Life's Lessons

When Rossi was 3, we had just moved to the Phoenix area, we left our apartment to play downstairs in the "big grass" as he liked to call it.  He picked a flower from the garden, and I told him not to pick the flowers. (My purpose in telling him was because we didn't want all the pretty flowers to be gone and dead, then no one could appreciate them, but he learned a different lesson) While he was holding and showing me the flower, I saw, walking down the stem of the flower, was a recently disturbed bee.  I said in a calm voice, "Ross, put the flower down."  He was a curious boy, and didn't immediately obey my command.  I said it a little more firm "Ross, DROP the flower!" he looked at me and meant to reply, "It's okay, there are more flowers," but he didn't complete his sentence, because the bee stung him. 

The look on his face said it all "What magical powers must you possess to hurt my finger while you're so far away from me?" and "I wasn't doing anything wrong!"  and "Why did I get hurt because I picked this flower?!" Then came the blood curling scream, followed shortly by the tears.

I ran him upstairs - this was my first child, this was my first experience with a bee sting...what if he's allergic? What if he swells up and dies? I have a baby (Kiersten wasn't 1 yet) how can I take care of TWO children while one of them is in the process of dying?  I didn't know what to do...I paged my mom in Idaho at her work.  I went online (the internet was BRAND spankin' new - I was fancy to have access) - there was a stinger sticking out of his finger, and guts attached...I had always heard not to pull a stinger out because it would push the poison into the finger more...I called my mom (she had 5 children, and plenty of bee sting experience, I was stung once when I stepped on a bee - I don't remember screaming as loud or as long as my son, but I must have, because my son was BRAVE). 

After what felt like an eternity of Rossi writhing and crying and screaming and me wanting to know how to take away his pain (I remember wanting to know why bees had to sting, and if they had to sting, why did the sting have to hurt, and if it had to hurt, why couldn't I take the pain from my baby boy and inflict it upon myself...)...my mom finally called me...I don't remember the turn of events, whether she told me to use a credit card or if I read it on the internet, but my mom could hear Rossi screaming in the background, I'm sure she was just as concerned as I was - (I couldn't really hear her - Rossi has a LOUD voice, if you know him, you know what I'm talking about).

Finally we got the stinger out - and the pain slowly went away.  The next time we went downstairs, he looked at the beautiful flower garden and commented, "It's not good to pick the flowers" - I also noticed - when he got too close to the pond and I said "Ross, back away from the water,"  he immediately turned and walked away.  Could it be possible that the previous experience of his bee sting and not listening to his mother immediately had changed the way he viewed "obeying his mother?"

It seems as though - while I wanted to take his pain away - this was something he had to go through, in order to understand why it's important to obey your mother.  Now, this is a small analogy with seemingly minimal lasting effects.  Has my son obeyed every word I've ever said?  uh NO.  Does he remember this bee sting and how it came to pass?  I asked him - nope, nothin' in the noggin'. 

Additionally, I was listening to the BYU channel - (and I'm sorry that I can't give this guy credit because I had never seen him before, nor paid attention to his name, just heard the story, seems like it was a devotional somewhere).

Anyway - he was telling a story about when he was leaving his mission.  He was in his last interview with his mission president before leaving for home.  He indicated to his mission president that if he had it to do all over again, he would change this & that - a few little tweaks - to make his mission "perfect".  His mission president quickly shut him down "No you wouldn't change anything!" He went on to explain - everything you did, given the opportunity again, you would do it the exact same way you did it before. Because you would know the exact things you knew before.  The choices we make - and the natural consequences that follow - shape and mold who we are.

Our choices and experiences can show us different paths we need to take in the future, they can direct us toward current choices we have to make, we see our errors, the consequences, and we GROW from them.

Take a look back into your own life.  What choices have you made that you wish you could have a "do-over?"  If you had a do-over...and made a different choice, would you BE the person that you are today? These stories remind me what we have been told regarding our trials; that every peril you pass through in this life will give you experience and be for your good (see D&C 122:7).

