Finally!!!!

Yesterday Kendall finally got the job offer! Yay!!!!!!!!!! We don't know all the specifics yet (his liason at Freeport-McMoRan was out of the office today), but we should know more on Monday. The job is as a Metallurgist in the Morenci, AZ mine. Our plan is to live in Safford, about a 50 minute drive away. We're sad to have to move, we've loved our ward and the friendships we've made here, but it feels like it's time to move on.

We'll post more info as it becomes available. Thank you for all your prayers and happy thoughts on our behalf!


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Amazingly Beautiful

(Just a quick note: we don't know anything yet, but it looks like Kendall has moved to the final stages of the process for the Arizona job, and is currently undergoing a background check. No offers have been received, but we're hopeful that maybe in another week we'll have more info.)

I am a compulsive reader of a few weekly articles. One which I love to read is Orson Scott Card's weekly columns that appear every Thursday. One is on Mormontimes.com, and the other is Rhinotimes.com. Mormon Times is an online magazine that has different articles everyday relating to everything Mormon, both religiously and culturally.  The Rhino Times is a paper local to Mr. Card in North Carolina, and he reviews random things every week.

Today he shared a link to just the most amazing thing. He said it brought tears to his eyes, and it did to me, as well.  Just glorious, and I had to share. Enjoy! (Sorry this is so big...I didn't want to cut anything off.)

Possibilities and Prayers

So this past week has finally brought a viable possiblity for a new job for Kendall. After two phone interviews, Kendall will be flying down to AZ next week to do a plant walk-through at a copper mine in Morenci, AZ. It's a small town about 50 minutes away from Safford, another small town in eastern AZ. Safford/Thatcher is the area where Pres. Kimball grew up, and they actually have a temple there. It was originally established by pioneers sent by Brigham Young in 1874.
Anyway, it's a very strong possiblity, and we'd like your prayers in our behalf.

Love you guys!

Conference Weekend

We spent Conference Weekend at at the East Canyon condo. Brings back so many fun memories. We did this, my parents, sibs and I for many years, bringing the tradtional meal of rice and bacon. We missed everybody, but I hope that everyone enjoyed their own version of conference.

Loved the talks, the Spirit, and the emphasis (at least it seemed to me) on keeping the Spirit with us, so we can really define what we need to have in our lives and what we should discard.

Love to you all!

The Ups and Downs of Job Hunting

I'm not going to tell you all the sad details, but I had to share this one: Yesterday about 5 I got a call from an engineering firm that Kendall had sent his resume to last week. He seemed to be a great fit. But after talking to them this morning, it looks like he didn't quite have enough experience in one area, and they said "Thanks, but no thanks...maybe later." All in less than 24 hours. Sigh.

LIfe Resumes

...but it's a different version than before. Last school year and this school year are very similar. My kids go to the same schools, the carpools are only slightly different than last year, the big kids have choir on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Young Women's and Scouts on Tuesday. I get testy over undone homework and chores, and dismayed that yet again, two weeks into the school year Sarah is sick. Happens every year.

But there are differences. Kendall is home, still looking for work. Meri is gone all day, and she and Pete walk home, not getting here until after 4:15. (They walk slow, but it's over a mile away.) There won't be a visit with Kendall's mother ever again. We had Norman and Elizabeth up to our house last year for Thanksgiving. And she was well enough to actually enjoy it. She ate, and laughed, and talked for a while. I'll be forever grateful for that experience. I still expect her to call me almost every day like she did the past few months of her life, mostly just to talk. My phone rings a lot less these days.

And I know that this limbo state won't last forever. If a new job for Kendall doesn't pop up soon, it'll be "all hands on deck", finding any way to bring in money. And life will look different yet again.

But I guess that is the purpose of life. Not to maintain the status quo, but to see how we react to the upheaval that change brings. I hope that I can be more Christ-like in my reactions to those changes.

Elizabeth

It has been a tearful week, but Elizabeth Oliphant is now at peace. Kendall's mother, and the wonderful grandmother to my children, passed away today around 12:30 pm. She was surrounded by a few of her children and her husband. All of her children gathered at her bedside to kiss her cheek and say goodbye. We will miss you.

