titled "Did She Really Have To Use It", a.k.a. "Are The Arvada Police Officers As Cute As The Arvada Firemen?" which can be another blog entry...).

Last night, being Saturday, was very slow at the gas station. I received a text from her. "I'm making tiny playing cards, I'm so bored! And I can't remember what a club or a spade looks like." I know, hard to believe in our card playing family that she could so easily forget. Guess her mind was a little numb.


Here's what she created, a complete deck of 2 inch playing cards.

The beautiful part was that they were cards on one side and puzzles on the other. Recycling cigarette cartons, she's so green!

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated...

... or maybe not. In spite of the fact that I lost my way on the blogging path I have set foot upon said path once more. I've always felt badly that my attention to my blog fell through the cracks in my life. My Mother is always asking, "Have you read Marianne's latest blog?" and I get to say, "No, I don't think I've read any blogs for almost a year." After looking it turns out I was right. Where did the year go? Strike that, I know where it went and it's been a long, bumpy ride. Annoying piquant moments accentuated by the good.

Haven't looked at Marianne's blog yet but I'm pretty sure she said something about Michael and Sarah's wedding last September. It was anticipated, planned, put on hold at the Army's whim and pulled off in a week. It was perfect. The temple ceremony was beautiful. Contrary to everything I was told I would/should feel I really didn't feel a loss. I knew is was a natural and correct flow of life, content that Michael and Sarah were so right for each other, in love, and blissfully happy. My only threat of tears was when the officiator told the Mom's to be the first to hug the newlyweds. I was so happy for them.

Christopher started school this Fall after a good working summer. He had found a great place to live and work was looking good, especially when he met a cute babe. She told him she didn't date co-workers so he asked if they should just hang out. They developed a fast friendship and I knew the bachelorhood was in jeopardy when he told me how they watched "Anastasia" and sang along with the songs, both of them knowing all the words. Chris made plans to visit with her family in Maryland at the beginning of the Christmas break. He brought the lovely Christina to our home for Thanksgiving. They had just come back from Rexburg, visiting her sister, Rachel. While they were there Rachel (an amazing talent) took their engagement pictures. Yeah, no questions needed to be asked but the official referring to them as "fiance and fiancee" waited until Chris spoke to her father and proposed at the Washington D,C Temple while the Padilla family was there to see the Christmas lights. The wedding will be there on Saturday, May 7th. Now, I can explain why I called Christina a "cute babe." She and Chris call each other "babe" all the time. They danced and sang all through the fixing of Thanksgiving dinner and, true to unspoken form, Chris took her down to the floor with a botched dance move. They're perfect for each other.

About my sons and their women? West coast girls may be hip but there's something about those girls from the East. I like them and apparently so did Michael and Chris.

Allison and Emily had a real world experience with disappointment. After getting all installed at UNC and ready to go they found out the state of CO had pulled about $5,000 in funding from each of them. We brought them home and they've worked to save money and take their next steps. Allison is starting her career at the Empire Beauty Institute next Monday. She's thrilled! It was kind of what she wanted to do but was going to give college a year to make sure (more for her parent's I think than for her). And Emily needs to get her application for BYU resubmitted! They accepted her for last Fall so I feel pretty confident they'll want her back.

In April 2010 Steve's unemployment came to an end with a bump. The contract he was given was for a company in Carlsbad, NM. He took it and lived for the next six months down there. It was so hard to have him gone. I was reminded of all the men during the Great Depression who left their homes for work. Now it's happening all over again in America. Most men at his level in their profession are now mainly contract workers, companies too cheap to keep them on their payroll but will bring them in when things are going toe up to get everything set straight. He came home in September. He received another contract with a company in Idaho Falls two weeks ago. Yep, he's gone again but this time it's winter and running back and forth is more than a challenge with the weather the way it is. I'll get to see him again at the end of the month.

I'm still substitue teaching. My dreams of my own classroom went with the wind of the economy. We'll see what next year brings.

Now you know I am still alive. But no kicking. I'm too tired from shoveling snow for kicking.

Don't Keel Over!!

No pictures. The only pictures I've snapped lately have been for Ella Mortensen's school project involving "Flat Stanley" (ask elementary teachers about that one). I'm going to rely on the other parents to get pictures of my daughters in their last HS musical (Thoroughly Modern Millie, terrific). As I sat watching I realized why my fingertips were always sore; I'd altered and repaired about 25 of the costumes on the stage, not to mention the hats, headbands (flappers you know) and all the makeup. I guess I've been busier than I even realized. And I learned a valuable lesson: NEVER volunteer to be on a costuming committee again if you are the ONLY one who knows how to sew!

I'll get to the point. I'm hoping that I can find a way to make it back to the blogging world. I love reading others posts, even though it's been about a month since I have. I feel negligent. Let's face it, I'm finally posting with wet hair and church starts in 55 minutes (thank heavens all I have to do is go through my back gate).

