Halloween Creep Fest

It really happened ... and I was there! (dim the lights and move in close for story time)

A few weeks ago, Aubrey was having her soccer practice at a local soccer park. At the back of the park there is a little stream and a path that is rather hidden from the park. Jon likes to go explore, but can only go with a buddy. This particular day, I was his only option, so we went exploring together.

The stream is very small and the mosquitoes were buzzing around and bugging us (pun intended). There was a very strong stench coming from the tiny bit of water. I don't mean to brag, but I have what some might call a "super smeller". If you've seen Psych, you know what I'm talking about. I have a pretty good sense of what I'm smelling, and I could almost swear I was smelling a dead animal decomposing. Jon and I had our fill of exploring and we quickly returned to the fresh air by the practice field.

Fast forward about 3 weeks later. (start reading here with a spooky voice) It's Halloween morning ... around 8 am. It just so happens that Brandon is assigned to play his soccer game at the same local park. As the parents are sitting on the sidelines cheering, we are talking about all the noise that the tractor is making over by the little stream. It appears that it is clearing out the brush in the area. All of the sudden, the tractor stops and shortly there after blaring sirens of an ambulance and firetruck are getting nearer. They come right into the parking lot, along with 3 police cars. (insert suspenseful music here)

It turns out that a body was found by the tractor worker. It was a suicide that appears to have taken place a few weeks ago. The body was very badly decomposed. Could it be that the awful stench of dead animal that I smelled was in fact a poor man's body hanging in the trees not far from where we were exploring???

It is a very creepy thought and I am still a little queasy over the possibility. It makes for a great ghost story, huh?! I just wish it was something I read and not something I was that close to. ICK!

Appreciation

For reading time last night Aubrey and I were playing a question answer game created for 3rd graders. Yeah, not quite her level, but we're working her up to it. Ha, ha!!! Just kidding!

Anyway, the question was: "There's a leak in the kitchen sink. What worker should we call to fix it?"

The obvious answer: "Daddy"

It is very clear that this family relies so much on Brian and appreciates all he does for us. It's not Father's Day, but we can use any day to send out a tribute to a good dad, right?!

Happy Dance

We just got the all important phone call. We have been given the GREEN light to move into our new home on Saturday! Woosh-oo!!! That means we won't be homeless until escrow closes!!! I'm so relieved. Let the packing continue.

For those of you with kind husbands living close by, we will be moving early Saturday morning. Feel free to come over for the donuts and orange juice ... and then stick around for the no cost full body work out that comes from moving furniture and boxes. Seriously, since we weren't able to announce the move at church, I'm really worried about whether we will have any help at all. EEKS!

Catching up!

It used to be when I got super busy that my journal was the first thing neglected. Now this blog is what is ignored. So much has happened in the last month. Let me do a "not-so-quick" run through.

#1. Most important, Jonathan turned 8 and was baptized.


He was so excited to get baptized by his dad! His smile didn't leave him all day.


Brian's parents and sister came for the baptism. That was very nice to have family here. They did a great job reminding him about the importance of what he was doing. The kids loved having family visit.

Brian's sister, Heidi, is very allergic to cats. She hasn't been to San Diego in 5 years because of it. This time it worked out well. The week they were set to come visit, we put our house on the market and were having people come through to check out the house. We all agreed it might be best to have them stay in a hotel. They were great sports about it. But I still think Heidi was very relieved, and literally breathed easier because of the situation.

Another milestone for turning 8 is joining the Cub Scouts at church. Just Jon's luck, he got in just in time for the Raingutter Regata.

Neither Brian nor I actually graduated from BYU, although I did attend for 1 semester before my mission. My kids are very loyal and act as if they have it in their blood. Jon was so excited about the making of his boat and planned his design weeks before his birthday. I love that they are so into scouts. In our family it's "no wings, no wheels". In other words, they don't drive until they earn Eagle scout. We just have to get them to that point before life gets more interesting than scouts. Ha!


#2. Family Traditions. Brian grew up in St. Louis, so going to Utah was a big deal. When the boys turned 12, they got to go with their dad to General Conference at the Tabernacle. Brandon thought that was a great idea and wanted to do the same. We told him he could go anywhere, but he chose Utah. I secretly think he was hoping for snow and could maybe get a ski trip out of it. Still he really enjoyed the trip.

He did see snow at the family cabin near Fairview, Utah. Don't let the pictures fool you, it's a beautiful area, but the cabin is as run down on the inside as it is on the outside. They had a great time hiking and being out in nature, but they didn't actually stay at the cabin.

