hmmm...Where to start.....?

I feel like I am just now beginning to emerge from some sort of post-wedding haze.  The kids are almost 4 weeks into the school year.  India is immersed in her Senior year.  She sings in two choirs and is the VP of one, has a demanding course load-including honors physics, which means we have a trebuchet in our future-, keeps her main neighborhood clients happy, and has a busy social life, both off and on-line.  Niall and Leith are settled in school, too, and are doing well.  I so neglected them during the run-up to the wedding that they had literally no shoes or jeans that fit when school started.  The handy part of this neglect is that they are now free to explore the world of  young men's fashion.  Niall is sticking with 'skinny' jeans, but Leith is going with 'straight'.  Niall is interested in military style shirts and performance wear.  Leith is very attracted to shirts in a certain shade of bright blue-something between aqua and royal.  He is also experimenting with hair gel.




Leith rocks the 'faux' hawk.



Gorgeous flannel

Niall is ready for sports at recess.

Military style:  two pockets and shoulder tabs

Now that I have a bit more free time, I have been sorting through and filing a year's worth of personal photos while we wait for the professional ones of the wedding festivities.  As always, it seems like our life here proceeds at a pace that is hard to process, and sometimes hard to enjoy in the moment.  I am enjoying having some time to reflect on it all.

I heard the voices of a new group of birds this afternoon that turned out to be Lesser Goldfinches-green backed variety.  There is a least one male-above-as well as several females-harder to photograph through the window- who are all intently eating the wild sunflower seeds.  At one point the male was feeding several others beak-to-beak.   

Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated

Kevin has been driving his '96 Ford Ranger longer than he has been parenting half of our children.  We bought it in 1998, and it has been a remarkable transportation value, really.  It has attracted the admiration of a certain set of automotive-centric friends and neighbors- some of whom have repeatedly offered to take it off our hands.  Sadly, after 200,000 miles, the truck has experienced its first mechanical failure.  It was hard for us to wrap our minds around it-we don't even have a mechanic that we have ever worked with.  I worry that the 'age of the truck' is nearing an end.
I, too, have had poor automotive luck this summer.  My Mom-Mobile became unreliable shortly before a busy summer that included two trips to CA.  The transmission guy tried to reassure me by saying that I shouldn't worry while I decided what to do with car, as long as I didn't plan to take any long drives! 

We replaced our old Odyssey with a new one that looks remarkably like a hearse from certain angles.  Niall really wanted a black one, but that would really only work during the Halloween season.  The new 'Topaz' Odyssey has some slick integrated technology, like Bluetooth capability and every 'port' imaginable.  That, combined with the appearance and the overall sensibility of a larger 'family' vehicle, led Coral to suggest that we name it 'The Borg'.  We could not have found a more perfect name.  I giggle about it every time my satellite radio transmission is interrupted by a phone call coming through the sound system.  Jonathan, Lance's brother and fellow 'Trekkie' with Coral, kindly supplied me with an appropriate rear view mirror ornament.

We have been assimilated.

A little flock of Black Capped Chickadees was causing an invisible, but loud ruckus this morning in the trees above my backyard.  After I watered and counted the ripening pumpkins, I paused for a while, trying to become inanimate, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the tiny, rambunctious birds.  I sat still, staring into the canopy filtering the sunlight, until I could distinguish their movements in the leaves.  After some time, a few of them moved lower and lighted briefly on bare lower branches, and even on the heads of wild sunflowers momentarily. 
I have neither the equipment nor the skill to photograph a Chickadee.  They do not feed at the feeder or sit still on visible branches.  I mostly only hear them.  Today, they chattered and cheeped together nearby for a half and hour before moving on as a group.  In winter, they sound more solitary, calling each other over the hillside with a high pitched feee-beee.  I can't figure out the exact interval on the piano, but Niall can whistle it. 
I love hearing them so often throughout the seasons.  And, I cherish the rare times I actually see them.

 

Leith's 7th!

Leith was so excited for his birthday that he couldn't go to bed-he fell asleep reading Policeman Small in my bed.