Above all, Elizabeth believed in the Savior, and in his power. She had seen trial and pain throughout her life, but it always came back to her knowledge that if she felt prompted by the Spirit, she would follow through, regardless of the difficulties.

Her absolute love for her children and for the spouses and children they brought into her family, was one of the best examples I had of Christian charity. I hope I can honor that love by being kinder, speaking more softly, choosing patience over judgment. And over all, I hope that I can honor her by loving those she loved with a more open heart, and a gentle touch.

May your visit with your loved ones gone before be full of music, joy and rejoicing. And may those left behind keep your memory always in our hearts as an example of Christ.

The Rule Of Three

There are lots of sayings about how change comes into our lives. "When it rains, it pours", or...well, I can't think of anymore right now. But there are a lot. One I always remember, though, is "Bad things come in threes".

This summer has been one of change. And not the good kind. Kendall lost his job. Bad. And while we have a good prospect on another one (I may be adding a retraction in a week), it may be that to find another job in Kendall's field, we will have to move. Very far away. Good and bad, but a lot of unpleasant change.

And two days ago we found out that Kendall's mother is dying. She has been on dialysis for the past 2 years, and basically living on pain medication that entire time. About a week ago her primary care physician told her to stop taking the pain meds, and she spent the past week in excruciating pain, to the point of no sleep except for cat naps for almost 7 days. Her quality of life is next to nothing, though she still has all her mental faculties.

So she came to the decision that she would no longer go to dialysis. The life expectancy after that decision is around 4 to 7 days. We went to visit her last night, and it was clear her mind was made up. She'd had several blessings, and the Spirit was strong as she shared her feelings about the situation. She's tired, her body's worn out, and she feels she can have more influence on the lives of her grandchildren from the other side. And so she will go.

It's been an emotional couple of days, to say the least. I hope that when this is all over, though, we can look back at the summer of 2010 as a positive one. I hope.

Ups and Downs

Just a quicky to say that last Friday was a downer day, and today not so much...but you never know. That could change in an instant. But right now everybody's happy, Sarah, Pete and Meri are excited for school to start, and I'm excited to have it start, too! Maybe now I'll get some work done. :) Or maybe not, with the two monkeys left at home.

We are going to do a "homeschool preschool" for Andrew this year, not only learning the basics and getting him over that reading hump, but working on fine motor skills and listening/obeying directions, so kindergarten isn't such a shock to him.

And Benj? What can I say about Benj? He's just a monkey, and I'm stunned he's made it to 3 1/2 without breaking something.

Have a great weekend!

Superstitions

I used to be superstitious when I was little. I don't know why, but it played big into my growing up. And then I grew up, and realized it had more to do with my perception of reality than reality itself.

And then I saw/read The DaVinci Code, and the whole discussion about why Friday the 13th was a day of bad luck. So I really didn't believe in that anymore.

But today is Friday the 13th. And it's Kendall's last day of work, and there's still nothing on the horizon--not even an interview yet.

So even though I'd outgrown it...it niggles in the back of my mind still, a little voice wondering if this is a bad omen.

Summertime, and the Livin' Ain't Easy...

I look forward to school. Can't tell you how much. I need these kids to not be in the house together for a while. Just the two little boys fighting would be great, instead of everybody fighting with everybody else. Sigh.

The Summer Blahs

It has just occurred to most of my kids (and myself) that we are on the downhill side of summer. We had so looked forward to the California trip, that any activities after that were nonexistent. So now we start talking about school, and registering Sarah for 9th grade (!), Pete for 6th (!) and Meri for 1st (!). Andrew, because of his December birthday, still has a year of being home/ preschool (maybe...if I can find someplace that doesn't cost an appendage...). But after that, he goes, and the Benji goes the year after, bang bang. I can't believe that in just 2 years all my kids will be in school. Strange thought...I believed the toddler/kids at home fulltime thing would last FOREVER.

Anyway, the time has come to prepare for the next year. The big kids have choir assessments this next week, and then it's August, and in a blink it'll be time for school to start. Sigh. I hope I can figure out a better plan for homework than I have in years past.

We're Home!