Wicked Awesome easy skirts! (Tutorial)

Here are the cool easy skirts: (yes, they are twirl certified)

So here are the ingredients:

one measuring stick (or substitute for a 3x5 index card)

one of something to cut with (utility knife, sissors, teeth)

one sheet of cardboard at least 18"x5"

material (I use 5 different colors) - you'll need 15 inches of each

pineapple.  Not sure why that's there, but it looks good, right?

1" elastic - cut to however round your waist is

pencil

sewing machine

stitch ripper (not because *you* need it but because *I* need it)

paddle (to threaten children who take your scissors to bring them back)

So, use the index card here to mark your 5" spot on your cardboard (the 5 inches is the wider part of the 3X5 card, the skinnier part of the card is exactly 3 inches - funny how that works, right? - so you don't really even need a measuring stick!) I show you using the 3X5 card because I'm open to substitutions and adaptations.

Now, you have to determine how long you want the skirt - I opted for 18 inches (you will add another 5 inches later - so the total length of the skirt will be from waste to bottom - 23 inches)

Draw a line from the 5" mark to the 3" mark that is 18" long - so, it's not really a perfect rectangle more like a trapezoid - not that I remember that from 10th grade geometry - maybe it's rhombus?  But I know it's not a rectangle.

Pull out the handy dandy cutting utensil - my utility knife was very dull - we installed sod this fall - and that's the utensil of choice to square up the extra sod & go around the landscaping & stuff - it was frustrating to use - so I ran around the house looking for scissors - my kids took them - they think they can take whatever is in the house - except my haircutting scissors - so I took those to cut the cardboard with - I did this for your tutorial - don't laugh at my husband next time you see his hair cut  mkaythanks.

See the shape of the thing I cut?  Okay - so that's what you want to draw on your fabric - and you double up on the fabric - so you draw 3 of those odd shapes, but really you're cutting 6.

Look closely above, you can see my pencil lines - I change that cardboard shape back & forth so the skinny end is against the fat end on the next cut - so when you draw/cut three rhombi (or trapezoid, whatever it is) you're really only have to cut one line between the two pieces, you get? At this point, I have to stop again, because I'm feeling guilt about using my hair cutting scissors to cut cardboard & material - I run around the house for another 15 minutes looking in all the kids' special hiding places for them - and didn't find them.  Nope, nowhere.

BUT, I did find my rotary cutter in the fish food drawer.  YAY - seriously - if you guys don't have one of these - GET one - and then hope that some rotten kid didn't damage one part of the wheel so that you have a nice 3 inch cut with a little itty bitty not-cut - causing your material to be more perforated than cut.  But either way - this this is like buttah.

So, here's what you end up with...I cut 6 of each color (12 of the orange, because I used it between each of the fruit patterns) - so I have "4" colors

Sew these pieces together, alternating however you like. - right sides together, obviously - I don't need to tell YOU that...(that note is for ME - which is why I put a stitch ripper on my ingredient list)

At this point, you'll be needing to stop and answer the phone, no not that one, the battery is dead...go find another one...yah, that one's battery is dead, too...get the one stuck to the wall...okay - now that you answered the phone, you need to go pick up a kid from school - cause he's sick - yep, the very one that did something to your rotary cutter, and now you can't yell at him, because, well, he's sick.  And he already feels bad...So pick him up - but don't let him watch TV, that'll show him to mess with your rotary cutter...now, back to sewing.

look - it's so easy - even an 11 year old hippie chick can do it!

Okay - so now we have all the vertical pieces sewn together - this is an OPTION - you add this for length - or if you want a "cleaner" place to thread your waste-band - I used gingham here - because it has those cool grids on them (and it was part of my inheritance from my mom - it's like 40 years old - and coming back into style - I can totally use it here, it matches!) anyway - so I counted the grids and then cut along the 15th one - cause that looked good.

then fold it in half - and make sure whatever thickness elastic you choose fits in the tube you're about to sew.

Now...sew the tube, and again, make sure that you can still thread the elastic into it!

Now, sew your tube to the top part of your skirt, like so....

Okay - so that was the OPTIONAL part - if you don't do that, then fold the top part of your skirt down about an inch & a half and thread your elastic through that part.

