Caleb and Becca

Nothing much new going on for Caleb or Becca.

Caleb is doing well in the second grade.  His reading is getting really good.  He is awesome at math.  He likes to play soccer and football.  He likes to fight with sticks.  He loves his Halloween candy and keeps the wrappers dutifully picked up, so I don't confiscate all the candy.  He loves playing video games on the Wii.  He is a happy boy.

Becca is 12 now.  She enjoys going to Young Women on Sunday and Wednesday.  She bikes around the neighborhood with her friend (she has taken over my bike).  She is almost as tall as me.  She is working for money to go on a 7th grade trip to Washington DC!  She is really excited for the baby to arrive and thinks I am being selfish keeping it in so long.  Becca is responsible about getting herself up and ready to catch the bus at 7 AM.  She is a good helper around the house.

Trombone

Here is Scott.  Fourth grade is the time that Brighton kids get to choose an instrument and start band or orchestra.  He tried a lot of instruments and settled on the trombone.  "Hot Cross Buns" never sounded better.

Ultramarathon

Michael ran a 50 mile race around Canandaigua Lake, the Can Lake 50.  That length of race is called an ultra-marathon.  It was a beautiful course to run in the fall.  From 100 runners, he placed 19th.  Awesome!  It was a fun day for me and the kids too.  Driving ahead, waiting and cheering as he passed on a beautiful 70 degree day.

 7 AM.

 Here he comes.  Becca's taking a photo with her DSI.

 Lunch in the trunk while waiting for Dad to run by.

 8 hours and 46 minutes later.  What a lot of running!

Salt stains on his shirt.

Race Results

Three runners

Finished!

Ballet

Katey started taking an informal ballet class taught by her friend's mother.  She loves it.  It was so cute the first week watching her try to point and flex her toes.  Now, six or so weeks later, she is really good at it!  She knows first position, plie (let in the butterflies), and actually much more ballet than I know!  I bought this dress for her when the Halloween costumes first came out this year.  She wore it for about two weeks straight, and now I've got her wearing it only on Wednesday, ballet day.

Baby coming

We are getting ready for the arrival of our fifth child.  Katey thinks it is a girl and her name will be Surgery. (She laughs when she says that.  Goofy kid.)  Hopefully the name is not an indication of how the birth will go.

It has been a good pregnancy, but I think I'm about ready to have this baby out!

Kids these days

 Becca and I participated in a craft show.  We made a grand total of $2.50 (whoop-ti-doo!), but we had a FUN time together.  Lots of time to work on crafts with no interruptions.

Our family took a rafting trip on the Genesee River (everyone but Katey).  This is Scott in his wetsuit.  We had a fun time!  

 

 Caleb likes to play outside. 

 

Katey on her birthday.  She LOVES this dress from Grandma and Grandpa Guy!

She wants her swimsuit on, no matter the weather.

 What a princess!

Funeral

 

 Mom died Sunday, March 17, 2013 at home.  We traveled to her funeral which was the following Saturday.  My sisters and I did her hair, makeup and jewelry the day before.  It was a sweet and sad experience.

 We had a good time seeing my entire family and most of both Mom and Dad's families, as well as the community of Oakley.  We all knew Mom and loved her.  The only one missing was Mom!  I'm sure she was there in spirit.

 

Jer, Karli and Shane

 

Lu and Em

 Caitlin and Ser

 

Carlos, Jon and Kay.  Three brothers.  Elna (sister) was also at the funeral, but in a wheelchair, so she was not able to come to the cemetery.

 Jer, Lu, Cass, Em (holding Alicia), Chris and Dad in the background, and Bowie in front.  Mom is buried in the Oakley cemetery.  We woke up to snow that morning, and the kids had a snowball fight at the cemetery!  After all, a FUNeral is fun, right?

 Here is the kitchen help from two of the Oakley wards.  The food was delicious.  It was so nice to be so well taken care of.  Rosemary, Jacque, Karla, Camille, Tina, Lynne, Rosemary, and (I don't know the person on the right).  Thank you all!

It really touched me to see people that had heard about Mom's death and made a quick decision to travel to Oakley from far distances.  In the center here is my Best Friend growing up (and my mom was a second mom to her) Sharon Nelson.  She came from San Francisco with her boyfriend Wyatt.  On the right is her mom who traveled from Montana.  I was also so grateful and touched that Michael's parents came up from Logan, Ryan from Montana, and Kristy from Salt Lake.  Cousins from southern Utah.  That kind of support shows so much love.

Last time with Mom

In February I took a trip to Oakley to see my Mom and Dad.  This is Mom in a hat that I had made for her and sent at Christmas.  Then I figured out how to make mittens and made her a coordinating set.  She was so grateful and sweet about my funny little gift.  She insisted on putting them both on right away and having me take a picture of her.  What a beautiful lady (in beautiful accessories)!

  

Dad took such good care of Mom her last few months when she needed a lot of care.

Zach and Luann, Ser, Dad, me and Mom.  Jess was also there the next day.  So fun when siblings are around!  We cleaned and cooked.  We pureed colorful vegetables for Mom.

  We sat in the hot tub in the barn.  We played the dice game with Mom a few times (I even won once---amazing!).  Mom sat up to the table in a traction device that Zach set up, to hold her head up.  She could do it for about a half hour before she choked and had to get out quick.  I played the piano for Mom a lot.  She would clap after every song and give me a thumbs-up to do another.  Dad never got tired of hearing, "Somewhere in Time," and said I could play it at his funeral.

 

I was in the kitchen making a giant batch of giant cinnamon rolls (Mom's recipe, Mom's way).  Dad was spending the morning framing an enlarged picture of Ser hiking in the red canyons of southern Utah.  I asked him why he didn't put a giant picture of me on the living room wall.  "When you do something amazing and adventurous, send me a picture," he said.  "What?!  You don't think the home arts are amazing and adventurous?"  So I had him take this picture of me, looking awesome and muscular in the kitchen. 

I like how Mom is looking up at Dad in this picture.  Forty-five years together.

Scott came with me on this trip.  We had lots of really fun flights together!  I meant to take him to Oakley to visit my parents, but Mom was too sick, so we decided he could stay with Grandma and Grandpa Guy while I went to Oakley.  Scott had a great time!  He got to play the Wii as much as he wanted.  He watched movies and went to restaurants (and ordered hot chocolate!).  Grandpa took a few days off to be with him.  Thanks Grandpa.