Yay, we're back from CA! We had a wonderful time, and loved spending it with our Collins family, spread far and wide across the country. Kendall survived with out a sunburn, though Peter got a scorcher of one (including a few blisters on his cheeks!) The weather was deceptive, cool, overcast and breezy the whole week, with only a couple of afternoons clear of clouds. It probably made the rest of the family miserable, but Kendall and I loved it. Sorry, guys!

Disneyland was a blast. Benji just skirted the 40" line, so he could ride most of the rollercosters. We even bought a picture of the whole family on Splash Mountain.

We miss you guys...let's do it again soon!

Summer Illness

Sorry it's been so long...I caught a summer cold (maybe the flu), and was fuzzy and out of it for 3 days. Then Meri got sick the day after I did, and even though I've recovered, she is still desperately ill. We took her to the doctor yesterday after 3 days of 102+ fever off and on. The doc thought she might have developed an ear and sinus infection after getting caught unawares by this viral illness. So we have her doped up on everything possible. I'm really not sure how this is supposed to work, with getting ready for vacation, etc. But hopefully the meds will kick in sometime today, and by Friday when we leave for CA she'll be well enough to go. Otherwise....I don't know.

And So It Begins...

Last Friday Kendall was laid off, as of Aug. 1. This means, well, you know what it means. I know we're going to be okay, and in the long run this is for the best, but for today, I think I'm going to mope. Or work out my emotions by cleaning the house. At least that would be productive, huh?

The Joy of Music

Today was a music day. Kendall sang (with 3 other guys) and I played in Sacrament Meeting today, I had choir (the last rehearsal of the summer), and for some reason, my kids seemed to be singing all day.
My favorite is Benji right now. He is rarely in tune, though sometimes he hears it and follows the pitch pretty well. But it's his enthusiasm, the joy he gets from just making the music and singing along that brings a smile to my heart.
I'm trying to be careful not to crush that joy by trying to "teach" him how to sing in tune. For right now, I'm just enjoying the memories of his wide smile stretched in the third time through of "Twinkle, Twinkle" before he goes to bed.

So This is Utah???

It's June 11, and I think we've had maybe 2 days hit 80 this year. I'm used to complaining about the heat somewhere about the middle of May. Kendall JUST turned on the sprinklers about a week ago. And our lawn is still green.

Don't get me wrong...I love this weather. Seattle, WA, or Portland, OR have the type of weather we (Kendall and I) like. But we don't live in Seattle or Portland, and though for the most part I LOATHE Utah weather and all that sunshine, it's a trifle disconcerting to have gray skies day after day.

So, So FUNNY!

I had to post this...I found it on another blog and laughed so hard. The truly funny part was Meri coming to me in the middle of watching to say, "Mom, the bowl I was pouring my applesauce into tipped over while I was pouring and landed upside down and there's applesauce ALL OVER!" After the video you'll see how funny this really is.

A Miracle!

So the other day while I was reading a friend's blog, I found a link to a another blog. Not a miracle in itself, but in this other blog, I found THE ANSWER TO ALL MY PROBLEMS AS A MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN WHO RANGE FROM 14 TO 3.

We started a new reward system for the kids. I'm just going to include the link, and you can see for youreself how well it will work. ALL my kids, with the exception of Benji who hasn't stood still long enough to understand it, have gotten on board.

Go check it out! Queen of the Clan

The Countdown Begins

Starting yesterday, it will be exactly a month before we will be in Southern California with my extended family. My parents foot the bill (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) for a beach house that can house them, each of their six children and their respective families.
We did this about 5 years ago, when we just had 3 children, and Meri was only a little over 1. Now she's six and she has two younger brothers to add to the mix. I don't know how we're all going to fit, but that's part of the fun.

One week on the beach, a Disney day, and exploring.

Can't wait!

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sorry I took so long to share about Sarah's birthday. May is just birthday month around here. I was also wanted to get a picture of her cake up, and hadn't gotten around to it. So here it is...


Our good friend Deanna has, after 15+ years working for a supermarket bakery, gone into business for herself. Three weeks ago. So I asked her to make a cake. Isn't it awesome? Very "Ace of Cakes".

I chose Eclipse for two reasons: 1, it is one of Sarah's favorite book series (behind Harry Potter.) And 2, since Eclipse the movie comes out on the 30th of this month, I thought it would be fun to take her to see the midnight show. When I went to purchase the tickets, however, I discovered that one of our local theaters was doing a triple feature of all the Twilight movies. So of course we're doing them all, ending with the 12:01 showing of Eclipse.

