Weekly update

So much for clever blogpost titles. Let's be realistic here - all you'll get from me are rare, and probably rambling, updates on the life and times of seven crazy Fishers.

Since my last post we have had some great times. We were able to enjoy a fun-filled weekend with Ben and Megan. On Saturday, the 23rd, we took them to see our new house in Canton (we closed on the house in April, but we are renting it back to the prior owners until June 1st so that their kids can finish out the school year before their move to California). We just saw the outside of it, but we did get to take them inside the library, which is very close and provided a good bathroom break and a chance for the kids to get super-excited about moving. It has one of the best children's libraries that I have ever seen and we plan to use it very very often! We went from there to Ypsilanti to drive around the Eastern Michigan campus, which is one place that Ben is considering going to grad school (obviously we think that would be great). We also went to Ann Arbor to see the football stadium at Michigan University (the largest college football stadium) and to see what a great town it is and grab some Panera lunch.

Somehow we did all that, made it back in time for soccer (and naps for the littles and Aunt Megan), and then still had plenty of time to take them shopping at our favorite mall - up in Troy, and go have dinner at Cosi and walk around in our favorite town in Michigan - Birmingham. It was a fun really packed day. The weather was beautiful and while the kids weren't perfect during all of the driving it was actually cool to be all smooshed together in the van.

Easter Sunday was pretty low-key and relaxing. We had some little baskets for the kids, but didn't do an egg hunt or anything this year (we miss the Hansens in New Hampshire! We have LOVED having Easter with them the past few years.) We had Ruth and Andrew and their family, Ben and Megan, Martha, and the missionaries over for a nice Easter dinner.

On Monday Nate and Ben were able to help Ruth and Andrew move most of their large furniture to their new home in Livonia. Then they went into Nate’s office in Detroit for Ben to meet with someone there about a possible job after he graduates. That went well – it looks like he has lots of great options. We know that Detroit isn’t their top choice destination, but we would love them to live closer! They flew out late that afternoon, and after coaching soccer that evening Nate flew out as well.

For most of that week we just focused on helping the Goughs get moved into their new house. Martha and I traded off helping move loads of stuff to their new place and staying at my place with the 9 kiddos.

By the end of the week we were able to get the Trenton house totally cleaned out and the Livonia house settled enough for them to stay there, and Nate had a meeting in Chicago on Friday so the big boys and I decided to go with him. Martha was willing to stay at our place and take care of the younger three. It was just a quick trip but we had lots of fun. We drove over Friday morning (Nate was supposed to get home Thursday night but his flight was cancelled, so we picked him up at the Detroit airport on Friday morning and hit the road). It is only about a 4-hour drive, and the weather was beautiful. We parked right under his building downtown and had lunch at a Chinese place there, and then the boys and I went out for a walk while he went to his meetings. We had spent lots of time at Millenium Park just a month before, so this time we hit their favorite spots on the Magnificent Mile (Lego store, Disney store, etc.) and then headed to the Navy Pier. We were able to catch some great sun for tree-climbing, see a fun marionette show at the free family stage, buy some cute souvenirs for the little ones who got left at home, and take some silly pictures by the Pirate ships. Nate joined us after his meetings and we rode the big swings and the ferris wheel (the picture is of Me, Isaac and Sam on the ferris wheel).

Then we took a quick cab ride back to Nate’s office (we were cutting it a bit close on time for our dinner reservation, and the boys had never ridden in a cab so they were very excited). We took the car up to Lincoln park to go to a fun restaurant up there called “RJ Grunts.” It was Nathan’s parents’ favorite place when they lived in Chicago just after they got married. We had a fun dinner there and then headed to our hotel where I relaxed and the 3 boys went swimming.

We had to get back for soccer on Saturday, so after breakfast at the hotel we hit the road. We had seen a large Bass Pro Shops on the way the day before, and we told the boys that we could stop for a bit, but unfortunately they weren’t open yet, and we didn’t want to wait, so we just played on the stuff outside and then headed home.
After soccer Nate and Andrew offered to stay home with kids while Ruth and I took Martha out for a girl’s night. We wanted to thank her for helping them move and watching our kids while we went to Chicago. We went to a fun Indian place near Ruth’s new house. They had heard good things about it and it was really good. We will have to go again soon.

On Sunday we had Grandpa Kirk’s yummy grilled chicken, and then Martha went home with Ruth and Andrew to spend the week there helping Ruth get more settled, as Andrew had to go back to work on Monday (he had the previous 11 days off for the move). Nate flew out Monday and the kids and I got back to the normal school grind, and got the house all put back together. On Thursday we had gorgeous weather so Martha and I took all of the kids to Greenfield Village. Other than that it was a pretty normal week. The boys each played 2 soccer games (and I think that we won all 4 games), Grace had soccer on Friday, the boys had Choi Kwang Do twice (and got two stripes, which is good), Sam had a cub scout cookout, Nate and I had a date, and we started on getting the garage ready to move. We are trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible, and get all organized for this move. I have the schedule planned out with a project or two each day from now until the 6th of June, when we officially hand over the keys to this house. If I stay on track it should be a pretty smooth process. Fortunately we got rid of quite a bit when we moved from New Hampshire.

We are hoping that this next week we will know for sure if we are going to Hong Kong or not, and whether or not Nate is going to take an offer with a different consulting firm. We also may have our tenants moving out of our house in New Hampshire, and we’ll find that out this week as well. Fortunately we have a great property manager there. All in all it should be a great week (except that Nate is spending tomorrow in North Carolina – where I have wanted to visit – and I’m not going! I could have, but it just didn’t seem worth it for a day, and we had too many commitments this weekend for us to go earlier. Oh well, another time.)

On a much sadder note, we got some horrible news this week about some of our dear friends from New Hampshire. Their oldest daughter, who is now 11, had a brain tumor when she was 2. She has been in remission for several years, but the tumor is back and the prognosis isn’t looking great. It has been hard to hear bits and pieces of what is going on and to be too far away to be much help. We are praying for a miracle, and sending our love. It is every mother’s fear, and to feel it so close is so hard. Sam and Isaac are both worried about their friends who are her little sisters. I’m so grateful for the gospel. It not only gives us perspective and peace, but it gives us a way to communicate about these things, and to help each other.

Happy Anniversary

Today is our twelfth anniversary. It is also my baby brother’s birthday (he turned 8 on our wedding day), Earth Day, and the second anniversary of Sam’s first lost tooth. Big day. We had a great, albeit a bit cold and rainy, day. Nate’s brother Ben and his wife Megan are here for a visit. Our kids absolutely adore Ben. He lived with us for a fun summer a couple of years ago, and he is their “Bennybuddy.” They have been counting down the days until this visit for weeks.

Today we took them to the Henry Ford Museum, and historic Greenfield Village. Then we went to the church for cub scouts, then my sweet sister Martha watched all of the kids so that the four of us could go out on a double date to our favorite restaurant in Mexicantown. (I know, a double date on your anniversary is a bit odd, but they are only here for one quick weekend!)

It was a really fun day, and though it wasn’t spent in a traditionally “anniversary-esque” manner, it was certainly a day in which I have been grateful beyond measure for my good fortune in having met and married such a wonderful man. He is such a great husband and father, and being loved by him has changed me in so many ways, all of them good.

