Welcome Home, Sister Rietz

L - R -  Grandma and Grandpa Rietz, myself, Kristin, John, Amber, Grandma Sollenbarger and 1/2 of Trevor. (Sorry Trev)    And do you see the pink poster?  The Utah clan sent their good wishes!!  And yes, we left MANY sparkles in the airport. Luckily, we got out of there before anyone really noticed!! :)

There is a LOT to catch up on here on my blog, (nothing new there).   There is a trip to Scotland and England to report on, our Thanksgiving holiday in Utah, a shingles breakout, a broken wrist, and who knows what else. Despite being behind, I had to do a quick post about our newly returned sister missionary!!

Monday, the 30th of November, 7:40ish pm, Amber's plane (finally) came in to our little airport!  We got there early, (I demanded it!  What would be worse than getting home from your mission and not having anyone at the airport to meet you??), and of course, her plane was late!  But finally, it came, she was one of the first ones off the plane, and she's here!

She loved her mission in the California Rancho Cucamonga Mission.  She cried when she was released.  She is getting used to not having a schedule, praying for investigators and less-actives, and wearing regular clothes.  She misses her companions.  Although she hasn't said as much, I'm guessing she would love to be back in California, planning the day, spending her time sharing the gospel, and testifying of the Savior and His atonement.

But as all good things do, her time as a missionary came to an end, and its time to move on to bigger (maybe not better) things.  BYU-I is just around the corner.  Classes, dates and other social activities will soon replace the things she has been doing for the past 18 months.  It will all be good.  For now, she is enjoying spending time with her family, decorating for Christmas and catching up with all the happenings from the past 18 months that we forgot to write her about!!

We're so happy to welcome home our returned missionary!!

My trip in pictures

Last month, Allison and Ryan graduated from BYU!  Woo Hoo!!  Allison got a Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Humanities and Ryan in Advertising.  They are still waiting to hear about final offers on jobs and internships, so we are staying tuned for that.    (This is my 2nd time in Utah this month.  The visit I DID NOT trip over my suitcase and get a gnarly black eye!  Doing that once is quite enough, thank you!) This is where I got to go to 2 graduation parties; see my daughters' in-laws; help Ashley and Brandon with a little yard work, and have dinner with John's sisters, Valerie and Joni and Joni's daughter, Kami at Olive Garden.  (No pictures available for any of that fun stuff.) 

Here is a photo journal of the rest of the stuff I captured on my phone...

While I was staying at Alli and Ryan's, we packed up most of her kitchen on Friday morning. Since the kitchen was packed by lunch time, we had to make an alternate plan.  Luckily, Costa Vida isn't far away, and they take orders over the internet, so we were able to go to the front of the very long line and pick up our yummy food!   

Right after graduation, there was a huge rain storm, but we managed to snap a picture or two before the downpour.   I'm so proud of these two for working hard to achieve this goal!  (I know this picture is a little blurry, but it is really good of the 3 of us.  Just overlook the fuzziness)

Since Allison and Ryan are married, they got to walk in the same commencement in the DeJong Concert Hall.  Much smaller than the Marriot Center where Allison was originally going to walk.  The size of the room got the better of us though.  We didn't get there soon enough to get into the actual room, so we had to go to an overflow hall.  We watched graduation on a video screen.  It was all good until right before Allison's name was called.  Carter filled his pants, and needed to be taken out very badly.  While Chelsie was taking care of that, it was Alli's turn.  Just as they called her name and she started across the stage, the woman directly in front of me stood up to leave, totally blocking my view!  I couldn't believe it!!!  I darted back and forth, trying to see, and wasn't very successful.  Luckily, one of their friend's family member caught a good picture of her receiving her diploma!  What luck I seem to have!!  And poor Chelsie missed the whole thing.

On Thursday, Carter and Chelsie picked me up from the airport, and before we headed down to Provo, we hung out in Salt Lake for a few hours until Dallin got off work.  We spent a little of that time at the park around the corner from Chelsie's house.  How cool is it that they have trucks in the sandpit just waiting for little ones to come play with them.  Carter, of course, loves it.

After graduation, we went back to Alli's and met up with the Peay boys.  Ashley and Brandon went to a wedding dinner south of Provo, so instead of putting the boys through the torture of sitting through that, we kept them and fed them dinner and had a movie party.  We watched UP, which had the very same effect on me the 2nd time as the first time I watched it - tears.  Tears for Carl and Ellie and their sweet relationship, and tears for Russell, who just wants to find a place to belong, and someone to belong to.  It is very fun to have all 4 boys together!  They have a good time with each other.  I love Carter's expression in this picture!!  He looks a little bewildered with the whole photo process and the cheesey smiles it brings out in the other boys.  His day will come, to be sure!

It was purely coincidental, but we were the denim girls at graduation.  I'm sure one of us would have changed into something different, but we were both dressing out of our suitcases, and didn't have a lot of choices.

