I'm reading a book!!

I haven't read a book that I can hold in my hands* for a few months, and I finally started one Thursday!  The fact that I'm so excited to be reading an actual paper book is a revelation to me.  I like reading on the iPad/iPhone because it is so quiet and if I am awake and John is not, I can read without bothering him, not to mention I don't have to turn on the light.  I read "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" by Clayton Christensen that way, and I liked doing that until it was time to discuss it in book club, and then I was a bit annoyed because I couldn't navigate to my bookmarks, highlighted sections, etc.
I also started reading "The Word's Strongest Librarian" during track season, but darn if the language didn't go south on that one!  I was VERY disappointed because I liked the story, liked the author's writing style, and wanted to know how he got to his present level of faith.  (It is a memoir about a man with Tourette's who is also LDS, but doesn't sound like he has a really strong testimony.  He is a librarian at the SLC Public Library who discovered that by lifting weights, he could have some control over his Tourette's.)  If anyone reads it, let me know, I'd love to discuss it with you.
I have been "reading" everyday, but it is a blog that I had to start at the beginning of and am working my way through the years until I get to present day.  It is called "The Happiness Project".  I read the book in March and have been playing catch up ever since.  Luckily, a lot of what is in her blog, is from her book (so far anyway) so it has been a nice reminder of things I liked about the book.  I only have 3 1/2 years to go until I am caught up!  :) (I would really like to know how I am so OCD about this!!  I did this with another blog "The English Geek" and I don't regret doing it, I just wonder why I have this compulsion to start from the beginning.  Maybe I just like to know their whole story!!)
So, that brings us to Thursday.  I heard about the book "The Funeral Dress" on a podcast I listen to called "Books on the Night Stand.  (If you are a reader, I think you will agree that is a great name for a podcast about reading/books.  Who among us doesn't have a pile of books TBR on some flat surface in their home??)  I requested it from our library, and of course, it had to be ordered in.  (Don't let me get on my soapbox about that)  I really thought I ordered in the book on CD, but no, when I picked it up, it was in paperback (with French flaps and deckled edges no less) and I started it the next day.  Last night I really had a chance to get into the story, and I can't wait to keep going.  I really hope my language "rule" doesn't have to be employed** because so far, I love this book!  A young girl, with an illegitimate daughter, is supposed to move in with a couple to escape living with her horrible dad.  Emmalee met Leona when she started working at a shirt factory and Leona took Emmalee under her wing and showed her how to sew collars.  Leona and her husband were just killed and then I had to turn out the light because I was so tired.  Don't worry, I didn't spoil anything for you!!  Sigh...a good read!  Happiness!!!

*I guess I do read a book everyday that I can hold in my hands, "The Book of Mormon", but I am talking about a recreational read here.
**Another book "Longbourn" had to be scrapped because of language!!  Did they really use the f-bomb back in the early 19th century??  Really???

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!)

A "Wicked" Surprise

Here is how the whole thing went down....

One afternoon Dallin called to say he had 4 tickets to the musical "Wicked" in Spokane.  He suggested that I surprise Kristin, and he would surprise Chelsie.  I was in!  John agreed it was a good idea, so then the hardest part was keeping it a secret for almost a week!  So many times I wanted to just blurt out the good news, but I didn't, and neither did Trevor or Amber who also knew the plan. Whew!!

Timing was important the afternoon of the performance.  I had Visiting Teaching scheduled, and needed to be done in time to leave by 4:00.  I didn't know where I was going, and didn't want something stupid, like getting lost to ruin things.  Of course, VT went later than planned, and I had to bug out early so I could get home, tell Kristin to pack a bag for overnight, grab some food and hit the road.

When we were almost to the theatre, I asked her if she knew what we were doing, and she guessed right, (she had asked Trev before we left, but he held his secret tight!!) and she was very excited!  (See photos below.  Her instagram post for the second picture was "Words cannot describe my joy!!!")

It was a fantastic performance, we had really great seats, and I am ready to see it again!!

I have seen it with Ashley in New York, Kristin and Chelsie in Spokane, and so now I have to see it with the other 3 kids.  Just a head's up, Ryan, Brandon and Dallin have been instrumental in making the first 2 times happen, no pressure!! :)

These are her "surprised eyes"!

I'm told words cannot express her joy!!

We found some hometown friends before the performance. 

I am a blessed mama!  2 beautiful girls here and 3 more in parts far away!! One very handsome son, too!!

Sister Rietz

Tomorrow is the big day.  Amber leaves the security of the MTC and heads out to the mission field bright and early!!  She will be able to give us a quick call before she boards the plane.  She is excited and ready to serve.  Today she had me post to her blog, Adventures of Sister Rietz.  She also got to send us pictures of her time learning how to be a missionary.  

I wasn't sure how the MTC would be for her.  A person hears so many different things - some missionaries cry themselves to sleep for the first while, some feel overwhelmed, some love the MTC and don't want to leave.  I think I have heard the full gamut.  From what we can glean, via a couple of emails and one snail mail letter home, she has loved her time there, even the long days in the classroom, but is ready to start sharing the Gospel.  Her letters sound upbeat, and you can see from the pictures that she looks pretty happy.

I include a few pictures from her emails.  Enjoy!

With one of her first investigators, Kitty.

I can't be sure, but I would guess this is in front of the Provo Temple.

I love this double greeting to little Carter from his Aunt Amber and Uncle Johnny who happened to be in the MTC at the same time!

Apparently everyone was on the same page for their color scheme that day.  These are the sister missionaries in Amber's district.

