In which there was a pillow fight and a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper...

Just thought I would do a little post and let all 5 of you know that I am still alive, just a little busy.

My Dad is holding his own, still on oxygen but his depression has lifted and he is up and around a lot more.


Natty is still engaged and the wedding is still on for December and her Mono is getting better all the time. She still tires easily but the worst of it is hopefully behind her.

Phil is working for 6 weeks straight, Kelly has girl’s camp, Tae still lives too far away, Bean has dance and soccer camp and Milan is mowing yards and going to scout camp.

My Mom has NOT been eating those specially frosted flakes so …well…just so.

There is a nasty rumor going around that I may have ingested the flakes myself but I know a buzz when I see one and I definitely haven’t seen one. Felt one, whatever.

All this pales in comparison to the stress and deep sadness I have been experiencing at the loss of my lap top. Let’s just say it involved a glass of Diet Dr. Pepper and a pillow fight. Although it still turns on, it makes random burping noises, shuts off unexpectedly and worst of all some of the keys won’t work, which brings me to the 4th of July post below. I was half way through it when IT happened. I have had to turn on the speech recognition—which is a whole other post—kind of she said, computer said kind of thing. Every time I hit one it just starts making lines and lines of one’s until I shut off the computer. And forget exclamation points or question marks. Wish I could post a video of me talking to my computer—not. So finishing the post was painful and so I am still going to post my valiant efforts, dang it. I still have the Apple but I have to fight my kids for it so we shall see. And just in case—Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Happy Independence Day everyone! I love the 4th of July—it’s one of the few holidays that causes me no angst or guilt, Happy Independence Day to me! First of all I just wanted to take a moment to say that I LOVE my country and am so grateful to the men and women who serve in the armed forces who work so hard to keep our nation free. I have deep concerns as to the direction our country is headed but I try to balance that with the knowledge that I am free to help make a change and I am appreciative of all those here in blogland that keep track of the issues and take the time to share the information with all of us.
I have decided that I am not very good at holiday photography. I’m not sure if it’s because I get caught up in the happenings and just click some quick pics or if I just stink at it in general….

{deep sigh}
Either way, as I was going through my 4th of July pictures this afternoon, I came across a lot of photos like this one:

The only reason I know it is the 4th of July, 1995 is because that is where I had it filed.

If anything, it looks like a Halloween picture—kinda looks like she’s got a little ghostie by the tail. I have no idea why I chose to hang on to this picture, none.

Even more important, will I throw it out now?

Obviously, there are deeper issues here.

Does anyone else have 4th of July pictures like this?

Anyhoo, for the sake of my journaling project, (obviously not for the picture quality) I am now going to share with you a random selection of our 4th of July memories. Please, try to curb your enthusiasm.

Some years we find a parade to watch. I use the term “we” loosely. I am an adamant NON parade person.

This is in American Fork, Utah, 1992. That’s my #2 daughter on the far left, holding the chair my #1 daughter in her father’s lap in the second row on the far right. The only reason I mention it is this would be the only time I had the presence of mind and wallet to dress my girls in coordinating 4th of July colors, so Soak. It. All. In. people.

Is it okay that I am soooo glad my husband no longer has that caterpillar on his lip?!



Sometimes we float the river with friends….

1998 with our friends and taking a lunch break. This is the Bitterroot River; it is about 5 miles from our home. Do you like our white sandy beaches?

This one was taken in 1994 on our first trip down the river. We were so completely hooked!

Sometimes, even though it is July 4th, we freeze to death.


Aahhh, the teeth-chattering, subzero temperatures of 1999!

Sometimes, it seems that in no time and all, we go from this…

1997

To this…

2007





To this……..




WHA..??!



Who ordered the puffy little Russian with no teeth?

Just ignore him, maybe he’ll just go away.

Oh dear...maybe I’ll just be back after a brief station break so I can wander down memory lane for awhile and get my ---children grows to fast--- heartache under control.

