Saturday, April 28, 2012

Canine Conundrum



Why is it that a dog will happily eat rat innards,
munch on the carcasses of long-dead critters
and even lap up their own vomit..
(not to mention exhibit an unhealthy interest in the cat's litterbox)




But will REFUSE to swallow a clean, sanitary, necessary pill.

* * *

Our Gunner had a mysterious laceration on his backside along with some scratches
on his legs. We took him into the vet and since the procedure to close up the cut required anesthesia,
we had his dewclaws removed at the same time. So poor Gunner
is laid up for awhile. He is quite put-out that he can't run free and gnaw
off the bandages and stitches. We are getting tricky at crushing up his medicine 
and hiding it in various formerly forbidden foods.  


Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Birthday Boy


Our missionary celebrated a birthday yesterday. It was his p-day so we got another enthusiastic email from him. He was planning to celebrate his birthday by teaching a lesson to a 13 year old investigator who had asked to be baptized: "Elders! I've decided I want to be baptized! What's the next step?!" And going out to dinner with a Colonel Sanders look alike and his wife. Good times in the mission field.

Here's a little stroll down memory lane with our cute Seffers:

Seth's 1st Birthday with the traditional train cake




Looking dapper in a bow tie and suspenders



Brothers! 



Spiffed up in homemade vest and bowtie
(The bowtie was a signature look for Seth!)


Enthusiastically endorsing the scriptures


In a recent letter Elder Gale said: "Oh youth conference, if only I had appreciated the worth of such events when I was younger! Now I wish I could go. Same with seminary! I wish I had paid more attention, maybe slept a little less. But we get three hours of studies every morning, so I've become quite the scholar."

Music to my ears.

Happy Birthday Elder Gale!











Friday, April 20, 2012

Growing Old


So, where have I been you may be wondering? Well let me tell you! When last I wrote, it was the day before my FORTY-NINTH birthday. Can you believe I am just one year shy of HALF A CENTURY?!  Mercy me whoever thought I would live to be so old? On the bright side, now I get to use exclamations like "Mercy me!" and even "Heavens to Betsy" and the like. So there's that.

I enjoyed my birthday. I climbed a mountain:
With our trusty dog, Gunner.


And my trusty side-kick Shayla. 

We enjoyed the amazing view from the top of Iron Mountain


And then came home and found these on the front porch--
a beautiful surprise from my husband!


The youngsters feted 
(which is better than "fetid"--believe me I've had my share of that raising eight children and their menagerie of pets and varmints!) 
 me with cake and candle.

And here's a shout-out to my sweet Visiting Teachers;
they stopped by with this:

The honey is the sweetest  you will ever taste--I have been enjoying it on
peanut butter and honey sandwiches and on my daily oatmeal, and by the
spoonful just for the sheer joy of it. That smiley face on the label
is a fine example of TRUTH IN ADVERTISING. 
 I didn't know such a nectar existed.
And the Christmas ornament--it made me cry because I have to move away
and in years to come, when I pull out the Christmas decorations and put this one on the tree,
I will remember the little town in California where I met and had the privilege of knowing some
of the best people on earth.
Thank you Cathy and Tori!





Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Perspective

This morning I went to  Institute class with Shayla. Always a spiritual feast. We are studying the Pearl of Great Price--yes it is a pearl of great price. From there, I had an appointment with destiny or in other words, the dentist. If my body is a temple, my teeth are the crumbling ruins of ancient Rome. I won't go into all the whys and wherefores but it does seem a grave injustice that I have been the fastidious tooth brusher/flosser in the family and yet the one who coats his teeth with sugar every evening and goes straight to bed has invincible teeth while mine are delicate and needy.Thus my close acquaintance with the dentist. Luckily, the children inherited their father's teeth of iron.

 This day I was there because the day before, whilst enjoying a family home evening treat of Milk Duds which I had received in Primary when the sweet children sang "Happy Birthday" to me (and sweet Larkin said to me "Don't think of it as growing older, think of it as the anniversary of the day the earth was graced with your presence!" That was a gift in itself!) when my crown became dislodged and left my poor tooth bare and exposed and in pain. I won't go into the details of the pain and suffering as I went through x-rays and probing and poking about my mouth. There was a moment when I was clinging to the ceiling with my fingernails and toenails and screaming like a banshee--just the usual. The dentist determined that I would need a root canal and glued the crown back on in a temporary manner and told me to make an appointment with an endodontist to  schedule the torture. I spent some time consulting with the office manager who was consulting with my insurance company who concluded that there was a 12 month waiting period for such dental procedures. Nevermind that we had had the same insurance company for the year previous even though Andy was working for a different company.