Next: take another piece of gingham - this is going to be about 15 squares wide - (lets say about 5 inches - if you're not doing gingham) and it will be pieced together so it's as long as the bottom part of the skirt.  Hem it.  But have the stitch ripper handy, just in case you do something stupid...

like hem it into the outside of the skirt - so - rip it out - careful not to tear your mom's scrap 40 year old gingham fabric up - and then try it again....

Then put another stitch right along side the first hem, it just keeps it cleaner through laundry - and running around & stuff.

Now, sew the correct side of bottom strip to the bottom part of the skirt - so you won't need the stitch ripper any more....(but don't put it away just yet)

now, close the skirt up - end to end - sew it - and now you have one big huge circle.

Thread your elastic through the tube you made on the top - and because you don't want to use the stitch ripper again, you'll be needing to cut two little slits; one on each side of the hem you just closed up with you made the skirt into one big circle.  But it's okay - cause it's on the inside - and you can't really see - just looks like a tag or something.

And there's your skirt - this one is for the almost 12 year old 5 foot tall girl - not the two pictured up top - I used 12 inch long strips for them - one I added the extra "optional" tube for elastic and for length - cause she's 3 years taller than the smaller one; and the smaller one, I just folded the top of the skirt over to make a tube for the elastic waist (it shortens the skirt - in case you hadn't figured that out already).

Grand Canyon hike

This was a fun picture...Howie had quite the mop on his head -and we couldn't just send him to church like that - and we were running late - so Kiersten did my hair while I did his, and he played with Brynn because she was feeling a little left out!  And NOW for the post d'jour...

Ross & Rossi went to the Grand Canyon to hike rim to rim - this is sort of an annual boy scout type thing - they have to train and junk - but they drive up and camp out on the rim - then break camp and head on down, across and UP!  Here you see the boys all ready to start the hike! (full rimmed hat for sun protection, camelbak's for hydration)

This picture was a fun one for the boys to take - because there was snow!  Yup...SNOW! (look close toward the bottom of the picture.  There, do you see it?)

The first part of the switchbacks/stairs (there's about a million of these)

The sign says WARNING:  DO NOT attempt to hike the canyon rim to river and back in one day.  Each year hikers suffer serious illness or death from exhaustion.  They love taking this picture, it raises my blood pressure and causes me to question the purpose of this scout outing...separately every time I bring it up - I'm reminded of the practice hikes that the boys all take in preparation of this hike - if they aren't able to hike another nearby mountain here - 4 times up & down in 2 hours, they are not allowed to do the full Grand Canyon hike - there's a mini-type trail for them to hike on while they wait for the others to complete the rim-to-rim hike.

Some excellent scenery on the hike - believe it or not, these pictures were taken by my 17 year old!  Some of them really turned out GREAT!  But most of them are self portraits of his nostrils and some great scenery behind them...

Careful...there are no harnesses or nets...ugh - those boys will be the death of me!

I really love this picture, Rossi was looking over the canyon trail, and mapping out in his mind where he would be going - and what it looks like from this viewpoint!

more scenery.

switchbacks (forgive me if I get this wrong, but there's a series of switchbacks called "The Devil's Corkscrew" I think this may be it...although - I never know!)

Taking a little weight off the feet - Ross made a friend (look to the right of the shadow of the photographer!)

Some of his trail mix fell out of his bag and the squirrel wanted to test it!  Dang - CRAZY! This picture reminds me of the squirrels in grandpa's back yard...he used to leave nuts out for them - and if you dared snatched any of his peanuts sitting on his washer machine (in preparation of going outside for the squirrels) boy, did you get an earful!  Peanuts for squirrels...gnocchi for Heidi....

We just busted a hole in the rock so we could pass...

and another one...

more scenery

This was a spring of sorts coming out of the rock and some greenery sprouted alongside it - so looking at all the rock, and a green waterfall!  It's cooler in person, I'm told!

This is another spectacular site - I just think it's cool, cause there's no smog in the picture.

This might be the devil's corkscrew?

or this?

scenery:

along the trail

acting like a farm boy "as you wish"

more scenery

my favorite picture - cactus and grass - like the lamb and the lion together!  Cactus thrive in hot dry temperatures...grass tends to favor the cooler/wetter areas!  I LOVE this picture!

