Hawaii Trip

We prepped for Aidan's birthday party on Friday. Erin had lots of fun stuff planned. Her recipe for Butterbeer was to die for. And it was do rich, I nearly died. lol



The boys entered via Platform 9 3/4



Then they were each sorted. Aidan was in Gryffindor. No surprise there.



Then they were got their wands.









There were lots of yummy things to eat after the pizza





Singing Happy Birthday.



Can't tell Lucy loved the Cauldron Cakes, can you?

Madelyn trying to work her magic.

Orem's Center for Story

The construction of the Center for Story is being funded with CARE tax revenues and donations.

Yuck and Sweet Winter

I came down with that creeping crud that's been going around here--a couple of people in my office have been fighting it and shared it with me. Nasty stuff. But talk about kicking me while I'm down! My back started throwing fits the second day I was sick (that was last Thursday).

Oh. My. Heck!

I keep having a popping sound in my lower left hip area, which makes me wonder if I'm pinching a nerve or something. It's fine when I sit down, but sitting down makes standing up harder to do. If that makes any sense. Anyway, we're flying to Hawaii for a short trip to be there for Aidan's baptism, but I'm dreading sitting on a plane for all those hours if I can't get this fixed.

Ugh!

But, we got Davey for a few days this weekend and Paul and Kelsey brought baby Winter over yesterday. Davey just loves her.

Davey, Papa, and Winter

And here are some Valentines Day pics that Kelsey sent of Winter.

 

Busy Busy Busy

Sometimes I feel like I'm running around so much that I'm going to meet myself coming around the corner. Ever had months like that?

Reflections

I was reading Melanie Jacobson's post over at Write Stuff and was really touch by her remarks as she marked the anniversary of her mother's passing. I started to post a comment that I realized was a dang blog post, so I brought it over here.

This is when we were finally able to join my father in Korea

I lost my mom when I was fourteen. It's because of a wish to tell her story that I decided to learn how to write two years ago. See, my children don't know her, don't know the woman that I loved and admired so much.. They hear occasional stories and recognize her in pictures.

It's not the same thing.

There are certain ocassions you go through in life that you expect you mom to be there for. Like graduating from high school and getting married.

But especially when having a baby. I was still active duty in the Army, when I had my first son. We were stationed in Germany, so it was just my husband and me there, trying to figure it all out on our own. I know my mother would have found a way to come to be with me, just as I've been there for the birth of every one of my daughter's four children.

Because Mom never got to experience being a grandmother, I cherish the moments I get to spend with mine. It's common for me to think about how I'm getting to do something she never got to.

In my faith, we believe that we existed before we were born, that we had connections with people, that we experienced love and family there before we experienced it here.

When I was in college, there was a musical that really went home for me. I found the music and the interweaving of stories to be just what I needed for encouragement and inspiration at that time in my life. I didn't realize it would mean so much more to me when I got a little older and began my family.

In the play Saturdays Warrior, one of the oldest siblings dies before the youngest is born. It's easy to think that because my mom died so young that she never got to see my children. But I prefer to imagine my unborn children greeting her when she died and passed through the veil.
 
When I get good enough at the writing thing, my personal history will finally be one of my projects. My hope is that I will be able to bring my mother to life for my children the way I knew her.
 
I hope she'd had been proud of me.

Winter

Kelsey said the dog licked her hair and made her laugh. She's only a little over 5 weeks old.

Kaua'i - Days 6 & 7

Saturday was another beautiful day (and my anniversary). We went to Waimea (Grand Canyon of the Pacific), took a short hike, and ended up having lunch at the beach and watching some whales play around (though I didn't get any pictures of them--dang it!).

Aidan's crying because Papa just sat on his hand.

We discovered that little Madelyn is deathly afraid of heights. She's four and when she'd approach the overlook, she'd crouch down and eventually turn away screaming.



Next we drove up to the Kalalau Lookout. It's at 4,000 feet above sea level--not that far below home (4,500), and it was a little windy and nippy up there.



Waiting for the others before going on our hike.

Aren't these ferns gorgeous? Oh, and the people, too.



Yes, I actually let them take a picture of me.



A trail of ferns.

Doesn't this just look like it could be rocks at Disneyland?



We ended up at Poipu Beach, thinking to do some swimming, but it was a tad bit cold. We ate the picnic lunch we brought and enjoyed watching some young whales that kept breaching. It was so fun to watch though I wasn't bright enough to get my camera out in time to catch any of it.



For our anniversary we went out to dinner with my daughter and son-in-law to a place called Duke's. Yummy food and very atmospheric. Behind us is a waterfall.

Sunday's really overcast, and it rained some while we were in church. We're having a quiet day at home. It's fun to do stuff, but it's fun to relax, too.