Zachary James~Going Bananas!

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Happy Birthday, Zach!

We are going bananas over here because we never get to see you on your birthday! But that doesn't mean we don't think of you and wish you a very Happy Day! Most of my friends already know you but some new ones do not. So everyone, this is Zachary James and he is seven years old today. He is the second son of Christopher and Melissa. Just yesterday he finished the first grade.

This is Zachary with his teacher Mrs. S. She is so pretty, isn't she? Zach is really going to miss her and his friends from first grade. We got to meet her this year when we went to Zachary's class because he was the VIP of the week. He got to introduce his Mom, Dad, his Brother Connor, Sister Anyslee and Little Brother Owen, and Gramma and Grampa to his class.

He brought a little object that reminded him of each of us and told about it, then we told a little about ourselves to all his classmates. It was early in the year and we noticed what a good teacher he had and how she was able to keep the children's attention the entire time. All the kids sat on the floor in a semi-circle. When Zach said he had two brothers, everyone who also had two brothers would pop up and then sit back down. Brilliant. The kids kept listening and popping up and down throughout the whole presentation.

These are some of the things Zach really likes. He likes our family friend, Shelby that he has known for a long time and they got to be in the same class this year. He also likes his good friends Tyler and Brady. He really loves math! He is also excellent at the Wii and we love to watch him play it.

When his mom asked him what he would like to see in his birthday blog he said that he really loves to clean the floor, and bake with her. I see a great husband and father in the making, don't you? And he is wanting to learn how to sew so I bet he will be a good missionary someday too! He can then mend and sew on buttons, etc., right? Zach also enjoys their new trampoline and riding ponies it appears!


For his birthday Zach said he might like a little sewing kit, a Leapster Didj spelling game and maybe even some Pillow Pets? We hope he will enjoy what ever he finds in those birthday presents. He has some birthday bucks so will enjoy going to the toy store to shop. Zach is also going to go to see a movie for his birthday, it just came out yesterday and is Kung Fu Panda II.

Hope you enjoy it Zachary!

For dinner Zach wants rice with a special sauce his mom makes, it is his favorite dinner. I am sure she will make him a special cake or treat, he may even help her to do it since he likes baking with her!

He will really miss his Daddy as he is still in Africa but he is coming home tomorrow! Yay! But his Dad will call him today and that will be a great addition to his special day!

Zach, Dad has been helping these little kids
get clean water to grow their garden at the orphanage.

But his work there is done now and he is
getting his shoes shined and
coming home to all of you!
He is helping this man earn
some money for his family first.

Now that Zach is seven he will be preparing and learning more about Jesus and the Gospel for his baptism at age eight! That will be great, but he already knows a lot about all of that because in his family they read the scriptures every night together and that is how children and adults learn about the Gospel.

We are very happy that you are seven, Zach! You are a very fine grandson and we are so proud of how kind and loving you are. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks for our big, fun, family reunion.

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Hope it is the best Birthday ever, Zachiedoodle!
All our love, Gramma and Grampa
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
and one to grow on XO

A Simple Woman's Daybook~January 17, 2011

To join in focusing on the simple things and pleasures of your daily life or to read other people's entries, you can click here.

So, For Today...

Monday, January 17, 2011

Outside my window... it is dark and 3:15 am. I am wide awake and have been reading blogs for about 45 minutes. I have finally recovered from the virus that I have had for nearly 4 weeks and now I have energy coming out of my ears. I am grateful for that but wish I could have slept just a tad bit longer tonight. I looked at the weather for the week and was delighted to see six little happy faces~the sun~for the next six days. Woohoo!

I am thankful for...feeling so much better. I was beginning to wonder if that was just my new state of being and I am happy to report it was not! The respiratory issues, the malaise, the fatigue and the lack of passion for just about everything is gone and I am so happy! Pushing through the trip and Christmas and worries about Hazie, etc. took their toll but I am thankful for a resilient body that finally got over it!

From the learning room...Never, Never, never give up! One day at a time we can get through various trials if we persevere, have faith, and trust in the Lord!

I am reading...The Glass Castle on my new Kindle. I have really enjoyed both so far. A Kindle is really a nice way to read and not have a storage problem. It is my belated Christmas present from Jim and I am really loving it.