While we were at the village today, he took Eli back to the car for an hour for a nap and so that he could take a conference call (Nate on the call, Eli on the nap, if that wasn’t clear). While he was gone we rode the train, walked through Thomas Edison’s laboratory, and rode the carousel. After we had been riding the carousel for about a minute I heard one of the kids yell “Daddy!” and I looked over and there he was. Standing on the side helping Eli wave to us as we went past. I hadn’t expected him to rejoin us so quickly (I’m not sure how he found us!) and so the sight was totally unexpected. I had seen him just an hour before, but my heart started beating faster and I wanted to jump off the carousel and join him so that we could talk. It’s always been that way. That is actually one of our favorite definitions of love – that no matter how much time you have together you always want more. I had wondered if it would fade, or change, over time. But, it hasn’t. There is nobody else I would rather spend time with. Everything is better when he is with me.

He works so hard to support our family, in so many ways. He is great at balancing all of the important roles in his life and never letting any of us feel neglected. He is completely loyal and trustworthy. He knows everything about me – I have never been able to be so open with someone – and I never have to worry about him saying or doing anything that would betray my trust. He would never belittle or criticize me to anyone. It is a feeling of true freedom, to know that I have nothing at all to hide from him, and that no matter what he loves me unconditionally.

He has a bit of a temper, he is a redhead after all, but he has never spoken to me in anger. Sometimes the debater in me wishes that he would! He certainly gets frustrated with me sometimes, but would never fight with me. He very calmly waits and organizes his thoughts and is always eager to hear “my side of the story.”

He is very smart, and knows so many things about an unending number of subjects, but can rarely remember how old he is or what day of the week it is. I think it is pretty cute. It makes me feel needed (somebody has to fill out all those forms!).

I think that the very best thing about him, and I guess about our relationship, is gratitude. He always acknowledges the things that I do, and thanks me, and I try to do the same. Even when I feel like I haven’t done much he will thank me for keeping the kids alive! He makes me feel like the things that I do are important, and noticed, and that I have talents. He loves to compliment me and is helping me learn how to accept compliments  I never feel like anything is more important to him than my happiness, and the well-being of our children.

I wish that I was a better writer and could really express the way that he makes me feel, but I do want him to know how very much I love him, and always will. Forever just isn’t nearly long enough.

Mom, you have to come see our "Callous"

It's a cross between a castle and a palace. If you were wondering.

Time for lessons

Grace is taking care of Eli while I do the breakfast dishes. When I went to check on them they both had tutus on and she was teaching him Ballet. "Now class, please watch while I show you how to twirl." Poor baby. He just wants to play with his cars.

Samuel and Isaac have wriggled out of late-morning schoolwork by promising to keep Jack occupied for a while. (He already opened three cake mixes and unloaded the basement freezer this morning, so I fell for it. I had to post his angelic face today to remind me that he really is too adorable to sell.) They have all donned "ninja" outfits and are practicing their moves. Apparently all you need to be a ninja is a large black shirt with something red tied around your waist.

For part of his English assignment this morning Isaac had to write what he would ask his favorite character if he could interview him. Of course, he chose Batman. (I should interject to mention that he has NEVER seen a Batman movie, or even a cartoon, he just likes to check out the comic books from the library and we printed out the wikipedia on Batman for him and he studies it every day). He likes the idea that he actually COULD grow up to be like Batman - as opposed to a super-hero with special powers. To be Batman you just have to be smart, strong and rich! Sounds good to me.

Here is an excerpt from his interview: "You have the bravest job in the world. How are you so quick? How do you save so greatly?"

Yes, I'm still here!

Yes, it has officially been well over 2 years since I posted on this blog. So much has happened since then. I’m not sure if I will ever be a faithful blogger, but I do want to post something of an update for our friends (as if anyone still checks here!) and also something to record our most recent wanderings.

Right around when I stopped posting we were getting into full-swing trek mode, and also making the decision to begin homeschooling our children. Needless to say those were both pretty consuming events. Trek was amazing, and almost two years later I still can’t believe it is over. It was the first time that our stake in New Hampshire had done a trek in over 13 years, and I got to help plan the whole thing. It was great to be a part of it. The people I served with were amazing and taught me so much. I hope that someday we will get to do another one.

Homeschooling has also been amazing for our family. We loved the school that Samuel attended for K-2, but these last 2 years at home have been really great – and really the right choice for us. We are so grateful to all of our home-schooling friends back in New England for answering our never-ending questions and letting us see how they do things. We are still figuring it all out, but we sure love it.

Almost a year ago we decided to move from New Hampshire to Michigan. It was something that we had been contemplating for some time – primarily just as a way to get closer to family. My sister Ruth and her family had been here for 2 years during her husband’s medical rotations, and were signing on for an additional 4 years here for residency. We were pretty flexible with where we could live for Nate’s job, and after 6 years in New England we were both feeling a little restless. Once we realized that we could rent out our house (instead of taking a huge loss on it), it was clear to both of us that it would be a good move.

It has been good for us in many ways, and there hasn’t been a single day that we doubted that we made the right choice, but we really miss New Hampshire. I can’t express how much I miss our friends there, and all of the wonderful youth that I love so much. I honestly haven’t been good about communicating with anyone there, mostly because it is just too hard for me. I miss them too much.

But, life here is great. We have really loved living so close to my sister Ruth, and now my sister Martha is staying with us for a while so it is doubly great. We just bought a new house here and are excited to move into it and settle into our new ward. The ward we have been in for the last year has been interesting – it is fairly transient because of all of the medical students and residents – but we have made some good friends here. Our new ward is in the same stake, but looks to be more traditional and stable.

The kids are all growing like weeds. I’ll give some quick updates:

Samuel is 9, and still playing the violin and piano, doing soccer and karate (actually “Choi Kwang Do”), and loves cub scouts. He is a voracious reader, and knows more about American History than I do (he likes to correct me when I mess up facts about the early Presidents). He doesn’t love spelling, and complains about chores, but I suppose that is to be expected at this age. He is a huge help with the little kids, and is Isaac’s best buddy. He loves to ride his ripstick and his bike, and hates to get his hair cut. He still has a great memory, and recently learned the First Article of Faith in Spanish. He is becoming a great cook, and is really good at following a recipe.

Isaac is 7, and he does all the same activities as Samuel, except for playing the cello instead of the violin. He has always loved school, but lately he feels that it gets in the way of the more important things he would like to do (this week that includes reading about Batman). He loves Math and would do it all day if I let him. He has the most infectious giggle, especially when he is reading Calvin and Hobbes. He wants to build robots when he grows up and every day he thinks of a new kind of robot that I need, which he will build me someday (these include cleaning and shopping and driving robots, as well as robots that will suck mascara out of my eye). He recently announced that he will be so busy building robots that he will not have time to get married or have kids – we are hoping that he changes his mind about that.

Grace is 5, and already has a husband picked out for herself and names for her kids, so a whole different set of worries there! She recently lost her two front bottom teeth and has a really adorable lisp right now. She is the queen of one-liners at our house (Nate started a twitter account to capture them). It is hard to remember that she is only 5 because she is really tall and has a more extensive vocabulary than most 5-year-olds. She loves to ask questions and to help with everything. She is a great balance of tough and feminine.

Jack is 3, which is a hard age for me. He is sweet but is also hard to occupy with things that don’t cause huge messes. He is also my only “mama’s boy” and doesn’t like me to leave. I usually let him sleep with me when Nate is out of town, which has only been making this worse. He is clever and very independent – like Sam – and is better at dressing himself than Isaac is. He doesn’t like toys very much, and usually just wants to be doing whatever I am doing. He loves nursery, especially singing time, and loves to lead the music at FHE.

Eli is 1, and is the perfect baby. He has a very sweet disposition and loves everyone. He is a great eater, a great sleeper, and always has a big smile on his face. He usually refuses to say Mama, but other than that I can’t complain. I’m so glad that we have him.

