Worry and Hope

To most people, this photo means nothing. Or, it inspires awe or jealousy. Possibly wonder about why Caleb got such a present on the first Sunday in September: it's not his birthday and it's a pretty expensive "just because" gift. Then one might notice the sticky notes, labelled 1-7, attached to the Lego set and confusion might set in. 

But for me, this photo brings hope. Caleb earned this massive, expensive Lego set at six years, 3 months old exactly, for keeping his underwear clean and every poop in the toilet for a week. 7 sticky notes, 7 days. He did it. For the first time ever, he did it.

Before school started, I asked what his plan was for Grade 1. It's all day: he can't just come home and poop in the afternoon. I was really, really worried. Caleb told me his plan was "Not to worry, Mom. Just don't worry." Which, to be honest, didn't seem like a good plan to me.

But maybe I'm the one who was wrong and he was correct.

Maybe his name on the temple prayer roll by my parents, maybe my fervent, pleading prayers every day before school started and on his first few days, maybe something happened for us to have a little miracle. Maybe I just didn't need to worry.

First Day of School 2022

This is the first - and only - year that they all are at the same school with the same schedule. I have to enjoy it while I can!

Caleb, Grade 1, 4’0”

Caleb wants to be a paleontologist and wants to have shovels and pick axes. Accordingly, his favorite thing to learn about is dinosaurs! He loves them. He’s not sure what his favorite book is, but he likes to read Yertle the Turtle. He also likes to play video games and eat goldfish and crackers. Oliver and Jackson are probably his closest friends, and he’s looking forward to exercising and doing jumping jacks at school. His favorite color is yellow and he wants to have exercising time in grade 1.

Craig, Grade 4, 4’4”

Craig wants to be a geologist and study rocks, which is what a geologist does. So it makes sense that his favorite subjects at school are either science or math. His favorite book is all the Harry Potters, and he loves to play video games. His favorite school lunch is crackers and cheese, fruit bars (not the mango ones), Kit Kats, and school safe bars, and Craig’s closest friends are Mom and Calista. He is looking forward to playing on the new playground! His favorite color is blue and he wants to read at least 25 minutes every day.

Calista, Grade 6, 4’10”

Calista wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up and loves to study math at school. Her favorite book is Wings of Fire, right now the third book but if she gets more books it might change. Playing piano is a hobby she enjoys, and her favorite school lunch is a bagel and an apple. Karen and Miranda are her closest friends, but Miranda is going to be gone this year. Calista is looking forward to seeing her friends that were in the other class last year. Her favorite color is royal blue and she wants to finish the PATs and maybe get a good grade on them? They're pretty important.

As is tradition, the kiddos all had blessings the FHE before school starting. I love listening to what their Heavenly Father has to say to them.

Caleb was told to remember his family loves him and wants him to succeed. He also was blessed to be able to focus and solve problems and told that Heavenly Father loves his energy and passion for life.

Craig was told that Heavenly Father sees him and watches him and is proud of the boy he are turning into. Heavenly Father also loves his thirst for knowledge, his love love, his ability to see the good, and his laugh. Craig was blessed to see the people around him and work to be their friend, and also blessed with clarity of mind, a full heart, and that he'd able to do well in his studies and focus. Heavenly Father knows Craig sometimes feel alone, but also that inside him is a gift he can give to others. 

Calista was advised to develop a strong relationship with Heavenly Father, to practice reading scriptures and saying prayers, and to begin building habits. She was blessed with the confidence to call on Heavenly Father and to receive comfort and guidance, as well as that she'd do well in school, absorb information, and learn to solve problems. Calista was advised to discover the skills she is good at and reminded that her Heavenly Father loves her and that whether she does things well or make mistakes, she should forgive herself. 

And now all of my children are in school all day, every day. What do I do with my time? 

Oregon Birth-Month

Calista's birthday was honestly more like a birth-month. It started when we arrived at my parents' place in Portland. My mom asked if Calista wanted her birthday present now, or later. 

Of course Calista picked now. Inside the bag, she discovered a brand new quilt, made by Grammie!

As you can see, Calista loves it. Somewhere in the quilting is stitched a little ducky. 

Calista took a while, and a hint from myself, 

but she eventually found it.

Calista also got to join the women for a pedicure before our beach trip, and she loved it. 

She was a little bummed that she went before her actual birthday, though: at 11, she could have had the full pedicure, rather than just the kids' one. 

While visiting with Loradona, Calista got to celebrate her birthday more. 

Loradona took Calista and I to have tea at the Painted Lady Tea House. They have a little closet of dresses you can try on and fancy hats everywhere. 

Calista had a blast dressing up, and Loradona and I donned fancy hats for the occasion.

And goofy faces.

We all felt rather fancy, 

and made sure to drink our tea with our pinkies out.

Plus, the food was fabulous.

On the day of her actual birthday, she got to open more presents

And promptly started reading some of them.

As one does with new books.

For lunch, we went to Red Robin, per the birthday girl's request. While she was in the bathroom, the server asked if they should sing to her. Both Mom and I said yes.

Calista smiled, embarrassed, but enjoyed the sundae they brought!

We then went bowling. Calista hasn't, in her memory, done 10 pin bowling. 

There was a bit of an adjustment to the larger ball and different skills required, but once she got the hang out it, Calista didn't do too bad! She even got a couple of spares! After a game and a half, she got tired so Grammie took over her spot.