He begged to open one present before school that turned out to be a package of Nerf darts.

Leith requested 'ribs' for his birthday dinner after checking out an episode of 'Mad Hungry'.  Martha and I whipped them up, no problem.

He thought they were delicious!!  I have never eaten ribs before, much less prepared them, so, I was pleased that they turned out well.

Presents-a Beyblade from Grandpa Carl and Grandma Denna

Very cool clothes and hat from Grandma Allred and Grandpa Lane

Yes, I have stopped trying to have standards.......



Lance and Jonathon give him the Tron soundtrack.



The fellas play bball while Niall is at his piano lesson.



No, I did not make the cake.......I was busy with the ribs.

Leith requested that we all play 'Apples to Apples'.

Prom 2011

All ready for Junior Prom!

Not to make this about me....., but I can really dress a girl for a dance!!  It helps that she is gorgeous and has great personal style.......

Waiting for the fella.......India is actually a bit nervous at this point

McKay arrives in the perfect tux combo



Fabulous!! 

Here are a few details-  McKay is a hockey player and is in India's seminary class.  He overheard her lamenting to a friend about her original prom date backing out and offered to take her.  She doesn't know him well, assumed he was just being nice, and didn't take it seriously.  A friend-and our YM President-in the neighborhood set her straight by explaining that shy teen aged boys don't really have the confidence to be nice in that way.  He assured her that this boy probably really wanted to go to Prom, has an interest in her and saw this a safe way to go about getting a date.  I think this is exactly what happened.  He took her ice-skating Wed night and took care of all the details for the dance. 
He shared with her that while he was 'Facebook-stalking' her-a term that means combing through her FB page to learn more about her-he discovered that he hates all the sports teams she has listed as her favorites.  Kevin and I capitalized on this by wearing Red Wings and BYU gear when he came to pick her up!
They ate at a Brazilian grill-style restaurant and then joined the dance at the Utah State Capitol.  When they returned here to watch a movie, they had a phone video of the thousands of dancing teens filling up the Rotunda and surrounding galleries.  They had a great time finding their friends and talking and dancing with everyone.
India's amazing dress sort of chose her.  She was looking for something in green-her signature color-and was also attracted to blue.  She doesn't think of herself as a 'pink' person.  I can't remember why she even tried this on, but it looked so great that when we were done shopping, it stood out at the most fabulous, unexpected look on her.  Because of my surgery and the uncertainty about her date, we did not do anything about the alterations or accessories until yesterday, the day of the dance.  In the morning, we shopped for her head band and earrings and had her nails done at the mall.  She went to school briefly to take a test and then spent the afternoon napping and doing her hair and makeup while I pleated fabric to add sleeves to her dress. 
I usually oppose buying immodest dresses and altering them.  If the dress is sleazy to begin with, adding a jacket or sleeves usually doesn't change this materially-pun intended :)  If the dress is really lovely, changing or covering it up for modesty destroys, covers up or distracts from its lovely details.  What I have discovered over the last few years with my girls is that making them look and feel fabulous, and standing up for modesty and appropriateness in dress, is a challenge that we are up to.  Sadly, one of our go-to shops has succumbed to current economic pressures and is no longer in business.  It has left a gaping hole in the availability of 'modest' dresses that are actually appealing.  India's dress came from a nice shop that is accustomed to altering dresses for modesty.  Because of my surgery, I could not work with their seamstresses to add sleeves to her dress.  We just brought the fabric home and hoped that I would feel up to doing it myself.  I am pleased with the results.  I think the pleating makes the additions look like part of the dress rather than a cheesy nod to covering up her shoulders.  At the restaurant, a woman stopped her to compliment her dress and accessories and to say that of all the Prom couples she had seen that night-the city was undoubtedly overrun with them-India and her date were the best.  
I was so pleased last night that she looked so great, and in spite of the initial date drama, was off to Prom feeling good and loved and beautiful.

February 14-Sundance

We celebrated Valentine's Day with a family ski outing-all 8 of us.

