My grandmother passed away on Sunday, February 10, 2013 early in the morning. I was at my parent's house in Claremont, CA for an impromtu visit. My mom walked into my bedroom while I was changing Eliza's diaper and told me the news. It caught me off guard. Although my grandma had not been in the best health I did not see this coming. She moved to Broomfield, CO to live with my Aunt Linda about 7 years ago after my grandpa had passed away. She had been living in an assisted living facility for the past year or so near Linda.
Upon hearing of my grandma's passing I started thinking about her and her qualities and her legacy. It's interesting how each person's perspective and interactions are unique. There may be some overlap here and there, but for the most part my relationship with grandma was an individual experience between me and her.
The word that kept coming to my mind when thinking about grandma was "simple". Grandma was a simple person. I don't mean that with any disrespect. She wasn't simple because of any lack of ability or intelligence. She was simple because she was uncomplicated. There was nothing fancy about my grandma. She never went out of her way to be something she wasn't. She was who she was.
Grandma was simple in the way she did things. She simply woke up every morning while being married to my grandpa and got everyone ready, made breakfast for everyone, and then worked the rest of the day housekeeping. I never ever heard her complain once about taking care of anyone, or making a meal for anyone, or cleaning up after anyone. She simply did it.
Grandma didn't expect any fanfare or big "to do" about her. She simply wanted to sit next to you and pat your hand and listen to you talk. She loved being around people, just to be near others. She didn't often have the spot light on herself. She seemed more comfortable being a support to someone in the spot light. She liked watching near by and smiling.
Grandma often had a smile on her face. She smiled a lot because I think she was simply happy a lot of the time. She was not the type of person to wallow in self pity. I have never seen my grandma shed a tear in my life. She almost always looked on the bright side of things.
Grandma was not perfect, but she had many strong points. She was without guile. She never tried to deceive or treat people unfairly. She was simply sincere in all she did.
I love my grandma. I admire who she is and the legacy she left in my heart. Her influence will always be part of me. I am happy that I knew her and lived with her and have very fond memories of being with her when I was a child. I know families are forever. I am happy that grandma is with grandpa again. She missed him all the time. Grandma loved grandpa very deeply. I know because she told me so. They were part of each other and now they are whole again. I love that. It makes me very happy.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
funnies?
T: Mom you want to hear a really funny joke?
M: Ok.
T: Knock, knock.
M: Who's there?
T: Why did the chicken cross the road?
M: Why?
T: To get run over and squished into chicken juice. Hehehehe.
I don't know what's more disgusting, the image of a road kill chicken or chicken juice. Either way, yuck.
M: Ok.
T: Knock, knock.
M: Who's there?
T: Why did the chicken cross the road?
M: Why?
T: To get run over and squished into chicken juice. Hehehehe.
I don't know what's more disgusting, the image of a road kill chicken or chicken juice. Either way, yuck.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
I can see clearly now the crust is gone
We have had really bad inversion lately. I hate it. It brings with it really bad air quality and horrible fog. The sky stays a constant grey, leaving everything dank and dreary. It's a suffocating feeling. I always feel trapped and irritable with the inversion. One of the problems with inversion is the lack of movement. The air is at a stand still. Trees seem stiff and afraid.
But this morning things are different. The air is moving. Trees seem like they're dancing or being tickled with excitement. Breathing has become easier. Blue skies are visible. This is the first time I've seen blue in the sky for weeks. It's exhilarating. It lifts the irritability off. It makes me feel like there are possibilities again. I'm stagnant no longer. I'm capable of change. I can progress.
It's funny that the weather has so much to do with how I feel. But it does.
But this morning things are different. The air is moving. Trees seem like they're dancing or being tickled with excitement. Breathing has become easier. Blue skies are visible. This is the first time I've seen blue in the sky for weeks. It's exhilarating. It lifts the irritability off. It makes me feel like there are possibilities again. I'm stagnant no longer. I'm capable of change. I can progress.
It's funny that the weather has so much to do with how I feel. But it does.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
The M&M's have the Cheese Touch
At the request of Ben's kindergarten teacher I started Ben practicing his handwriting every week day after school. And since Ben has to do it I make Tom do it too. (This is a direct result of having 2 kids so close in age. If one of them does something, the other one has to do it too. There are very few exceptions to this rule.) This has actually really improved both of their abilities in handwriting. Anyway, back to the Cheese Touch. After we do handwriting practice we do reading time. Ben and Tom both read their readers to me and I read a book of their choosing to them. Lately for Ben we've been reading "Diary of a Whimpy Kid". They're really funny books. In the first book the main kid, Greg, tells about a slice of cheese that gets stuck to the asphalt at his school and has been there for months, and if you touch the cheese then you've got the cheese touch, which can then be passed along to another person by touching them. It's akin to cooties.