Nate is still working with KPMG, but we never know for sure what is on the horizon. He gets frequent calls from head-hunters, so we are constantly wondering when is the right time for a career shift. He is also being considered for an overseas position (with KPMG), so there is a chance that we will be moving to China (Hong Kong) for 18-24 months. We won’t know anything for sure for about another month, but it could be very exciting! Never a dull moment around here!

I just keep things running. A mother’s life is all about the moments. The majority of my time is spent doing things that will have to be done again tomorrow – laundry, cooking, cleaning, diaper changing, grocery shopping, bathing kids, teaching kids, etc. But, it is never the same. The moments are not all sweet, but they are all so important, and they just fly by. I can’t believe that Samuel’s childhood is half over. How can that be when I still haven’t figured out how to be his Mom correctly!? The days fly by, and I don’t do a good job of recording them, but we try to do a good job of living them.

It is all about balance – isn’t it! How and where to spend our time, our money, our thoughts. Good, better, best. I’ve never been really great with consistency and/or rituals, but I find that it is truly the key to good parenting. Kids need to know what they can expect from you, and what you expect from them.

If anyone does read this, I hope that you all know that we are here and that we love you. We have an amazing family of loved ones and friends all over the country, and we are grateful for all of you.

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the way it permeates my life and gives me direction and purpose. I am grateful that even when my path is unclear, and I am nervous about the future, I can have faith that “all these things shall give [me] experience, and shall be for [my] good.”

I've been tagged!

Here are the rules:

1. Go to your documents/pictures.
2. Go to your 6th file.
3. Go to your 6th picture.
4. Blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people to do the same.
6. So here we go...

This was taken in Orlando in February of 2007. I love this picture because it is a good representation of one of the differences between Samuel and Isaac. Samuel is a daredevil - no fear - will try anything - just swinging along having a great time - posing for the camera - come what may (and love it!). Isaac is looking ahead - thinking about his arms getting tired - calculating the distance to the ground - checking for sharp objects below - planning his "soft landing" - deciding not to play on the high rings again anytime soon.

Thanks for the tag, Mary! Most people I know have already done this or been tagged for this, so I tag anyone who wants to do it.

Where did January go?

Not that I am complaining - we are that much closer to Spring! We have settled nicely into our new/old routine with Nate leaving every Monday morning and getting home every Thursday night. We LOVE this schedule, and he is working on a project he loves with a great client. So, things are good.

The end of January was a blur with getting ready for the Trek kickoff fireside (which went really well) and then general business last week. We had a great weekend. Having Nate home on Friday was wonderful - I teach a class on Friday afternoons and it was so nice to have him here to manage the kiddos (and he even baked cookies during class so that we ended with a nice warm snack. Mmmm.) Then we enjoyed a great family movie night on Friday night. We watched "The Music Man" - which I hadn't seen for at least 10 years. The kids loved it and were all marching around with the band by the end.

Saturday we got up early for Nate's church basketball game, then went shopping together for new boots for Sam (he lost one in a snowdrift and after much searching we have accepted the fact that we will not see it until Spring!) and for groceries. I'm always amazed how much more expensive a trip to the store is if I take Nate! The kids are pretty good about accepting it when I say "We don't need that this week" but it is harder to say that to the man who is making the money!

I stayed home with the little ones while Nate took Sam to basketball - his game was right at naptime this week so we thought it would be best not to take everyone. While they were gone a friend of ours called to say that they had a pair of tickets to the Boston Symphony that night that they couldn't use and would we like them. Of course I said yes! and quickly found a babysitter! So, Saturday night was our first visit to Boston's Symphony Hall. We had a wonderful evening together and I really enjoyed the performance - honestly, even more than I expected. They were performing a Verdi Opera - "Simone Boccanegra" and were joined by a number of excellent singers and a full choir. It was really neat. I was worried about understanding exactly what was going on (only having read a brief synopsis of the story), but fortunately they had English "supertitles" - projected on a little black screen above the stage (is that normal for operas? if so, I will be much more likely to go).

Sunday was a wonderful Fast Sunday - and the first time this year that I was able to attend all 3 meetings in my own ward, which was lovely! We enjoyed "the big game" on Sunday afternoon - which at our house was a rousing Connect Four tournament (yes there were brackets and playoffs). Samuel was victorious! We did make a football cake for dessert - we had seen one at the bakery at the grocery store the day before and decided that we could recreate it at home. It was really fun to bake with the kids and not be worried about how it turned out because it was just for us! (Although, it turned out really cute so it would have been fine for company too! I should have taken pictures!)

We had a great Family Night (now that Nate is traveling again we do that on Sunday evenings), and a relaxing evening cleaning up together and reading after the kiddos were asleep. Nate's phone alarm didn't go off for some reason on Monday morning, but he was able to catch a flight an hour later so it was fine.

I had a good day yesterday - with a good, deep conversation with a dear friend that now has me examining much of what I am doing with my life (particularly in relation to my mothering and my calling). Nothing major, but I think that it is good to continually examine our lives and where we can improve.

In other news ...

Isaac is really enjoying preschool at the Parker's house. His handwriting is improving immensely.

Grace has become so independent. She is very helpful and sweet. I think that the terrible-twos are over! (She turns three on the 18th!) A good illustration - I often tease the children when they say "I'm thirsty" (or hungry, or tired, or whatever) by saying "Hi Thirsty! I'm Mom!" (or Hi Hungry, or Tired, or Whatever). Sam just rolls his eyes, but Isaac gets mad and stomps his foot and says "Moooooom!" So, I did it to Grace on Saturday as we were getting out of the car and she replied very calmly "Mom, my NAME is not thirsty. My name is Grace. Grace is thirsty." It was so cute and matter-of-fact. She was so filled with patience for this silly Mom who clearly just doesn't get it!

Jonas has more officially become "Jack" at our house. He shows a preference for the name and responds much faster when we call him that. Nate has called him Jack his whole life, but it took me longer to come around (I love both names). The last few days the kids will correct me if I call him Jonas instead of Jack, it is cute. Isaac calls him "Jack, Jack attack!"

Nate brought a big box of toys down from the attic for us to sort through this week - and it has been like Christmas at our house. They have "rediscovered" some old things that they are loving (and I am loving the big basement playroom so that I don't have to see the mess!).

The White Stuff

We have plenty of it. Snow that is. Another big storm yesterday - church was cancelled again. It wasn't near as nice without Nate here to bless the sacrament for us. I was supposed to have a full day of meetings in Lowell beginning at 7:30 am for their ward conference. I had decided at the last minute not to take the children because they all had colds and both Jonas and Grace had coughed so hard they threw up in the previous 12 hours. I was SO glad that I didn't, because the roads were HORRIBLE. I was sliding around even in my big SUV with 4-wheel drive. Just as I was exiting the freeway in Lowell I got a call that everything was cancelled. So I turned around and headed back home. We had one of our meetings that afternoon via conference call. It was a productive meeting, but I am afraid that I still haven't mastered appropriate conference call etiquette - I always talk too much. I need eye contact and nonverbal signals people!

The boys are loving the snow. They have been making trails for their sleds and snowboards in the yard all day. I was even able to successfully plow the driveway alone! This was my second attempt at using the snowblower alone. My first attempt was about three years ago and it did not end well for anyone but the Sears repairman!

Catch-up post #2 - Uncle Bennybuddy returns from Kyrgyzstan / The ice storm!

Ben flew into New York City on December 9. We were supposed to pick him up there and spend a couple of days in the city (one of my favorite places), but Nate ended up spending that week participating in an Executive Education program at Yale. It was a great opportunity, but bad timing. So, Ben spent his first night back in America with a friend in New York and then took the crazy China bus up to Boston. The younger 3 and I picked him up at South Station around 1:00. Isaac was so excited to see him! He had prayed every single day for Ben to "come home safely" and had been faithfully counting down the days to his arrival. He talked nonstop the whole way home, and Ben and I finally gave up on having any real conversation.

