dear mike & kay:

This is the photo I snapped as I fell from the rock into the flower bed on the north side of your front yard three weeks ago. 

Not a picture worthy of pain to knee, pride, or petals. 

Still.
I thought you should know.
In case you've wondered why one bed is a *bit* more perky than the other.

on birthdays and such

My Happy Birthday Choir stood posed, prepped, in front of the phone.  And I dialed.  First the home.  No luck.  Next the cell.  Only ringing and a tone, and I honestly don't know if this is a woman who listens to messages even if they're as cute as what I had in mind.   Could she be at the office?  On her birthday?  Somehow that doesn't seem right.  We sighed and tried.  Strike three. 

But we did find a clue.  Worse news than we ever suspected. 

Jim "heard" she was at the dentist.  Getting a root canal.  On her birthday.  So I sent most of my choir to preschool and hoped the rumors just weren't true.  The chorus will have to wait, but perhaps we'll regale her in another way via blog. 

Happy Birthday, Kay!

So, here are my birthday interviews for your birthday entertaining.
The interviewees, my three favorite men, youngest to oldest. 

 Kay & Davyn

Why do you love Grandma Kay?

D:  Do puzzles at her house.

Grandma Kay is...

D:  A cookie.
{head tilt & wide grin}

Um...ya, I think I'll take over now.  Our D is definitely more physical than verbal and it has long been physically, undeniably clear that he prefers Grandma Kay to anyone (Mandi & Grandma Cyndee being the close second).  At nearly any family gathering, he is soon found sidled up next to Grandma, insisting on attention.  And she offers it aplenty.

 Kay & Aidan

What do you like about Grandma Kay?

A:  Going to her house is fun, and I like to play toys with her and watch movies with her.

       What is your favorite thing to do with Grandma?

A:  Read books. 

What's the silliest thing you ever saw Grandma do?

A:  Herman the worm.

How much do you love her?

A:  40 feet. 

A doesn't remember, but Kay watched him four days a week for the first year of his life while I taught part time.  And she must have been reading to him plenty from the start because I'd often be startled at home when my 8-month-old baby would point and say "clock" or "ball".   Definitely Grandma's doing.

 

Kay & Jim

(and yes, it's pathetic that the most recent picture of the two is our wedding!) 

What do you admire most in your mom?

Jim:  She's committed to the gospel and diligently tries to live it and provide service to those around her.  Through her entire life she has been sacrificing for her family, and especially her kids.

What's your funniest memory with her? 

J:  The only time I heard her swear. 
{I asked what word, but the loyal &*#@! wouldn't say!) 

Describe her in one word: 

J:  Introspective.
{hm...like mother, like son} 

What's your favorite food she makes?

J:  without a doubt, oatmeal bundt cake
{me too! me too!}

In what way did she influence you the most?

J: love of reading.

 I'm grateful to this woman who raised the fine man who I married,
and who is definitely helping me to raise the fine little men I'm blessed to call my own.

We love you! 

the hunter or the hunted?

As the boys were traipsing about in the grasses on top of Escudilla, I told them this was just the sort of spot a hungry lion would like...So Aidan (and Jenna!  sidenote:  everyone needs an Aunt Jenna) crouched down in their best lion stances...as I warned them to watch for an unsuspecting zebra lunch. 

 
D was down on all four's, minus his typical lion growls,
so I asked why, and he replied: 

"No, I zebra." 

But the zebra gets eaten. 

 

Still, he insisted.

 And was eaten.

Just what I need!  One more contrarian (one who revels in the state of being contrary) on our family roster!  Of course, Jim showed all the signs of producing children like this.  And my parents claim I'd argue with myself if no one else was around.  I really should have known it was coming...my days are now filled with two tiny independent dependents who desperately vascillate between copycating and "I do it myself". 

 

I like *spirit* in a little, sparks of creative independence, but it definitely comes with a price of *attitude*. 

 

Jim is sure to disagree. 

And add something of his nights with three independent dependents.

We're truly an incorrigibly perfect (perfectly incorrigible?) match

With a child who - of course - wants to be the zebra instead.   

 

Scott Reunion

My favorite person in the world was born in one of my favorite places in the world.

 

One of many reasons I'd love to gain some photography know-how:  Arizona is a vivid, diverse state.  And we are blessed to be frequenters of a region I consider heavenly - the White Mountains.  From both sides, Jim's people are from here.  And now me & mine reap the benefit with views like this:

Escudilla 11,000 feet & the sky went on forever.
 
I want to imagine the fall here into reality.  Soon.

With this as our backdrop, ours was a weekend of family and first's.   

family 

I  love my in-law's, and they've gradually transitioned from "Jim's family" to "our family".  And "love" is a mild, mild world for how passionately my boys adore time with their grandparents, aunts & uncles. 

The boys with Grandma Kay & Papa:

 no use wondering why they love Daniel:

 oh to have recorded the shrill squeals and "AGAIN!"'s

 

a few first's

 

This trip marked the first anniversary of buying our toy hauler.  Over the past year it has taken us 4 times to the trees and 6 times to the sand.  A big transformation for a family parented by camping wimps.  We love our stove, beds, showers, and air.  So this has forever altered our reticence for quick get aways. 

