Some Hopeful and Happy Scenes From the Files of a Middle-Aged Mother

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I looked outside one morning from my upstairs bedroom window and saw little diamonds dripping from the maple tree out in front of our neighbors’ yard.  By the time I grabbed my camera and dashed out to investigate, the sun had ducked behind the clouds and taken all my little pretties away.  It was then I noticed and fell in love with the wonderful little nest just waiting for spring and some lucky new home owners. There was something very hopeful about this scene and it made me happy.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is something very hopeful about this scene as well, and it too makes me happy.  Shaleen came down from Marysville to visit during Spring Break and the girls had way too much fun together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are Aubrey’s “adopted” daughters of sorts – Ashley and Sierra.  She  was their Nanny when they were newborns, has spent a lot of time with them while home this semester on her break, and is going to go through severe withdrawals while she is away at school—kind of like what I go through every time someone moves away from home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marci is experiencing an intense time of stress in her teen-age life as she attends a driving instruction class run by the “meanest, toughest”, black man on the planet, and who is tattooed up the bejeebers and looks and talks like a druggie. (This has all been verified by Nathan, who survived the same ordeal.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is another scene I love.  These little ladies have put themselves on the strictest of schedules and work a little too hard in my humble opinion.  What I love about this picture is that it is them and not me sitting there ripping their hair out over Algebra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is not a scene that makes me happy.  In fact, this is a picture that makes me want to pull MY hair out.  What you are looking at is a double batch of beautiful bread sticks put in my new double oven to “proof” or rise – which is hard to do when the oven is set to 350 instead of a comfortably warm 100 degrees. 

Here’s a happy picture.  I stole this picture that Dallin sent in off the family blog that Darren puts together every Sunday.  He’s in his full Class A uniform.  Something about this picture reminds me of my Dad at that age in military uniform.   Maybe it’s the good looks.  Maybe it’s the smile.  Maybe it’s the funny hat.

 

 

Another stolen picture from Dallin.  Devin and Nathan drove out to Pullman again to visit Dallin before Devin took off for college.  They got as far as Snoqualmie Pass, a whole hour away, and had to sit in the car three hours waiting for the avalanche to be cleared.  It didn’t happen, so they were sent back home.  Thirty minutes after arriving home, the freeway was cleared, and so at 7 p.m. at night they took off again, and arrived around midnight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Tall Guy in the middle just turned 18 last week.  He also earned his Eagle a whole week before.  None of this 24 hours before the deadline stuff.  His siblings are taking him out to lunch. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday presents from the kids.  Don’t ask me which one and what it is, I can’t remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy siblings watching the opening of presents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This happy scene almost sent Devin straight back to Provo on Friday.  This is 30 minutes from Rexburg and not the most colorful of landscapes.  I do believe I now understand where the color  “Sage Green” originated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On Friday, we drove Devin and Aubrey down to Rexburg and helped them check into their new apartments.  Devin is what you would call, “LESS THAN THRILLED” about the quality of the apartment he has rented for this semester.  Something about buying a pig in a poke that didn’t work out so well.  There is a bright spot in this scene, though.  Aubrey is in his ward, as are Barrett and Jarin, who live next door, and he is a couple of minutes walk away from Darren and Richelle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We helped Aubrey move in to her apartment, and bless Richelle’s heart, she spent about three hours on Saturday evening helping Aubs get all organized and putting way too much stuff into way too little space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright and early Saturday morning while everyone was sleeping at Darren’s place, the phone rang, and there were some gentlemen coming from Wyoming to Rexburg to take a look at the van that Darren and Richelle have been trying to sell for some time.  They came with cash, and after a few offers and counter offers, Darren was thrilled to walk away with a sold van and one heck of a wad of bills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had the best visit with Darren Saturday morning.  He never ceases to amaze me.  He is creative, hard working, full of ideas and very analytical—none of which he inherited from me.  He is also crazier than the proverbial hoot owl—that’s DEFINITELY not me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy,  happy -- and they did it again.  Straight A’s and full tuition scholarships.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is their happy new car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is something very comforting for a mother knowing that they have each other at school.  Like Aubrey can get Devin to eat his vegetables, and other important stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides being the absolute ULTIMATE in back scratchers, this is one nice guy.

He was up all night Thursday night, left Federal Way at 2:30 Friday morning, drove 900 miles,  and arrived in Rexburg at 3 p.m.  He got a call from Darren and Richelle who needed help – they had flown with Allegiant Air to California and were trying to get home.  They had arrived at the Long Beach Airport 30 minute before their flight took off from California, but there was no one at the airlines to get a boarding pass from.  They ended up having to pay for new tickets  on another airlines,  and fly into Salt Lake instead of Idaho Falls.  They asked Devin if he would drive their car down from Rexburg to Salt Lake and pick them up, and this guy said, “Sure.”  He and Aubs took off, picked them up at midnight, and got home at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.  Side note:  Do NOT ever fly Allegiant Air.  In the small print somewhere, it says to be at the airport two hours early or you won’t be able to get your ticket.  They lost their money on that one.  Another side note:  You will not go wrong in having Devin for a brother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is something about this scene that makes me feel peaceful and happy.  Something about a “refuge from the storm.”   The Rexburg Temple is a blessing to the whole community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon we finally had to leave our college students behind and take off for Salt Lake where Jim and I will be until the Monday after Easter.  Well, let me restate that.  I will be here.  Tomorrow morning,  Jim flies out of Salt Lake to Winnipeg, where he will be helping the Boeing plant people there do something that they need Engineers for.  He gets back Wednesday, and Thursday he will spend at the Boeing plant in Salt Lake, helping their plant people do something that they need Engineers for as well.  Ah well. You will still be able to find me in the dungeon with my dead people.   BUT – Saturday evening we have great tickets to the BYU Men’s Volleyball Quarterfinal Championships!  It will be nice to scream and shout a little after a full week in a library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I forgot to tell you what that last picture was about.  That handsome hunk walking across the street toward me just took away my breath and all my brain cells.  We decided it was about time to climb Ensign Peak, especially considering we are just up the road from the trail head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went about sunset and watched the lights in the city come on.  Too many clouds for a sunset, but we weren’t complaining.  It was gorgeous up there. We also discovered a great place to take dates.  There were couples all over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Street is the big one running straight down from the capitol.  At the end of that street and to the left should be Rhonda’s place and the Draper Temple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Utah State Capitol.  We often walk up there from “The Kimball” at nights.  A great hike up hill and a beautiful view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would like to do that hike again.  It was good exercise, and next time we’ll hope the clouds have evacuated the premises and we can see a nice sunset.

 

Darren did a special on Jamie tonight, and in her honor, had everyone in the family send in a “Jamie” picture.  This is an official “Jamie” picture., and these are the pictures that ended up in this section of his blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, before things get any crazier, I better quit.  I will end where I began—with another hopeful, happy picture I took today on Temple Square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little guy gives me hope that SPRING is actually around the corner somewhere.  We sure haven’t seen it yet, at home in Washington, in Rexburg, or Salt Lake.  Most of the flowers on Temple Square don’t believe it’s really coming, and are also still waiting for some definite signs that it’s time.  I think this is a pretty good one.  He makes me happy.