Highlights (wish they were in my hair):

1. Michael is finishing his 3rd week of Boot Camp. Some lovely person at Fort Jackson is even maintaining a page on facebook for us. I get to see him from time to time in pictures. Like when he came out of the "gas chamber" with others; noses running (like faucets, ew), eyes streaming, etc. He's doing great. Biggest drawback? Not seeing his fiance, the lovely Sarah.

2. Musical. It's over and I got to bed before midnight for the first time in 3 weeks last night. Who would have thought that 11:00 would fill me with such contentment?

4. 70 degrees one day, next day 6" of snow. No wonder I have a sore throat and a runny nose.

5. Substituting. Since our last layoff (yes, I'm trying hard to stay positive and not let it give me too many new gray hairs, although I really don't mind the grays) I've been, blessedly, kept very busy. It's tiring but rewarding.

6. Girls getting ready for the end of their senior year. This has included the musical, getting 75+ photos of them gathered for their senior slide show for the church's "Honor the Grad" night, happily attending a banquet for Emily's $2K yearly scholarship, Allison gaining a half tuition scholarship, getting them registered and finding the right dorm for them at UNC (in Greeley, about 90 minutes from here), making lists of what they need (including wish lists), etc. I'm SO happy for them! They have worked really hard to be where they are! And I must admit I'm very ready to move on from High School.

Now, off to church!

Happy Valentine's Day

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Every Cloud Has a White Gold Lining

It's been a month to the day since my last post. I'm getting better! Lots has happened.

We're on the layoff roller coaster, again. Silver linings? I've had a sub job everyday since the layoff and we were able to get some oral surgery done on Steve and the girls before the insurance ran out. Necessary evils! They really didn't want me to show their "chipmunk face" pictures and I, uncharacteristically, complied.

The best thing was today.... MICHAEL PROPOSED MARRIAGE TO SARAH SHAVER AND SHE SAID "YES"!

We all went to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Michael's choice. Diana and Nick Mowes (cousins in crime), Allison and Emily and Steve and I all went with them. Afterward Nick's wonderful parents, Mike and Tami Mowes, had us all over for a BBQ dinner of Beef and Elk steaks and all the good things that go along with it.

Blessings all around. Thanks to the Shavers for raising a sweet and loving daughter. Thanks to Nick and Diana for taking a trip to CO and bringing Michael and Sarah with them. Thanks to Tami and Mike for making the day that much more special. Thanks to our Father in Heaven for showing me some greatness in my life.

Yes, I've Taken My Meds Today

Yes, it's been a while. Yes, I suffer great guilt over not blogging. Yes, my head is pounding right now (how can you tell you may have an aneurysm?). Well, here goes...

Since I've last posted it has been the Christmas season while subbing at least 3 days a week and getting the girls to and from school and Chris to and from work and shopping and wrapping and NOT finding time to get my hair cut and getting to and from the airport a few times and not getting any Christmas cards sent, which means I've really dropped off of other peoples Christmas card lists, and trying to spend as much time as possible with my kids since it's the first time in 4 years we've all been together at Christmas and knowing that Michael is going into the Army medical corps on February 22, and who knows when we'll have a Christmas with him again, while trying to get the boys to weed through all the stuff in their room and pry them away from gaming with the girls to get them to do so and not getting around to making our yearly gingerbread house but the girls made one at YW's and we arrived home the next day to find that Charlie had gotten up on the table and eaten two walls of Allison's house, which spent the rest of the season jauntily propped on styrofoam cups and being thrilled that my niece Amanda and her husband David came up on Christmas Eve for a visit and Amanda was SO nice to bring her camera and shoot about 150 photos of my family, REALLY regretting not having my haircut, to try to get out to other family members because who knows when we'll all be together again and feeling the guilt of NOT blogging and NOT calling people and NOT helping Allison bake some cookies so we could decorate them and she could give some to her boyfriend for Christmas and having the dough hanging around in the refrigerator for three days before finally getting to it at 10:30 on Christmas Eve after getting her, sad, out of her room so we could read our traditional "Polar Express" on Christmas Eve so we could ring our sleigh bells and see if we could still hear them and know we still believe in the magic of Christmas and NOT cleaning up after ourselves, and leaving a note to let others know not to fret about it, because after unwrapping presents we made some more cookies and dipped pretzels in caramel and chocolate, again, so she would have an offering for afore mentioned boyfriend and enjoying a few days playing with the kids before Steven and I helped chaperon a New Year's Eve surprise birthday party and attended with the girls, who were charged with delivering the birthday girl to the party, and not getting to bed until 2 a.m. and getting up at 6:30 to pack the car and drive Chris and Michael back to Utah so Chris could get into his apartment and settle in two days before the Winter semester began at BYU and Michael could work a little more at Best Buy before has to report from SLC to go to boot camp and spending three days with Marianne before driving back to Colorado to spend one last day with the girls before they had to go back to school and I had to go to two days out of three the first week, subbing for teachers who had sick children and, thankfully, only working one day last week but it happened to fall on the ONE day a month where I curse the heavens, praying for a hysterectomy soon, and I've subbed two days this week for a special ed. class I've been in many times but the eight students have now decided our honeymoon is over and I came home mentally and physically exhausted only to find I haven't had time to grocery shop because we've entered HS musical season (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and the girls have needed to take the car on my days off so they can stay until, well, 6 last night, at auditions and they'll probably be longer tonight since last night was only monologues but tonight is the singing portion and tomorrow will be the dance audition so they'll have to be there until around 6 or 7 but since I've learned I'm going back to same special ed. class I'll need the car so we'll be picking then up at 6 or 7 and because of the lack of groceries dinner, which I really am not hungry enough to eat or interested in making, has become a true challenge and helping Helen make plane reservations to spend a month in Arizona and fly to Utah in time to say goodbye to Michael and I've been sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if Chris can get a job back on the same crew at the Wilkinson Center he worked with before his mission, the only job he could find that would give him enough hours to support himself since his parents, still reeling and catching up from their almost 7 months of unemployment last year and can't help him very much and I just found out he has an interview this evening so I end on good news!