I played a game of basketball with T2 and then T1.  T2 doesn't dribble and wouldn't let me block him.  T1 practices a LOT and also tends to make up a rule or two as the game progresses.  Suffice to say, this grandma didn't have a chance.   I am CC in both pictures, which stands for Cleveland Caveliers.   Just to be sure I knew that, they both were quick to tell me I was not very good at this game! Don't you worry, though,  I got my revenge at Chutes and Ladders.

Between him not feeling well as my black eye on my last visit, this guy didn't have much to do with me.  This trip told a different story, and we were great buds.   But I didn't have to tell you that, you can see it in the picture!  He even called me "grandma"!

It is VERY difficult to get just a regular picture with these boys.  As you can see, they have a few tricks up their sleeves when the camera comes out.

I don't think I got one picture of Ashley last trip, so I warned her that I wanted at least one this time.  We almost didn't get it done, but risked getting in trouble at the airport curb to snap this selfie.  (John asked me if I wore anything else on the trip but my jean jacket and gold sweater.  I assured him I did, despite zero pictures to back up my claim.  I do tend to pack a little lightly most of the time.)


This was a crazy, busy trip, but I loved every minute of it!  I'm so glad I got to be at graduation, despite the malfunction at the ceremony, and love that I got to spend time with all 3 girls and their families.  There is never enough time to get it all done, but I gave it my best shot!  I am not disappointed with the way it turned out!  Can't wait for the next one!!!

Meet my siblings

Several years ago, a friend passed away very suddenly.  As I sat at his funeral and heard his sister talking about him as her brother, I was filled with an intense gratitude for the group of people I call my brother and sisters.  This post has been swirling around in my head, and although it is 2 years later, I still feel that same overwhelming feeling about these people.

So, here it is, in honor of Siblings Day.  (I don't know if I am a bad sibling, but even though it has been around for almost 20 years, I haven't ever realized, or paid much attention to it.  And, if my intent is to honor my siblings, I am a week late, which is often how our family rolled when I was young, so really, I would say its about par for the course!  ;)

So, to my 4 siblings, I say, Happy Siblings Day!  I know I wasn't much of a fan of yours when I lived at home.  I was the bossy, oldest sister after all, and didn't give you much reason to be a fan of me. Now, I think you all are the best, and I love each one of you for the wonderful people you have become and the ways you have enriched my life.

Starting at the left and going clockwise - Grandpa Sollenbarger with Jodi, Tony, Grandma Sollenbarger with Solly the dog who did not like kids, Sue-Anne, Me, Dawn

This picture is circa 1976.  That is a guess based on the fact that Jodi and Grandpa Sollenbarger are both in this picture.  Also, it looks like a possible Christmas decoration or two on the wall.  Jodi was born in 1975 and she is obviously not an infant in this picture and Grandpa died in 1978 and I'm pretty sure this picture was taken in Scottsbluff.   Come to think of it, this may be one of the few pictures of Jodi and Grandpa in existence.  Grandpa had cancer, unbeknownst to any of us until right before he died.  I really can't remember how often they were able to visit us around this time. And if you are wondering why I didn't post a picture of just the 5 of us without Grandpa and Grandma, I only have a few, and this one isn't too bad of any of us.  Admit it, you like the pirate face Dawn is making!  ;)

I am almost 4 years older than Dawn, and 13 years older than Jodi.  Dawn, Tony and Sue-Anne are much closer in age to each other.  That made for some strange family dynamics.  For me that meant that Jodi was just starting Kindergarten when I went off to college.  I didn't really get to know her very well.  Dawn and I shared a room off and on through the years, but things didn't gel between us until we both were much older.  (Okay, I'm pretty sure I was the main problem, so when I got older).  As for Tony and Sue-Anne, I was around them a lot, but basically, we weren't very close.  

Now that we have each settled into our own lives, I have had a chance to get to know each one of my sibs, and as I said before, they are wonderful people.

Dawn has 2 lovely daughters, and is a stablizing influence in the lives of her two step-kids.  She and her husband, Mike live in Eastern Washington.  She is a school librarian, excellent cook, animal lover, and has turned me on to several things in my life that I love , two of which are a Prairie Home Companion and the A & E version of Pride and Prejudice .  Although she lives about 2 1/2 hours away, we don't get to see each other very often.  Life gets complicated, you know. :(  It is a real treat when we both have a minute to chat.

Tony has his own computer support business in Denver.  I'm not sure if that is what he would call it.  All I know is that when I am having computer issues, I know I can count on him to help me out.  He is always ready to get tickets to a Denver Rockies game when we are in town, and when Tony eats good food you can tell he is enjoying it.  When I tell people about Tony, I ALWAYS tell them he is one of the kindest people I know.  He is a gentle soul who is so happy to celebrate a great thing in your life, as well as sympathize and/or mourn when things don't turn out as planned.  

