All in a Day's Work

There are many days when I go to bed feeling inadequate and defeated.  I hate days like those, but on days when we work in our garden, I always go to bed feeling awesome.  Gardening is a project that involves our whole family, produces long term pay-offs, and teaches my kids about hard work.  There are physical as well as psychological benefits and so many life lessons that we learn from this family project.

Last year I made the mistake of not investing much time and energy in our garden because, you know, we were supposed to be moving.  When Halloween rolled around and there were no pumpkins to pick, we were pretty bummed.   Paying too much money for pumpkins at the grocery store was not the same : / 

So, this year we planted strawberries, onions, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, pumpkins, beans, and watermelon.  Plus we will enjoy the raspberries, grapes, and blueberries from previous years.  And boy do I feel good about that!

 This is a small sampling of the weeds we pulled about a month ago.  I told the kids I’d pay them a nickel a weed.  When we got to 1500 weeds, we scrapped that idea and decided our reward would be the produce from the garden.  

We had a little extra help.

The girls planted strawberries in one of the raised beds for a YW Value Projects.  

These are the pics from last Saturday.

Progress!

Where has the time gone?

Jackson turned 18, and I’m having a hard time adjusting : /  I want to stop time and then I want to speed it up.  I worry that I haven’t taught him enough and then I worry I’ve said too much.  I realize more than ever that when it’s all said and done, being a mother is the greatest responsibility I have, and I’m not sure if I’m doing it right most of the time.  I’ve never done this before!   One thing I do know is that I love my kids, and I’m super proud of them.  My greatest hope for them is that they will be wonderful husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers someday!  I think they will be because of who they really are.  I realize, when I list the things I love about my children, that most of their greatest qualities have always been a part of them.  The things that I love about Jackson now are the same things that I loved about him when he was three. 

Happy Birthday Jackson!



For your 18^th birthday, here are 18 things we love about you:

1.       Your dimples 

2.       The way you are a natural leader

3.       Your emotional as well as your academic intelligence

4.       That you are compassionate towards others and especially kind to people who don’t fit in- I’m thinking of all the times you’ve come home from school concerned about a particular student who was being made fun of or bullied – I wonder how these kids would feel if they knew you had prayed for them

5.       Your sense of humor 

6.       That you are a gifted speaker - Sometimes this comes back to bite me when we get in an argument and you tell me the fallacy behind my reasoning

7.       Your drive to succeed academically and ability to retain information

8.       Your talent for making nerdy look cool

9.       Your passion for Legos, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Nerf guns

 

10.    That you compliment others for their accomplishments and are not threatened by the success of others - It always makes me feel good when you compliment my efforts in the kitchen : )

11.   That you are not a pleaser - You say what you really think and we never have to wonder where you stand -  Sometimes I almost wish you’d tell me what I want to hear, but, no, I’m glad you are honest

12.   That you are honest with others and yourself

13.   That you talk to us and are quite candid in what you share - I’ve always loved this about you 

14.   That you are responsible and follow through on commitments you have made

15.   That you are a good friend

16.   That you have “good sense” when it comes to money, are careful about how you spend your money and ours, and always pay your tithing first -  that when you flushed a glow in the dark wrist band down the toilet, you refused to let me pay a plumber but, instead, bought a snake at Lowes and fixed it yourself 

17.   Your creativity and artistic ability – We knew you had talent when you drew the best owl in Mrs Castoldy’s preschool class

18.   That you are an excellent writer and have an impressive lexicon : )

Power of Moms

Last week I took a trip to Salt Lake City.  It was a much needed retreat.  I met up with James on Thursday afternoon and we headed to BYU to see the Carl Bloch exhibit.  It was amazing!  We also made a pit stop at Slab Pizza and enjoyed some really awesome Thai chicken and potato and rosemary pizza.  Yum!

The next morning Andrea and Kelly flew in and met me in downtown Salt Lake.  We walked around Temple Square, visited the Church History Museum, and stopped in at Deseret Book.  

After lunch we headed to Park City for a Power of Moms retreat at Richard and Linda Eyre’s home.  The Eyre’s have written many books on parenting.  It was exciting to think of meeting them and hearing them speak in person – not to mention hanging out in their home.  The retreat was actually planned and put on by a couple of their daughters, Saren and Charity, and a friend of my sister’s, April Perry. I had high hopes that I would come away from this retreat with some much needed help in my role as a mother.  I was not disappointed!  It was one of the “most well worth it” ways that I have spent my time in awhile.

