Oklahoma

The kids must have had a premonition we were moving, even before Bert and I did.

May 2007

Because it's worth bragging about.

We like to read.


A lot.

The car is one of our favorite places. We fight for it. It's warm. It's quiet. And nobody notices when you take an occasional nap.


But today I wasn't reading. I was doing something even more favorite than that. I got to assess what we had accomplished this year through reading.
It was an impressive list. We only took anywhere from one to five documents out of the books on the left, but finished each and every one on the right. It was an impressive list, including "Tale of Two Cities", "Agony and Ecstasy", "Queen Eleanor", "Down and Out in Paris and London", "Henry V", etc... with documents by Kant, Aristotle, Socrates, Dante, Bacon, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Aquinas, etc.... The younger kids and I did favorites like "Why Not Lafayette", and "Red Scarf Girl".

Then I got to begin a new list for the new year of what I wanted to get done. Mainly kids works on Civil War, African biographies, and Math classics.


But then...then I picked my purely for pleasure books. Books I felt I've earned for the summer. Some will help for the coming year, and some are 'just because'. "Walk in My Soul" a book by an author I enjoy, about Sam Houston's wife...can't go wrong there, right? Two books by L.M. Montgomery. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" just because I thought I should, since I never have. Two books I picked up in the kids rack of Friends of the Library about ants and animals. "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. I'm a little behind, but I'd like to see what the big fuss is about. "Weapons of Mass Instruction" by Gatto because I need a 'pick-me-up' to start the new year of learning at home again. And a "Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe" because it was recommended, and it's FASCINATING.
I wanted to stick in a few that looked impressive like, "Democracy in America", or "The Federalist Papers", but I tried to be true and honest instead. Deep down I know those just aren't going to happen. It would look good, but I'll just have to be happy that my token romances were by L.M. Montgomery, instead of a steamy smut author.

Happy Reading.

New York , Episode 1

I hate to say this Jane, but I think scrapbooking is going to die a peaceful death since I've discovered blogging. I will miss the retreats. It's just so much easier/faster to make scrapbook entries this way. I don't have the knack for figuring out cute embellishments or the right paper, although I love to look at people's books who do. This is my kind of style. I click, paste, journal, and 'wahlah!' it's done. I don't have to make a mess on the table. I don't have to worry about which pictures will fit. I don't have to worry about if my pen is photo worthy. I don't have to worry about gathering what I need, and putting it in order. I don't have to worry about gaining weight from the snack table that everybody shares. And I don't have to worry about digging through the huge heap of emails to find an entry that fits a picture. It's beautiful! With that said, I'm not going to hold onto these photos from Abe's graduation trip any longer. I'm going to get them down before I forget, and then have the wonderful blogging people in blog world make my book for me. Gotta love it.


We drove, (this isn't an actual picture of our trip, it includes an extra friend, but it helps me remember what the inside of our car usually looks like.)

and drove,

and drove,

and drove,

and drove,
And DROVE,

After all that driving we were relieved to finally hit our fist stop; The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. We'd been eating off Sonic dollar menus the whole way. Our picnic was a welcome relief from the 'same ole, same ole' and I had to agree with John Denver that it was "Almost Heaven"....oh wait, that's West Virginia. Well, you get the idea....

While we were there we stopped and took a tram up the mountain. (This could possibly have been our last big trip with Justin before his mission, so I had to get a picture of he and I together.)


At the top we found we could go up even further. It always amuses me to see who pairs up with whom. Cache and Pal are taking this picture. Justin and Maddie are behind, with Jesse and Calder following. Bert, Hydn and I are teensy, weensy in the background.

The best way down was the slide. I don't know about the others, but Hy and I sure enjoyed it. Even though we occasionally had to slow up for Pal in front of us, Hy laughed in my ear the whole way down.

Now you see, this is one of the pictures I probably would have left out in a scrapbook. It was a good idea (or if not good, at least tolerable), and I was thinking it would be helpful, but in the end it wouldn't have made the book. It would have been just one more picture to cut and one more page to make. However, since I can click, and you can skim, it's going to go in there! It's the next place we headed for, and it holds the places I've dreamed about going to for years. This sign was a personal milestone.
You can even see the cute little rest station behind it. All the rest stations in Virginia had an attendant and were done in colonial style brick. Fantastic way to welcome you to the state and put you in the mood.