Sue-Anne is getting used to being a single mom of her two kids.  She recently moved back to the Denver area, is working full-time and trying to keep her head above water.  In all honesty, she and I aren't as close as I would like to be.  I know the ball is in my court to elevate our relationship to a higher level.  I do know that she and her kids love to have fun.

Jodi and her husband, Vance, live in Denver with their son.  She works in a busy insurance office, and tries to keep her two boys out of trouble ;)  I love to communicate with Jodi, whether by email, text or phone.  When she posts a picture on FB, she always looks gorgeous.  It is kind of hard to believe we are sisters.   Come to think of it, that's how it is whenever she is in a picture.  

The following pictures are from our Dad's 70th birthday party.  It was a surprise, and Dad and Mom were really surprised when Dawn and I came down the stairs after the initial cries of "Surpise" from friends and other family members.   I knew from the moment I got the invitation I wanted to be there, and I'm so glad I went.    

Back row l-r  Tony, Sue-Anne, Dad with Madi in front, Mom, Max
Front row  l-r  Jodi, Lucas, Dawn, Me

And one more, just because I love it when we all smile with our teeth showing.  

Now, we aren't close to being a perfect family.  We have had our moments in the past, and probably will have more, but I can honestly say that with these people in my life I am truly blessed.

And the lack of a FB post doesn't take away from the sincerity of my feelings one little bit!  :)

The BIG fall

I always knew it was in my future.  About every woman I know over 50 suffers a big fall.  It usually involves her head, and there is usually much bruising involved.  Once, in 2011, I joked with Dawn as I stumbled getting onto an escalator at the airport, that I was not having my big fall before I was 50.  "Does everyone have to have a big fall?" she wondered.  I assured her that, yes, every woman does.

 Well, I didn't waste much time after turning 50 to check it off my list.  

Last week, while we were on Spring Break, we went to Utah to see the girls.  We were excited!!  Kristin and Trev went on Monday with some friends, and we followed on Wed.  Grandpa, aka John, was so excited he woke up before 4 am that morning and we were out the door by a little after 4:30!  :)  Just like a kid at Christmas.  

When we got there, Kristin wasn't feeling great, so we tried to figure out what was wrong with her.  After a good nap, a lot of blankets and some gatorade, she seemed to be doing better.  Trev and John went with Brandon and Talmage to a Jazz game.  The vacation had begun!

After the game, Trev was not feeling great.  We attributed it to a very large ice cream cone at the game, and figured after he threw up that was probably the end of it.  

Sadly, this was not the case.  He continued to get sick throughout the night, all night!!  

As I got up to help him during one of his bouts of vomiting, I got turned around (it was dark, I was in an unfamiliar bedroom) and tripped over the suitcase and CRASHED into the closet door which happened to be open and hit my head on the corner of said door!  I was in so much pain!!!  I crouched on the floor, simulaneously crying and laughing because it hurt so bad, but at the same time was so funny to replay in my head.  (It took most of the rest of the night to not burst out in giggles when I thought about it, even though it still REALLY hurt!  John got me some ice (in a bag with a hole in it, unbeknownst to him, more humor!) and I spent the night propped up on the couch after I decided I probably shouldn't be laying down with a head injury.  Did I have a concussion?  I did wonder about that, but didn't have any signs of confusion, nausea or any other symptoms.  (Thank you high school sports meetings for helping me learn WAY more about concussions than I care to know.)  Luckily I didn't need stitches, as I probably would have had to drive myself, as Trev continued to be sick all night, and needed one of us there to help him!  ;)

So, there you have it...the story of my BIG fall!  You can see by the picture diary the progression of my injury!  Not pretty!  My sister predicted that people who don't know me (i.e. store clerks) wouldn't make eye contact with me once they saw my eye, and she was right.  Some were pretty darn uncomfortable to have to wait on me.  My Seminary students were equally grossed out and impressed when I showed up Monday looking like I had been in a fight.  Not easy to impress 17 year olds, but I think I will not try to do that again.  

A sad byproduct of this whole affair is that Benson, who hadn't been the most social person while we were there, decided at one point to be my friend and came and we were getting along swimmingly until he saw my eye, then he was done! :(  Easy come, easy go!)  Carter was also very skeptical of me, and Talmage couldn't decide if he should be sad for me, or if I was telling the truth that my eye didn't really hurt.  Tanner seemed to be the only one who took it in stride!  :)

And if you are wondering why I have a black eye when the lump from the fall is on my forehead, one of my students said its because the skin is so close to the skull and there is nowhere for the blood to go so it pools around the eye.  There is your anatomy lesson for the day.

I suspect by the middle of next week my face will be back to normal, but for now, I will continue to track its progression and document my BIG fall.

The day after it happened

4 days later

10 days later (see, its getting better)

Au revoir, 2014...

Just a quick post about 2014.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  (Since it will be quick, it will probably be incomplete, but oh well.)