On Friday afternoon April Perry taught us about an organizational system that she has developed based on a book by David Allen titled, “Getting Things Done.”  April has, with permission, adapted David Allen’s organizational system to motherhood.  Now this was one of the most enlightening parts of the whole retreat, and boy did I need it.  Lately I feel like I constantly have at least five people coming at me with papers needing to be signed, appointments needing to be made, big life decisions needing to be decided, and deadlines needing to be kept.  These things are important to my kids (they have to do with things like getting into college, scholarships, skin rashes, prom plans, try-outs for plays and sports, church achievements, school achievements, science fair projects, etc…) and I constantly find myself saying, “I’ll get to that, but you’ll have to get in line.  I’m way too busy right now to even think.”  The basic premise of April Perry’s presentation was to dump everything from our minds and organize it in a way that made so much sense I could hardly wait to get home and try it out.  I’ve been working on it all week, and it is life changing! 

Saturday was mostly spent listening to the Eyre family inspire us with practical parenting tips, ideas, and helps.  Richard and Linda Eyre were both charming and completely in tune with what matters most.  Each of their daughters presented or helped in some way.  I loved watching this family interact with each other.  I loved to see how they supported each other, respected each other, and were honest about what worked for them and what didn’t – it wasn’t all the same.  Several other mothers shared ideas and led discussion groups as well.  It was encouraging, uplifting, inspiring, and down right helpful.  I learned a ton, laughed, cried, and promised myself I would be more deliberate and present in my role as a mother.  Sometimes all we need in order to make positive changes in our life is help – help from someone who knows more than us.  I’ve been going along doing the best I could, but now I can do better because I’ve learned how,and I am so excited about that.

All The Fun Stuff

Ice Cream at Serendipity



The Gallery Theater

Savannah, Brooklyn, and I enjoyed a “Girl’s Night Out” on Friday night just to make sure we celebrated Brooklyn’s birthday sufficiently.  We went out for pizza and ice cream and then to the local Gallery Theater to see Annie.  We’ve been singing “Tomorrow” all afternoon. 

Wild Wood Cafe

On Saturday, John and I went on a little date of our own after his basketball game.  We were both starving, and since he was positive I didn’t love him as much as the girls because he had to go to Chinese class during our “Girl’s Night Out”, I made it up to him with eggs, sausage, pancakes, toast, fried potatoes, part of my omelet, and OJ at the Wild Wood Café.  He was in heaven.

Winter Formal

Savannah and I learned how to tie a bow tie through an online tutorial just in time to tie one on Jackson before he met his date for Winter Formal on Saturday night.  I think he ended up looking pretty sharp and he had a great time.

Savannah was featured playing the piccolo during her band concert last Monday night.  She also played the flute in sacrament meeting today.  Incidentally, Yuhua spoke in sacrament meeting today and did a fantastic job.

Happy Birthday James!

The kids and I spent your 45th birthday evening writing down 45 reasons we think you’re great.  Enjoy!

1. You are good at eating ice cream. – John

2. Your artwork has inspired some of my own. - Jackson

3. You make hamburgers for us. – John

4. You have a great singing voice. - Betsy

5. You are a good camper for daddy daughter campouts. - Savannah

6. You fix things around the house. - Yuhua

7. You make me laugh. - Brooklyn

8. You are good at earning money.  – John

9. You keep the food stocked up. – Yuhua

10. You are the super awesome fixit dad! – Savannah

11. You can make me laugh. - Jackson

12. You clean my car for me. - Betsy

13. You take me to the store with you. – Brooklyn

14. You take many great photos AND you date and organize them. - Betsy

15. You’re a macho man! -  Jackson

16. When you say you are going to do something, you remember and do it. – Yuhua

17. You are our cats’ favorite person. – Savannah

18. You are good at tickle fights. – Brooklyn

19. You keep our family safe. – Yuhua

20. You are good at mowing. – John

21. When you come home to visit you take time to replace burned out light bulbs and fix things around the house. - Betsy

22. I enjoy our discussions about history and politics.  They have been a motivation for me to stay well informed. – Jackson