I have today off. I've spent three hours on photos and blogging so far and Mom is begging me to go back the the psychiatrist to see if there can be a tweaking of my meds to help me out. I hate going to the psychiatrist but my Unipolar/ADD/Anxiety Disorder medication may need to be upped a little...

PLEASE believe I love you all and want to be part of your world, out where you walk, out where you run, out where you may or may not have sun.... But on my day off I'm having to go out, after I finish with you, to make sure my roof is fortified since the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad "varmint-cong" (thanks, Tyler) of squirreldom is trying to find a way to get in and nest, again!

And I still don't have a car. Or a haircut.

Giving Thanks 2009

The number one thing I'm thankful for is 25 years of marriage! We went out to eat and Christmas shop together. It's amazing how much we are part of each other and I'm humbled at how much he loves me. The reason for the picture above? When the kids were younger we had a Family Home Evening lesson on serving each other. In the story a little boy named Blaine decided to follow the Savior's example and be of service to others. He would leave little notes of SAJS (serve as Jesus served) around the house when he did something for someone else. For WEEKS I found little notes in empty dishwashers, on my made bed, in clean bathrooms... well, you get the picture. Sometimes months would go by but I'd still have a little SAJS note creep in somewhere. On the morning of my anniversary I woke up and Emily had made a gallon of my favorite Tropical Punch Crystal Light and, yes, there was an SAJS note on it. I still have the flannel board story if anyone wants to borrow it.



I have never been so grateful for my family. I can't imagine my life without my husband and children. While Steve and Chris had to go to work the day before Thanksgiving Allison, Emily and I went to work! I can't express enough the relief it was to have so much help in the kitchen. It was nice to have them home before Thanksgiving and able to help so much! We had a menu on the refrigerator and prioritized our time.



We assembled all the ingredients before we started and were diligent about cleaning and doing dishes as we went along. Later, as the men arrived home to the smell of fresh baked pie and rolls the kitchen was absolutely spotless. I mean no dishes anywhere! Swept floor! Clean counters! We were good! (frankly, I can't do it any other way without going insane!) The refrigerators were full of ready to go yams, green beans, dressing, cranberry relish,...



I made the crusts, Emily prepared the apples and pumpkin filling. Allison mixed the rolls and they even smelled yummy rising on the warm oven.



Emily couldn't resist taking pictures of our beautiful cooling pies.



No holiday dinner would be complete without my Mom's Butterhorn rolls. Allison was the mix master! My paranoia is in the forming of the rolls, but they turned out so beautifully! Only a few came undone. We especially like the "peeps" roll and the one that came totally undone and looked like a slice of pizza. The girls called dibs on those.

There were no complaints even as Alli handled the "icky, slimy" canned yams (no, I didn't take time to cook my own) and Em mixed in the brown sugar, etc. and fought the urge to "yak." We were exhausted but I've never appreciated them more. I think there was a great pride of ownership on their part the next day as we sat down to eat (with NO pictures, drat!).

Footnote: Hopefully no one will stick with the story this far but I have to add this one as the story has been leaked. No, the turkey wasn't done when we sat down to eat. I made a few really amateur mistakes (bleh!). It cooked a little longer, we ate everything else, and we still had enough to be sick of it four days later.

Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning...

When was the last day you can remember having a Snow Day called by your church? Chris and I smiled, quietly, in the hallway... we have 9 o'clock church and the Broncos game starts at 11... and acceptable substitute.