Along the way Ross & his hike buddy (they go in twos - for protection) came across another fellow hiker who was suffering heat exhaust and dehydration - so Ross gave him a propel packet to add to his water (for electrolytes) and made him drink it slowly, lying down with his feet raised, they stayed with him for 20 minutes while he "recovered" and rested - and the boys stayed with him to assure him there was no rush - and his health was more important than finishing quickly!  He had the "patient" take this picture of him & Brian (his hike buddy) just before they continued on their hike!

 

the importance of a full-rimmed hat, not for looks, for protection!

"Good News, it's not broken"

The eldest today was decorating for a dance tonight - theme "50's" so he was up on a ladder doing something - and thought it would be tough to jump off the ladder instead of climb down the rungs like normal people.  Jump...CRUNCH - ouch - don't move.

"Mommy.....I have an owie"  (Okay not really - he'll be 17 next month - but still when he comes in hopping and saying "this time I won't be able to move - I'm so bummed I really wanted to go to the dance tonight" - I said "here's an advil & a brace" "No, mom, it really hurts, I think I need an x-ray"  "Okay, dear son, who never over-exaggerates about anything, lets go." (it's true, he doesn't exaggerate, he's tough - but really - give it a few days - if it was BROKE, they'd make you wait a few days anyway, right?  So WHY go get an x-ray? but what baby wants....you know the song & dance)

Maybe it's just me, but when I go to get x-rays because a child's knee is hurting - I don't want to hear the "good news" that nothing is broken - because what that says to me is "Good news, you have to pay me $180 and get nothing out of it" instead of "Good news, you didn't waste your time and money, it's really broken and now you don't have to break your son's butt."  So I hear - "good news, you're son's not as tough as you thought he might be, he's whimping about a sprain" - I hear "Good news! Your insurance will be paying for something you didn't really NEED, so you're using them for their intended purpose, instead of as a bank of no-return."  I hear "Good news, I'm sucking your bank account dry and you don't even get to autograph a cast."  Not that I'm bitter.

I know, sprains hurt - but I bet he'd prefer $180 and my advil & brace right about now? 

Doctor mom.

My Dream...

I had a dream I was driving down the road - it was a pretty straight road - but I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes opened...they were dry - and heavy - and I had to keep blinking - and my muscles barely worked - I wasn't steering, but rather watching the car smoothly "sail" down the road - curving slightly as the road did. I took a quick nap (oh 30 minutes) and woke back up - slightly surprised that the car was still on the road - and noticed we were going on an overpass - or exchange or something - very high, and it curved - but I was sooo tired - I couldn't really move my muscles to turn the steering wheel - my eyes were SO heavy - and SO dry - I just wanted to take long blinks - as I watched the car turn slightly - I knew it wasn't a strong enough turn to make the curve in the road and we were going to plummet to our deaths - and I was too "lazy" to grab the wheel and even just turn it slightly - I still had hopes the car would navigate the turn on it's own...then the dream stopped.

I forgot about it - actually - it was Saturday night - and Sunday - I read this quote in the book "Return" by Elder Robert D. Hales...(highly recommend it!!)

"Many people approach life as if they were a twig floating down a river rather than kayakers who direct the course they take. Too many of our youth are like the twig, simply floating through life and into the critical moments of their destiny. When we do that, we are subject to the whims of the world and the currents of life. Many of us are going through life saying to ourselves, If I just keep going long enough, I'm going to get somewhere. But we don't define exactly where that somewhere should be.

"How tragic it is when we fall into believing that all is predestined and cease to believe in a loving God of miracles who wants to help us succeed. The idea that we are predestined to go down a certain road that wherever we go and wherever we end up is where we should have been all along - no, I'm not a believer in that. I hope you aren't. There are too many of us who go through life, regard some action of our own doing, and say with conviction, Well, that must have been what was supposed to happen to me. It isn't true. What we do to ourselves is not necessarily our destiny.

"Don't let life just happen. Our goals, motives, and diligent efforts determine where we go in life. Life is not predestined. What we want and what we set out to do on a daily and weekly basis shapes what we accomplish in our lives. If we have no goals, then we are like Alice in Wonderland. We are traveling somewhere but nowhere in particular. Of course we are going to end up somewhere if we keep going, but is that where we want to be? Is that where Heavenly Father wants us to be?"

