Thankful at Thanksgiving

After spending last Thanksgiving completely on my own, I was delighted when Travis and Carma offered to buy me a ticket to visit them in Dallas to celebrate not only the holiday, but the birth of their new daughter, Ellie (Elisabeth).

Ellie was only four weeks old, and I enjoyed every moment of holding her!  There is simply nothing else in the world as precious and sweet as a new baby!

Spending time with Hinckley, and getting to know him better was a delight!  Hinckley is especially polite, and his vocabulary is extensive.  No short "Yes" or "No" answers from him! If you ask Hinckley if he enjoyed his lunch, his answer will be "Yes, I did!"

In typical two-and-a-half-year-old fashion, Hinckley is always on the move.  He particularly enjoyed using his new drill and putting together (and taking apart) the airplane I brought for him.  It's always a good feeling when I actually choose the right gift!

Travis, Carma, Hinckley and Ellie live on Christi Lane in Aubrey, Texas.  The street is on several hundred acres owned by Carma's family, and many of the family members have built homes there.  Hinckley and Ellie are surrounded by adoring family members: grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.  It's a family paradise!

Ellie, Carma and mother, Patty:

The view out the front door:

This guy is serious!  I was warned not to look him in the eye . . . not your typical front yard pet!

There were 26 for dinner, all comfortably seated around the custom-made dinner table that has been a generations-loved asset for the Martino family.  I felt like a beloved member of the clan, as I stayed at Patty and Trey's home, and enjoyed every moment.  Patty is a soul-sister, and a true friend.

I felt so blessed to be with Travis, Carma, the children and family!  It was so renewing and inspiring to see the love they all express and display towards one another.  If only they weren't so far away!

Three generations: George, Hinckley and Travis:

Hinckley's obsessions: trains!! (Also loves the Cars movie):

As an added bonus, Soren and Jasmine came for a visit and for Ellie's blessing. It was great to see them!

Autumn Walk

Walking has long been my favorite pastime.  It seems to be the best way to prepare for my day, or to de-stress after a particularly long on.  It's also a great prayer time.  Being out in nature clears my mind and opens my heart, as I connect back to the earth and its Creator. 

I've spent hours walking in all kinds of weather, and sometimes - especially in the last two years - the rain has mixed with my tears.  Last February, I slipped on the ice at 5AM on the country road, and ended up with a concussion. Funny thing about that: I'd just told myself: "That's ice!  Be careful!"  Seems like when it comes to ice, it doesn't matter if you are aware and stepping carefully.  My legs just slipped out from under me, and the next moment, I was laying on my back in the middle of the road, Isabeau whimpering over me.   I've been pretty timid about icy mornings ever since, but in any other conditions, you can be certain that Izzy and I are going to be out exploring (assuming it is a day off).

Izzy is my beloved walking companion.  All I have to say is "Do you want to go for a walk?" and she will jump up out of a sound sleep.  Admittedly, she would prefer that we run, but I will have to work up to that sometime in the future.  In the meantime, we make a pretty good team, as we explore new paths.

Two weeks ago, Austin and Faith joined Izzy and me on one of our regular trails.  The forest path was littered with beautiful, multi-colored leaves, and we just had to stop for pictures:

Austin has a fairly serious expression in this picture.  He had been talking to me about some pretty serious things, and I felt grateful to have a grandson who wanted to share his feelings with me:

Faith filled her arms with bunches of leaves, with a running undercurrent of delighted giggles:  

Izzy always loves to spend time with Austin and Faith, and was docile under Austin's capable leadership:

Aren't these the cutest faces imaginable?  What a treat to spend such a special and beautiful day with my loved ones! 

My New Home

I moved into my new home three weeks ago.  It's been a very busy time, from unpacking and decorating, to taking care of Faith and Austin while Lisa recovered from heart surgery, to getting all the errands done that I do not typically get to do on a busy work week.

As I post the following pictures, I feel great disappointment in the fact that the only camera I have is my IPhone.  As I get better pictures (hopefully with Brandee's help), I will replace these . . .