Ben spent the night with us that night, and then as soon as Samuel got on the bus the next morning I took Ben down to Lora's house. When we got there Lora took us to the neatest grocery store. It is an Armenian grocery store in Watertown (at least I'm pretty sure that we were still in Watertown, it may have been Cambridge). It was called Russo's or something like that. It was really cool. More fresh produce than I have ever seen anywhere - every variety of EVERYTHING and so brightly colored and really FRESH. Decent prices too. They also had all kinds of unique Armenian treats, and huge cheese counter (which Nate is excited to visit some day), a fantastic looking bakery, etc. Lora is in a little bit of trouble for waiting this long to share this information with us! But, it was really neat. We got some great produce and also some delectable gingerbread boys dipped in dark chocolate (Isaac's choice). They also had "chocolate oranges" there, which we like to put in stockings. I had seen orange and raspberry before, but they had orange, mint, almond and toffee. I got one of each and boy were they good (we just finished the last of them!)

We let Ben spend the rest of Thursday and Friday in Boston with Lora. Thursday night is when the big ice storm hit. Our power went out around 8:00 that night. The kids were already asleep, and our modem has a battery back-up so I was able to use the phone and Internet for a while to talk to Nate and do some Amazon shopping. I was sure that when we woke up it would be back on. However, we woke up to no power and the battery back-up had died, so we had no contact with the outside world (I lost my cell phone on November 13th and didn't replace it until January, and our home phone is voiceoverIP, so even the old cheap handset didn't work). I just kept thinking that surely the power would come back soon - it really didn't look that bad outside - so I didn't make the effort to go somewhere to call Nate. Sam and I sat out in the car and listened to the radio long enough to confirm that school was indeed cancelled, gave the children a quick lesson about never opening the refrigerator or any doors when the power is out, and opened all of the curtains and blinds to let the light in.

We proceeded to have the most AMAZING day. Samuel and Isaac were so creative in coming up with fun things to do with no power. They read stories, built castles, played with toys that hadn't been used for ages, etc. I couldn't talk on the phone or check my email, and we didn't even turn the laptop on because I wanted to conserve the battery. We ate peanut butter and jelly and I managed to clean my whole house, and fold and put away every stitch of laundry (fortunately I had washed it all the day before - what a blessing!). I couldn't vacuum or run the dishwasher, and we had no hot water for showers or cleaning, but every single thing in the whole house was put right where it belonged, the guest room and office were perfectly ready for guests, and it was such a calm, quiet, peaceful day. Around 4:30 it was starting to get dark and we were getting a little bit restless. We had already planned to head down to Boston to attend Lora's Christmas Concert (with her Relief Society) and to pick up Ben and Nate (he was taking the train into Boston). I also figured that Nate was probably concerned about the fact that he wouldn't have been able to reach us all day (he did know the power had gone out the night before, so I wasn't too concerned). We stopped at a gas station so that I could use the pay phone to call Nate and Lora (I can't remember the last time I used a pay phone!). We got some dinner at the McDonald's drive-thru and headed down.

Poor little Isaac experienced his first headache that night. He was just so sweet about it - but I really felt bad for him. We had gone to Lora's house to change into our nice clothes for the concert (the kids looked so cute in their Christmas sweaters and dress - I should have taken pictures). As we were getting out coats on he told me that his head hurt, and he was just being really still and quiet (not normal for him). I was holding his hand on the way out to the car and he looked up at me with a tear rolling down his face and said "my head REALLY hurts." By the time we left the house he was sobbing. I was trying to explain to him how crying makes it worse (I have vivid memories of my Dad trying to explain the same thing to me - I have always had frequent headaches - and KNOWING that he was right but still feeling unable to stop crying!) I didn't have any children's Tylenol, so we stopped at a Star Market and Ben stayed in the car with the little ones while Sam and I ran in. They only had liquid - which I knew he would NOT take, so I had to ask the pharmacist if I could give him a Tylenol Jr. dissolvable - even though he is only 4 - she said yes, thank goodness! He usually doesn't mind the chewables, but he was so distraught and worked up that he wouldn't take it. I had to hold my hand over his mouth until it dissolved. Horrible - but it worked. By the time we got to the concert he was calm and sleepy - I carried him in and he was fine the rest of the night.

Oh - I forgot to mention the BEST part of the power outage! That morning I had remembered that these ice storms (or for us about ANY kind of storm) can be accompanied by flooding in our basement. We sit right on the water table so any kind of big downpour or melting and we get water. Luckily, we installed a sump pump a couple of years ago and haven't had any problems since - but, sump pumps need ELECTRICITY!!! So, I checked first thing and we did have a little puddle forming around the pump. I picked up anything on the floor that was electronic or could be harmed by water, and hoped for the best. An hour later I went down to check on it and there was an inch of standing water in the whole basement. I didn't know what to do. We had purchased a generator at a garage sale right after we bought the house, but it had turned out to be worth less than the cost to fix it, and we hadn't gotten around to buying a new one. I did try to run an extension cord from the pump to my car - but it just wasn't powerful enough to run it (I was nervous about doing it - what with all of the water and not knowing if I was going to hurt the car. I gave Sam a little lecture about electrocution, made him keep all the kids on the other end of the house, and told him to run to the neighbor's house and call 911 if I was unconscious :) Everything was fine, but I probably spooked him a little!)

Anyway, by the time we all got home that night (with Nate and Ben now) there was a full 4 inches of water in the basement. We built a fire in the fireplace and went to sleep not exactly sure what to do about it. Ruth and Andrew arrived for a short visit before they flew to London the next day and we felt AWFUL that not only was it cold but we couldn't even offer them a hot shower! They were good sports about it and we went to the mall for breakfast and to let the kids run around and play. That morning Nate went to our next door neighbor and asked if he would mind if we plugged our pump into his generator for a little while. We couldn't believe we hadn't thought of it before! He was super helpful and willing - he is a great neighbor - and an hour later the water was all gone. After dropping the Gough's off at the Boston airport Nate went and bought a generator that day (we were really lucky to find one pretty easily - he only had to wait for a couple of hours. There were people driving for hours or standing in line all day to try to get one. Every store was out and you had to get on a list and camp out until the next shipment arrived, it was crazy.)

The kids and Ben and I picked up Martha from the airport, went grocery shopping, and picked up pizza to eat in front of the fire at home. I put the kids to bed under mountains of blankets (the house was really getting cold by the third day) but Nate was home soon with the generator and suddenly we had heat, hot water, and about half of the lights and outlets (still no dishwasher, stove/oven or washer/dryer but the refrigerator worked so we were in great shape). Luckily the previous owners had wired the house for the generator, so we just had to plug it in and switch things over.

We had a great evening playing cards in front of the fire and making cobbler in the dutch oven. We went to church the next day and had a great meeting - only a few people in the ward had power but most everyone had a generator. It was great to see everyone coming together to help each other. the big concern becomes pipes freezing - so even if someone has a warm place to go stay they can't just leave their homes without heat. So, some people were swapping generators hack and forth to avoid that. As far as I know everyone made it through without major damage. Our power came back on Monday, but some people in our ward went another full week without power! There were power lines and even poles down EVERYWHERE it was really crazy.

The rest of Ben's visit is a little bit of a blur to me now - I know that he and Martha went to Boston on Monday and that he left on Thursday. We were so sad to have him leave and know that we won't see him again until April. He is so great with the kids and we just loved having him live with us over the summer. However, saying goodbye was made a little easier by the arrival of Grandma Cherie, Grandpa Kirk and UNCLE JOEY the next morning (it was supposed to be the same day, but they got stuck in DC overnight). Christmas officially began with their arrival, and we had a wonderful two weeks filled with family, baking, shopping, presents and lots of fun!

