Random happenings

 So, as most of you know, after 30 years of glasses, Brandon took the plunge and got Lasik eye surgery last week.  These are the 'eye coverings' that they gave him to wear for the first week so he wouldn't accidentally scratch his eyes as he slept.  As handsome as Brandon is, even he couldn't pull off this look... so we picked up some cheap racquetball goggles the next day.  Much more comfortable than tape and plastic cups.  20/20 in one eye an 20/25 in the other after a week.  supposed to keep improving for the first month as muscles readjust.  Needless to say, he is thrilled.

 The mask Milla made for her halloween costume...a 'mysterious person'

Tired of the constant mess of animals in Rin's room, I gave her  a directive to clean up her room and the instruction that she could only keep the stuffed animals out in her room that she could fit on this bench.  The rest had to go in the closet.  Never one to back down from a challenge, Catherine went to work.  She was quite proud of the result.  All the animals stayed out.  What could I say?

Last weeks snow!  Thomas got ready for school in record time this morning so he had plenty of time to play.

Harvest fun

Fall has been beautiful here in Colorado. Despite two snowfalls, there has rarely been a day without sunshine beating down on us. So beautiful.

So this first picture is Thomas' rendition of a haunted cemetery. The day before when I picked Thomas up from school, his teacher stopped me and said that Thomas had refused to make the scarecrows that day that all the other kids were making. (he sort of marches to his own beat) They were supposed to write stories about them the following day, however, so Thomas needed something to write about. He had told her he had something in mind and he would bring it the next day. True to his word, he got right on it at home. This was his vision. You may not be able to tell, but, among other things, the headstones picture a Weeping Angel and, the ultimate enemy, the a Dalek from Dr. Who.

Just a random shot of our backyard water feature... attracts many birds.  Regulars include lesser goldfinches and flickers

 So to pick up some pumpkins we decided to go down to 17 Mile House Farm, a heritage sight that was just restored by a number of organizations, but now kept as a nature area by Arapahoe county.  Apparently, back in gold rush days of the mid-1800's, they built stops every few miles along the trails for people on their way to denver to stop and refresh.  This stop, named as it is 17 miles from Denver city center, still has it's original house, and also the barn and silo (was also run as a farm for 100 years).  As this was a celebration of it's restoration, they had tours, free cider, pumpkins, etc, AND cow milking.  Catherine insisted on trying her hand at milking Bessie.  We had to wait in line for about 20 min, but it was worth it.  She got milk out on her first try (can you see the spots of milk in the pail?)  I also managed to get a stream (that's for you, Cherry!  Much better than my attempt at the fake cow a while back).  Looking at how much milk is in the pail, I don't think the line of people in front of us had such luck... poor cow.

 So this video is probably a little long, but we were having so much fun dancing after the pumpkin carving.  Actually I danced more with Catherine, but Thomas took that video upside down.  Thomas wouldn't let me do much but flips.  It's all good, though. :)

Finshed product...Sean's General Greivous, the girls Umbrion (pokemon) and Thomas' pig from Angry Birds

The next week, for Milla's birthday weekend, she requested that we go to a hay maze that was put on by the Denver Botanical Garden's at Chatfield.  Turned out to be a gorgeous day.  We each buddied up.  I was with Catherine who was uber focused.  Below, Catherine is on a raised platform that was put halfway through the maze.  As I looked out over the field to try and get our bearings, I saw Papa and Thomas just exiting.  Blast it.  I thought we were speedy, but ended up in last place only steps behind Milla and Sean (I probably could have taken them if I'd REALLY wanted to... the sacrifices of a mother) 

 I think think the most fun the kids had, was on this giant 'spiderweb' that we found not far from the maze.   Like a massive hammock.  Trying to figure out how we could fit this in our backyard...

Hugs

So Thomas has really enjoyed getting to know Jacob, the boy next door.  He is a year older, but they seem to connect really well.  Both like riding bikes, dropping fake snakes from the balcony onto people in the living room and shooting the nerf guns.  And I like Jacob because he is super polite and he encourages Thomas to obey when I've asked him to do something. :) 

So Jacob was over playing last night. When he was about to head home one of them says 'hugs' and they both put their arms around each other as if hugging but their arms were suspended, so the boys weren't actually touching each other.  Then they went their separate ways.   So cute. 

Is this the transition between sweet younger boy and older cool kid?

Catherine and the lost girl

So I really enjoyed conference this year.  The basement is a great place to contain the family...we stayed down and watched 3 of the 4 sessions together.  Not that the kids were were all totally focused through all of it or anything (I probably even slept through a couple talks ;), but it was fairly quiet and I loved having the family all around.  One thing that stood out to me was the message that something we can do every day to put ourselves in a position to serve and feel promptings is to pray each day for an opportunity.  Too simple, right?