I walked out of the office with half my face half numb and as I got into the car, I glanced in the rear-view mirror. I saw  white, chalky drool all around my lips and cheek and chin. Awesome. I had been discussing insurance matters all the while looking like a toddler who had been dribbling milk. It would be a thoughtful courtesy if the staff would offer a damp towel and a mirror to patients before they step out into public.

I had to fill some prescriptions for pain killer and an antibiotic, so I went to Walmart. I hurried past the solicitor parked there at the entrance--they are usually trying to get signatures for a petition of one kind or another.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself as I dropped off the prescriptions and they told me it would be a 45 minute wait. My mouth was throbbing and I was sooo hungry. But I didn't dare eat after all I had been through. I needed some things at the grocery store so I headed a few blocks over to Stater Brothers.

As I was heading into the store, I saw a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against the large display of bottled water. It was hot and sunny and he looked miserable. His face was reddened from the sun and what appeared to be a rash of some kind. He was dirty and unkempt. I walked into the store thinking about how sad it is that people end up like that. He was someone's son. What happened? I grabbed some Gatorade thinking I would give him that on my way back out. I hesitate to give money because I don't want to enable an addiction. I thought of water but he looked like he needed something more.

I leaned down to offer him the Gatorade and he looked up.
 I felt overwhelmed by the futility and sadness of the situation.
 He took the Gatorade and smiled. 
Every one of his teeth were broken and rotted. 

I cried all the way back to Walmart. On the way back into the store, I noticed the poster on the little table of the solicitor I had ignored before. It said "Homeless Outreach". I walked over and asked what it was they do. He was hesitant--he had been ignored and brushed off all afternoon, I'm sure. He explained their facility and the work they did. It was a religious ministry. He told me his own experience of being homeless, emphasizing that it isn't always drug addicts and alcoholics who are homeless. I looked him in the eyes and told him it was a wonderful thing he was doing. I shoved cash into the slot of the little metal box he had there on the table. A pittance.

I don't need to tell you that I drove home with a new found perspective.

I

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Missionary Moment

This was the email I received from Elder Gale two weeks ago:
"Sorry! I only have three more minutes til the library closes. It was district pday today so I didn't have any time! A lot has happened and we're looking at baptising upwards of 12 people in the next few weeks! Some cool stories. But I will write a letter when I have more time! I love you all and I'm doing just fine! Teaching lots of people and helping them progress! Love, Elder Gale

Even in a short note he managed to fit in SIX! exclamation points. Gotta love his enthusiasm!


I got a hand-written letter in the mail yesterday
and it included PICTURES!

He apologized for the bluriness here--but you can still see
that it is the classic MTC map pose

Elder Gale cheerfully scrubbing the font

They had a baptism on Conference Sunday between sessions. 




I loved that Elder Gale wrote on the back of this picture: "This is a t-shirt at the MTC, but I found this
one in our apartment! I think it's pretty awesome!"

His Momma thinks it's pretty awesome too.







Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Life Lately

I went to Connecticut and this is the only picture I took. It's a view of the house we put at the top of our list and the road/neighborhood. The trees are bare but hopeful signs of Spring were everywhere--bright yellow forsythia and crocuses greeted us on our house-hunting tour.

Andy came to California. He spent the weekend helping Sam with his 
Eagle project:

Fuel Stop


"Before"

"During"

Shane lying down on the job



Almost "After"--just the concrete pad left to pour.

The garden grew some more...




And our Shayla grew up and got ready to leave home.


We are in the waning stages of child-rearing. We will soon be down to the last two. Shayla got her driver's license and Sam got his permit so I have spent a lot of time in the car lately pressing down on that imaginary brake in the passenger seat
 (I'm too old for this!) 
They are both good drivers, it just takes practice to get there.

Andy also ordained Sam a priest while he was here. He blessed the Sacrament for the first time on Easter Sunday. It was a sweet mama moment to hear my boy (in the deep, bass Gale man-voice) say the solemn, sacred words of our weekly renewal ordinance.

I find myself saying a little wistfully:
"One more to go"
One more Priest.
One more Eagle Scout.
One more driver's license.
One more...

Wow. Where did the time go?






Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...