They went on to Orem, Utah and stayed with some of our favorite friends, the Chuns. We've known this family since before Brandon was born. They are as close as family to us. And they took good care of the boys while they were in Utah. Brandon came home asking how come we didn't have a baby. Thanks a lot, Andrea! :)


Brandon was really impressed with Priesthood session of conference. I think it had an impact on him, and it definitely was a special time for he and Brian to be able to play and talk all weekend.

#3. We sold our house ... again. It's been the craziest ride ever. The day before Brian took Brandon out of town a house came on the market. For some reason we felt like this one could be "it". Brian filled out all the paperwork just in case I saw the house and wanted to put on offer on it. Before he came home from Utah, the offer was accepted and we were in escrow.

Our house was quickly put on the market and by the first weekend we had 4 offers, two of which were cash offers. (Who does that???) Mind you, Brian still hadn't even seen the house we were buying yet. The tenants of our prospective home wouldn't let us in to see it because they were mad the owners were selling and didn't want to do them any favors.

With Brian's parents in town, we thought it would be so fun to show them the new place, but the tenants weren't budging. They did say we could see the backyard once they moved their stuff out. Brian loved it as much as I did. It's a 1/2 acre lot with so much room for both work and play. As we were getting ready to leave the house, the maids drove up to clean the empty home. I was able to chat with them and talked them into letting us see inside ... there are benefits to speaking Spanish. So, 3 days before all contingencies were taken off our home, Brian finally got to see the home he was working so hard to buy. I'm telling you he is a man of great faith to put so much trust in my judgment. On my mission we used to ask, "es fe o estupidez?" In this case it was all good. The inside is as nice as the outside and he was 100% on board. Unfortunately the house was taken off the listing, so I have no pictures. I'll try to get some next time we have access to the house.

We decided to accept an all cash offer which means we are on hyper speed to get out. They asked for a 7 day escrow and we talked them into a 14 day escrow with the option to rent for an extra week. That means we have to be out by Halloween. The new house is vacant so we're hoping we can rent it starting this next weekend and start moving in. We won't know until tomorrow. If they don't agree to that, we hope to be able to put our stuff in the garage and then rent a hotel, or mooch off the kindness of friends. If that doesn't work, we'll have to put everything in storage and go with that mooching option for the family.

This is a lot of work, but all still feels so calm inside. The ward is much smaller where we're moving to, but that hasn't hampered our excitement. I'll try to update again when I know something ... hopefully very soon. Today at church we were asking the Young Women what they were going to be for Halloween. I think our entire family could go as homeless people ... literally! ha, ha! It's all for our experience and learning, right?!

Nine Eleven

While running errands with the kids we got to talking about how school went. Aubrey's class talked about 9/11 and what it meant. That led to so many questions ... and a few tears. Do you remember where you were when it happened?

My mom sent me an email telling me I had to turn on the TV that we were going to war. I didn't understand what it was about. It was early morning, before Brian went to work. I turned on the TV to watch a re-play of the towers being hit by the planes. I was in shock.

Aubrey was 3 and Brandon 5. I was 8 months pregnant with Jon. I remember sitting on my floor just holding and rocking Aubrey for so long. I called for Brian and we just sat together all huddled up. Brandon on Brian's lap, Aubrey in mine and Brian and I holding each other's hands. He stayed home from work because there was a feeling that we all just needed to stay together. I kept wondering what kind of world we were bringing babies into. We watched the news all day long. It wasn't until a day or two later that they told parents that children should not be shown the pictures since it would be traumatic for them. Oops, we were so overwhelmed with emotion, we never thought about it.

Do you remember the feeling of unity throughout the country? We didn't know anyone who was killed that day, but we prayed for their families desperately. All those emergency workers who jumped in to help. All those terrified, innocent people. How amazing to feel united in the same righteous indignation. How the flags waved all over the country. Did you hang your flag today?

As we talked about it today, Aubrey kept saying she 'didn't get it'. I smiled at her and reassured her that no one did back then either. How is it possible to hate a people so much as to kill them like that. I'd never known that we were hated so much by others. I still don't understand that hate.

I cried as I described to her the story of the brave folks that knowingly sacrificed their lives to fight against the hijackers and take the plane down where it couldn't hurt anyone else. Americans are a tough people. Deep down, we know what is right and how to behave. On this day I pray that God will bless America. Help us to be the nation that he has prepared us to be. My heart is full. I will not forget.

Moving On!

The last few times I've been online to read blogs, I've felt a pit in my stomach when I read my last entry. I need to get that one off the front page and focus on what's going on.