Waiting for Daddy to get the passes and for the fellas to emerge with their rentals

The long morning shadows on the groomed snow

These lift pictures with the back of Timp are like a postcard

Mountain tops as far as the eye can see

                                   

The morning light showed the contour and depth of the range

                                 

Lance needed some help down after he broke the binding off his ski-he wasn't hurt

Cider break

I love the amenities at Sundance-like this fire.  Leith and I were finished before the others later in the day and he spent some time putting logs on the fire to keep it going.

Leith returned to the spot where he missed a curve and flew off the run, down the very steep slope, narrowly avoiding crashing into several very large trees before coming to a stop and waiting to be rescued.  India, Jonathon and Kevin all ripped off their equipment and plunged after him with their hearts in their throats.  Blessedly he was not hurt.  Everyone skied a bit more cautiously after that.  When I asked him what happened, he said it was like a dream.  I still feel a bit sick when I think about it.  But, all's well that ends well.

 Here is a video of India jumping a bit

January 27-Brighton

 Kevin couldn't make it so we brought 'I'gor-neighhhhhh!

Burns Supper 2011

One of our favorite winter occasions is the Burns Supper hosted by the Utah Scottish Association at BYU around the time of Robert Burns' birthday, Jan 25th.  India and Jonathon went for the first time this year, and  Jack joined us, with yet another blond date.  The music by the BYU Celtic Ensemble was great and the food, as we have come to expect, was delicious.  The poetry always leaves me wishing for more.  I bought an anthology of Burns work and have been enjoying it at home.  Perhaps some day I will learn to recite some with the proper 'broad Scots' diction.   We took photos by this early 1800's stained glass panel of Burns which was up for auction-minimum bid $10,000, out of our range, sadly.

Indulge me....

When I was pregnant with Coral, I stayed in school an extra semester to keep my student health insurance in place for her birth.  My course load was not rigorous winter semester of 1991, and I spent my evenings watching TV in our basement apartment while Kevin worked delivering pizza.  I became fascinated by the Westminster Dog Show and spent several evenings glued to it.  Kevin was in the habit of stopping by to see me during his shift.  When I heard his key in the door during the dog show, I would cringe to be caught obsessing over it.  And yet, it was fascinating and entertaining.
I probably don't even need to state for the record that I am not a 'dog person.'  But-and I need to just put this out there:  don't call, don't write about the political incorrectness of this, other comments are welcome- I really find pure bred dogs of historical breeds, especially working breeds, beautiful and fascinating.  That being said, I don't want one in my living room.  I don't feel an affectionate attraction to them.  And, I still find  household pet dogs completely revolting- with the only exceptions over the course of my life being Polly's Dachshunds, Tibo, and Miguel- with whom I have a mutually tolerant understanding.  These dogs, while household pets, are not exactly in the mutt category, which keeps my overall snobbery intact.
Last fall, I dragged the fam out to Soldier Hollow to watch the Sheep Dog Trial Championship.  We all had fun in various ways- the boys drank gallons of artisan root beer and learned to shoot the paralympic biathlon rifles, Coral and Lance wandered around in a romantic haze, and I watched the trials.  I wished I could have sat there all weekend and just had someone bring me a snack now and then. The dogs were amazing-so smart and skilled.  The shepherds were a varied and interesting crowd.  And, the sheep were, well... sheep, and were entertaining, too.   The sheepdog trials were not something I could capture meaningfully with my camera, but here are a few snaps of  boys with their Olympic trainers.