My "business" office, the first room after entering the front door.  I hope to transact some of my design business here.  There was a lot of light flooding in through the window on this day, and the picture is over-exposed as a result.

 My very fun kitchen.  I first saw this model a year ago, and it was the first home where I could actually imagine myself cooking.  I'm happy to say that I have, indeed, cooked dinner almost every day since I moved in.  It is open, airy, and inviting.

The main family/great room from the front door.

I really like the fact that the living area is so open, and I can easily adjust seating to accommodate Passover dinners, and other group activities.

The living area as it adjoins the office.

The kids' room. I've already made a change: adding the vinyl lettering phrase from their last room: "Fly with the angels, dance with the stars."

 The guest room - anyone want to visit?  It overlooks the park.

 The Master - an incredible bonus to the home, and a real retreat.  I feel very spoiled in it!

Baby Ellie

The newest member of our family was born on October 23.  Her name is Elisabeth, but she will go by "Ellie."

Big brother Hinckley took very naturally to holding his new little sister.  So far, there seems to be little jealousy on his part, and he has looked forward to the new baby joining the family.

I get to visit Hinckley and meet Baby Ellie this coming week for Thanksgiving.  I can't wait!!

Farewell to Aslan

This is a post that I have put off writing.  It's been two weeks, yet I still can hardly believe that Aslan is no longer with me.

Aslan was a purebred Ragdoll cat.  He was the only purebred cat I ever had, and that was only because George had done a lot of research about finding the "perfect" cat to replace my beloved JB, who died on my 50th birthday.  Ragdolls are known to be sweet and docile, and for being great with children.  While Aslan actually turned out to be terrified of children, he really was as sweet as he was beautiful, and had never caused me a moment's problem [other than scratching the sofas, which I truly did not appreciate].

Aslan was pure white when I first got him as a kitten, a little "snowball" who loved to jump up on the bed, and give me kisses in the middle of the night.  Shortly after getting him (September), I knew that Aslan was just aching to have a "little brother," as he would follow me around meowing with a very serious-sounding cry.  I promptly followed his urging, and picked out Gryffyn and brought him home in early November.  The two were best friends from the moment they met, Aslan definitely taking the "big brother" role.  They were born exactly seven months apart, and they died seven months apart, with Gryffyn at age 7, and Aslan, age 8.  They were both much too young to die, and I had hoped for several more years with them.

Aslan loved to be outdoors, and his favorite time of life was when he got to play in our garden in Orem.  We had a routine/ritual where after we went running every morning, we would sit outside (even in the snow), and let "the boys" roam around the garden as we read our scriptures.  As we would arrive back home from our run, we could hear them crying in eagerness for us to open the door and let them do their daily exploring.  They would hide amongst the flowers in spring and summer, and pounce out on unsuspecting birds.  Although this was their favorite activity, neither of them was ever successful in catching their prey, but they had a very good time in the process.  Brett would comb Aslan's long fur, and our neighbor would poke his head out the door and ask if Brett was "shearing the lambs."

Aslan (and Gryffyn) had spent the last several years indoors, as our country estate had too much wildlife on the prowl for a tasty snack, and then I had lived in a room at the LeFevre's for the last four months.  I had really been looking forward to allowing Aslan to explore our new, fenced-in back yard, knowing how many happy hours he would enjoy there.  Besides that, Aslan and Izzy had formed their own friendship, and I felt that they would be able to keep each other company and ease the anxiety over my leaving each day for work.  If only . . .