Catch-up post #1 - Thanksgiving

Best quote of the week ...

Just after crossing the bridge from Canada
Samuel: "What's that smell"
Nathan and I simultaneously: "Detroit"

Honestly though, we enjoyed Detroit. We didn't go downtown really, and so I can't say that it doesn't deserve its reputation, but we had a great time. We drove out the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I would have preferred to leave on Friday right after school, but Samuel was really excited about attending the Basketball Jamboree on Saturday morning (they have the High School team come and teach the younger kids all of the rules of basketball and get them all excited about the season). So, he went to that and then we got on the road at about 11:30 AM.

The trip went well- we love road trips. There were a few minor issues. One is that we really need a new car. I still LOVE my Explorer, and it is running great and still looks fine, but we have just outgrown it. We added a third row a few years ago, so we have 8 seat belts, but now that we have four kids we HAVE to use all three rows to fit us all, and that leaves very little luggage space. So, it was pretty crowded. Nate really wants to trade it in on a minivan. I'm almost sold, but not quite.

We also had a really annoying 15 minutes in Buffalo, NY. First I got a speeding ticket (well deserved, but certainly undesirable). Then, we pulled off for gas and I nursed the baby, after which he promptly threw up ALL over me and my seat. So, then I'm stripping him down and washing him off with wipes and Nate is rummaging through luggage looking for clothes for him and keeps opening the doors and it is FREEZING (poor naked baby!) Also, I've got to say that judging from the 10 minutes we spent there Buffalo is one weird place.

Luckily, once he was in warm clothes and back in his seat the baby went to sleep for the rest of the drive. We had a little bit of fun as we neared the Canadian border. The fastest way from our house in New Hampshire to Ruth's house in Detroit is to cut through Canada for a couple of hours. I am never quite sure which way the GPS will lead us, so I printed off the directions for the way we wanted to go before we left. This was good, because when it came time to leave the I-90 and head up to the border the GPS was saying to stay on I-90. So, we turned off anyway and figured that it would soon adjust the route. So, for the next 30 minutes or so it would tell us to get off every single exit (to turn around). The time to reach the destination kept getting longer and longer. We were just laughing at the poor thing, and fully expecting it to finally get the hint that we were NOT turning around. Nate wondered if it didn't have a map of Canada, but I was sure that it would. However, as soon as we got on the bridge it said, "You have left the map." For the next couple of hours we did not exist. I guess that is what you get for buying a cheap GPS :) (luckily, most of our driving is in the good old USA, and it works great here).

Ruth and Andrew and their children were so welcoming and we had a wonderful stay there. We played Wii, shopped, and enjoyed a marvelous Thanksgiving dinner. Other than the disastrous pumpkin pie (stay away from organic canned pumpkin) it was so delicious. It was great to do all of the cooking together and then not have to stress about having everything done at a certain time or cleaning up and getting ready for company. It was just us.

We were so inspired by the cute playroom that they had set up in their unfinished basement that we left a day earlier determined to finish a playroom in our basement. Work on that is ongoing (more to come), but the kids keep reminding us to make it "cool like Noah's!" We also fell in love with Benjamin's high chair, and sweet Andrew braved the crowds on Black Friday AM to score us a great deal on one (and to get his wife a totally sweet Christmas surprise). Thanks again, Andrew! Ruth and I originally had big plans to go Black Friday shopping (I have never done it), but we bailed (sleep is good too - and cheaper).

All in all it was a marvelous Thanksgiving - and it was wonderful to spend it with family. It is funny that we think that a 13-hour drive is "living close to each other" but for us it is. The other day Sam pointed out that they came here in October, we went there in November, and they came here in December, so he wanted to know which day in January we were going to Michigan! Unfortunately that isn't in the cards, but we do plan to go for winter break (the last week in February). So get ready Goughs - here we come again! And thank you for hosting such a wonderful Thanksgiving!

(Ruth, did you take pictures? I can't remember. If you did will you send them to me? Thanks!)

A few pics

I am notoriously bad about taking and/or posting pictures. But here are a few (mostly courtesy of my 7-year-old who has a nicer camera than me and actually takes pictures!)

A princess with a power tool. Classic Grace. Her mother loves and nurtures her feminine side, and she loves anything princess - but, let's face it, she is growing up in a house full of boys. She loves to wrestle, play with trucks and balls, and even use tools. (At least the tool matches her dress!)

In Christmas PJs, freshly opened on Christmas Eve. The ones in red are my kids (me with my penchant for everything-matching), and the other three are my sister Ruth's children. They were a fun bunch on Christmas morning.

Samuel as a shepherd in the nativity. Not the best quality photo (that's what you get when I'm behind the camera), but I just can't get over how old he is getting. He will be turning 8 and getting baptized in August. Wow.

Jonas' first haircut. In the sink at home. Dad wielding the clippers. He didn't mind it too much, and I was shocked at how much hair came off - he didn't seem to have much, but the mullet had to go. I am also still getting used to how much older he looks. He isn't a baby anymore. He has been my "baby" for longer than any of the others - I think because he retained his small size and fragility (due mostly to being sick for so long).

This is part of our backyard, blanketed in snow after one of the first snowfalls. It is beautiful and peaceful, and I sure love the way that winter LOOKS (I just don't like the way it FEELS. Bbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrr!)

"The time has come" the walrus said

I have been patiently waiting for that magical day, free from any commitments or distractions, when I would sit and update every last detail of the past two months. I give up.

Actually - that day came last Sunday. What was supposed to be a long day chock full of meetings became 24 hours snuggled up at home watching the snow blanket New Hampshire. Everything, even our regular church meeting, was cancelled. But, instead of updating my blog I snuggled my kids, watched "The Testaments," had our own church meeting, made cookies (and ate most of them myself) and spent a large part of the day doing a large jigsaw puzzle (which Nathan declared to be a colossal waste of time, but I relished - how often do I have time to do that? Pretty much never. It was bliss.)

So, I am going to try to jump back on the bandwagon little by little. I certainly want to go back and record a little bit about the past two months, but I also don't want my "need" to do that to continue to stop me from posting new stuff.

As a reminder to myself, I would like to post about:
1. Thanksgiving
2. A visit from Uncle "Bennybuddy"
3. Finishing the basement
4. Family and Christmas!!!
5. New York City at Christmas!!!

We are all doing well. Nathan leaves tomorrow to escort his Grandfather to the inauguration. He will be gone for 8 days and 7 nights, which I am not looking forward to, but it will be a neat experience for him. Jonas turned 1 earlier this month (I will post photos - we actually took some!) and he has managed to climb back up onto the growth chart (up to 3% hooray!), but he still can't swallow any solid food, so he is seeing an ENT specialist later this month and having an evaluation for speech/swallow therapy.

I have had company or Nathan home everyday since Dec. 12, literally a whole month now, so tomorrow will be a big adjustment. In some ways it will be good to be back to my own routine, but I will be lonely. Luckily, Nate's sister Lora is going to come hang out with us this weekend, and help with the kids during my Sunday meetings.

We had a wonderful 2008 and look forward to a great 2009. We have some big goals, and hopefully if we aim for the sun we will at least hit the stars, right?

Here are the birthday photos:

He really enjoyed his presents. Thank you Grandmas!

He LOVED the candle!

"What am I supposed to do with this??"

"Aahhh, now I see! This is great!"