Tuesday night our neighbor Viv, aka "the best neighbor in the world", brought over a present from their recent trip to Las Vegas. It was a clear box separated into 18 different sections with 18 different colors of M&M's. As soon as I saw it I knew this lovely box of M&M's would have a very important job in our home: Handwriting Motivation. Every time the boys finish a line of handwriting I let them choose one M&M from the box. So far it's been a real hit. The novelty of all the different specialty colors is going real strong.
Today Tom was selecting his last M&M after finishing his handwriting. Then he comes running into the room telling me, "Mom Eliza has the M&M's". Eliza dumped all the M&M's out onto the carpet in the living room. Of course I over reacted and started yelling, "Tom why did you let her have the box". He responded by hysterically screaming and crying. (Tom has an unbelievably hard time communicating in stressful situations. He clams up and immediately starts screaming and crying.) Tom left and went into his room, leaving me looking at a massive pile of M&M's in a jumbled mess. As soon as Eliza saw those M&M's she wanted to eat all of them. She made off with a handful before I could stop her. I momentarily thought, I should just throw all of these into a Ziploc and not worry about sorting them into their 18 different colors. But then I immediately realized, putting them in a Ziploc would take away from their novelty, thus taking away from the motivating characteristics of 18 different colors of M&M's to choose from.
Ben ran up to the living and started helping me sort them into the box. I was laughing in my mind when I told Ben, "Ben, make sure you don't get any of the nasty stuff from the carpet, ie. hairs, bits of ground of fishy crackers, melting salt from the front steps, in the M&M case with the M&M's." Then Eliza wanted to help put back the handful she had previously grabbed. Ben said to her, "Eliza, you can't put those in here. You've got the Cheese Touch and now those M&M's have it too." I started laughing. He's so funny.
So, if my children offer you an M&M you may want to think twice.
Tuesday night our neighbor Viv, aka "the best neighbor in the world", brought over a present from their recent trip to Las Vegas. It was a clear box separated into 18 different sections with 18 different colors of M&M's. As soon as I saw it I knew this lovely box of M&M's would have a very important job in our home: Handwriting Motivation. Every time the boys finish a line of handwriting I let them choose one M&M from the box. So far it's been a real hit. The novelty of all the different specialty colors is going real strong.
Today Tom was selecting his last M&M after finishing his handwriting. Then he comes running into the room telling me, "Mom Eliza has the M&M's". Eliza dumped all the M&M's out onto the carpet in the living room. Of course I over reacted and started yelling, "Tom why did you let her have the box". He responded by hysterically screaming and crying. (Tom has an unbelievably hard time communicating in stressful situations. He clams up and immediately starts screaming and crying.) Tom left and went into his room, leaving me looking at a massive pile of M&M's in a jumbled mess. As soon as Eliza saw those M&M's she wanted to eat all of them. She made off with a handful before I could stop her. I momentarily thought, I should just throw all of these into a Ziploc and not worry about sorting them into their 18 different colors. But then I immediately realized, putting them in a Ziploc would take away from their novelty, thus taking away from the motivating characteristics of 18 different colors of M&M's to choose from.
Ben ran up to the living and started helping me sort them into the box. I was laughing in my mind when I told Ben, "Ben, make sure you don't get any of the nasty stuff from the carpet, ie. hairs, bits of ground of fishy crackers, melting salt from the front steps, in the M&M case with the M&M's." Then Eliza wanted to help put back the handful she had previously grabbed. Ben said to her, "Eliza, you can't put those in here. You've got the Cheese Touch and now those M&M's have it too." I started laughing. He's so funny.
So, if my children offer you an M&M you may want to think twice.
Friday, July 6, 2012
June Fun
This past June was full of family, fun, and popsicles.
Family: On June 16th Sam's sister Gina and her husband Chris had their wonderful baby Levi sealed to them for time and all eternity. It was a beautiful occasion. We were lucky to have 3 of Sam's sisters from California visiting for the event. Sam's parents also made the trek. We were sad to be missing Lindsay, Casey and Kylea, but happy to have everyone else in attendance.