The good - Where to start?
-A new grandson - pictures here
-Sister Rietz serving in the California Rancho Cucamonga Mission.  She's 7 months in and going strong.  You can follow her adventure at her blog
-Teaching Seminary.  Who knew I would love it so much?  And love it I do.  I have a great class who show up, stay awake and are a joy to meet with 5 mornings a week - see this post
-Thanksgiving with the family.  see this post
-The first Roommate Rendevous  - see this post
-Many good books - Non-fiction seemed to be my genre this year - here is one I really enjoyed
-Watching my family continue to grow and seeing the great people they are becoming - you'll have to peruse the blog to find examples.  I'm sure I included plenty!  :)

This is just a sample of the good.  So many things to remember and to be grateful for.  I hope I appreciated and will continue to appreciate them enough.

The bad - Luckily not the longest list, but still long enough...
-Too many people we know passed away too soon - here is one story
-We didn't go to Australia - I could list this under "ugly" because it makes me very sad, and the regret       I feel about this is something I have to let go, because I can't change anything.  Lesson learned             though - take the matter into my own hands if I want something badly enough.
-Not enough blog posts, quilting, hiking or bike riding...no posts, just 3 resolutions for 2015!

The ugly - okay, there really isn't anything to put here unless you want to see a picture of my varicose veins, and really, who wants to see that?  ;)  My life is great, and my family and I are richly blessed.  Sure we have ups and downs, but isn't that what life is all about?

I'm excited to have a new year ahead of me.  I just saw a quote today about how we have 365 pages of a new book to write on.  I'm looking forward to seeing how our story unfolds in 2015.

Happy New Year!!

My refrigerator door - right now

I've been wanting to do this post for a while, and when I got a new refrigerator magnet from the Dance's today, I took it as a sign that it's time to get 'er done!

I am not the sort of person to have a completely bare fridge door.  I guess I like to be reminded of the good things in my life on a daily basis, and since I can't seem to stay out of the fridge, I like the door to be a big reminder.  So if you will indulge me, I will give you a little tour with short explanations of each item. (Starting at the top left hand corner.)

Yes, that is a picture of two adorable boys with moustaches.  It is a Valentine from Ashley's family.  The caption reads..."I moustache you a question...Will you be my Valentine?"  I'm not sure I will ever be able to take that picture down!  I love it!!!

It seems that the most recently married couple makes a few appearances on my metallic bulletin board.  Allison and Ryan got married last summer, and this is a picture of them right as they came out of the temple.  It is also a reminder that I did something I never thought I would pull off.  I made her dress!  I actually still can't believe that it all worked!

John's mom had a milestone birthday this year, and this is the invitation her daughters made for the surprise party.  I know the party was back in April, but I think this is a beautiful picture of her and I especially love the border of the invitation.  It has all the roles she plays in the family - wife, mother, daughter, etc.  Its really a lovely card.

Ah, Downton Abbey - who knew you would capture our hearts as you have?  You probably can't read the caption of the cartoon, but it shows a woman in tears, with a PBS coffee mug and a Union Jack flag hanging on the wall of her cubicle.  The man says, "Why is she so sad?  And who are Matthew and Lady Sybil?"  The woman walking by says, "If you have to ask, you'll never understand."  If you are asking the same questions, I can only echo the above sentiment.  It's a Downton thing.  

Under the calendar are two magnets which really mean nothing to me other than I really liked them, so I bought them when we were at the BYU Bookstore.  

Having spent the last 4+ years in Relief Society, the next magnet holds special meaning for me.  Hopefully in those years, I honed my Charity skills, and when I call on it, it will not fail me.

Yep, you'll recognize the boys again, this time clean shaven, but hiding behind super hero masks.  This time they are joined by their little brother.  Those pictures are probably over a year old, but I still love them.

Next we come to the reason for this post.  Tucked in an orange Shutterfly envelope was this little cutie!  We love you too, little buddy!!

This is the most unusual wedding picture I have ever seen!  How did he get that high, and how did the photographer capture the shot?  I really, really love this picture!!!

5 Things to Forget Not...a good reminder from President Uchtdorf about our worth as women.  Something that often comes in handy. 

My kids bought me the magnet in the top right corner at Disney World the last time we were there. I love my kids and I love Disney World, so I'm not sure that magnet is going anywhere anytime soon!

The light blue magnets are reminders to be happy and seek joys in life.  They are OLD, and I probably should get them off, but I guess I hope they will spark someone's desire to do either of those things, including me.

I put in another copy of the picture to prevent having to scroll so far to refer to it.  I do what I can to help. :)

The two Korean magnets are from Yoon, a friend of my good friend, Sue.  They hold between them a fortune that reads "Courtesy is contagious."  One of my girls put that fortune up on the fridge after being home from college for a few days.  She no doubt felt we needed a friendly little reminder.