Grace displaying her blue tongue (from all of the blue dye in the frosting of the not-at-all-homemade cake I bought at the grocery store)

Too long

Once again, it has been too long since my last post (I told you I wasn't good at journals, right?), So, this will be a quick summary, and I intend to follow up with some details and pictures.

So, the 20-24 of October was pretty average but we kept busy getting ready for Ruth and her kids to arrive. I knew that it would be hard to get out and do anything once I was a mother-to-seven-kids-under-7 for 5 whole days (actually Sam turned 7 a couple of months ago, but it sounds cooler to say 7-under-7), and we weren't sure how long they would be staying, so I tried to pack all of the errands/meetings/etc. into the week before.

So, that Thursday was crazy busy, and Ruth and her kids arrived on Friday. It was great to see them, and we enjoyed visiting with her. On Saturday we had a Super-Saturday activity in the morning. Ruth came to help me with the massive project I had signed up for, and we took the 6 younger kids and put them in the nursery. Sam and Nate did "manly" stuff - they went to the dump and Home Depot and mowed the lawn. Then we ran home and dumped off the kids and I drove Ruth to the airport (with no kids, because I was going straight to the church for meetings after I dropped her off). A whole hour to visit with my sister with no kids interrupting, it was great! Nate did a great job watching all 7 kids and putting them to bed while I went to a bunch of meetings (including our first trek council meeting, which was great) and chaperoned a Stake Halloween Dance.

On Sunday Nate had early meetings, so I knew that I was on my own getting everybody ready and off to church. Luckily we have late church this year (1:00 PM), so I had plenty of time. I started early and got the older 5 bathed while the babies napped. The girls got cute matching hairdos (I will post pics). We managed to get there EARLY and even survived Sacrament meeting! It helped that it was the Primary Program. Samuel and Isaac did a great job on their parts and sang the songs well. But, Isaac's friend Jaren stole the show. He was the cutest little sunbeam singing his heart out. He was so loud and funny. We were all laughing so hard. Our bishop's wife was sitting next to him and she couldn't keep a straight face.

The next three days went pretty well. We stayed home and I just tried to keep the mess from getting too out of control. We played with play dough, made cards for Ruth and Andrew, and got our Halloween costumes ready. On Tuesday night we went to the ward Trunk-or-Treat (actually our ward calls it the "Fall Festival" and the first hour is a carnival in the gym). Everybody had a good time, and the kids were very polite. They each got to eat one treat and we put the rest into a huge bowl (when you have 5 kids trick-or-treating you get way too much candy). On Tuesday Samuel only had a half-day of school, and I was watching Anna for most of the day, so I had 8-kids-under-8 underfoot. It was a L-O-N-G day. And a stinky day. In every sense of the word. But, as they all do, it came to an end and the next day was great. Ruth got home, I took my final (my-last-final-exam-of-my-undergraduate-career, that final). It is such a nice feeling to have it over and done. Actually, if I failed it then it isn't over and done, so here's hoping :)

That Friday was Halloween. As the room mother I was in charge of Samuel's school party. Nate had a meeting in the morning and was then home for the rest of the day, so he stayed home with the 4 youngest kids and Ruth and I took Isaac and Noah in for the Halloween parade and party. It turned out great - we had good treats and played bingo for prizes. The kids and the teacher thought that my meager attempt at decorating was cute and I left feeling like an okay room mother. Samuel said the kids all loved it. That night we did the normal trick-or-treating (with a little bit of extra fun - thanks Emma), and everybody had a good time. This year I told our kids that we weren't buying new costumes - we have plenty of dress-ups so there were options for all of them. The boys weren't entirely sold until I told them that if they wanted to they could choose 3 different costumes and wear one to the ward party, one to the school party, and one trick-or-treating. They thought that was great. So, Samuel was Picachu for the ward party (a hand-me-down from the neighbors), Stitch for school, and a Red Sox player for trick-or-treating (He came up with that about 15 minutes before we left, and he was so adorable in his jersey, baseball pants, and cap. He got more compliments on his costume than any of the other kids). Isaac was a prince for all three (Grace needed an escort), but he was the "knight-in-shining-armor" prince for the church and school parties and a blue and gold hand-me-down prince costume for trick-or-treating. Grace was a princess. She was beautiful. For trick-or-treating I put a little makeup on her. Nate wasn't mad, but I don't think that he was wild about it. She LOVED it. I love having a daughter! Jonas was a jack-o-lantern, but he only got dressed up for the church party (he slept through the rest). Ruth took pictures of the kids on Halloween night, as soon as she emails them to me I'll post them.

The next day, Saturday Nov. 1, was definitely the highlight. Nate and Samuel went to a Young Men service project in the morning and then we went on THE BIG DATE. Actually 4-dates-in-one. About a year ago I started craving The Melting Pot, which is a great fondue restaurant. We wanted to go, but it is expensive, so we thought we should go for something special. Once we survived the holidays and the baby being born we decided that we would go for Valentine's Day. We ended up spending Valentine's Day in the PICU of Massachusetts General Children's Hospital, and the next 2 months home with a baby who we were trying to shield from germs. Needless to say, that didn't happen. So, we decided to go for our anniversary in April. We had a Relief Society service project and Stake Priesthood meeting that weekend, so we moved it back a week. Then, on Sunday morning, we got a call from Nate's Mom telling us that his Grandma had just passed away. It was Spring Break that week, and we found an amazing deal on tickets, so we all went out to Idaho for the whole week for the funeral. We thought about going out there (there is a Melting Pot in Boise, and we would have free babysitting), but we ended up deciding to spend the weekend with family. After we got home we decided to go for my birthday the next month, but I also wanted some extra motivation to finish my degree, and I was SO close, so I told Nate that we couldn't go until I was done. I thought I could finish in 2 months. One month later I was called to be the Stake Young Women's President, and we both agreed that the degree would have to be put on the back burner for a while. Here it is November and I FINALLY finished. I had some extra incentive because my brilliant baby sister is graduating in December (just two-and-a-half-years after graduating from High School) and we are getting the same degree (BS in Psychology) from the same University (BYU) so I had to hurry and finish so that our diplomas would have the same date on them. (We'll try to forget about the fact that I am almost 9 years older than she is!). Anyway, I finally finished, and Ruth was available to babysit for FREE so we decided to go even before the score came back (worst case I have to retake the final). It was the best date EVER. We left the house after lunch, at about 1:30. We went to the temple and did sealings (which I think is so romantic, I love doing sealings and we only end up doing it about once a year, we usually just do a session). It was wonderful. Then we went to the Burlington Mall, which is my favorite mall. They have Nordstrom's, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and great pretzels - what else could you need?! We found a great suit for Nate, a PERFECT Christmas dress for Grace, and we browsed through every store we wanted, for as long as we wanted. without worrying that the kids were going to break something. It was heaven. The best part was that we bought NOTHING (except the pretzels). No buyer's remorse. Although we found several things that we want to buy and will be shopping for deals on.

Then we went to The Melting Pot. Seriously, my favorite restaurant in the world. So romantic. So delicious. Great atmosphere. I hear the wine list is great, if you're into that, and they offered to make any of their specialty drinks non-alcoholic (which is rare out here). In honor of our 4 celebrations (Valentine's/Anniversary/Birthday/Graduation) we ordered all four courses (Cheese Fondue/Salad/Meat and Vegetable Fondue/Chocolate Fondue). It was all AMAZING. So good. And we had the best private booth - it was set up with a corner bench so that you could sit really close and the separating walls go all the way up to the ceiling so that you can't see anybody but your hot date (It sounds claustrophobic but it is not. Seriously great design.). The whole restaurant isn't like that, you can do groups there, but if you tell them that it is a special date (which Nate did when he made the reservation - good man) then you get a special romantic booth. It was perfect.

