WANTED: One front tooth!

Mia lost her first tooth last night. She has been working on it diligently since she first discovered it was "wiggly" a couple of weeks ago. Last night she worked even harder and just as she was going to bed, I made the suggestion that she try to twist it. With very little effort, she popped it right out. Giggling, she held it up to me and said, "I did it!" The tooth fairy visited last night, and Mia was excited when she found a dollar under her pillow and her tooth long gone. Now she wants to know how long it will take for the new one to grow in.

Merry Christmas 2010

In 10 minutes Christmas will officially be over. I just said to Chad that I always feel I've come down off of a month-long high as I unwind on Christmas night. The gifts have all been given for better or worse, goodies made and delivered, dinner served, phone calls to family made, Christmas programs attended, decorating done, and hopefully, smiles and laughter and thoughts of our Savior added into the mix of everything that we've done during the process leading up to this one day of the year.

Our family has been very blessed this year. Mike and I are grateful that we've been able to share our home with family this year, and we're especially grateful that we were able to share Christmas with Chad, Fiona, and Mia. I'm posting just a few of the pictures from this month -- sort of a continuation from the last post about Christmas tree hunting. I hope that everyone had a wonderful and safe Christmas. I'm blessed beyond measure to have a terrific family and to know that our Savior was born for us.



Fiona and Mia at their Christmas program on December 14. Mia was quite dramatic as she sang her songs, while Fiona was a little more reserved. Both girls did a terrific job and were proud of their beautiful Christmas dresses.


Our tree after the girls finished decorating it. I mentioned before that trees we hunt tend to have quite a bit of personality and this year's tree was no exception. Fiona and Mia were proud of it because they got to do most of the decorating with their ornaments. They got out my ornaments and wanted to know the stories to all of them. It's great to share the magic of special things with our little ones!


During our Christmas break, Mike and Chad worked to get the last of the kitchen wiring and plumbing done so that we can move the temporary sink and dishwasher to their permanent homes. While Mike was working on the lights in the kitchen, Mia sneaked up the ladder under him and wanted to know what he was doing. He showed her how to twist the wiring into place. Mia is proud to tell anyone who will listen that she helped make the lights work.

Of course, Christmas isn't quite right without the homemade cookies. Fiona and Mia were concerned that Santa have just the right kind of cookies -- the kind that had shapes and frosting. We had flour and frosting EVERYWHERE! At one point the girls had flour all over their faces. Santa was treated to four big cookies with lots of frosting and sprinkles. The cookies were accompanied by a large cup of egg nog. The girls thought it was funny that Santa ate all of the cookies except one gingerbread-shaped cookie. That one was left on the plate with its head bitten off. They laughed and laughed over that.

Pillow pets!

The girls wearing the crowns that the gave to each other. They were each so proud of the fact that they were giving crowns to their sister. We got a kick out of their excitement because we knew the secret of each gift.

Santa's big surprise to the girls was Band Hero! Mia is quite a little singer and dancer while Fiona has mastered the drums. Chad was excited to get into the act, so he had the drums put together and everything else organized in no time. The house was really rocking today!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

It’s just barely December 20 – actually 12:08 a.m. Only one more day before the solstice and then the days will be getting longer again. I just tucked Fiona and Mia in bed after a fairly lazy day of playing Wii, watching Christmas movies, snuggling, laughing, and reading Little House in the Big Woods. It really is so great having the girls here even if I’m worn out most nights. It has been a long time since I had to be a full-time mom figure for little people. You get used to teenagers and the freedoms that come with having your children grow and up and become more independent. I wouldn’t trade any of this, it just take a readjustment.