When I first brought Aslan to our new home, I put him in the laundry room, so that he would be safe while the movers were bringing the furniture in.  When I went to put him in, I thought the room smelled "chemically," but dismissed that thought as coming from my over-sensitive sense of smell.  Not knowing a better option, I opened the window and closed the door.  Aslan cried to get out, just as he had cried to get out of the room at the LeFevre's, but I did not realize how serious it was until I opened the door, and saw that all four of Aslan's feet were running blood, and that he could hardly breathe.  Without wanting to go into all of the details, suffice it to say that Aslan had been burned by something on the floor (perhaps a phosphate cleaner to remove glue), and that his lungs had been burned also.  He suffered greatly during the next 48 hours, as I took him to and from vet appointments, and we tried baths and medicines.  It was truly horrible, especially for a little guy who had never been sick a day in his life.  After $1000 spent in the effort, Aslan and I lost the fight for his life.  It was a terrible blow for beginning the new chapter of life that I had anticipated sharing with Aslan and Izzy. [The building supervisor is horrified by what happened, and no one can find any answers about what might have been used on the floor, etc.  I do not wish to make things even harder by becoming acrimonious or litigious.]

Aslan was a constant source of love and comfort to me, from his first days filling the space left by dear JB, to his last days, purring and snuggling, as I spent many sleepless nights over the last two years.  He truly asked for nothing but companionship, and he had far too little of that since we left Orem.  I am so grateful for the beauty and grace that Aslan offered me on a daily basis.  I will miss him terribly.

Renaissance Fairy Tale

I've always been a fool for dressing up.  Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved to put on costumes and play make believe.  I know I am a little old for it now, but luckily, I still have a few friends who not only indulge me in the activities, but even join along.

This summer's August Renaissance Faire had a Fairy theme, and I thought Isabeau might look like an adorable fairy.  I was right - and she honestly didn't seem to mind wearing her wings.  Everywhere we went, I got the usual every-day question: "What kind of dog is that!?"  This time, I was able to give a unique answer: "Fairy, of course."

Brandee, Anthony, Katie and Larisa were my willing time-travelling companions, as we journeyed back to the days of Jolly Old England.   Larisa brought daughter, Lizzy, who was a champ on the very hot summer day.

Anthony enjoyed the excuse to hurl some axes, and combined with his fireman-training, he, of course, hit a bulls eye (where's your costume, Anthony?).

Brandee and Anthony have been my constant source of warmth, friendship, support and fun for the last two years.  I don't know where I would be without them!

Katie is extremely creative, and definitely looked the part of the fairy-elf.   Ahh, youth and beauty!

The gypsy horse show is always astounding, and my favorite Ren Faire event.  Unfortunately, my cell phone camera cannot do it justice.

I enjoyed every moment of the day, and am so grateful for my young friends for not only indulging me, but helping to make the day a perfect memory of laughter, magic and fun.

Stamp of Approval

On a bright August day, Austin and Faith got to check out my new house for the first time.  It was still in the building process, but they were able to walk through each room, and identify the one they wanted for their own . . . the one overlooking the park.

I had been worried about what their reaction might be, as they had really loved the Carnation house, with it's 11 acres, salmon stream, and the ATV.  It was hard to imagine that anything could live up to that . . . but Austin and Faith gave my new house a resounding stamp of approval, particularly after they explored the park that is right across the street.

 

Choosing my particular lot had been an agonizing decision, but the park and its appeal for the kids had been a big part of the process.  I'm on a lane that adjoins the park, which has two levels of playground equipment, a sand volleyball court, a basketball and tennis court, and a dog park.  I'm looking forward to the fact that the community 4th of July fireworks are held at the park, although I am sure that Isabeau will not appreciate that aspect of our new location.

Austin and Faith eagerly began to explore the various options for play.   They wanted to check out each and every square inch.  It was so fun to hear Austin say: "Grandma, I think that when I am a teenager, I might like to bring my friends here to play tennis . . . and I guess we could also play basketball on the same day, if we wanted to."  We talked about the fact that while I am in cooking dinner, they can be directly across the street, playing and enjoying themselves, and they also took Izzy on several long running sprints across the green.

At the end of our inspections, Austin pronounced: "I think this is going to be a very good choice for everyone."  "How so?" I asked him.  "Well, Izzy will have a backyard all to herself, Faith and I will have lots of choices of things to do, and you will be happy because you can have a sunny garden."  All so very true, and so very hopeful, as I look to the future that Austin described.