When we got home Ruth had the house all clean and the kids all sound asleep in their beds. It was heaven. We talked to her for a while, then we put on a movie (Ocean's 11 - we love it and hadn't watched it for a long time and they were playing some of the music from it at the restaurant). I lasted for about 20 minutes, and I don't think Nate finished it either. But, falling asleep together on the couch is a pretty great way to end a date (unless you aren't married, then I don't advise it - especially if you are at your parent's house and your Mom comes down and finds you that way - awkward - and embarrassing - not that I'm speaking from experience or anything).

So this post is way too long now, and that pretty much gets us up to date. Ruth left early Monday morning and today I voted (hooray!) and took the boys to the dentist (no cavities - hooray!). The rest of the week is packed with meetings and activities, but the countdown to guest time is on, so I've got to get to work. In exactly 5 weeks our first guest arrives and then we have non-stop company for 4.5 weeks. The peak is the week between Christmas and New Year's when we will have 20 people staying here. I am so excited, but I am also determined to have my house deep-cleaned and organized before that happens (you know those drawers and closets that need attention, and don't get me started on the basement). So, wish me luck. One of the weeks we will be in Michigan for Thanksgiving, so we really only have 4 weeks. I'll keep you posted. (Don't worry - I have a special notebook with my "project plan" - cue Nate's bemused laughter - now I just have to follow through!)

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is my first link for a giveaway - but this lady makes darling stuff in Grace's size - and I would love to win her giveaway. Check it out!

Thank you Grandma Cherie!

Can you believe that I am posting AGAIN today? I can't! But, our package from Grandma finally arrived and it was definitely worth waiting for. The kids were so excited to find the adorable Halloween shirts and baskets for collecting treats. We had to take some pictures.

I told them to "put their heads together" and this is what I got.

I'm not sure what Grace was contemplating so seriously.

He would smile at his brothers, but not at the camera. I should add a note about the pumpkins - they are each "posing" with their shirt from Grandma on (Jonas' shirt lights up - the ghost has flashing red lights), their treat basket from Grandma, and the pumpkin they picked out last week. You will note that Sam insisted on their pumpkins being appropriately sized, meaning that Mom and Dad's is the biggest, then Sam's, then Isaac's, then Grace's, then Jonas'. The kids all went along with this as though they would never have thought otherwise. As a result, Jonas ended up with a tiny little thing that would normally be destined for a centerpiece. But, he likes it :)

Grace was laughing at Sam jumping up and down behind me. She got the cute pants and hair bangles from Grandma as well (you can't really see the hair thing, so you will have to trust me that it is cute!)

Isaac was "drumming" his pumpkin. Isaac picked one of the ugliest pumpkins I have seen in a while. He loved that it had some red in it (orange and red are his favorite colors). It is bumpy and odd, but I hear that this type are great for cooking.

My Sam - being himself. Gotta love him. The bat on his shirt glows in the dark.

The audience!

I was just reminded by two insistent children that I forgot to post the picture of THEM at Sam's recital. They were a good little audience and they were very proud of their big brother.

Pink Lady

Much to her Father's chagrin, Grace loves pink. Head to toe. She was so excited to get her pink coat out yesterday ( it is getting cold and the windbreaker - also pink of course - just wasn't cutting it).

Some pics

Here is Samuel playing at his first recital! He is learning the Suzuki method, and he played his "Twinkle variations." All six of them - it is a long piece! But he did great. I was playing the piano accompaniment.

He takes lessons from a young woman in our ward, and her family put on a recital at their home with their children, some other families from the ward, and the students of their daughters. It was really neat, and the kids loved seeing all different instruments (piano, voilin, cello, harp, trumpet, bagpipe, and voice). The highlight was the "Petrie Family Song" - I wish we had video of that!

I have added two videos - I hope I did this right. The first is near the beginning, the second is the end with his little bow. Our camera isn't working great, sorry.

Samuel and the Marigold

There was once an adorable first-grader named Samuel. His class was learning about plants. They learned about all of the parts of a plant and how they grow. They each got a marigold seed to plant in a little paper cup. Samuel planted his seed in the black soil with care. He watered it and watched it begin to sprout.

The Friday before Mother's Day (2008) he brought it home in a pretty bag he had decorated and gave it to his Mother. He was so excited to show it to her that he just couldn't wait until Sunday. He tore the bag in his excitement and presented her with the tiny seedling. They placed it in the kitchen window and together they watered it and watched it grow.

Ever so slowly it grew taller. By mid-June it was about two-and-a-half inches tall. It was time to plant the flower garden behind the garage, and Mom and Samuel decided that this year it would be a marigold patch. They went to a local farm and purchased 17 small marigold plants, and plotted out 18 spots. Each spot was carefully prepared, and each plant was lovingly planted in the waiting earth. Samuel's little marigold looked quite pathetic. The other plants were bushy, strong, 8-inch tall monsters. Samuel's marigold was so tiny and skinny that when it was lightly watered it fell to the ground. Mother contemplated just tossing it into the woods to die - it looked pretty sad next to the others. But, together they decided to let the marigold have its day in the sun.

The marigold LOVED the sun. Soon it looked healthy and strong, though still very small. As the days and weeks past it started to grow taller, finally catching up with the other marigolds. However, while the other plants boasted beautiful blossoms of yellow, gold, and orange, Samuel's marigold still had no blossoms, or even buds. Each day Samuel would run outside to water his flowers and check for buds on his plant. Each day he found nothing.

By August his plant was twice as tall as any of the others. Mother began to question whether this was really a marigold at all! It was growing so tall, but not really becoming "bushy" and still had no signs of flowers. The leaf shape and color was so similar to the others that she thought that it must be a marigold, but wondered why it did not flower. Was something genetically wrong with it? Had they harmed it in planting it? Was it not getting enough ... something? Sun, check. Water, check. Good soil, check (at least as good as could be expected in New Hampshire). The other marigolds in the bed were thriving. Though still small and squatty compared to Samuel's growing giant, they had beautiful flowers aplenty.

Finally, in late September, after most of the flowers and vegetables in the gardens around the house had met their end, a single bloom was spotted. In excitement Samuel announced to the whole family that his marigold had finally produced a lovely yellow bloom. Everyone was "encouraged" to come examine and praise this remarkable achievement. As the days passed, and in spite of the colder nights, more blooms appeared and the plant continued to grow ever upwards. Mother and Father had never seen a marigold so large, which may have something to do with the fact that there has never been a marigold that has been so loved and prayed over by such an earnest young man. Now 7 and in second grade, Samuel continued to care for his special plant (although Mother began to neglect dead-heading the others in the plot as the gardening season came to an end).

Sunday, October 19, 2008 Mother decided that it was finally time to get a picture of the boy and his plant, before the frosts destroyed the beautiful flowers. So, here we present Samuel the toothless gardener and his special marigold. No longer a 2-inch weakling it has long since surpassed Samuel in height!


Notes: First, I wish that I was a good writer - I should have Nate write this into a storybook for the kids. He has a much better gift for that than I. Second, yesterday I reading the October Ensign, and specifically Elder Nelson's article on abortion. As I wrote this story I was thinking about the parallel - this tiny struggling plant truly seemed to have no shot at survival, and look at it now! (He tells the story of a mother who had German measles or something like that in her first trimester and was strongly urged by her doctors and family to abort what would surely be a very "damaged" baby. She decided not to, and gave birth to a wonderfully healthy baby who suffered total hearing loss but grew into a wonderfully accomplished woman.)

10/18 Update

I know, I can't believe it either, but I'm finally posting! (Sorry Martie and Rissa, I know that I promised to do this days ago!) So, while a number of deep thoughts have indeed passed through my mind over the last 12 days, at the moment I can't recall any of them, so I'll do a quick rundown (for posterity and any insomniacs out there).