 

Some other first's marked this trip as well...

 

  first sleeping bags

 

 

 first winks (along with further Davynova flirtation)

 

 first gun shooting (with the help of Grandma Kay & Uncle Tyler)
AD was elated, but DB was no fan of this first.

first archery range

Jim restrung his old red bow, previously Mike's old red bow, soon to be A & D's old bow.  I'll take that pedigree over brand new any day.  The above shot was Jim's, but {much!} more often we had a ball missing the target.  I proudly claim the shot to the left.   Our arrows fit decently on the boys' tiny bow& they were thrilled to hit the target.   With a little help from dad, of course.

days worthy of repeat.

cake & babies & Kay & ouch

& bless you if you get through reading this entire post.

Saturday felt like a week.  A good week, but a very full one. 

And a one that made me look back at my former self in awe.  I used to wear heels daily.  Everywhere.  People teased and offered sympathetic groans over my supposedly aching feet.  But these *poor feet* never ached, so I shrugged off the hype, puzzled.  Fast forward five years and two {giant} babies.  I wore heels all day yesterday and honestly don't know if I'll ever recover.  NOW I know what the groans were about.  Now I see why people thought I was insane.  And now I know that I will NEVER again do the all-day heel thing.  But I'll still secretly ache for those days of being 6'2" in sexy heel boots. 

Anyhow...I got up early and packed up for a long day away from my three lovelies.   The BEST part of the day happened early when Jim saw me off with a garage jig.  The boy has some serious moves!  I don't think I stopped smiling all the way to his parents' house.

[Sidenote:  throughout the day, people asked countless times if Jim was "babysitting" the boys.  "Heck no!  He's watching his own kids!" Dads don't *babysit* in my world.  Of course, it helps that in my world, there is a Dad who is a better Mom than the Mom and whose boys view him in total adulation.]

First stop:  in-laws.  Kay was also hosting a shower, and I wasn't able to go (you're my #1, Ras!), but did do a drive-by cake decorating.  This is seriously the best kind.  She baked the cake (yellow, drenched in cream of coconut out of the oven, filled with pineapple whipped cream - divine!).  The bride-to-be is having orange calla lilies at the wedding, so that is what I went for with my fondant. 

We added the Alex & Brian, at first wondering if that was too cheesy, but - hello! - it's a wedding.  It's supposed to be a little cheesy.  And I was all for it once I imagined walking in to an "Amy & Jim" in orange buttercream delight.   Sometimes cheesy works.

Next, it was off to Vella's parent's house.  They very kindly offered their house as our shower spot (or was it Vel who offered for them??!).  The shower was intimate & delightful.  I always like food table pics, so here are a few.

 

Angie posing with food...but where's the bulging belly?!

34 weeks pregnant with twins.   She looked so cute, *almost* making me want to be pregnant.  She just found out that both babies weigh 4.5 pounds!  Amazing little Sophia and Grace.  Already 9 pounds in that belly. 

And the waiting game is on. 

I remember well the bittersweet days at pregnancy's end.  Especially with Aidan, mostly because with him the "end" lasted overlong. 

Due date:  June 24.
Birth date:  July 9. 

And that is how you get a 10 pound baby, folks.  Bake 'em long & large.   As my days overdue turned into weeks overdue, U2's "With or Without You" became the theme song I'd belt to my belly.  With the belly, without the baby, longing for the opposite. 

Those last days waiting for your firstborn are definitely singular.  Sitting quietly on the precipice of the greatest heaven-sent upheavael yet.  Waiting to meet a tiny home-grown human who will change life forever.  It brings a whole new dimension to wondrous. 

And double that in Angie's case.

This girl is the queen of control.  And order.  Whose house makes "spotless" look dirty.  Who still scrubs her floors on hands & knees. I'm mischieviously anxious to see her "order" edges soften as the chaos of two tiny bosses takes its bit of the control.   And to see her melt into knowing that the chaos is 100% worth the love. 

And....drumroll...my last stop of the day was a return to my first.  Because I had to see Kay in her sexy new outfit.  And it didn't disappoint.

 

She went shopping this week and bought this ensemble (jewelry, belt & all) with eyes closed, knowing she'd feel guilt if she glimpsed the total.  So Jenna was there to count the cash.  I loved it all, and was impressed when she conceded to my request for a "powerful" pose.  

This is a woman who pioneered her way through raising six boys and one girl.  Who never had a chance to spoil herself.  Who was traumatized when gifted with a VW Bug on her 50th Birthday.  I admire that hugely in this age of "yes, thank you and what else?" entitlement. 

You look gorgeous, Kay!  And I'll quietly hope that this is only the first of many splurges for yourself!

Well, my feet are still aching, but my sweet Jim didn't gripe when recovery from the week-long Saturday had me napping from 5 - 8:30 tonight, waking oh-so conveniently after the boys went down.  It's so good for a mom in this stage to have a day away...where she feels useful in an adult setting.  And comes home very grateful to be there.  The blasted & blessed irony life.