On June 17th, Father's Day, we had all the family plus my parents at our house for a Father's Day celebration. It was nice to be together and the kids loved having both sets of grandparents around.
Fun: The next Monday my parents, the kids, and I went to the Natural History Museum. We had a lot of fun seeing all of the dinosaurs and animals. On Tuesday we went to the Hogle Zoo. The newest attraction of polar bears, otters, and seals was definitely worth the hot weather and large crowds.
Popsicles: On Wednesday I had my tonsils removed. It was a very painful recovery filled with lots of popsicles, lots of ice cream, and lots of vicodin. My mom helped me with the first part of the recovery and Katie (Sam's sister) with the second week. I am so grateful for their help. I would not have been able to care for the children on my own and mom and Katie were integral parts in my recovery. (Thanks ladies, you really are the best!)
Here are a few pictures from our Father's Day celebration (photos by Camille Knecht):
Family: On June 16th Sam's sister Gina and her husband Chris had their wonderful baby Levi sealed to them for time and all eternity. It was a beautiful occasion. We were lucky to have 3 of Sam's sisters from California visiting for the event. Sam's parents also made the trek. We were sad to be missing Lindsay, Casey and Kylea, but happy to have everyone else in attendance.
On June 17th, Father's Day, we had all the family plus my parents at our house for a Father's Day celebration. It was nice to be together and the kids loved having both sets of grandparents around.
Fun: The next Monday my parents, the kids, and I went to the Natural History Museum. We had a lot of fun seeing all of the dinosaurs and animals. On Tuesday we went to the Hogle Zoo. The newest attraction of polar bears, otters, and seals was definitely worth the hot weather and large crowds.
Popsicles: On Wednesday I had my tonsils removed. It was a very painful recovery filled with lots of popsicles, lots of ice cream, and lots of vicodin. My mom helped me with the first part of the recovery and Katie (Sam's sister) with the second week. I am so grateful for their help. I would not have been able to care for the children on my own and mom and Katie were integral parts in my recovery. (Thanks ladies, you really are the best!)
Here are a few pictures from our Father's Day celebration (photos by Camille Knecht):
Sam's parents with their 4 grand kids.
My parents with 3 of their grand kids.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sleepy Girl
Today after church I put Eliza in her high chair and fed her lunch. I walked away while she was feeding herself some bread, and soon after I could hear her breathing heavy. When I walked back in I found her like this. She'd totally fallen alseep. I have never had any of my children do this before. This proves again how much she is like me. I have always been a sleeper. I usually need 8-10 hours of sleep per night. I've always been like that. My mom has told me that she would often finding me fallen asleep in random places. Eliza is the same way. She goes to bed at 6:30 pm and we get her up at about 8:30 am. She lets you know when she's tired, and don't try to mess around with it.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Dear Mom
Today is my amazing mother's birthday. She's pretty fantastic.
Dear Mom,
Do you know how much I love you? Do you know that you're my hero? Well, I do, and you are.
Happy birthday today! I hope you're having a wonderful day. I hope this year will be even better than the last.
I was thinking about you today. Remembering all the things that I love so much about you. Here are a few, in no particular order:
You love to have fun. You're always game for a girl's night out, watching a chick flick, or getting a pedi. I love that about you.
You can do anything. I know, I've witnessed some of the amazing things you've done. I love that about you.
You are an amazing cook. The pies, desserts, dinners, Mexican food, basically anything you make is delicious. I love that about you.
When I was young and in high school you would let me stay home and have a "mental health" day, even if I wasn't really sick. I love that about you.
Another time when I was young you took me out, just me, for my birthday. That was a big deal. I love that about you.
When you come to visit me you're always willing to get Thai food. I love that about you.
When I need you, you come. No matter what. I love that about you.
When I had my first baby, you were there right next to me to comfort me. I love that about you.
You painted a beautiful portrait of my boys for me for Christmas. I love that about you.
You let me get married when I was 18 years old. You understood that it was the right thing. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you put candy pees and carrots on my plate to try to fake me out. I love that about you.
When I need to know what to make for dinner, you always have a good idea. I love that about you.
You made the most beautiful wedding dress I could have ever wanted. I love that about you.
You and dad got married in the temple. I love that about you.
You take your temple covenants seriously. I love that about you.
You have always stayed firm in your faith. I love that about you.
You know that staying true to your beliefs will always get you where you want to go. I love that about you.