I guess this will just be random things that are brewing in my head:

1. Brace Face!

Ok, I had a little fun with Photoshop here. Did you guess it was Aubrey? She was so excited about getting braces. We tried to prepare her for the razzing and torment she would get at school by calling her "Brace Face" and "Metal Mouth". She just shrugged and said braces are cool. She did the same thing when she got glasses. I guess it's not like when I was in school. Kids are all about the accessories and "bling". I think the braces make her look so grown up.

2. Beach Days

I don't take my camera to the beach very often. We probably went to the beach on an average of once a week. It was great! Brian stated at the beginning of the summer that he wanted to take the kids to the beach EVERY Saturday. He ended up going ONCE and had so much fun that we took a morning off on a week day to take the kids and Chance to dog beach. Wish I had pictures of that! It was so fun!

3. G'Day Mate

Our good friends from Australia came to visit for a few days. She is Aussie and he's American. They lived in San Diego when Brandon was just little. She could be Brandon's 1st crush. He said (at 2 years old) that he wanted to marry Amber. When we asked what her husband, Matt, would do, Brandon said, "he's had his turn". Fairness is a big deal for 2 year olds, right?! It was great to see them and meet their little boys. So glad they stopped by!

4. School Begins


Time for schedules, routines and traditions. Our family traditions are father's blessings before school starts and a reading of, "The Kissing Hand" before sending them off to the big world. Brandon and Aubrey are getting too old for this sort of thing, but they love the tradition and time together.

On their way to school. They all have great teachers and schedules. No complaints so far. Not sure I'm ready for it all to begin, but they are!

I think you're about caught up on the way our lives keep rolling on. As my girlfriend used to always say, "Life is good, it may not be fair, but it's always good".

Circle of Life

What a beautiful day we had yesterday. I took the kids to the beach where they swam with dolphins close by. Amazing! It was such a peaceful time shared with good friends. Made me so grateful to be by the calming roar of the ocean.

After coming home we finally got the news we'd been waiting all day to hear. One of my dearest friends in San Diego had her 5th baby. We were thrilled! Heidi had a little baby boy, named Noah Benjamin. Aubrey and I went up to the hospital to see him. He's absolutely beautiful with perfect skin. We were laughing that Heidi looked so happy and full of energy, while Josiah was falling asleep in the chair. Heidi is such an amazing example of sweet mothering. She looked very much in love with her little boy.

Then this afternoon I got the news that another of my dearest friends had peacefully passed away last night in her sleep. She had fought cancer for 8 years. Even in her last week, pumped up with morphine, she was still in charge of her home and still in her mommy role. Reminding care takers that books were due at the library and wanting to have final say if her daughter's new bathing suit fit correctly. Cancer had been part their family for so long she teased that it was just one of the family. My heart goes out to her husband and children. They are going to miss Juli's humor, kindness, and love. I know I already do.

As I was thinking of the timing of these two life changing events, I can't help but realize what a blessing life is. To celebrate a new baby and the potential and love waiting to burst forth. To appreciate the love between a mother and child. To remember that the special relationships in our lives is what matters the most, and to cherish friendships and create a stronger family bond.

Blessed, Honored Pioneer

July 24th is celebrated in Utah as a state holiday to commemorate when the LDS pioneers reached the Salt Lake valley. All through the church there are usually activities to remember. Our area had a breakfast at the Poway lake with a variety of fun runs (5K, mile, etc) around the lake and then games for all ages.

By coincidence, an Apostle of the Lord, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, was in town with his family on vacation. I'm not sure how it worked out, but he agreed to speak to our stake and the craziness began.

This doesn't do the choir justice. It was a hurried picture just before the doors opened.


With two months preparation, a complete concert with a 90 person choir, orchestra, solos, slideshow, and narration was put together. Brian and I decided to join the choir. It was guaranteed to be very challenging, but with the music being so fun it was worth it. After the very first rehearsal, the choir director pulled me aside and asked if I would be willing to help with production management. I wasn't sure what all that entailed, but I'm always willing to help so I agreed. It was so much fun!!! (No, that wasn't sarcasm!) I learned so much about lighting, mic placement, who in the stake and surrounding areas to call on for assistance, etc. With non-stop email, meetings, phone calls, and trials (including the death of one of the director's father), it all culminated into one terrific evening.


Here is the children's choir. Aubrey was asked to participate. She's the pioneer girl with the white bonnet. She did a fantastic job and learned a lot about what it means to sing in a choir.