From the kitchen....I made a big batch of soup the other day and Jim is always puttering around in there making something delicious so we are all set for the week.

I am wondering...why it seems like so long since we have seen Laura and her family? They are anxiously awaiting news of their next assignment. I am just praying it is somewhere in the US. It literally seems like they just got to Rhode Island but this is only a one year assignment so anytime now we should know where their future takes them.

I am hearing...Big Band 40s music. It sure makes me miss my parents.

Today if I could change one thing...what happened in Arizona last week. Seriously sad and scary.

I am quoting..."Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything." Mother TeresaI am going...to be getting back to a normal routine of writing, starting today. The longer you stay away from it the harder it is to get back in the groove.

I am missing...my thinner self. That self has not been around for sometime but I do have fond memories. It does teach me that my memory is very good still. Hooray for that!

One of my guilty pleasures...buying presents for people. I just love it. One of my sweet friends is having a birthday soon, so I get to go shopping for a little love token for her.

Pet Peeves... a pocket with a Kleenex in it that goes through the washer. Arrgh!

One of my favorite things...getting the house really clean and back in order after the holidays. Pure heaven even though I do miss the red and sparkle of the decorations. I have sheets to wash and a trip to Good Will and then I am officially done for this year. Having Jim help me with it this year was a pure joy. He has always been working during the process in the past. I think he was genuinely surprised at how much work it is.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately... James Dean from 2001 with James Franco. Oh my, that was a good one. I thought I might add it to our collection of DVDs until I discovered you can not buy it at a regular price. Way too expensive, like nearly $100.00. (I wish I knew why?) So that is not happening here, but if you have Netflix it is a good, but sad story. I am really impressed with James Franco and when I read his bio I was even more impressed!

I am curious about...why our newspaper keeps getting narrower and narrower. They keep cutting it down incrementally like we are not going to notice. I told Jim it going to be the width of TP pretty soon. Personally that is about how much it is worth. Always so full of bad news. I think we are very close to ditching our subscription. It is only a matter of time before newspapers are a thing of the past anyway.

A few plans for the rest of the week..dinner with a group of friends tonight, finishing the last of the post holiday clean-up and enjoying the pre-spring cleaning we have done. Getting some training at the Family History Center where we will be working one day a week, a day trip, Room With a Past on Friday with my good friend, visiting teaching, and maybe a matinee on Saturday as Jim will be at a seminar all day. I am also trying to squeeze in some budget and tax prep stuff and getting ready to start Weight Watchers again. And starting to think about my goals for the year. My girls have both been talking about postponing and a do-over of the New Year's resolutions until the 10th of Jan for Laura, and then Jen said how about the 17th! Well I am saying how about the 31st? I am working on it but I am a little slow on the uptake this year.

Here are two photos and some thoughts I am sharing with you...

Hazie and Zachary~Hugging cousins!
This picture was taken on Christmas Eve.
I adore how these grandkids love each other.
It makes a Gramma's heart glow like nothing else.

Hazie's last stay in the hospital.
I just love how she loves her babies!
I can relate!

She is improving but still not well.
She is having lots of breathing treatments
to help her get through this winter season.

Recapping & Playing Catch-Up!

Owen Finds a fun place to hang out!

I really love that most of the time I can post up to the minute events activities, thoughts, etc. When I have to go back it is so much harder. It is like the luster of the moment has faded into memories and the moment at hand is what is on my mind. But since I do this as a journal and a bit of family history I need to fill in the lost days somehow. Here are just some random photos of some of the things we did.

One evening Jen and Lowell had a photo shot with their favorite photographer for the girls. It included four locations and over 2 hours. They were amazing. One place was a corn field way out of town.

I liked this photo of the Y. Jim and Chris and Lowell hiked up to the Y three of the mornings we were there before the boys had to be at work. That is a vertical hike and how Chris prepared for Half Dome!!

Hazie loves Buzz Lightyear but unfortunately
she calls him Bud Light!
Since no one in our family drinks
we think this is extra funny!

End of the photo shot,
the girls are getting tired.

Lowell is riding Chloe around waiting
for her turn at the portraits.