The past few weeks have been filled with school and getting ready for Christmas. Just after Thanksgiving, the girls and I came home from school as fast as we could. We ate dinner, and then bundled up to head out into the darkness to find the perfect Christmas tree. Mike and Chad rounded up the chainsaw and the sled, and then we were off. It’s so fun to wander out onto our own property to find our Christmas tree. As in years past, our tree has it’s own personality, but that’s what you get when you get a wild Christmas tree versus a tree from a lot. Some trees are skinny with bare spots, while others might be really full and still have a bare spot. Trees can seem perfectly symmetrical when you’re checking it out for proportion, but then when you get it into the house, it’s sometimes difficult to remember which side was going to be the against-the-wall side. But, I think those are the some of the joys of hunting for your own tree to cut. Fiona and Mia were so excited to hunt for their tree in the dark. They remembered going to the Uintas with us when we lived in Utah. There, we had to drive a couple of hours to find our tree spot. Both are great experiences. Cutting a tree is a tradition that Mike and I have had since we got married. I think in our 12 years together we have only had one or two store-bought trees. Usually it has been because the weather was too bad when we were able to get everyone together to go so we bought the tree as a last resort. Anyway, we had a lot of fun tramping through the woods to find our tree. The girls rode in the sled while Papa and Chad pulled them. Besides finding our tree, the greatest thing was seeing the stars. The sky was so clear! We sang Christmas songs and laughed. Of course, I couldn’t help but feel a little nostalgia and wishfulness as I thought of my children who weren’t here with us. Someday, I hope that we can all have another tree hunt together.

Fiona and Mia have been practicing for their Christmas program at school. On Tuesday, December 14, Mike and Chad met us at school where we had a spaghetti dinner sponsored by the cheerleaders, and then we were entertained by the Ninilchik School music program. Fiona and Mia were the prettiest girls in the entire elementary. Of course, I’m not biased or anything. They sang their hearts out!

The girls have made lots of new friends at school. They love going sledding at school and they enjoy spending time in my classroom after school. While they wait for me to finish up my work after school, the girls will either play on the computer or get out paper, scissors, markers, and glue and make some type of artwork. They also enjoy the attention they get from the older kids who come into my room to visit or do work. The girls are quite popular with the secondary kids. Fiona was invited to her first slumber party last week. She was so excited to get to ride the bus with her friends and then have a sleepover. Mia has a friend who lives a few miles down the road, so she has been invited over a couple of times to play. On the Friday after school was out, both girls were at friends and then were invited to go to a craft fair for kids in Ninilchik. I picked them up after school. They had a lot of fun crafting different things. If they have glue, paper, scissors, and coloring tools, they can make a lot of fun art!

At home, Fiona and Mia are learning some responsibility. They have a list of chores to do and have been able to earn stickers. So many stickers over the course of the week equals so much money. Their chores range from feeding the dogs to brushing their teeth and putting their things away. Sometimes they don’t want to get much done, but I think that seeing the money has become an incentive to continue working hard. The girls love to play outside and aren’t nervous about being outside in the dark. We have motion sensor lights around the house so there is always some light around, and they’ve also figured out where the flashlights are kept. We bout some brace bars for the sled so that it can be safely pulled behind the 4-wheeler. They love to be pulled around the property and along our road. The girls have also discovered that the chickens are laying again and race every day to see who can get the eggs first. They told me tonight that they love being able to go outside whenever they want.

With just a few more days until Christmas, we’re getting things ready around the house. We have baking to do since Christmas can’t come without just the right cookies for Santa. We have lots of wrapping to do and some small projects to finish for other grandparents and the girls’ mom – things that the girls wanted to do. Life is busy, but otherwise, everything is just grand! I miss the rest of my children and, of course, the other grandchildren. I dream of a time when we all get Christmas together again.

Here We Go Again!

About a month ago, the snow came blustering into Alaska. Along with the weather, our lives also took a change in direction as Meghan left to try life on her own (at Grandpa and Grandma Grant's though) and Chad, Fiona, and Mia came to begin a new life together with us in Alaska. Mike and I became live-in grandparents/parents/babysitters/playmates/comforters/teachers...all of the titles that come with having children full-time in the house again. To say that we're thrilled to have our granddaughters here is an understatement, but boy are we worn out after a month. Mike has told me all along that "the girls" would be here with us eventually. I don't know why I didn't have more faith in his predictions but I should have. I guess this means I should have more faith in some of his other predictions, but those are for another time.