Oh wait, I can hear him, making his sister’s scream again,

reality check please!

So back to……….

To THIS….

{Hey Sparky!}

Which was a souvenir of this………..

Sure, everybody is having fun till someone gets their eye poked out...

.....or mountain burned.

Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch…
Yes, that is a forest behind Milan. Yes, that is part of the 20 acres that we live on. Yes, smart, environmentally conscious people would never knowingly strike a match within 500 feet of a tree. So, I guess we all know where that puts me, {sigh}… a b-a-a-a-a-d parent and person.

Does it count that right after this I went out and bought 5 new hoses to hook end to end and that I try to hug a tree every day?

I didn’t think so.

Please, no hate mail.

And, to end this very long story….
Most of the time we buy way too many of these…

Do lots of this….



And deal with this the morning after…

Thus ends my 4th of July post and gosh, it’s only July 12th.

Can’t wait to see what I accomplish tomorrow…..

Update on Dad

I’ve had a few people ask so I thought I would take a minute and do a Dad update.


He is doing as well as can be expected. He is still on oxygen 24/7 and gets fairly frustrated with tripping over the oxygen ropes, making sure the canister or machine is on, carrying around the oxygen tank, and having those ropes hanging around his ears! But if he goes any time without it the tip of his nose and tips of his ears start to turn purple and it goes quickly downhill from there.


They have started giving him MASSIVE injections of iron that have really given him a lot more energy and that in turn have really lifted his spirits. Enough so that he went to his beloved “Family History Center” for the past 2 weeks for a couple of hours! I am so glad----there for awhile I thought he was going to give up and wither away because he was so depressed.

We have started talking about getting the house ready to sell and moving them to assisted living or building onto their home and moving in to take care of them. Right now we live 25 minutes from their house and so for me just to “pop” over takes about 3 hours out of my day. I really want to be there for them but this is not working. Of course neither option is what they WANT to be considering—so hopefully we will be able to work that out soon.



This picture was taken in March. He just recently celebrated his 74th birthday! This quilt is what I gave him and it has a great story attached to it.



Soooo…. I am NOT a sewer.



NO.



REALLY.



NOT.







But, I really wanted one of these kind of quilts for my Dad to have when he has to sleep in his recliner at night or when he is the hospital—something that was super soft and cozy. It was a dilemma.



Then I remembered my friend T—mm—Trish—who has taught classes at our church on how to make these ragtime quilts-- so I called her—hoping she would guide me through the process.



This next part is a little emotional for me. I hope I can do it justice in words.



After I shared my dilemma, she was quiet for a minute and I thought, “Oh dear, this was too much to ask with her busy, busy schedule.”



Then she said, “Lisa, because I love you and your Dad, I want to make this quilt for you.”



It was the kind of sentence that just takes your breath away. Then makes the tears come, unbidden.



I argued and protested but she prevailed and eventually--- I gratefully accepted.



I went and bought some material and thread and dropped them by her house.



Around 2 weeks later her oldest daughter called and said I could come pick it up.(a history note: I taught all 4 of her children piano when they were growing up and actually loved them very much like my own.) Apparently the 2 oldest daughters helped make it and then another very dear friend embroidered on it. I don’t know if you can see it but it says:

To Dad
Craigrado 3-09

When I was very small my Dad use to ask me who I was and where I lived. I would say, “I’m Lisa Boyce Ann from Craigrado.” It was a little game we would play, over and over. My whole life, my nickname has been Craigrado. (I was actually Lisa Ann Boyce from Craig, Colorado)

When they handed me the quilt, I just held it and cried. That someone would sacrifice their time and talents to make something so beautiful for me was completely overwhelming. It is a debt I cannot repay. When I gave it to my Dad—I cried again.

He LOVES his blanket and carries it everywhere with him.

It has definitely been a---so dark you see the stars—kind of experience.

God bless us….every one…….

And Happy Easter too!