Grammie didn't do too bad, either! I was the overall winner, with a few strikes and spares. Bumpers are good for us all. Hahaha.

And, after dinner of butter chicken and naan, it was time for cake.

Since it was so hot, we suggested to Calista a cake that didn't require baking, and she was happy to oblige.

Happy birthday, dear Calista!

Dig in!

Family Photos 2022

While we were at the beach in Oregon, we got family photos taken.

Even if it wasn't quite the whole May family. 

Still, we had to document what we had.

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 6: Portland Bookends!

Before and after the beach, we were in Portland, at my parents.

The drive from Kalispell was a the longest amount we have driven in a single day. 

But, with a couple of breaks, we all survived it.

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 5: The BEACH!

Caravanning with Loradona, we left Roseburg and headed to the best place: the Oregon coast!

Since we were coming from her place, we got to see things a little further south on the coast than we usually do.

Our first big stop on our way to the beach house was at Shore Acres.

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 4: Loradona time!

Silver Falls was just a quick stop on the way to see Loradona, in her own home! We'd never seen her place in Roseburg, so it was particularly fun to get the chance to spend some time with her.

Our first adventure was to Crater Lake National Park. My original plan was to do the full rim road, stopping at tons of turnouts and view points along the way. However, just like in Glacier, spring snows meant that the rim road wasn't fully open yet. That's okay. I can be flexible. At least we still got to go!

It was such a beautiful day, 

we couldn't believe how warm and sunny. 

You could see all the way around the rim!

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 3: Chasing Waterfalls!

After our day in Glacier, we headed to Portland to see my family. However, that is going to be in a different, future post. This one is about another little day trip we did: Silver Falls State Park.
I was originally hoping to do a 5 mile hike that led us to 7 of the 10 waterfalls. However, after the kids got grumpy at Glacier, we weren't sure it'd be the best idea. Kyler realized we could cut 2 miles out of our hike and only one waterfall, so we went with his plan. 

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 2: Glacier!

Leaving Raymond, we took the scenic route to get to Oregon: through Glacier National Park. We planned this trip months ago, planning to drive Going-To-The-Sun Road. As we got closer, it became doubtful if the road would be open. The day arrived, and indeed, the road was not fully open. We decided to do as much as we could anyway.

We started with a quick trip into the visitor's center. 

Outside the center, we found our first Oregon license plate of the trip! I got rather excited. 

Also exciting: seeing all the beautiful mountains.

Calista said it looked and felt like being in Alberta and at Waterton. 

2022 Grand Adventure, Part 1: Raymond!

The day after school got out, we packed up the car, said goodbye to the cat, and headed down south to Raymond. We had to be there in time for Canada Day, obviously!

The kiddos were not impressed with the long drive, 

or when I told them that we'd have longer days in the car in the near future.

Caleb Year Six Retrospective

Since Caleb is now six, it's time to look back on this last year!

No Trojan Horses, But He's Six!

Caleb is six!

Caleb wanted a giant horse statue fort with a door in its belly in the backyard for his birthday. In spite of the fact that he did not receive his own Trojan horse, he still said that this was the best birthday ever!

Master, The Tempest (in my soul) Is Raging

I got called to the YW presidency today, and released from Relief Society. On Mother's Day.

I am feeling all sorts of emotions.

I am going to miss serving in RS so much. Mostly serving with Melanie and Holly and Christina, but also feeling a part of things and involve in the ward. It was been a single Sunday, and I already feel disconnected. They had the primary children sing for Mother's Day. They sang "Give, Said The Little Stream," one of my favorite songs. All three of my children were there, for the last year ever: Calista enters YW next year. But they didn't sing it in sacrament meeting. Nope. They went into Relief Society, towards the end of the lesson. And I didn't know. So I didn't get to see or hear it. My babies, for the last time together. And, now that I think of it, the first time, too, because of Covid. I missed out on that. And I hate it.

And then there's my issues I've had simmering with the YM and YW themes, and how the Bishopric should focus on the youth but are over only the YM, specifically.

I mean, when they changed the YW theme to say "I am a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents" - Father and Mother, I rejoiced. And when they announced the YM would have a theme, too, I rejoiced: why shouldn't the boys have inspiring words like that? Except... "I am a beloved son of God, and He has a work for me to do."  Wait, what? 

Are the boys not sons of parents, plural? Should they not hear, every week, that they have parents, plural? Or, and I hate to think this, was including Heavenly Parents in the YW theme just meant to mollify the feminists of the church? Was it just all just talk?

Let's not forget that "[the Bishop's] first and foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and young women of his ward. The bishop and his counselors direct the work of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the Young Women classes in the ward." (President Nelson, October 2019) Great! Wonderful! The youth are our future and deserve  But... the Bishopric doesn't attend YW classes on Sunday. They only attend the YM classes. They attend YW activities only when they are combined with the YM. It seems that the Bishopric is more over the YM than over the YW. It seems like the boys get more of their time and focus.

I do understand that there are safety reasons for some of this. But it rubs a small blister in my skin, never healing, only slowly growing larger and more pronounced. I wonder if soon I won't be able to ignore the discomfort and pain, if my blister will burst and perhaps become infected. 

Ultimately, I need to choose to have faith, choose to be obedient, and choose to be patient. 

But patience isn't always my strong suit.

Spring Break 2022

Spring break started, perhaps predictably, with snow.

This meant we spent quite a bit of time inside.