Happy Birthday to my grown up girl!

Road Trip!

Just a little one. We're headed to Oak City (a thriving metropolis outside of Delta of maybe 400 people, with a resident deer herd) for my neice's baptism and a family get together. I'm looking at this 2 1/2 hour drive as a test to see how well my family will do in a month when we head to CA for a week and a half.

I'm also looking forward to the small town feel for a couple of days. I enjoy the convenience of city/suburb living, most days. But I'll always have a soft spot for Kearny, AZ, population about 900. A main street with no light, and if you didn't know to turn off the highway, you'd miss the town completely. We lived there for 3 years after Kendall graduated from the U, while he worked at the Ray mine as a metallurgical engineer. We learned a lot living there, including what it meant to be part of such a small community. To really get to know people, the lengths people go to get the job done. Good times.

Now this is just funny...

Disclaimer: This tickled my funny bone...it has no relevance or relation to my particular reality...

Guest Blogging...Squeee!!!

So about a week ago a blog I follow, Mormon Mommy Writers , sent out a call for a new Monday regular blogger. It's a blog of exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of Mormon mommies who write in their spare (!) time.

I decided to take the plunge and send in a post/audition piece. I won't hear back until around the 1st of June, but tomorrow they're putting up my submission piece as a guest blog post. Please take a look and comment, so my poor lonely writer's heart can know it's being heard.

I hope I get to do it...but many people just like me submitted posts, so we'll just have to wait and see....

Stubborn

Stubborn is good when you're a grown up and it translates to dedication and perserverance.
Stubborn is bad when you're three and you think you are supposed to do whatever you want, including staying up every night until 11 pm.
Yes, it was one of those kinds of days. If it were only the one child.......sigh.

Salt Lake Children's Choir

The Salt Lake Children's Choir has been around for 30 years. Mr. Ralph Woodward had a vision of bringing the gorgeous sound of traditional boy's choirs from Europe and building a similar choir here.

Kendall was in this choir when he and the choir were young, starting in '82. He spent many years there, honing the craft of singing. My sweet mother-in-law saw seven of her ten children participate in the choir over the years.

Now the legacy continues. Sarah has participated for three years, and this is Peter's first. The amazing thing is the stunning vocal quality Mr. Woodward coaxes out of these kids.

Today is their anniversary concert, with an alumni choir that Kendall is participating in. Here is a video from a couple of Christmases ago...Sarah is not in this one, but a few of my nieces were. Enjoy!

Why I'm a Mother

So I can have a four year old child say to me, "Mom, I can't wake up because my head is still asleep." And I still love him, even if we were late for church. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Happy Birthday, Again.

Happy Birthday, Teddy Bear! Thank goodness you were born 37 years ago, or I wouldn't have been able to spend the past 15 years with you. Love you!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today is my baby's birthday. We celebrated (had cake and ice cream) last night (because we have about 20 million things going on this afternoon and evening), and today he gets presents.

He's three. I am filled with alternating feelings of excitement and terror: excitement because he's growing up and coming into his own personality, and terror because he's growing up and coming into his own personality. He is a joy, full of love and energy, but I gotta say, he's the worst of all my kids for being a tease. Oh my goodness, does that kid know how to get under his siblings' skin. It's going to be an interesting ride, helping him through this stage.

Love you, Benj!

Big Surprise, We Sang.

So today in church Kendall (on a leave from his High Council duties), me, Sarah, and Peter sang in church. We sang a lovely arrangement of As Sisters in Zion & I'll Bring the World His Truth. Here's a video someone put together with the song, so you can hear it.



A sister missionary reported on her mission today, Sister Laura Hughes, and you could tell she had just been the best missionary. The Spirit was very strong during the meeting...while we sang I had to keep it together enough to not cry, lol.

I'm sure this won't be the last time we sing, and I'm going to make the ward choir sing this the next time we have to sing about missionary work, but it is a great piece, and I just had to share. :)

And Then There was life....

I don't know about you, but some days life is so full of challenges and craziness, but you've been there, done that a million times before. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, and I'm beginning to recognize the patterns in life: the ups and downs of good days and bad.