 Both of my little fellas learned quickly and achieved impressive accuracy.
Well, back to my ongoing relationship with the Westminster Kennel Club in NYC....
Last night I caught about an hour of the dog show.  Niall and Leith were both happy to watch with me.  We admired the dogs in the 'Working Group' and the 'Terrier Group'.  Kevin even watched for a few minutes.  I learned that even if I were mentally altered in some way to be willing to own a dog, we would still be incompatible in the pet department.  He seems quite attracted to the 'cute' Terriers.  I find them, even these highly trained, groomed, and pedigreed ones, very annoying.  Every dog in the working group was amazing.  The Black Russian Terrier, even though it is a Terrier, was visually stunning, and the Komondor-looking like a Flokati rug- was unbelievable.  I am attracted to any kind of Mastiff or Schnauzer because the names are cool and the dogs have that 'Hound of the Baskervilles' quality, in the case of the Mastiffs.  The Neapolitan Mastiff was just like 'Fang' in the Harry Potter movie.  The book describes a Boarhound, which is an old name for a Great Dane-for all you Potter purists, specifically Kevin and India.
I awoke this morning to the news that the Scottish Deer Hound had won overall.  We saw one last summer at the Highland Games here.  Now that is an amazing dog............for someone else.   

We all -nine of us all together- saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 last night at midnight.  I really should get a job with a company that screens these things early for their employees.  I am completely over the midnight showing 'thing'.  I spent the whole day dreading staying awake until 3 am and worrying about the boys-who would not be left out. 

Bright spots included my getting all kinds of admiration and attention for my Dolores Umbridge costume in the theater.  I am still working on the hair-need a wig- and the facial expressions, but it does turn even the heads of die hard Potter aficionados.  And, the movie was beautifully filmed and very enjoyable.  Leith was so excited to be there and lasted a while before curling up on my lap.  I didn't have to cover his eyes as much as I had anticipated.  Niall helped me out by verbally anticipating all the startling parts, enabling me to protect Leith's ears and allow him to sleep.  I know, no parenting awards here. 

Only some of us dressed up.  Coral and Lance, I believe, wore their stuff all day.  India wore regular clothes during the day with a pair of Luna-style Spectre Specs.  She only respected those people who recognized what they were rather than complimenting her on her festive shades.  Kevin never really considered wearing a costume and Niall agreed with him  in the end.  Leith went with a basic Slytherin tie.  The reality is that the responsibilities of our lives make it impossible to always put huge amounts of effort into preparing for these events.  India would have liked to work harder on channeling Bellatrix, but got home with only 10 minutes to spare before we had to leave.  I wanted to find wig and shop for shoes, but didn't find time.  And, I would really have liked to see Kevin dressed as Snape. 

I think we got the event just about right, though.  We all came together, with friends, after many, many years of watching the girls devour the books and listening to Kevin read the books aloud to my small boys, to enjoy the beginning of the end of this long and amazing shared experience in our family life. 

I, myself, was sort of expecting a Hogwarts letter for India when she turned 11.  I can't even count the number of times one of us has dressed up as a Harry Potter character for some event or other.  I can hear in my mind the voices Kevin creates for each character as he reads.  And, often when we disagree about the behavior of one of our children, he imitates Mr. Weasley perfectly from the second movie, saying, "That was very wrong, very wrong indeed."  Coral's childhood enthusiasm has not waned.  She helped campaign on FB to have the Carillon at BYU play the theme from the movie all day yesterday and was overjoyed when it happened.

Alas, I wax sentimental.  Perhaps it is the lack of sleep.  But, it is probably just one more example of wishing I could freeze the magical-no pun intended-stages of the lives of my children and never let them fade into memory.   

India and her good friends went to the dance as '80's throwbacks! 

Halloweeen 2010

Niall won 'most original' for this costume at school.

Leith was a rock star, but not long enough for me to get a good photo before the silver wig disintegrated.

The Larsens joined us for the first round of mummy-dogs and chili on Friday.

The boys worked on pumpkins as the rain storm closed in Saturday.

Round two of the 'Boooo-ffet' include the Bodells, Cindy & Jack, Coral's fellas and India's crew.

Niall became a 'gansta fairy' for trick-or-treating.  He told us he was... "flyin' dirty"  Leith became 'Thing One' with rock star glasses.

India as a dark princess

Coral and Lance are a cute Hogwarts couple.

The charming witches handed out pop rocks to the neighborhood revelers who braved the rain.

Happy Halloween!