I realized that I'm kind of a twig - and I need to make more specific goals - and specific ways to accomplish those goals!

The Story of the Lost Baby.

Once upon a time, there was a baby.  She was clean.  She was new. She was actually Brynn's 2nd birthday present. But Brynn doesn't like dolls.  This story is not about Brynn.

This is about Coby - and her undying love of a slightly used, unloved birthday present from a year before she was born...This is about her baby "Sweetie" She found Sweetie under a pile of forgotten toys. And claimed her as her own.  This was very near Coby's first birthday.

Coby loved Sweetie and took her everywhere.  For years this baby went to the store, church and bed with her.  She sat beside Coby during meals - and Coby took her to the park - and around the yard to help with chores...making sure she was never left out.

Then ONE day (Sunday to be exact) Sweetie didn't make it home from church.  Her mother (Coby) was devistated - we looked in the car - under the couches, in the beds, cleaned the rooms, did the laundry - looked in closets - we cried - we worried "Sweetie all alone and sad, she cwying" we couldn't sleep - we cried ourselves to sleep.  Substitutes were attempted - but not accepted.  We wanted our dirty baby, Sweetie.  We tried to go to the grocery store with another baby doll.  It didn't work.  She had hair.  Her pants kept falling off.  So - "Grandma" (that's me) went to the church in search of the baby - it MUST have been left there.  I looked in the nursery, I looked in the cabinets.  There was nothing.  I was trouble shooting with my friend, who told me that I should make Coby suck it up.  I told her I couldn't.  I tried, I missed the baby - I missed the interaction between Coby and Sweetie.  I didn't want Coby to miss her.  I didn't want Coby to lose that lovin' feeling toward a loved toy!

At that point, a nosy 12 year old walked into our conversation. "Are you talking about a really dirty doll that didn't have any hair and it's head was all colored on?"  uh. "Yes?"  "I was emptying the trash on Sunday - and saw a really dirty doll in there - I said 'hey, look a doll' and they said 'it's in the trash for a reason...LOOK at it! Leave it there...' so I threw it out.  I'm SO sorry!"

Again, my friend said to leave it alone.  "If you were me and I came to you about a dirty lost doll, wouldn't you tell me to just forget about it?" I said, "Noo, I'd help you dumpster dive tomorrow."  She got a concerned smile on her face - and I told her "Just kidding, ha ha."

But I wasn't - after the high school let out - I went to pick up Kiersten.  I drove behind the church - and using the tire of the car, boosted myself into the garbage and dug and dug and dug (thankfully this was church garbage and clean - because it's a church and cleanliness is next to godliness - and all the garbage bags are CLEAR!!!) NOT too much digging, actually - I picked up a few large clear bags - and...MY FRIEND DROVE UP! Yes, THAT friend, the one that told me to suck it up...and she said "Do you want me to come in and help?" (If I was closer to "that time of month," I would have started bawling at this point, my dear friend who is a dumpster-dive-a-phobic was willing to jump in the trash receptacle with me and look for a dirty old doll. Awe touching!  But, luckily for her, my razor sharp eyes FOUND Sweetie!  I ripped her out of the bag, she was cushioned and protected by paper towels from the nursery kids (used as napkins during snack time!) She was virtually as dirty as she was when she was left for the devices of the next nursery kids (which was the trash - WHO DARE? right?!)

I almost burst into tears when I found her!  Coby had fallen asleep in the car - THANKFULLY, so I went home and threw the baby in the washing machine with a few towels, and VIOLA - she's as good as new!

I brought her to Coby and she grabbed it and said ""THIS is my sweetie, ah, sweetie..." walked over to the "replacement doll" and said "Not THAT baby" and hugged Sweetie and continued, "come on, sweetie, mommy luffs you. Awe, it's all right" (like the baby was crying, but all would be well tonight, she was with her mommy!)

Now it's bed time - and for the first night - in THREE long nights - she crashed right at 8:00 with Sweetie by her side! I love this girl!  She's so tender! And SOOO cute!