Elder Holland spoke after the performance. He didn't have anything really prepared, just went with his heart. Let me share what I got out of his talk.

Brian's family comes from solid pioneer stock. They are related to John Taylor (3rd President of the church) and Willard Richards (a counselor under Brigham Young). When I go to family reunions I often hear the praises and apparent brags of this long legacy in the church. It often makes me think of the Asian tradition of ancestor worship. For a long time it kinda creeped me out.

Elder Holland shared a story of a man in his college years that was a convert to the church complaining about how this pioneer history wasn't his. He didn't have family that crossed the plains, why doesn't the church realize that it has gone beyond the borders of the United States and that most people can't relate to that past? Move on and grow up!

At that point Elder Holland stood up (he was also a college aged guy at the time) and told the man boldly that the pioneer heritage belongs to each of us. When we are baptized (no matter from what past, or which country we live in), we sign on to the whole package and automatically join in the family with the same legacy. We all have some gratitude that needs to be extended to those brave and faithful saints that sacrificed so much for us to have what we have today. There were 2,600 people (men, women and children) who died along that trail. They did it because they had faith that God had a place prepared for them to worship and live in peace, and they knew that they were led by a living prophet. The example of those families is a great source of strength to me.

Elder Holland reminded us that with all the weeks of work we all went through to prepare the concert, it all ended in 50 minutes to commemorate what these people sacrificed for us. To each of us. It changed my perspective of how Brian's family talks about their ancestry. It makes me grateful for the legacy my children have.

Not a Fan

I know people who are up on who the latest stars are, and what movie they are in, who they are dating, etc. I don't even know the names of the people I really like. You know, like that one actor with the really cool voice. I like every movie I've seen/heard him in, but I can never remember his name. Brian knows it. That's good enough for me. Oh, or what about that one actress? She is so funny, and does such a great job with her characters. Again, I don't know her name, but Brian knows. Funny how you become dependent on your spouse for little things like that.

Brian often knows just how I'll react when a simple word is spoken. The word lately has been 'cancer'. Again ... not a fan!!! If there is anything that I really hate, it has to be cancer - and I don't even have it. But I've had so many friends and family that have suffered, and I hate it!

I got an email yesterday telling my that one of my room mates from college has about 3 weeks left. She has been fighting breast cancer for over 8 years with such dignity and strength. She is a friend that was put in my life because God willed it - no other reason.

We met when she was dating one of Brian's friends. After a couple of dates, she knew it wasn't going to go anywhere, but the spirit told her to stay with him. Awhile later the 4 of us double dated, and she realized why she was supposed to date him ... so she could meet me. We talked the entire date and she became my room mate soon after. Right then she also met the man she would marry at one of our regular Sunday night game nights.

We were engaged to terrific guys at the same time. Our wedding rings are very similar because of our late night talks. We both have 3 kids all very close in age (boy, girl, boy), and they play so well together.

This will be the 4th friend who has passed away because of this monster. At the same time, my mother-in-law is dealing with her own battle with breast cancer (very early detection and all seems well). Just the sound of the word cancer makes my body go tense and the tears come to the surface. Brian knows this and puts his arm around me as if by instinct. It doesn't make the pain go away, but it tightens the bond between us because it's unspoken and understood.

So, though I'm not hip and up on pop culture, I know who my heroes are. I don't think 'fan' would describe how I feel for Brian. I'll stick with 'eternal companion', and be grateful for that blessing!

Holiday Fun

My favorite holiday has always been Christmas, but this year may have changed all that. The 4th of July is the best. Great weather, hanging out with family and friends, eating good food, and just relaxing. No expectation of gifts, decorations, or anything. Truly AWESOME!

This year we started out with a flag raising ceremony at the church and a pancake breakfast. Since we've been away for so long, my goal was to go and talk with everyone. I somehow ended up at the back of the breakfast line and by the time I got through, most people were leaving. So much for that goal. Ha!

We had so many ideas of what fun things we could do. Go swimming with friends, go to the beach, go to the park. In the end we stayed home. Seriously! I think we were all sorta tired of socializing for the last 3 weeks, we just wanted to stay home. Again, a brilliant way to spend a holiday.

We wanted to bbq, but sold ours when we thought we were going to move. I had to make steaks in the oven. Sounds icky, right?! No way. Check out these steaks!!! Sorry, I don't have a picture, but trust me, these turn out perfect every time. Delish!

We watched fireworks with lots of friends at the stake center. Perfect weather, perfect day! Great reminder of how grateful I am that we live in this amazing country. We are truly blessed!