Chad started a new job with Home Depot. After some crazy stress with Family Services in Utah and the rescue from Papa Bill and Grandma Ann (Fiona and Mia's maternal grandparents), the girls are settling into life as students. They love exploring the outdoors around our house. They love school and the fact that they get to go swimming and that Gramma is right upstairs. They have collected the attention of my "big kids" who are curious about them and want to talk with them. I even have one senior boy who wanted to take a field trip to look at the granddaughters. The girls have been to a birthday party already, participated in a Primary program, seen A LOT of moose on the way to and from school, had a Stone Soup party, discovered that eggs come from real chickens, and are now preparing for a Christmas program. Mine and Mike's lives have gone from quiet evenings after work to hustle and bustle of math, spelling, and reading thrown in with a game of MarioKart on the Wii. The dogs love the new attention and are thrilled to be outside every minute that the girls are.

We're happy to finally be settling into routine. I've had to give Mike a little guff over the things he does for his girls, but he turns around and gives it right back -- with a new septic tank and a more reliable form of transportation richer.

As I've pondered my gratitude over the past week with Thanksgiving, I am grateful for a safe and secure place in which these little girls could find refuge. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has heard the countless prayers on behalf of these beautiful girls. I'm grateful that they are part of my life!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…
As I was splitting wood for my fire on this brisk 25 degree morning, the words to this song began running through my mind. I caught myself thinking about MY favorite things. So, while I built the fire, my favorite things began flooding my mind and I knew that I needed to write them down.

These are a few of my favorite things (in no particular order)

• giggles and grins
• mustaches (especially Mike’s)
• baking with Fiona and Mia
• puppy breath
• holding hands
• Lucas’s grin
• Jonathan’s laugh
• Natali’s big eyes and rosebud mouth
• black cocker spaniels
• Diet Pepsi (even though I know I shouldn’t)
• chick flicks (especially with my daughters, mom, and sister)
• riding my 4-wheeler on a warm day
• walking the beach in the winter
• the pigs squealing in greeting
• singing with the grandkids
• sitting in church with my brother
• curling up with a good book
• on-the-ball doctors
• Canada geese
• libraries
• writing
• watching the snow fall when I don’t have to go anywhere
• exploring new places
• talking with my parents
• girls’ trips with Mom and Michelle
• sunflowers of all colors
• tomatoes
• gardening
• the call of sandhill cranes
• back rubs
• yellow, green, and red walls
• reuniting with loved ones
• a loving Heavenly Father
• a loving Savior
• fast Internet
• technology that allows me to communicate with my family
• my scriptures
• my bright pink blanket
• the light in my students’ eyes when they “get it”
• teenagers
• school
• learning new things
• re-learning old things
• pain-free days
• Audible
• Bejeweled
• my laptop
• photographs
• chocolate peanut butter ice cream
• spaghetti with red sauce
• fleece
• clear sunny days
• the view of Redoubt
• watching the water from my classroom window
• catching up with old friends
• online shopping
• driving through mud puddles
• warm rain
• rainbows
• Primary Children’s Medical Center
• good music that uplifts me
• riding in the car with the windows down
• taking naps in the sun
• chocolate caramels
• quilting
• scrapbooks and scrapbooking
• the smells of spring
• lilacs
• listening to the thrushes (peepers) as they flit around the bird feeder
• long summer days
• the drone of an airplane on a warm summer day
• the squeals of someone catching a big fish
• ladybugs
• Sunday afternoon naps
• mashed potatoes
• the smell of old books
• the thrill of bringing in a fish
• crunchy fall leaves
• camping
• the Uinta mountains
• fireworks
• Christmas – lights, sounds, smells, wonder, magic
• good chocolate
• a clean house (just not the process to get it there)

Vitamins, Brothers, and Revenge

One day, when I least suspected it, another child appeared in our home…just out of nowhere. I actually don’t remember when he showed up (rumor has it that he arrived around September 2, 1967), but I just couldn’t seem to get rid of Bobby. I know that Mom and Dad said I had to play with him, but sometimes he was just in the way. One time, Bobby got me into so much trouble. In my young life, I tried to always please my parents with my obedience. I felt it was my duty to set a good example, just as all big sisters should. I figured that if I couldn’t get rid of the pesky little boy who was trying to usurp my parents’ affection, I could at least be so good that they would have to love me more than they did him. One night, everything backfired. I’ve had to live with this trauma for my entire life. The setting – our bedroom…bunkbeds…me in the top bunk, Bob in the bottom.