Well I did just that the next week, and not more than 3 hours after my morning prayer as I am riding bikes to take Rin and Thomas to school, I see this- has to be under 3yr old- little girl wandering alone in a grassy patch near an intersection.  I know, seems cliche- want to help someone and up pops a lost girl you can bring home...but maybe I needed something obvious. Anyhow, I kind of slowed to assess if she was with someone...looked around.  I ask where her mom is and she babbles something and points to a playground (that she was apparantly heading for) that is across the street and past a marshy area.  Hmmm.  After some wandering and Carrie trying to remember how 2 yr olds communicate, we did locate her home about a block down the road and returned her to a mother that hadn't even realized she had slipped out yet.  Well, Catherine was none too happy about knowing she would be tardy for school because of our diversion, but we talked as we headed toward school about trying to see what was most important in a situation, etc.  She was still upset with me when I dropped her off for class (mostly because it is uncomfortable to walk into class late I think).

Anyhow, after school she had on her bright happy face again and we headed for home.  After a few blocks we saw we were coming up on a dad riding bikes with his 2 kids.  The youngest however, was still on training wheels and so was quite slow.  We were just considering how to pass them when the little girl hit a bump and crashed.  Tears from her, consoling from dad.  We got off our bikes to walk around them and and were just about past when Catherine put down her kickstand and turned toward the girl. Without thinking, I just about said, 'come on Catherine!  What are you doing? We need to get home', but stopped myself as I saw Catherine lean down and pick up the girls headband that she noticed had fallen off in the crash.  She handed it to the girl and we were on our way.  Maybe she had been thinking of that mornings experience.  Just made me smile, because we all want our kids to have those little experiences where they feel empathy for another and take the initiative to act on it.
 

eventually I get there...

So last night I had a good experience.  The kind that makes me giddy and motivated to have more like experiences.  I thought back, though, as I laid in bed before drifting off, to the sequence of events that FINALLY got me to act on my initial impression.

1.The impression:  About 3 weeks ago I was walking around the house cleaning when I had the thought...how grateful I was to the one family that came over after we moved in, brought cookies and took the time to chat with us.  I had been feeling really vulnerable and this really helped me to begin to feel comfortable here.  I want to do this for someone else (we've had probably 8 families move into the ward since we moved in).

So I immediately got out my handy dandy notepad app on my phone and penciled it into my to-do list...2 families immediately came to mind and I wrote down their last names.

2. Motivation: Milla, upon her pondering over her coming trip to Greece with papa when she is 15, announced that we needed to make baklava, and here is the recipe so you can get the ingredients, mom.

3. Time set: We decided the two goals could coincide and the following monday for FHE we decided to make said baklava and deliver plates to my two families that had just moved in.

4. Setback: So we made the baklava, but it ended up being to late to go out that night, so we decided to go the next night.  Then on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, Brandon had meetings come up that he had to go to so we couldn't go out.

5. Further setback: by Thursday, a good portion of the baklava had *disappeared* (don't worry- soon to reappear on my thighs).  My drive to deliver the plates lessened along with the amount of treats we had to put on the plates

6. The Fight: Saturday Brandon and I had quite a good sized argument.  The kind that is rare enough I don't remember the last time we had one to compare.  At one point Brandon was simmering over some things I had said in the basement and I was up in the kitchen mumbling something or other to myself.  In my anger and to give my hands something to do, I decided to make a DOUBLE batch of Brandon's favorite cookies (peanut butter chocolate chips).  Maybe you've done this yourself... because you want to show you are the better person in the argument, you try to do the first nice thing.  Somehow this is supposed to justify the fact that you (or me in this case) have in no way begun to forgive the other person.  
(fyi- we are all good- no worries)

7.Fast Sunday: Went to church on an empty stomach despite the fact that there was a heaping pile of (if I do say so myself) some FABULOUS cookies on my counter.  Felt particularly focused at church and was touched by one comment made that day.  The sentiment went something like this: If you DO without BEING (believing) you are lying to others (hypocrite), if you are BEING without DOING you are lying to yourself .  It was the push I needed...my good intentions aren't bettering myself or others until I act on them.

8. The Fight's Silver Lining:  I had a counter full of cookies ready to be plated.

9. FHE (again): Monday was soooo hectic, despite my best intentions, I temporarily forgot again about the cookies.  But I did have an FHE lesson prepared...and darn-it, we were going to do it.  By 7 pm, though, everyone was still rushing about finishing homework and such.  FHE was not going to happen...

10. Milla to the Rescue: "Mom! I have a book on hold that is in at the library.  Is there anyway you can get it for me?"

11. Associated Memory Flash: library books are due today! Ahh!  How did I forget!  I am not paying fines, again.

12. Impression:  As the kids were loading into the car, in the middle of the hectic-ness, I actually got my impression again, "plate the cookies, they are ready to go, you can deliver them on the way".

13. Better late than never:  Rin and Sean came up to deliver the second plate with me.  The sister seemed SOOO happy to see us.  She invited us in and we chatted for a good 15 minutes.  Her dad was there visiting from Alaska and was painting the living room where we were. When he saw us he said, 'Ah! Katie's first friends!'.  Was just such a good moment in time...a win-win.

 That wasn't so hard, was it?