23. You are a great photographer. – Brooklyn

24. You are prepared. – Yuhua

25. You know just what to say when I’m mad or sad. – Savannah

26. You frequently ask me where my purse and keys are and plug in my cell phone for me. – Betsy

27. You are good at hotdogs. - John

28. You are always up for a new idea. – Savannah

29. I like having good talks with you. – Jackson

30. You are good at computer stuff. – Brooklyn

31. You are intelligent. – Yuhua

32. You take the time to write thank you notes to people. – Betsy

33. You have great musical interests. – Savannah

34. You make the best lunch. – John

35. You give me good advice about girls, being a man, and stuff like that. – Jackson

36. You are good at imitations. – Brooklyn

37. You teach me how to work things like our DVR. – Savannah

38. You are always on time. Yuhua

39. You tell corny jokes and make us laugh. – Betsy

40. I love hearing your stories. – Jackson

41. If you were a medieval knight, you’d be the hero of the fairytale. -  Savannah

42. You notice special requests the kids make and then remember and wrap up these items as birthday and Christmas gifts.  I love that some of these items have been deemed appropriate for certain birthdays and that the kids look forward to receiving these gifts at the appropriate age. – Betsy

43. You are the kind of dad that I am proud to introduce my friends to. - Jackson

44. You want to fix things when you make mistakes. - Yuhua
45. You help me. – John

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

Today Brooklyn turned 12.  She graduated from Primary and was welcomed into Young Womens.  She attended tithing settlement with the family and told the Bishop that she paid her tithing this year.  She waited patiently downstairs while Savannah and I decorated for her birthday and made her requested birthday dinner-- crepes with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, whip cream, and syrup (no low blood sugar around here tonight).  She snuggled on the couch with me wrapped in the zebra blanket with arms (Snuggie) she received for her birthday and watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.   She blew out 12 candles on her favorite kind of cake, angel food cake with strawberries (aka angel fruit cake).  She talked to her dad on the phone, told him all about her birthday, and thanked him for the Leatherman (a gift she has been waiting to be deemed old enough for) that he wrapped up when he was home last and left on a shelf in his closet for her to open on her birthday.  When she was ready for bed, she asked me to tuck her in like she has every night, that I am home, since I can remember. 

  12th Birthday

  Brooklyn and Savannah went to Young Women's together for the first time today

The birthday decor

Crepes for dinner

Wearing her zebra snuggie and holding up the Leatherman from dad

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

For your 12th B-day, here are 12 things we love about you:

1. Your funny sense of humor and big smile

2. Your creativity, art, and illustrations

3. The stories you write – we think you could be an author someday

4. Your desire to do your best in school - You are one smart girl

5. Your love of fruit of all kinds – I think I didn’t feed you enough veggie baby foods

6. That you are really good at accents and got into the first school play you auditioned for because of your great British accent

7. Your baking skills and the way you save an extra portion of special desserts to pack in your lunch the next day -- You have already packed a piece of angel food cake away for tomorrow

8. Your thoughtfulness and the joy you find in picking out gifts for members of your family

9. Your love of books and that almost every morning I find you reading on the couch after you wake up

10. The way you love the cats and they love you and think you are their mom

11. Your talent for good hair dos 

12. Your desire to choose the right

Joy

1999

Last summer while skiing in the sunshine across Lake Cour de alene, I had the distinct impression that my friendship with Andrea and Kelly is one of those compensating blessings in my life.  Over the weekend, I was reminded of this and felt grateful that our friendship is a shared priority.

Lughesworth is a term invented by Jackson and Eli to describe our combined families.  Over the past 10 or more years the Lughesworths have had a ton of fun vacationing together – necessary because we only ever lived in the same town for about a year.   No matter the set-backs, Lughesworth reunions press on.  Despite financial trauma, the rotavirus, head lice, broken fingers, a broken wrist, broken boats, stomach flus, strep, newly adopted children who don’t speak English, post surgery recoveries, mishaps with vacation rentals, distance, scheduling conflicts, winter storms, and challenges that can’t be spoken of here (but this would be more fun to write if they could), Lughesworth reunions do not postpone or cancel.  (The best was the year we picked up RID shampoo for everyone on the way to the coast.) Thank goodness! Because these friends always provide the rejuvenation I need to carry on. 

Our Lughesworth Thanksgiving weekend was a success.  This Thanksgiving I felt thankful for true friends who have stuck with us through thick and thin.  Thanksgiving Day was pure joy – a successful feast to share with our families made and cleaned up in the company of friends.  We cooked enough food for an army: 2 turkeys, 30 lbs of mashed potatoes, 2 pans of sweet potatoes, 3 pans of stuffing, lots and lots green beans, 108 rolls, so much raspberry fluff salad that it became required eating at every meal, and pies galore.  We may have overdone it on every dish except the rolls.   The fluff salad lasted until the bitter end and as I was locking up the beach house to head home, I noticed a trail of pink fluff salad up the front steps.  The fluff salad is a lot like our friendship – enduring.

2010

More photos and highlights of our weekend Coming soon…