The big girls force one more smile...
poor babies!

Hazie resting with a beautiful flower
the photographer gave her!

Owen

Looks like a homer, Connor!

Dinner at The Communal with the adult kids
and our niece, Erin,
next to Jen who is at the head of the table.

The moon over the Lake one evening
after Jen and I finally made it to a movie,
Letters to Juliet. (Loved it!)
I was able to catch the Blue Hour which is hard!
It was actually dark out.

Julia and Piper did the free skating at
the ice rink before Aynslee had her lesson.

Jewels and Pipes

Piper

Ayns getting ready for her lesson


Aynslee had only had one lesson when we
went to watch her skate. She is a natural on the ice.
Honestly she was so good,
she took to it like a fish to water. No fears!

Hazie giving her back a little rest one afternoon.

Waiting for lunch at a fancy restaurant one day.
It was just the big girls, Jen and me.

Zachary lost his first upper tooth
while we were there.

The kids playing on the carpet in
Chris and Missy's dining area.
Everything is out of its normal place
due to 1/2 of the house,
the basement, being under construction.

Christopher at the Barbie!

Zach and Chloe enjoying a cookie after dinner!

Hazie swinging at Uncle Chris
and Aunt Missy's house. Crossing her legs like this
helps her circulation and balance in a swing.

Uncle Lowell playing Frisbee with the kids.

Missy made three delicious desserts one night!
She loves working in the kitchen, that girl!
And she is an expert in there so why not!

We're On The Go!

Aynslee, Grampa, Connor Owen and Zachary

I have really missed being able to blog on a regular basis this past week. We have just been so busy with all the kids and the projects Jim is doing. He has already completed the work at our condo and has replaced the counter top in the main bathroom. If all goes well by the end of the week he will have completed the wheelchair ramps made from grating used in ski resorts (because they hold up well in the snow) for our little Hazie girl! He is also hoping to get a retractable shade for Jen and Lowell's back deck, designed and in place! And he is helping Chris re-frame the basement in their home, hang six new doors, and build a bedroom for Connor. There is also electrical work and new wallboard to install, tape and texture but they may not get to all of that on this trip. One thing is for sure, Jim has not had a minute to think about being bored in his retirement!

A lovely leafy canopy with a star burst of morning sunlight.
The Creator of it all never ceases to amaze!

One morning we had a chance to take care of Chris and Missy's kids while they went to another town for a wedding. The first order of the day was a trip to a Park nearby before it got really hot. By 9:00 AM it was already pretty warm and muggy but we stayed at the park for about an hour and a half. It is really a beautiful park and the views of the mountains are amazing.

This Park is so gorgeous and the grass is like green velvet!

The kids enjoyed the playground

Zachary and Aynslee scaling the Climbing Wall.

Teeter Totter that requires only one=brilliant!

Owen brought his Gramma a flower for the first time!

The sky looked so pretty!

I was thankful that Grampa brought me a chair
because I got to do a lot of this!

Connor was so helpful with the younger kids,
especially Owen.

Zach and Grampa resting for a minute
under the big shade tree...
Aynslee, crouching behind had a plan...

Moose ears!!

Back at home we had a picnic on the back deck.
Again Connor was very helpful in showing us
exactly how to please Owen in the lunch department.

Toast and honey, no peanut butter!

It was a fun day and a great reminder that simple pleasures are often the best. These are the special times that bring a grandparent so much joy. There really is a special bond between these two generations. Our connection is a shared unconditional love for each other and their parents!

Aynslee and Zach's Puppet Show



A Date With The Grandkids

Chris and Missy had a dinner date at the University to attend so I got to stay with their kids for the evening last week. It was great fun! We ate tacos prepared by Missy, we played, Aynslee and Zach put on 2 puppet shows and Owen was such a big boy and let me get him all ready for bed. Connor helped me so much and all the kids were as good as gold. It was a delightful evening!

Aynslee waving to Grampa!

Connor enjoying a soft taco!

Zach wearing my favorite shirt!

Owen sitting still enough for a photo!

Connor has only been taking piano lessons for a little over a year and Grampa has rarely heard him play so here is a video I took of Connor playing some music from Harry Potter. I think he did an amazing job!