“Mommm!” I yelled. “Bobby’s crying! Hurry! Come quickly!”

“What’s the matter?” Mom breathlessly worried as she finished climbing the stairs to our bedroom.

“It hurts! Get it out,” the two-year-old whiner cried.

“Bob! Get up here! He stuck his vitamin up his nose. I need your help! O.K. Bobby. Hold still while Mommy gets the vitamin out. There, there. Everything will be just fine. You’re o.k. Now, you’re not going to ever stick things in your nose again, are you?” Mom continued murmuring to sooth Bobby.

“No, Mommy. I won’t. I wuv you Mommy,” the little sycophant promised.

“What’s going on up here?” Dad arrived just in time to save the day.

“Bobby stuck his vitamin up his nose. Isn’t that just gross?” I couldn’t believe all of the attention that the little snot was receiving. It just wasn’t fair. After all, I was the oldest, the brightest, and certainly the cutest. Why shouldn’t I have a little attention? Well, I would show them.

After successfully extracting the vitamin, Mom and Dad tucked us back into bed, kissed us goodnight, and headed back downstairs.

“Goodnight kids. Everything’s fine now. We love you!” They called out as they left.

Silence reigned for awhile. Now was my chance. I don’t know how it happened, but it did.

“Mommm, Dadddy! Help!” I cried. Boy this sure did hurt. I wanted that vitamin out right NOW!

“What’s going on?” Mom said. Dad followed her in.

“Bobby put my vitamin in my nose,” I whined.

“Bobby did it? Barbie, are you sure?” Dad inquired searchingly.

“Yes. Get it out! It hurts!” I wailed.

“I think we need a little truth. How did this vitamin get up your nose?” Mom wanted to know.

“I told you, Bobby did it,” I continued to whine. I was ready for this torture to be over.

“Barbie, you need to tell the truth so that we can get the vitamin out.”

“Oh, all right, I did it. Please get it out!” I confessed.

After some tugging and pulling, my poor little sore nose was free from the grips of health. I swore to get even with Bobby. The little bugger got me into so much trouble. I couldn’t believe I fell for his little attention-getting device. I knew that from that moment our lives were on a collision course for revenge. No more Miss Nice Sister. From that day on, we were mortal enemies!

Thumb Wars and Wedding Vows

“One, two, three four. I declare a thumb war…” Wow! What a day! “Five, six, seven, eight. Try to keep your face straight.” I know that’s not how the saying goes, but it sure did fit the events of November 21, 1998, my wedding day.

The day was a beautiful one. I have a small idea that the skies were a little overcast – I’m not entirely sure, though, because my smile was bigger and brighter than it had ever been. Nothing was going to interfere with what was truly the happiest day of my life. Mike looked so wonderful in his dark, olive-green suit, and our five children were actually all clean and dressed nicely for a change.

The music began for our little march down the aisle. No one could have asked for better attendants than ours. After all, not every woman has the pleasure of having her children at her wedding.

“Get ready you guys. Here we go,” I loudly whispered. “Get with your partners and get in line.”

We were gathered in the alcove at the back of the cultural hall. Chad took Nicole #1 (our Nicole) by the arm, and they stepped up to the door. Cory and Nicole #2 (our Nicole’s best friend) moved into place behind them as Grant stepped up beside me.

“Are you ready for me to give you away?” Grant asked with a laugh. “I can hardly wait to be free,” he continued with a giggle.

“You little stinker,” I grinned. When I had first asked Grant if he would give me away, he wasn’t too sure about the idea. As time passed, however, he became pretty excited at the prospect of unloading his mom onto Mike.

“Barb!” Nicole #1 hissed at me. “They’re ready to start.”

“Ok, Let’s go,” I nervously whispered back. I could hear the strains of the music floating through the hall. “Wait a minute! Where’s Meghan?” Meghan was supposed to follow Cory and Nicole #2 and lead me in to Mike. She was nowhere to be seen.