We woke up at four o'clock in the morning, just so we could try to fit everything in.
Monticello, (this is Cache's attempt at taking an 'artistic' photo.)



and Jefferson,
welcomed us as their first tour group of the day. And what a way to start that day. Wow. We LOVED IT! Awesome. Fantastic. And all those other words you'd find in a thesaurus. I was so overwhelmed to actually be there that I began to cry. I think it was hearing that the elk antlers hanging on the wall, were the antlers that Lewis and Clark brought back for Jefferson from their trek. It tipped me over the edge. ;)


Jefferson would be very pleased to know that we thoroughly enjoyed his gardens. We learned so much from our little tour guide. She was an older lady who knew everything there is to know about growing things. She could have been named Sister Cain...

Hy thoughtfully enjoyed the flower gardens,

So much so that he could almost taste it.

While Hy decided to stick with the sensory of smell, Calder and Pal attempted catching tadpoles.

I thought this was a pretty example of the thought Jefferson put into each part of his home. This is the path to the cemetery and it is lined with Weeping Willows.

At the end of the path was Jefferson's grave, and a walk through the woods. It was a little sobering actually... even if Pal's head got a little stuck. We were humbled and grateful for the opportunity to be there together.

We left Monticello and booked it up to George Washington's Mount Vernon. We were silently apologizing to all the other Virginia presidents (who didn't make our 'top priority-limited time' list.) along the way; Old Hickory, James Madison, and ? (whoever you were), we blew you kisses from the road and vowed you would be on the list NEXT time. And there WILL be a 'next time'.

Mount Vernon, I loved you, even if my family wasn't as enthralled with you, as much as they were with Monticello.

You were genteel... You didn't hide your slave quarters, instead you had a little village. You had a great museum and although you had some homely parts, they just made you all the more homey.
Martha, we must have been bosom buddies. Soul mates. You loved your colors (which regretfully I couldn't get a picture of) of bright blue, fluorescent green, and magenta; as much as Jesse, Maddie and I love ours... We connected.

This picture doesn't do your grave-site justice. But it was gorgeous. It was full of the dignity I imagine Mr. Washington himself to have had.
Twice, in one day, we walked away with our heads a little taller, and our thoughts a little higher after visiting two wonderful memorials, to two great men.Thank you.

I know, I know, you're asking yourself, "just how long is this post going to last?? I'm tired!" You think you're tired, we're not even done with the first day of all the grand sights we saw. But I'll take pity. You'll be happy to hear I've gotten my blogging fix for awhile, and the rest will wait for another day.

I just don't get eight year old enthusiasm...

Bert and I went down to Home Depot, lunch, and the scout office for our date this week. We bought t-posts, light bulbs, and Pal a scout shirt. I was called as Den mother on Sunday (lost all faith in our bishop's inspirational powers, thus he only gets a small b, instead of a big B), and Bert and the lady tried to talk me into a shirt for myself. The lady said, "Usually the women den leaders get this one (ugly brown with puff out pockets everywhere), however Mormons get the yellow (even worse). They're the only ones that get yellow still." That one has me stumped. Anyway, neither was tempting to me. In fact, they were going to have to tar and feather me before I dressed up and started singing "Follow Me Boys". I compromised and got a t-shirt that is dark blue and says cub scouts in the upper left corner. Pal is thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. Never seen a boy so excited for scouts. Pal immediately opened the book and started following pictures. He even got out a tie and tried to tie it. I came home and took three aspirin. If a shirt can do that to me, what do you think actual boys will do?

In the Beginning....

....God created Adam,

and it was good....

Rambling, what I do best.

Today I was on my walk and heard a new bird call. It sounded like a bird was out there trying to play the game 'Pit' and nobody would trade with him, because they knew he had the bear. He called, "Three..................................Three................................three three three three three THREE." It made me laugh. I hollered back, "Five!" He shut up. I was sad the game was over so quickly. Then I came home and sprayed the weeds and grass. By the time I was done, I was soaked. Who am I kidding, I was plastered with sweat before I even started. The thought came to me that a 'wet t-shirt' contest was not the brainchild of somebody who had a bucket poured over them, or even from swimming. It was simply because a woman walked out her door in the South one summer morning, and 'presto', new contest.
Anyway, while I was spraying weeds, Calder was spraying bugs, off our garden plants. They were getting a little out of control. Words are not enough;




Impressive, don't you think? Lest you think our whole garden looks that way, let me "wow" you with the supper we made from it below. We have spinach boiling on the back burner, beans on the front, along with a zuchinni/onion/squash medley. Maddie is holding a bouqet of cilantro, and Calder a peck of blackberries. (Peck? I don't really know what a peck is, but it had a nice ring to it. And we're not really going to eat them, because Pal is going to squash them into ink for the quill he found; compliments of the resident buzzard.) All they need to top it off is a little protein. I'm thinking there's plenty of that catepillar to sautee and go around. Do not be confused. The boys are in Civil War regalia (complete with hockey stick rifle), while Maddie is not. Her bonnet matched her clothes so cutely, it was worn as an outfit.