Sister Rietz with her companion, Sister Prows.

 We are super excited for Amber as she starts the next part of her mission.  I can't tell you how many times I checked my email today.  Last week her email came in the morning, so I figured that would be the same today.  Nope, not until mid afternoon today.  I had to be a patient Mama.  It was worth the wait, I assure you!  These pictures are worth a thousand words.

Want to follow me?

It's late.  It was Fast Sunday.  I am in that state of stuffedness that comes after a day of fasting.  I have minimum energy to blog tonight, but I set a little goal to blog every day since I have been behind.  So, here is my feeble contribution tonight.

See my gadgets on the side?  Notice anything new?  I added a "follow by email" gadget.

I realize that there are probably a handful of my people who actually check this blog, but since I have been posting more regularly, well at least I was posting more regularly until lately, I didn't know if  maybe someone out there might be interested in receiving an email when I do post something.

So there it is.  Do with it what you will.  I am not sure I can tell who is or isn't following me, so if you choose not to, I'm pretty sure I won't know unless you tell me.

I think I look at this blog as a way to keep my girls near and far updated on what's up around here, but I suppose I can also look at it as a way to keep a family history.  So its a two-fer!  A win-win.

Now, off to bed.  This is the last week of school.  Lots of good stuff, and lots of not so good stuff (finals) ahead.

BTW - I found a Life is Good tote bag, light orange no less, and a copy of Middlemarch (brand new) at a friend's garage sale this weekend.  Two favorite things for $1.50!  That is also a win-win!!

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink, or water with, or (insert use)

Well, not "not a drop" but "not enough".  You would think living in a town bordered by two rivers, and not small ones at that, a well would last long enough to fill a family's needs, but alas, it is not so.  Our faithful well, that has served us for 22+ years is diminishing, and there's nothing we can do to save it.  Well, that isn't entirely accurate either.  We could spend an incredibly large amount of money to deepen it, but of course, as with all well-drilling operations, there is no guarantee.  So our solution is to join the local irrigation district and start paying for our water!  Gulp!!  That will be a hard pill for us, who are very spoiled, to swallow!!  Made even harder by the quantities we use during the summer to keep our yard looking so nice.  (Big round of applause to John who works hard to make and keep it looking that way!)  

So, that brings us to today's project - Dig a hole around the area where our well connects to our house and get it ready for the water people to connect us.  The area is in a flower bed at the side of our house, so there was a little plant rescue involved, but not too much, as most of the plants affected by the digging were plants that had spread a little (or a lot) farther than I wanted them to, so they were easily disposed of.  Trevor and John did the lion's share of the work, while I mainly took a turn here or there, and Kristin spent more time than me helping.  It took a large part of the day, and Trev and John are both spent.  Kristin and I recovered pretty quickly!  :)  

We are ready for the next step which involves a trencher, some plumbing knowledge and several valves, etc.  We called in a professional to take it from here.  (We know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em!)

John and I both thought this part of the day looked like a little "government work"!

Rarely does Trev turn down a chance to run the tractor.

Sadly, this blurry picture is the only one I took of Kristin doing her part.  (It does show her very cool bun, though.)

You can't see it in this picture, but along with the dirt on his face and neck creases, he also had dirt in his "belly button crease".  He deserved every drop of the precious water he used for his shower!

Release the birds!

Trev's Eagle Scout project is drawing to a close.  He will release his remaining birds tomorrow morning on our property.  Here is the final outcome for the 100 chicks he started with.  (Click here for  the beginning of the project if you have no idea what I am talking about.)  FYI - the survival rate is about 30%.  Of course, we have no way to know how these birds will fare, but we are hoping to be on the high end of things. 

2 chicks died within the first two days. One of those wasn't well from the start

1 chick met an unfortunate demise when its head was snapped off by a critter (probably a fox) in the night.

1 chick was scared by something (probably the same critter) and tried to fly while it was in the run and crashed into a board, most likely breaking its neck.  This would be the chick Trevor stuck in the freezer in a ziploc bag and let me discover when he asked me for an ice cube!  Gross!!

1 chick made it through 2 nights on its own but died after Trev brought it back home because it had an injured foot.

2 chicks escaped and have stayed around the yard.  One got out while John was changing the water, or something like that, the other when they were being caught to transport for release.  They can often be found just pecking around the run.  Hanging out (on the outside) with their buddies.

The remaining 93 have been set free or will be tomorrow.  Trev let the first two batches go at a walking path on the edge of town.  There is a lot of bushes and ground cover for them to live in.  We have been out to check on the first batch, and found game trails they had made in just a day.  We also spied several of the birds and were happy to see they were still around.

Trev and John have both enjoyed the project, and it looks like there is another batch of chicks in our near future.  Trev has committed to raising another group and should get the chicks sometime in the second week of June.

Dick and Lorraine Hallisey with Trevor.  Dick has generously provided feed and wood chips for the chicks.  Lorraine collected roly-poleys (sp?) and took many pictures.  They came with us on both releases.  

This is John's favorite picture.  He loves how Trev got into the spirit of things and tried to model how to fly.

This is my favorite picture.  We spied this chick when we were on a walk Sunday to check on the birds.  They are pretty good at keeping themselves hidden already.

Trev only had to coax a few out of the cage the second release.  The birds just kind of moseyed out of the cage the first time.  Here is a good shot of Trev encouraging one of the lingerers on its way.

Most of the second group took off like this bird.  It was exciting to see them take off through the sky.