I looked at Cory; he shrugged. “I dunno. I haven’t seen her for awhile.” No one seemed to know where Meg had disappeared to. Just then, Nicole #1 turned back to us.

“Here she comes,” she laughed. I stepped to the doorway just as my darling youngest child burst through the doors on the opposite side of the cultural hall. I groaned at the sight of her.

Meggie was … well, Meggie. Her beautifully groomed hair was flying everywhere. She was twirling her headband around her fingers as she skipped through the rows of people, singing, “Here comes the bride, all dressed in white.” She was totally oblivious to everything taking place around her; there was no hurry to her life, just sheer enjoyment at being the center of attention.

Right! I hummphed to myself. More like “Here comes the bride, just dying at this sight!”

“Where have you been?” I quietly but excitedly enunciated.

“I had to go to the bathroom!” I grimaced again as I heard her eight-year-old voice screech in echoes off the cultural hall walls.

I rolled my eyes, hurriedly fixed Meghan’s hair, and handed her flower to her. Her single white rose was as bedraggled as she was. Everything was fine, though; the procession could begin.

“Ok you guys, let’s go!” No traditional wedding march played for us, just a compilation of beautiful music. But really, nothing about this event was traditional. We were off, down the aisle – Chad and Nicole #1 leading the way followed by Cory and Nicole #2, Meghan, and then finally Grant and me.

I reflected just a bit as I walked toward Mike and Bishop Mosher about just how different this wedding was from my first. I certainly didn’t have thoughts of doubt this time. I knew Mike wasn’t wondering where the nearest exit was either. I looked up at Mike as he took me by the hand. His eyes were so bright, almost as bright as his grin. Then, he did it! He winked!

“Oh no,” I though, “I can’t laugh!” Poor Bishop Mosher was so nervous anyway. This was his first wedding, and he certainly didn’t need us laughing. Mike’s mouth twitched, and I could see that he was fighting the giggles too. I figured I would have to avoid eye contact if I was to survive the ceremony.

Mike and I held hands as we listened to the bishop – at least I tried to listen. I contemplated my past year of trials and all that had brought me to this point in my life. I glanced down the rows at our children. They all looked so great. I was glad to see Nicole #2 with us. She wasn’t truly Mike’s daughter, but she belonged to the family just the same. I knew how much our Nicole would miss her when she went back home.

“Mike, would you please take Barbara by the right hand?”

“Oh dear, I guess I’d better pay attention,” ran through my mind. I’d heard most of what Bishop Mosher said, but I also realized I had been somewhat lost in my thoughts.

Mike held my right hand with his left one. He then realized that he needed to switch hands. He took my right hand firmly in his. I don’t know why, but I let out a little giggle at the thought of the episode of Friends where Ross says Rachel’s name by mistake when he was marrying Emily. I definitely didn’t want to make the same mistake. Right! As if I could!

“Do you Michael, take Barbara…” the bishop began. Just then, Mike’s thumb began tapping on either side of mine. I couldn’t believe it! He was starting a thumb war! I only had one choice of action – I had to fight! Suddenly, I heard quite as Bishop Mosher finished his part of the vows. He waited for Mike’s response. Mike’s thumb stopped in midair.

“I do,” Mike’s deep voice replied. I heard just a hint of chuckle in his voice. I glanced up at him and caught his wink and grin. My shoulders began shaking as I felt the giggles roll up from deep inside.

“Barbara, do you…” the bishop continued. Mike’s thumb began to wiggle again. The battle reconvened. By this time, both of us were straining to hold in the giggles. Mike was so going to get it! I couldn’t believe that he was making me laugh during such a solemn moment. I had no choice; I had to concede. I let Mike capture my thumb just as he’d captured my heart.

“…for as long as you both shall live?” Bishop Mosher paused for my response.

“No, not for as long as we both shall live,” I thought. This marriage was going to last much longer than that. We were determined to see this thing through to the eternities, but for now we needed to take care of things on Earth.

I looked at Mike’s and my hands, united in love and laughter, then up into the eyes of my new husband. I took a deep breath, “I do!”