Enough of our somewhat successful garden. Yesterday Hy and I were cooling off in his pool at the side yard. It was a "Cooker" I felt like any minute somebody was going to say, "Wipe your brow and go to Harvest Moon", that's from 'The Farmer's Game'. (Jim Gaffigan would do his silly little voice now and say, "What's up with all the games?" And I don't know. I'm just rambling, remember?) Anyway, Hy was without a diaper. The ratio of urine to unchlorinated water had just about reached out of my comfort zone, and I was disengaging my feet when Calder ran up to me with this in his hand;


He catches many things. But even I had to admit that this was really cool. He wrote this letter to his cousin Ande a few hours later:

Hello. I caught a hummingbird and wanted to show it to you.. It flew away right after. I have pictures of a cardinal and dove I caught to. Love, Calder Although he does have a picture of both, I could only find the one of the cardinal.... This was Ande's reply;

I just saw Calder’s e-mail. Your kids are Dr. Doolittle, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Uncle Bert all rolled into one when it comes to animals. WHO CATCHES A HUMMINGBIRD?! I didn’t know that was even POSSIBLE!! Don’t they fly a million miles and hour?! Way to go Calder!


Isn't she sweet? (Thanks for replying Ande) As I was thinking of her response today (while on my walk...thus bringing us full circle) I decided I had better burst her bubble. I was trying to decide if Calder really was a Dr. Doolittle and came to the conclusion 'he is not'. It's just Oklahoma. There are so many blooming things living here, and sharing/pushing/shoving for space, that the law of averages was bound to happen sooner or later. I also have further proof for my conclusion. Although Calder does catch many, many cool things, some of them he catches in a very un-Dr.Doolittle, un-JaneGoodall type fashion.

Happy Fathers Day!

Dear Bert,
Did you know I think you are just the greatest? I'm so glad I married you. Since you aren't here to celebrate breakfast in bed (which is a bummer, because the kids can finally cook a decent meal) I started to write a long letter to you, but there was just too much to say. I narrowed it down to writing about one year, this past one, and even then it was difficult. Since "A picture is worth a thousand words" I decided to post some of this years pictures instead, to help you understand why I love you so much. (NOW aren't you glad that this blog is private?)


I love you because you gave us a GREAT name/heritage. (Pointing to Oliver Ellsworth's name, Independence Hall, a drafter of our constitution and third chief justice of U.S.)



I love you because you work so hard for us that sometimes you can't even keep your eyes open, five minutes after you sit down.



I love you because you stop at every historical marker you see, and make history fun for us. (Lincoln's boyhood home/mother's grave, and Mount Vernon)




I love you because you like to play. You don't just pretend, you really, really like it. (Alpine slide in Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and playing baseball in front yard.)




I love you because you think 'outside the box'. (Instead of taking an extra trip back when all of our hands were full, but we still had one little package, you just plopped and strapped him on top. Ingenious.)



I love you because you ARE the entertainment. Watching t.v. and movies without you heartily laughing by our sides, just isn't the same. Did you know we watched Wipeout last night with nary a giggle?? It's you that brings it and other things to life! We love your singing too. It's done with such 'gusto'. We can all pick you out of a crowd (like say the Priesthood room, with even the door shut.) It's one of the first things that attracted me to you; remember when you would sing so loud working in the meat lab? It must have reminded me of Calvin. These talents are what help to make our house a home. When you add them to to us, it makes all seem 'right' with the World. We're lucky.


I love you because you teach us how to be men (or those that need it...)



I love you because you love our kids. (That I would post this cute picture of you, but horribly hideous picture of myself, only proves my love for you. Cache's birthday)



I love you because you support me unequivocally in teaching our kids. (Potato cannon for Revolutionary War studies)



I love you because you worthily honor your Priesthood and bless our home and family with it. (Pal's baptism)



I love you because you still excite me... (if I remember correctly you're pinching my butt in this picture, at a very inappropriate time.)


I love you because you don't take anything, or any of us, too seriously. (Picnic and drive in Eastern Oklahoma)



I love you because you love and honor your Father. Both of them.



I love you because you make me laugh.



And then I try to make us be serious...



But, then you make me laugh again.


You're wonderful.
Love,
your devoted wife

P.S. Do you know how long it took these stupid pictures to upload? And now I wish I'd have done them bigger...