Our beautiful Omahome (8/22)

This home welcomed us to the Midwest. Snuggled in the block of the elementary, middle, and high schools, we loved the location. (We were also a quick block from the Lake Zorinsky loop for fabulous walks.) It was just right for us in so many ways - the staircase where Kindin always stretched out, the red door that Mom painted, the unfinished basement that Jack lived in, a grey shade that everyone began copying, the gigantic garage featured lovingly named purgatory, a bedroom (albeit hot) with double closets for the girls, the cozy living room that started as an off the kitchen playroom, that catwalk that didn't hide party noise but gave an airy feel, the 19 foot floor to ceiling windows, the squeezy entry made swanky by Dad, Mom's first big bath, the swingset and trampoline for wiggles, and even that ninja-friendly, Birch tree allergen out front! It was a wonderful and beautiful place to house our family!  

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam (4/23)

These cute little girls (and one boy) are gems. Dave and I are called as sunbeam teachers and it's so fun to engage these littles with stickers, coloring pages, or tiny carrot seeds. Dave and I love the opportunity to serve together again and adore a chance to chit chat with little people again!  It's been a long time since our family home evenings were structured to as simply as standing up every time they hear a big word like "Sabbath" in Matthew 12. 

sharing spiritual talents

One of Dalia's spiritual gifts is writing polished love notes - whether an apology note or just to boost mood, they are sweet and flowery! She acknowledges that verbalizing feelings is much trickier but her literary works demonstrate a generously compassionate side. And her mom, also a note writer, loves their shared mother/daughter bond. 

She also shares quippy memes:

Jack's Glow Up (7/23)

Jack begged for a gym membership and despite having concerns about an overzealous approach, we acquiesced because summers are long and hot. We created rules and structure; in addition, his coach joined us by opposing certain exercises in order to keep the range of motion needed for tennis. Jack's efforts quickly showed and when he returned to school, he was met with comments like, "Dude, the bulk is looking good!" When we compared his orthodontic before and after shots, the after pic has been lovingly dubbed his 'glow up pic'.

In addition to getting stronger, Jack continues working hard on the tough mental game of tennis. His stroke is powerful, accuracy is improving, strategies are sound, and technique has finesse but he sometimes loses track of the score and did have an on-court blowup where he screamed, "Stop it, Mom!" mid match. 

His norm is to be patient, polite and kind. His humor is savvy and he brings levity to almost any situation. He is fun to be around and quick to respond with 'love you' on texts and phone calls. 

... What were his sticky spread requests you ask? caramel corn was at the top of the list!

Luke, I am your Fahu (7/23)

Luke called ahead of his wedding to inform me that as the patriarchal aunt, I'd have a special role at his wedding. He said that, as the Fahu in Polynesian culture, I'd be treated like royalty and given gifts. He was brief about their traditional wedding and what it entailed but I confirmed availability, how I should dress, and ensured that I knew how to pronounce his fiance's name. I also managed to ask what responsibilities came with the title but he replied, "nothing". When we hung up, I googled Fahu and was surprised to see that culturally she is the matriarch who holds responsibilities such as the naming of children in the family. I reached out to my brother but got vague answers and more unanswered questions. Their wedding was on the tail end of our Lake Powell trip so I focused heavily on logistics and getting everyone there instead of worrying too much about what to expect.

When we arrived in Salt Lake City, I was greeted as "Fahu" by Fetu. Other times, I was labeled "Queen Mandy". Most of the weekend's wedding celebrations were very casual - the dance starting 2.5 hrs late and a late temple ceremony too. The wedding reception was a fun, formal party and I participated as Palagi royalty. I was greeted with a beautiful lei (Dave too - who was also famed for his Fahu proximity), served a larger dinner with 5 types of meat at a specially designated table with Renee (the other Fahu), was surprised by an honorary money dance, and gifted with handmade gifts (afghans) and a portion of the wedding cake. It really was such a treat! 

(In retrospect, her Fahu had schizophrenia so I was likely released from many formalities because of that but I really wish I'd been prepared with a formal money dance for the couple.)

  

how do i have a 17 year old? (3/23)

Birthday season proved tricky for the newbies in town. Kindin found it difficult to decipher exactly who were close enough friends to celebrate with and uncertain about how to let loose with her new friends. We settled on hosting a permanent jewelry party with just a few girls.

At 17, I'm realizing that my time with her is limited. We have about 75 weeks with her before she leaves the house. I have 75 weeks to... giggle, play, connect, teach, and inspire her. [Giggling is what I'll miss the most - observing AZ's tricky winter grass quality, she joked, "You have a pretty good chance of finding a 4 leaf clover back here."] I have started more deliberately chatting with her late into the night even though I'd rather be in bed. And I am providing independent living skills such as sending her to get an oil change all on her own. 

Some trivia about Kindin at this age: she is most frequently called "Cocoa" at home by her parents whom she refers to as "Sussy" or "Boss", she can't keep a poker face, she will always treat herself to extra mayo, she has never had to be told to clean her room but is the messiest cook, she has adopted a funny racoon noise for the sake of ridiculousness, she remedies generalized worry with a run, she would play tennis 3x/ day if her body allowed it, she is limited to one request/meal for others to chew with their mouth closed, she continues to excel at school, she has been given more freedom to decide her curfew with less check-ins but still shows a desire to please her parents, Jack's friends are all madly in love with her, and she employs a what's yours is mine mentality - whether it's hairspray, floss, a charging cord, shampoo, shoes, or fingernail clippers.

entry remodel complete (2/23)

In a hurry to secure Dalia's room, we started remodeling our front entry space almost immediately. I was also surprised by how much mental space and energy it took with lots of last minute, stressful decisions. Here's the before photos:

The after pics are fabulous and Dolly is happy to have her own room. We used off the cuff design help from aunt Sarah and Andrea who both always have a great eye for these things.

Remodeling an entire backyard feels like a nightmare...