The final magnet is from my dear friend who moved across the country several years ago.  Aside from being a reminder of my friend, it also has wise words for all - "No matter how many cookies you consult, you will find that love is the greatest fortune"  

Of course, my fridge door holds a calendar to help me at least try to remember appts, games, meetings, etc.  It can only do so much though!  :)

And finally, the bottom door holds two drawings by T1.  Again, they are several years old, but they are keepers.  The magnet on the left is from the Bingham Copper Mine, there is also a magnet of one of the Cars characters.  His name slips my mind at the moment.  Another nod to the grandsons.  

Last but not least, there is a magnet that says "Poppins Penguins Catering".  A nod to one of my favorite childhood movies.  My mom bought it for me when we were shopping at Disneyland after Allison's wedding.  (That trip where we stayed across the street from Disneyland, but chose not to actually go to the park.  We know it sounds crazy, but we feel totally justified in our decision!)  The movie means even more to me after seeing "Saving Mr. Banks", which I know isn't totally accurate, but is probably pretty close to the truth of PL Travers' life.  I loved it.

So there you have it.  A long post I know, but just a little slice of my life right now!  As I type this, I realize I don't have anything about my sister missionary.  Hmm, I better rectify that!

What I would tell my kids...

Earlier this year, the bofm365 challenge on Instagram posed this question for the reading in 2 Ne 1:13-29 "If you were to leave some final words of counsel with your family, what would you say?  Why?"
I jotted down this quick list and stuck it in my bag, and every so often, I look at it, and think "Yep, I would want to tell them those things."  I decided to put them in permanent (is a blog considered permanent?) form, so here they are, with a bit of commentary, because I always have something to add...

Kindness matters -  I saw a quote on a marquee in town just today that says "Three things in human life are important.  The 1st is to be kind.  The 2nd is to be kind.  And the 3rd is to be kind."  I have seen a few people who are credited with this, but it doesn't matter who said it.  I know from experiences of trying show more kindness to those around me that it is true.

Always kiss your spouse goodnight...and hello...and goodbye...and just because.  - Keep your courtship going.  It may not seem like a huge thing, but it is one of the most important things you can do to keep your marriage strong.

Keep the commandments - This one seems like a no-brainer, but there is evidence all around that many people do not choose to do this.  It will bring you happiness, and help you avoid a lot of pain and heartache.

Follow the Prophet - This may seem redundant of keeping the commandments, but in a church that has the privilege of continuing revelation through a living prophet, we would be foolish to stop our obedience at the 10 commandments.

Service, service, service - Sometimes service falls into your lap, and sometimes you have to seek it, but try to do something everyday that will ease someone else's burden.

Enjoy the journey - On my very long list of regrets is not enjoying all the aspects of this journey I have lived so far.  I am trying to rectify that.

Love deeply - No one will ever be spoiled by too much love.  Give all you have.  I promise it will come back to you.  Never withhold words or actions of affection.  Either of those is the greatest gift you can give someone.

Be brave (or to quote Sara Barielles, "Say what you wanna say") - Don't be mean, don't be rude, but don't be afraid to say what you want or what is really important to you.

And finally (well for now anyway) Be yourself - Don't be someone you aren't just to impress someone else and don't apologize about being you.

I am sure there will be more, and maybe I'm off base on a thing or two, but I have learned a thing or two in my life, and I don't think you will go wrong following these little bits of wisdom.

Congratulations, Dr. Dance! and a little serendipity

Thursday, I hit the road and headed to Seattle!  I was heading west over the pass, probably my last trip that way for a while, to celebrate Dallin's graduation.  Dallin has been in Dental School for the past 4 years, and Saturday, all that blood (patients'), sweat (probably both his and patients') and tears (his, Chelsie's, and Carter's, probably not any patients) paid off as Dallin was able to stand on the stage and receive his diploma to become a D.D.S.  So excting!!  Not only did he graduate, but he finished in the top 10% of his class (there were only 60 students, you do the math!)  He also received a cash award because he worked hard, and deserved it.  (I am sorry to say I didn't make a note of where the award came from, so I have no info on that!)  I only know that he has worked hard at school along with serving in 2 very demanding church callings, being a great husband, and also a very involved new daddy!  Needless to say, he probably needs a really long nap, but as it is, they head out next week to begin their next adventure as he starts his pediatric residency in Salt Lake City. We are so excited for their family, and the new, great things that will come their way.

I doubt I'll be back in Seattle anytime soon, unless one of our children moves over there, so I was a little sad because I really love Seattle!  I think it is such a pretty city, and now that I've been there a few times, I even feel mostly comfortable around the town.  Everytime I am driving along I-90, I wish that I had time to take the exit 80 marked "Roslyn".  For those of you wondering why, I'll tell you. In the early 90's there was a television show named "Northern Exposure".  It was a VERY quirky show, with VERY quirky characters, set in a small town called Cicely, Alaska.  It was really filmed in Roslyn, WA though, and I wanted to see the town for myself. 

