Vacationers return

So we took the family to that new water park Wolf Lodge up in Washington. It is what Roz really wanted for her birthday. It was fun but I agree with Dina who said it is a glorified Clackamas Water Park. It is a huge hotel and then the water park is all indoors and only people staying at the hotel can go in. It is still plenty crowded. They also had this "Quest" game set up on all the lobby's where you buy a wand and then you have these computerized quests and challenges that you run all over the place doing searches for gold, gems, pictures of things, etc. The kids liked that as much or more than the water. You got to save the fairies and fight off dragons with this wand which was computerized.

As for my sicko-Eliza is feeling great now and sees absolutely no need for the yucky pink stuff anymore. It's amazing how the first day she was happy to take it and it went down so easily and didn't taste bad. 5 days later and its not again, yuck and do I have to as she hides. Ah, the joys.

I want to add that my parents are still doing fine. I was happy to be able to go and help do some of those odd jobs around the house for them over spring break. My mom is a 24/7 care giver for my dad who still gets out and plants and works in the yard despite his physical limitations. It has been very fun to help update some of there rooms. It is always more fun to spend other peoples money! Mom, you have done a great job and the house is looking super. There are not two more wonderful people in the world.

sickness in our home

Well it has finally happened. View picture of Eliza sulking on couch. I have Amoxicillin in my home. Yes, that runny pick stuff that I have seen in so many other peoples homes but never in mine. I have 5 kids, my eldest is almost 13 and I have never been to a doctor for an ear-ache or strep, or any other drug needing illness. Broken arms: once with Roz and 2x for Zach, but never the nasty pink stuff twice a day. I feel like I have entered in to some right of motherhood somehow. You can congratulate me when my 8 year old quites melting down and telling me "I an going to die because I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't swallow and I have to much snot!" Yes, motherhood continues.

On a happier note, Andrew graduated from preschool. So the directions to the unknown location of said graduation were to take 185th to Farmington and church is on the right. Well, unfortunately for me, I missed that immediate church, drove for 20 minutes in horrible Farmington Rd traffic, called a friend and had her google the name which sent me to some other Westside church out passed 217 and then on my way home 45 min. later having majorly scratched up the newly replaced bumper on the car making an emergency u-turn, I see the church and arrive with about 2 minutes before they call his name. This is the graduation that I saw no real point in going to because, yah, he's 4 and still has another year of preschool. He got the all important promised piece of cake that he didn't end up eating and is still sitting on my counter wrapped in foil. Nice.

Becca goes to Boston

Well Becca and I made it through our exciting trip to Boston Town. We flew out the red-eye on Thursday night and came back late Monday evening. It was fast but we actually did quite a bit. On about 2 hours of sleep we walked the entire Boston Commons park and the walking tour. They have actually painted or placed red bricks throughout the city to make the trail. We went to the top of the bunker hill memorial, all 294 steps. Then I got to spend time with my amazing friend Judianne Peterson who was kind enough to let us stay with her. We made it to Plimoth and visited the reenactment sites of the Indians and Mayflower settlers. I think Becca enjoyed shopping for tee shirts and souvenirs for the siblings the best. It was helpful as Roz was studying the time and area right now and I had all this data to share. We also toured the mansions in Newport RI. Becca said she was a bit tired and creeped out by all the heads on everything. One home actually had heads for all the arm chair handles. It really helps you to understand what they mean when they say "the gilded age". I can't imagine all that money and trouble only to have a few months out of the year for a few years most of these families got to use and show off their homes. America's royalty were very interesting. We also studied many authors of the early 1800's and toured their homes, countryside and even grave yards. Sleepy Hollow really isn't that scary. I was glad to find all my family still alive when I got home. Of course it was cold and rainy in Boston the whole time and sunny and beautiful here.

ELIZA JANE IS BAPTISED

OK, sorry I have been so out of the loop for a while now. I went to Cali to help my parents do some spring clean up. I was supposed to prepare and plant the garden and paint the main living areas inside the house. Well we got there and the lawn mower, rototiller and the garage door didn't work, the outside paint was peeling off, the wood work they had installed with the new floors never got painted, the window sills and door frames needed to be redone, the lemon tree taller than the roof of the garage needed trimming, the watering system had pipes broken all over..... and on. Yeah, I did a lot in one week only to come home and within half an hour have my in-laws come for the baptism. It was really nice of them to fly all the way from Chicago. I was very sad though because my dad spent half the week I was there in the hospital because my mom thought he had a stroke. It ended up being "his falling apart and there is nothing we can do about it" instead. That so upset my mother they decided she couldn't deal with coming. The first baptism in a streak of 15 so far they have missed.

The baptism went really well. The girls sang and my father in law put it on U-tube. I don't know if that is legal but he is an ex bishop and it could just look like them singing or practicing since it is not in the chapel. Legal or not-here is the link-http://www.youtube. com/v/GAxlFTYAEO Y

Three down feels good and no more little white dresses for me to find. Now I move on to suits. Thanks to everyone who came and who wished her well. It has been nice and after a week of digging a hole and hiding in it, I promise I will emerge again.

Hi Everyone

Just wanted to say Hi from Sunny California. Don't be to jealous, the rain is supposed to move in tomorrow night. I have spent my first 2 days here rotatilling the garden, planting-pulling weeds and painting. Sound familiar. Yeah, no matter where I go life doesn't change much. I haven't even started the projects I came to do. My mother had a whole list to start with. Moving through the list though and we are about to go to the park. Ah the forced rest of Sunday; I think I might keel over without it.

Announcement: Eliza's baptism is this Saturday March 29th at 2:30. Anyone welcome.

Savoring Life and Family

As we think about the loss for our community of Ross Barfuss, I want to remember what a wonderful, inspirational and kindhearted young man he was, and also draw closer to my loved ones I still have here. This is the first time I have been touched by a death of someone who wasn't old and ready to move on. I feel strongly that the Lord knows the greater needs and feel honored to have had Ross as an example for me. He truly lived a life the Savior would want in his quite testimony and service. I loved having him in my Sunday School class. I always had this impression that he was being very patient with my oddities, tangents and general obscurities. I really think he knew more than I did and helped be a terrific example and teacher in there. I want the Barfuss family to know what a blessing their family has been in our lives. Tyson is a darling home teacher-I love his cute smile and the sweetness he brings into our home.

Work in progress

I managed to put the room back together in it's introductory form. I call it me England corner. I have my English Tapestry and the paintings I have bought from there on the walls. Now I am in this spring fever phase of wanting to organize my life. Last night we-my two oldest daughters and I-went through every junk drawer in the house and threw out any pen or pencil that wasn't worth keeping. It was a terrific birthday gift to not have that looming over me. We also made popcorn "just like the Wights" for they the kids bought with their own money a whirly popper for me. It was quite the family event making the popcorn. It took 2 hours to finish the boxes of junk. Now I am going to buy one of those little drawer organizers for each desk. If I get one thing organized a day I have to make a difference eventually right!