Our visit with Uncle Van and Aunt Debbie was great - and they have inspired us to do a little more exploring here in New England (it is a little embarrassing when people who live in Idaho Falls have seen more of Maine than we have!) Nate had a quick trip to Chicago (good meetings and too much good food), and while he was gone I had a crazy long Thursday. Errands, getting ready for company, a leadership training meeting for all of the Young Women's Presidents in the Stake (which went well, but one of my counselors had to work and my secretary was out of town - although she made super-cute favors before she left - Thanks Becky! - but which left me talking for most of the meeting and my other counselor doing EVERYTHING behind the scenes - Thanks Dawnett!! You are amazing!!). If you know me this won't surprise you (I am NOT crafty/creative/etc.) but about 3 hours before the meeting I realized that we hadn't thought about a centerpiece. The previous Stake YW President was really creative and always did really cute things and as her counselor I never had to give it any thought. So, I started thinking about it, realized I didn't have anything particularly nice to use or time to pull it together, and emailed Dawnett to see if she would be stopping by her house and had anything that would work. She shows up (after a long day at work at a very busy job I might add) with a great autumn setup - cloths, straw, pumpkins, arrangements, etc. etc. etc. ... and more stuff for the refreshment table. I've got to tell you that there is NO WAY that I could do this calling alone. Every member of our Presidency adds so much and I just feel blessed to be a part of the team.

My sister-in-law Lora lives in Boston and met me at the church so that she could take the kids home and put them to bed while I was at the meeting (Thanks Lora!). She got a little lost on the way from the church to our house. Sam (7) got her most of the way there, but then they missed a crucial turn. He kept assuring her that she was going the right way (which she wasn't). Finally Isaac (4) said "this is not the way to my house!" Lora was pretty sure that he was right, but not completely convinced until she got to the dirt road ... Sam assured her that "we go on the dirt road all of the time" (nope, not true), but Lora knew that they were lost. Right about then she noticed that the gas light had turned on. Luckily, she was able to find the way to our house without running out of gas in the dark with four young kids.

After the meeting I went straight to the airport to pick up Nate's parents. It was so great to see them. We had a nice visit and then went to bed in preparation for a very early morning (we were getting up at 4:30 to get going in time to get Dad to his meeting in Braintree, MA. We made it down there in plenty of time (amazing, considering we had to get 8 people out the door and drive two cars right through Boston in the morning). After we dropped him off we went in search of Breakfast, which of course, meant McDonald's. I didn't know the area well, but, luckily, the GPS did. The first McD's we found had no play area - so we let the kids decide if we should go in and get food or try one more. They wanted to try one more time, so we headed off to the next closest one. We were rewarded for our patience by finding the coolest play area I have seen (outside of the Mecca of McDonald's play areas on International Drive in Orlando). They had a ball, including Jonas. They had a cute little area for little ones to crawl around and play, and since we pretty much had the place to ourselves he had free reign of the whole area. I would have taken pictures, but of course I forgot the camera (as usual).

After McDonald's we headed to Plimoth Plantation (located in the town of Plymouth but with the historical spelling). We learned about the early settlers and the Wampanoag tribe that inhabited the area when the Mayflower landed. It was very cool and informative, but not kid friendly. I am really glad that we went, but I think that we will try again when the kids are a little older. We drove into Plymouth for lunch at a great seafood place right on the water and then headed over to the Mayflower II. Mom, Lora, Samuel and Isaac toured the ship while I sat with the little ones while they slept. Then we picked up Dad and headed into Cambridge to pick up Lora's boyfriend. It was time for him to "meet the parents." I think that went well :) He is getting a PhD in particle physics at MIT so he took us on a little tour of some of the cool stuff on campus (we had some time to kill - Nate was flying into Logan at 7:30). We had a good time there and then loaded the kids up and I headed to the airport to pick Nate up. Lora and Teppo (he is from Finland) took Mom and Dad to see her office at HBS (they had a little trouble getting there - neither of them have cars or ever drive in the city, so while they knew how to easily walk there they didn't know how to navigate the one-way streets and bridges). We all got home around the same time and put the kids to bed and enjoyed some more nice conversation.

Saturday we went to Concord, MA. I should mention that this whole weekend the leaves were absolutely beautiful. This was the peak of the colors, and they were amazing. In Concord we toured the Orchard House (where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women - it was really neat, I enjoyed learning about her family), had lunch at a fun diner called Helen's, and toured the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - which is beautiful - it is very large with winding paths and has crumbling old headstones alongside newer ones. Nate loves old cemeteries, and this one was full of interesting stuff. This is where Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many others are buried. There is a massive granite monument erected by a soldier from the Civil War in memory of the 3 brothers who went to war with him and didn't make it home. After the cemetery we went to Walden Pond. It was beautiful. We watched the sun set over the pond while we skipped rocks and enjoyed the reflection of the colorful trees in the water. There were people swimming, but it was pretty cold water (it is October after all). We visited the replica of his cottage there, and then we headed home for dinner.

Sunday we went to visit the Peterborough Branch (I had to go for their Branch Conference, so I took the whole family along. The timing worked better with their flight schedule, and I thought that the drive would be beautiful, which it was.) It was a great day, especially because our new Stake Camp Director was set apart - and I am very excited to get to work with her. The meetings went well and we had a nice "linger-longer" with the Branch afterward.

Nate's parents and Lora and Teppo left that night, and Monday Nate had no work and Samuel had no school (Columbus Day) so we made the most of it and ... cleaned the garage!! Boring, but it was so great to get it done. Then for family night we went to Lull Farm to visit the animals and pick out our pumpkins. It was a fun night.

Tuesday I did service in the temple laundry, which was a wonderful way to spend the day, and the rest of the week seemed to fly by. I had an eye infection for a few days, which was pretty painful and very inconvenient. I couldn't wear my contacts and my glasses have been mangled by the kids (they now only have one side) so I couldn't go to the gym for 3 days, which I missed. But, Friday I was fine and went back for a great class. Friday night was Samuel's Violin Recital. He did WONDERFUL. This was his first performance, and Nate and I have been speculating over whether he would be a "sweaty hands fumbles under pressure" or a "steps up and shines under pressure" kid - he is definitely the latter. I was very pleased with him. We had a great discussion on the way over about how when you have worked really hard and done all the preparation that you can then you can ask Heavenly Father for help and he will help you do your best. We said a prayer and he didn't even seem nervous after that. It was a fun recital and while the kids weren't perfect by any means they behaved pretty well.

Today I spent most of the day up at Zion's Camp in meetings with the YW Presidents and Camp Directors from all 9 Stakes who do Girl's Camp there. The meetings were productive, but VERY long. Nate kept all of the kids and made lots of progress on getting the yard cleaned up for winter. The leaves are falling now, and staying ahead of them is always an uphill battle.

The kids are all doing well. Sam has learned about choices and consequences this week. Isaac has become a backseat driver. He admonishes me often - "Mom, why did you go? The light was red. Red means STOP!" (I'm making legal right-turns I swear). Grace is sweet and her maturity (compared to the boys at 2-1/2) is astounding to me. She knows what she wants and she can be a little pushy if she doesn't get it. Jonas continues to be so sweet. He has a tooth (and likes to use it) says "Dada" and is spending lots of time working on standing up alone.

We are looking forward to a good week - especially because the Gough cousins are arriving this week Hip, Hip, Hooray!! And, we hear there is a package of Halloween surprises in the mail from Grandma Cherie - if the mailman would ever bring it to us :) now, if the boys could just decide what they will be for Halloween ...