Example: shortly after my last post, our dryer died a screeching, smoking, horrible death that scared the bajeebers out of me, as it commenced screaming as I began a load. We had about a month of no dryer, because of various and tedious details I won't blog about. Let's just say that we spent that month getting whacked in the head by semi-damp, stiff clothes as they hung in the unfinished basement from water pipes.
A week ago we finally got a fancy new pair of appliances, front loading Bosch's (thanks Mike!). In SILVER, even. Very nice, does everything I ask it to with nary a complaint. Heaven.

My point, however, is that it didn't even occur to me that this might be something to share with the blogosphere, simply because it's part of the natural ebb and flow of life. Some good days, some bad days, and some days that are a twisty cone of both.

No wisdom, here, merely observation.

P.S. If you're interested, I participated in the Utah Children's Writers blog activity, "30 Days, 30 Stories". Today is my day, and I have it posted over there if you're interested in reading the first 900 words of my current young adult novel in the works, "Dragon's Bridge".

Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

Probably one of my most favorite movies of all time. Just love it. Period.

Just Because it made me Laugh....

Okay, That Wasn't So Bad...

So my current calling is Ward Choir Director. I know. Crazy, huh? I think I about fainted when they called me. And it's been challenging in ways I can't even begin to express.
But...what I wanted to share was one of the joys I get out of the calling. Choosing beautiful music to sing. Now we have a fabulous ward choir. Tons and tons of talent, which makes it easy on the ears.
So I just chose a pair of great pieces to sing for Easter: a great arrangement of "Chirst the Lord is Risen", by David Zabriskie, and Gethsemane, from Sally DeFord's Easter cantata, I Stand All Amazed.
If you're interested, click on the link and listen to this version of Gethsemane. Try any of solo versions. But because it's a solo version, so you won't be able to hear the amazingness of our ward choir, but the emotion behind this is breathtaking.

Family Home Evening and the Mormon Mommy Guilts

So this evening I did one half of a presentation about Family Home Evening for RS Activity Night. I was asked specifically to talk about using lds.org for FHE, and how to do it with older and younger kids.

Now I have to admit, I have never really caught the spirit of FHE. It always seemed labor intensive for not a lot of pay off. That, and because I could never do it perfect, could never have it stay perfect, I didn't do it, or gave a half-hearted effort. The dreaded Mormon Mommy Guilts hit big time, and when it grew overwhelming, I shut down.

But in this case, it really is a situation where the teacher needed the lesson more than anyone else receiving it. I'm watching my family grow, completely without my permission, and realizing that every second is precious. That doesn't mean I just got translated into Perfect Mom, it just means I'm understanding a little better my place in this world and family.

So today I got a peek at what it is the Lord sees in the program of FHE. And I give myself permission to do this FHE in the most simple way, to just be basic, and make sure that my family feels the Spirit and grows in unity so we actually WANT to be together forever because we like each other.

Yay FHE!!!!

A New Year, A New Outlook, and Eternally 39

I've never been a big believer in turning over a new leaf on New Year's Day. Probably because I never once followed all the way through a goal set then. But here it is, the new year, and against my will, a desire for change has come upon me.

I find myself no longer tolerant of my previous habits, destructive desires, or lack of follow through. Maybe, at the beginning of the year where I will turn 39, I have finally accepted adulthood, and all that means. That my life is my responsibility, that if I don't do the best for myself, my husband, and my children, who will?

And so, though I've made nothing concrete, no STATEMENT OF INTENT followed by a workable plan, I am moving forward with the plan to just DO BETTER. I know what I need to do to be a better person, I've just avoided doing it for years because I DIDN'T WANT TO. (How juvenile is that????)

As to being eternally 39, it's a joke in my family that if you ask my parents how old they are, they will say 39. And have been that age for 25 years, give or take. The realization that I am at that age, that I will turn 39 in a couple of months, and though according to the government and my children I will continue to age, if anybody ever asks me after March 15th how old I am, I will always be 39. And my life, such as it is, needs to stand for more than my inborn selfishness. So I will indulge myself in this one last selfishness...I will not age beyond 39.

Happy New Year to All, and may all your nothingconcretewithnostatementofintent goals see the light of day!