You have have always practiced what you've preached. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you helped me learn to read from the pages of the Book of Mormon. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you made me an amazing baptism dress. You let me pick out the pattern and the fabric. I love that about you.
When I was little I remember the first time you took me to the store to buy a Sunday dress. I was about 10 years old. I can't believe that you made all those dresses up to that point, and so many after. I love that about you.
When I was little you would put Tabasco sauce on my tongue when I said bad words. I love that about you.
You love being with my kids, and it shows. I love that about you.
When I was a baby you used to sing lullabies to me, and you still sing the same lullabies to my babies. I love that about you.
You love to do yoga. I love that about.
You laid most of the flooring in your home. I love that about you.
You serve everyone around you. I love that about you.
You're always checking in on people, making meals, or helping people out when they need it. I love that about you.
You're loyal. I love that about you.
You say that you're bad at math, but I don't know anyone who can calculate yardage better or quicker than you. I love that about you.
You're beautiful. I love that about you.
You're skinnier than me, and have cuter clothes. I love that about you.
You have a beautiful voice. You can pick out a harmony and sing it out. I love that about you.
You're not afraid to tell me to what to do. You're still my mom. I love that about you.
You've got some great dance moves. I love that about you.
I can talk to you about anything. I love that about you.
You always make time to talk to me when I need you. I love that about you.
Mom, you're the best. Thank you for being you. Happy Birthday!
I love you,
Stacy
Dear Mom,
Do you know how much I love you? Do you know that you're my hero? Well, I do, and you are.
Happy birthday today! I hope you're having a wonderful day. I hope this year will be even better than the last.
I was thinking about you today. Remembering all the things that I love so much about you. Here are a few, in no particular order:
You love to have fun. You're always game for a girl's night out, watching a chick flick, or getting a pedi. I love that about you.
You can do anything. I know, I've witnessed some of the amazing things you've done. I love that about you.
You are an amazing cook. The pies, desserts, dinners, Mexican food, basically anything you make is delicious. I love that about you.
When I was young and in high school you would let me stay home and have a "mental health" day, even if I wasn't really sick. I love that about you.
Another time when I was young you took me out, just me, for my birthday. That was a big deal. I love that about you.
When you come to visit me you're always willing to get Thai food. I love that about you.
When I need you, you come. No matter what. I love that about you.
When I had my first baby, you were there right next to me to comfort me. I love that about you.
You painted a beautiful portrait of my boys for me for Christmas. I love that about you.
You let me get married when I was 18 years old. You understood that it was the right thing. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you put candy pees and carrots on my plate to try to fake me out. I love that about you.
When I need to know what to make for dinner, you always have a good idea. I love that about you.
You made the most beautiful wedding dress I could have ever wanted. I love that about you.
You and dad got married in the temple. I love that about you.
You take your temple covenants seriously. I love that about you.
You have always stayed firm in your faith. I love that about you.
You know that staying true to your beliefs will always get you where you want to go. I love that about you.
You have have always practiced what you've preached. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you helped me learn to read from the pages of the Book of Mormon. I love that about you.
When I was a little girl you made me an amazing baptism dress. You let me pick out the pattern and the fabric. I love that about you.
When I was little I remember the first time you took me to the store to buy a Sunday dress. I was about 10 years old. I can't believe that you made all those dresses up to that point, and so many after. I love that about you.
When I was little you would put Tabasco sauce on my tongue when I said bad words. I love that about you.
You love being with my kids, and it shows. I love that about you.
When I was a baby you used to sing lullabies to me, and you still sing the same lullabies to my babies. I love that about you.
You love to do yoga. I love that about.
You laid most of the flooring in your home. I love that about you.
You serve everyone around you. I love that about you.
You're always checking in on people, making meals, or helping people out when they need it. I love that about you.
You're loyal. I love that about you.
You say that you're bad at math, but I don't know anyone who can calculate yardage better or quicker than you. I love that about you.
You're beautiful. I love that about you.
You're skinnier than me, and have cuter clothes. I love that about you.
You have a beautiful voice. You can pick out a harmony and sing it out. I love that about you.
You're not afraid to tell me to what to do. You're still my mom. I love that about you.
You've got some great dance moves. I love that about you.
I can talk to you about anything. I love that about you.
You always make time to talk to me when I need you. I love that about you.
Mom, you're the best. Thank you for being you. Happy Birthday!
I love you,
Stacy
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