Well, as luck would have it, as I was heading over Thursday night, there was a sign that informed drivers that Snoqualmie Pass would be closed at 7:30 that night for at least one hour while they did some blasting.  Guess what time I would get to the pass?  Yep, 7:30.  I realized that I could sit on the freeway for an hour (at the very least) or I could take this moment of serendipity and take Exit 80 and visit Roslyn!!  I chose serendipity!!  It was only about 5 miles from the freeway and a really pretty drive.  There were two roundabouts along the way, but luckily, our little town now has a roundabout and I've had plenty of practice, and thus navigated them with ease.  :)

Of course, I had to take a picture of this...

Nothing says Northern Exposure like this mural on the side of the cafe.  While the show was filmed, there was an "s" added to Roslyn, to make it work with the show, but clearly it has been removed.  And you can all be really glad that I chose not to share the selfie I tried to take with this in the background!  Pathetic!!

This building is obviously a tourist trap now, but you can still see "Dr. Joel Fleischman" (a NY doctor who ends up in Cicely to pay off his student loans) in the corner of the window.  In it's TV life, it was Dr. Fleischman's office, staffed by Marilyn Whirlwind, (did I mention the quirky characters?) his Native American receptionist.  

I didn't really know what to do once I got to Roslyn, this is where a little beforehand research would have come in handy.  I did snap a few pictures, drive down Main Street a couple of times, and that's about it.  I would like to go back during the day and maybe spend a little time.  As it was, it was early evening and the street was pretty quiet, so it was not quite how I expected my trip there would be.  

At any rate, I finally made it to Roslyn, and it made me very happy!!!

But I digress, (A LOT) and need to get back to the subject I started posting on!

I was so happy to be with Chelsie and Dallin to celebrate this great achievement with them.  I did go a day early so I could help them pack up a bit.  I should have taken a picture as proof, but you'll have to take my word that I packed as much of their kitchen as I dared and all of their books, pictures and most of their knick-knacks.  I think I could have done more, but we ran out of boxes.  Shoot!!

Along with the work, we managed to do a few things to mark the occasion.  Here is the cute Dance family at the Thai restaurant we ate at Friday night.  Carter discovered he really likes to suck on ice cubes!  (He's also teething which might have a lot to do with that!!)  After dinner, we had ice cream cake with their friends who live downstairs and then watched "The Monuments Men" on DVD.  It was a very good movie.  We all enjoyed it very much to be sure.  

The "big day" was busy as well.  Chelsie and Dallin had moving related things to take care of, and that took much of the day until it was time to leave for the graduation.  It was a really lovely ceremony.  It was just the Dental Students, so it was a very personal, intimate affair.  Each grad got to submit several slides which were shown on the screen behind them while they were hooded and at the same time, we got to listen to a their parting thoughts as they ended their career as a student.  Dallin mentioned Chelsie and Carter in the first part of his, and I was so touched I couldn't focus on the rest of what he said!  :)  So sweet!  In case you are wondering, yes, I thought this picture was clearer than it actually is, and yes, I wished really badly I had my big camera with me!  (I am used to my iPhone, I guess)

A post-ceremony picture.  (Look at cute little Carter's onesie!  Purple and Gold!!

Only a few of Dallin's family (his mom and dad, and Uncle Alan were there as well as Chelsie and I) came to the actual Graduation, so his Aunt Diane threw him a party afterward at their home.  I don't even know how many people there were at the party, but let me tell you, it was just a portion of the large Dance family, and there were still a lot of people!!  Aunts, Uncles, cousins, cousins' spouses, cousins' kids, a neice, a nephew, and a dog, for good measure, plus Chelsie's really good friend and her daughter were there also.  It was great fun, and great food!

Jake managed to step into this picture just as I snapped it!  Silly boy!

Diane made this great little garland for Dallin.  Too bad I didn't get a very good picture of it!  (Hello again, Jake!!)

 Of course, all too soon, the weekend was over, and it was time to head home.  We went to Sacrament Meeting, then Dallin stayed at church and the 3 of us came home, so I could get on the road.  Quite possibly, my favorite picture of the whole trip is this one!!  One of my favorite grandma "chores" is reading to the little sweethearts!  I got one last chance to read to Carter before he took a nap and I left to come home!  I think Carter enjoyed it also!! (See the title?  I think it was a fitting read for my last trip to Seattle for a while!)

Home and 32 and counting (down)

The other night I was coming down the hill and caught a glimpse of our house.  Amber's shade was up and I could see her California State flag lit up by the twinkle lights she hung around it.  I smiled when I saw it.  The mission countdown is dwindling and just hovering over 30 days.  She got her itinerary to fly to Salt Lake this week!  So exciting!!  We started making skirts, and haven't had great success yet, but it is close.  Hopefully today there will be two finished and hanging in her closet.  And she got her booster Tdap so she is protected should she encounter a rusty nail or myriad other things that could give her tetanus, or be exposed to the rapidly returning Whooping Cough!  Immunize your kids for heaven's sake, and the rest of us, as well. (Stepping off soapbox now)

Its getting exciting, and scary and somedays I'm sure it can't get here fast enough.  So, so exciting!!!

