What To Dream Of

While some women are dreaming of lying on a warm sandy beach or walking the cobblestone streets of a European city my thoughts are elsewhere.  I dream of having all my painting done in my house.  I dream of sitting in a pedi chair soaking my feet.  I dream of a spotless house.  I dream of winning a chef that will cook for me the rest of my life.  I dream of being on Ellen Degeneres’ Christmas giveaway show.   I dream of sitting on my deck smelling meat kabobs grilling watching all my grandchildren play on the freshly manicured lawn.  Dreams can come true.  I am planning on it.

Come To Mama

I had an epiphany today –  I love tomatoes or any form thereof.  When I am thinking of what to fix for dinner for myself since I am alone at the present time, it usually involves tomatoes.  My favorite would be stewed tomatoes and yes I can eat them out of the can.  I love any type of sauces: marinara, pasta, spaghetti or just good old tomato sauce.  I was given some big beautiful ripe tomatoes from a friend and sliced them up and ate them on a piece of toast.  I bought grape tomatoes last week and just ate them as a snack.  And what about ketchup . . .

Hard Things

I was asked to speak in church today about Trek and being the food lady.  Hmmm, that topic is a little boring and there isn’t a whole lot to speak about being a food lady so I chose to speak about doing “hard things.”  I gave a lot of experiences but one that stands out is about Stephanie Nielson.  Stephanie Nielson is a Mormon blogger who was in a serious plane crash with her husband Christian and burned over 80% of her body.  She was in a coma for over three months and then underwent multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and physical therapy in a painful, ongoing treatment regimen. Her latest post shares a letter written to her physical Therapist:

Dear Deb,

Thank you for pushing me.  Thank you for being stern with me, and especially thank you for never giving up on me.  One day in the burn center after I had just woken up from my 3 1/2 month coma you began doing physical therapy with me.  One day as you preparing me for bed and strapping my burned arms into the “airplane splints”for the whole night you looked at me in my eyes (I am sure I was crying- because I cried a lot back then), and you calmly said something to me that I will never ever forget.  You told me that you were not trying to torture me, but you were trying to help me get back to my job as mother.  You told me that one day- not far off, I will make dinner again for my children and I will want to reach for the spaghetti sauce in my pantry.  You said I wouldn’t be able to reach for anything (not even my children) if I didn’t endure the pain now.   You told me the harder the work the better the reward.  You were right.I worked hard, I pushed, I cried, I tried, I quit, I tried again,  I screamed, I yelled, and I prayed over and over again.   Here I am on my 36th birthday surrounded by my five beautiful healthy children and protective husband.  My body works wonderfully.  I can reach for the sauce and I can do so much more.

Stephanie Nielson does hard things each day.

 

Nope. It Doesn’t Swipe

I headed to Home Depot to get paint for my top project on my list which is to paint my kitchen cabinets.  I got a quart of my paint mixed and headed to the checkout where I realized my debit card was left in my car.  I was too lazy to go outside to get it so I pulled out my Home Depot card and handed it to the lady as I told her it doesn’t swipe, never has.  Let me just stop here and explain that every time I tell someone that, it is as if they don’t believe me or they think they can get it to swipe.  So, she grabs my card and tries to swipe it.  It doesn’t swipe.  She tries it again and again and again and then I say, “Oh, it doesn’t swipe.”  After repeatedly causing excessive swiping damage to my card she agrees that is doesn’t swipe.  I think the video footage at Home Depot must show the smug look on my face   You know, the one that means “I told you so.”

 

The Beginnings of a Model

When you have a newborn and a mom that is a photographer, well that all adds up to Remi’s first photo shoot.  We all knew Friday was the day for the little five day old newborn to be enchanted in the talents and creativity that you only get at Britta Styers Photography ( currently based in Delta, Alaska).  Britta certainly captured the little princess in her colorful array of dreamy land.  Nicely done girls.

Leaving Ft. Greely

Time to go home, at least for three weeks when we go right back to Delta.  Remi looked cute and we had a little snuggle time.  Bret played Wet Head with Paige, Brecken and Hinckley.  Paige was so adorable and didn’t mind at all when the water poured all down her.  What a little trooper.  Micah, Hinckley and I had a beautiful drive home and he was so awesome in the back seat of Grammie’s car.

The Mud Hole

Boys will be boys and these cousins are just beginning many years of “shenanigans.”  I speak from experience of course as we always talk about the things the “cousins” did together many years ago.  Brecken and Hinckley spent a long time in this big puddle with their sticks and lots of mud.  They were sooooo dirty and they each had to take a shower. I don’t think Grammie helped much . . .I kept taking pictures and videoing the escapade.

 

The Downpour

Making memories on the 4th.  Mike, Bret and Devin went fishing.  Britta, Paige and Remi napped and Brooke, Micah and myself and the boys all went to the park to play.  We had fun and watched the thick, black thunderstorm clouds off in a distance.  Before long they were over us and at the first drop of rain we were going to head back.  There were only about three seconds between the drop and the downpour.  Brecken and Easton peddled back home getting completely drenched.  We grabbed the little ones and headed for the pavilion for some shelter.

Getting Acquainted

This brings back so many memories of Mike bringing the kids in to see me in the hospital.  They all wanted to hold their new brother or sister, then they got a little bored and asked their Dad if they were going to stop at McDonalds on the way home.    Every baby brought more little siblings in. . . baby Rhea had the largest gathering.  Today there were three . . .  Baby Remi didn’t seem to mind the cuddling nor the attention.

 

 

Order of Events

~Receive text at 7:24 am that the “kids are on their way” over to Devin and Brooke’s

~Bret and Britta arrive at the hospital in Fairbanks at about 8:00 am and find she is dilated to an 8.

~Receive text and picture at 11:02 am that Remi Lee was born and then proceed to teach my lesson.

~Leave church in Mike’s car because somehow??? my keys get locked in mine.

~Pack, leave, pick up my car, gas up, Subway up and head to Fairbanks.

~Arrive to see all the kids, Kent, Bret, Devin, Brooke and then head to the hospital.

~Phew.  What a great day!!!