But that is not what I sat down to blog about.

It's home that I want to wax poetic about.  When I came down the hill and saw the house with lit windows, I was glad to be heading there.  Not because I was eager to leave our RS Activity, where I had been.  It was a great evening where about 15 of us spent an hour and a half sewing comfort bags for elderly people.  I love getting together with my friends from church.  Laughing, sewing, eating, sharing - its all good.  So that wasn't why I was glad to see those windows iilluminated from inside.  It was knowing my family was inside that house, and although they don't come running to the door to greet me anymore (they are teenagers), I knew they wouldn't be sorry I was home, and thus in a roundabout way, I knew they were glad I was home.

I am not a homebody.  I love to travel.  In fact, John is in Utah right now to celebrate his mom's birthday, and I am very sad I couldn't go.  He gets to spend time with Alli and Ryan, his sisters and their families, and also he's done a little exploring of the art museum at BYU.  I would love to be there.

I love to go see our kids and their families, I love to go new places, I really hope the Australia trip comes to pass (Ashley says we just have to rip off the band-aid and go for it. :) I did fill out my passport application on-line and print it out.  John's is next.)  I have a list of places I would love to see - Italy, not only the picture from the puzzle, but maybe the area where my relatives come from; the French provincial countryside, and Paris of course; Arches and Zions National Parks - I have seen some incredible pictures; I'm told Mt. Ranier shouldn't be missed; and did I mention Australia??

I loved the historic sights, and pretzels, in Philly; could go back to New York in a heartbeat and see everything I missed the first time; and have fallen in love with downtown Seattle.  Portland is still one of my favorite places to go, as well as the Oregon Coast.

But at the end of it all, there is always home.  The place where our family story has taken place for the past 22+ years.  Three of our children were brought home as newborns to this house.  We have held two wedding celebrations, 6 baptism celebrations, 4 graduation parties, 22 Christmases, and I'm not sure how many Thanksgivings and hosted 3 General Authorities.  Again at the end of it all, there is home.

Home is where you hang your hat.
Home is where your story begins.
Home is where your heart is.
Home sweet home.

So no matter if I'm coming home from a trip or coming home from the grocery store, like Dorothy, I'm always glad to get back home, because there truly is no place like home.

The BIG Thing

A bit of a miracle happened last month. Our family only has one gallon of milk in the fridge at a time these days.  This is a change from the one gallon of 2% (drinkers - John, Kristin and Trevor) and one gallon of Fat Free (drinker - me).  I can't even begin to tell you how big this is. We have been divided on milk percentage for at least 10 years. Here's how the change came about....

We were visiting Chelsie and Dallin in February, and Dallin had John try some 1% milk they had in their fridge.  (Now you have to understand that John loves milk and the higher the fat percentage, the better.  2% milk is always his drink of choice, and he had no interest in even trying my fat-free (or chalk water, as he affectionately calls it :)  You needed that bit of background, but now back to the story.  After tasting their milk, John thought he would give Costco's 1% a try.  I bought some, we tried it, and after our respective milks ran out, we decided to compromise and this is the only milk jug to be found in our fridge! 

Yes, it is hard to believe.  We have shocked two of our daughters by sharing this news.  They really can't belive it, but here is the proof.  One jug of 1% milk sitting on the shelf nestled between the caesar dressing that fell victim to our persnickity fridge that randomly goes on tangents and freezes its contents, and the homemade spaghetti sauce that for some reason, turned out a little on the sweet side!  The only thing I can think is that I made it with home-grown tomatoes instead of canned.  Who knows?

So there you have it, the Rietz's are no longer a house divided over their milk.  This is strong evidence that you can teach old dogs new tricks. Woof!!

December top ten or fifteen or twenty

Christmas came, Christmas went.  Amber, Allison and Ryan came then they went too.

There were MANY things going on during the holidays, and I didn't take time to blog.  I was having too much fun with my family.

Here is a quick rundown in picture form since it will be nigh unto impossible to catch up any other way.  (It is taking me forever to get them in order, so I'm just going with how they are.  Sorry for any confusion that may cause)
So here goes...

The kids in their matching Christmas Eve jammies.  Kristin was good to demonstrate the flap in the back!  :)

Welcom to the world, Carter Joseph Dance.  Born on January 5th.  Here he is the floor model for the the quilt I made him (top) and the one Grandma Sollenbarger made (bottom) Such a cutie!!

Google hangout waiting for Amber to open her mission call.  I love that all the girls, near and far were able to participate!  Technology is wonderful!!!  Couldn't have done it without Ashley.  She knew just how to get it done.  She received her call on January 15th.  Just 11 days after she turned in her papers.

Last year, John and the kids had fun putting together a puzzle.  This was John's Christmas present from Chelsie and Dallin.  A very fun puzzle!!  It went together pretty quickly, so John and a few of the kids went out and bought another one to work on.

Amber's first day home was a SNOW DAY!!  The kids made a VERY tall snowman, Tiki style, you may notice.  So good to have her home.

If you are wondering where Amber is going, here is the answer.  California, Rancho Cucamonga Mission, reporting May 21st.  She will speak English.  She is excited and we are thrilled for her!!  (Here is a funny RC side story...As you may or may not know, Payton Manning calls out "Omaha" many times during a football game.  The other day, John saw an interview with him about that subject.  To paraphrase, Manning alluded to the fact that Omaha is a lot easier to say than Walla Walla or Rancho Cucamonga!  Two cities that are very meaningful to our family!)

I promised Trev I would take him to the walking path today so he could take his bike on the jumps out there.  Kristin came and ran the trail, I walked.  It was good to get out even though it was cold, and as you can see, foggy.  Sadly, Trev's jumping experience was cut short when his rear tire came apart from the frame.  He had to walk his muddy bike all the way back to the car.  :(  A happy thing - as we were walking back, we saw this Christmas ornament hanging on one of the trees with a dedication stone at the base.  It is not very clear on the picture, but there were little bits of ice hanging from the star.  It was COLD!!!

We took a quick trip to Seattle the day after Christmas.  We went to the Seattle Center and spent a long time looking at this train village!  It was very pretty and Trev especially loved it as the train is the same kind as the one Grandpa Rietz handed down to him a few years ago.  

You would not believe how many times I had to re-take this to get everyone jumping at the same time!  I'm sure people walking thought we were a little weird!! I think Alli and Ryan won the highest jump award, and Chelsie gets high marks for effort as she was a day over her due date!!!

We are on the steps of the Experience Music Project.  As I was getting ready to snap this picture, a woman asked me if I wanted to be in the picture, so I jumped at the chance.  John and I get the boring award.  No one told us we were supposed to pose!!!

This is one of my favorite places to take a family shot in Seattle.  I love the water and the island in the background.  A very nice man with an English accent offered to take this for me.  He didn't know how to change the focus on my camera and was pretty much shooting blind. :)

This was Ryan's first trip to Seattle, so of course, we had to take him to Pike's Place Market.  He is clearly amazed by the gum wall!  :)  It was our first experience with the gum wall as well.  Not sure we need to go back!!  Disgusting!!

This has to be a favorite shot of Carter.  He is reminiscent of a sloth, hanging off his dad's arm like he is!  Look at that head of hair!!  I thought that Carter favored Dallin when I first saw him, but that was confirmed to me when Chelsie showed me a picture of Dallin as a baby!  Except for the nose, he is the spitting image of his dad!!!

One evening while I was in Seattle after Carter was born, his other Grandma, Julienne, came to visit.  Chelsie took advantage of a photo-op and snapped a few pictures with both of us, Carter, and the quilts we made for him!  What a great moment!

A quick picture with Carter the day I was going home!  It didn't take long for me to wish I could turn around and head back!!

Their first family picture!  Sadly the quality is not very good.  Totally my fault because I don't know how to use my iPhone camera very well yet!!!

The winners of the New Year's ping pong tournament!  Amber attributed her success to that fuzzy cape!  :)  

Another shot by the water in Seattle.

We loved this building in the Train Village.  Especially appropo with a future dentist in our family!!

Of course, I love this picture because Chelsie and Dallin are in it, but I also love the fishermen on the top of the restaurant.  I find them enchanting, well maybe not enchanting, but fascinating.

It was a busy, fun Christmas break.  Some of the other things we did that aren't represented by a picture were...
-Frozen at the movie theater.  Do you wanna build a snowman?
-Gym time at the church to burn off some extra energy.
-Grandma and Grandpa Rietz visiting right before everyone left.
-Ryan getting to Skype with his missionary brother from Peru on Christmas day.
-Yummy authentic Mexican food made by Allison and Ryan.
-Several family movie nights - Despicable Me 2, Ephraim's Rescue, Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby
-Our now traditional Aloha Chicken Quesadillas while we watched BYU get beat in their bowl game
-Allison and I worked to make a dent in the thank you notes from their wedding.  I think they still have miles to go.

 Of course, we missed our Aussie family a lot and if it weren't for them having some great experiences themselves, we might feel really bad!!  
-Ashley and Brandon spent a few days before Christmas on a holiday a few hours south of Perth.  They had a great time.
-Talmage celebrated his 5th birthday at an animal park in Perth, complete with koalas and all animals Australian.  A more perfect day couldn't have been had for an animal lover like him.
-Ashley and Brandon are wrapping up a weekend in Melbourne after attending the Australian Open.  They were able to watch Serena live!  An opportunity of a lifetime.
We can't begrudge them for not being with us.  

And now everyone is back in school, I am home from Seattle, and we are back to real life. I did have to remind myself of Dr. Suess's quote about smiling because it happened, not crying because its over.  I was pretty sorry to see everyone go back to school.  Carter was a very good distraction!!!
But of course, all in all, Life is good!!!