Chewkie Dances

Tonight Chewkie danced in her studio's spring recital. The AC wasn't working and it was about an hour too long thanks to guest dancers and older dancers performing too many times, but Chewkie and her class of tap dancers was adorable.

I'm pretty sure her teacher (one of my seminary students) picked out the most adorable costumes for them. Chewkie never wants to take it off, loving how the fringe shakes with her. It has been fun to see how she has grown as a dancer, even if I am switching her to jazz here in a couple of months.

DoodahTurns 7

There is something about 7 in my mind that feels like the start of older childhood. Six is still little, but 7 feels SO big. It helps that I feel like I'm finally getting a truer sense of the teenager and man Doodah is destined to become.

But before we get to that, let's first start by recapping his birthday.

Because Memorial Day always falls close to Doodah's birthday, and especially since he started school, we began a new tradition  of letting him open his presents on Memorial Day and then celebrating more on his actual birthday.

The best part of letting him open presents early is that he is constantly trying to finagle something or other and had tried to negotiate opening just the gift from his sister early. Imagine his boundless joy when I told him he got to open not only hers (a Pokemon stuffie) but Matthew and my gift as well (a scooter). And to only add to his ecstasy, his grandparents and I took him to Build-a-Bear to get a new stuffie from both sets of grandparents. All of this great pleasure a full two days before his actual birthday. I never get tired of seeing Doodah when he gets more than his wildest dreams. His whole body radiates with joy and gratitude.

His actual birthday is on a Wednesday, so after going to school (bringing little donuts for his class), we went to Get Air where some of his friends joined us for his very first for-reals-with-actual-invitations-and-goody-bags birthday party. He didn't get the turnout he had hoped for, but because of it being in the middle of the week across town, it didn't totally surprise me. But we more or less had the entire gym to ourselves and he was still extremely gracious with the presents he received, which were pretty cool.

Oh how I love my Doodah. I love that he would rather create from his own imagination than follow instructions. I love seeing, and am in constant awe, of  the ingenious creations he dreams up with his legos. I also love that he sees a box and turns it into trains, monsters, or anything else his quick mind dreams up with enough tape, glue and markers. I love that he loves playing with his sister. He will almost never admit it to her, but he loves her just as much as she loves him. I love that he spends his time in bed thinking of math problems or life problems (the most recent being that bones must grow as you get bigger because otherwise your adult skin would be super floppy over your child-sized bones). I love (and sometimes hates) that he is almost always in negotiation mode and will make you shake his hand when you've reached some agreement. This boy never takes no for an answer and will make a shrewd business man someday I am sure. I love that he claims he will never be too old to cuddle with me or hold my hand. I love that he has started asking children on the buddy bench at school (meaning they have no one to play with) to play with him. Sometimes the kids say no, but he keeps asking. I love that he is excited to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a year and seems to have a decent concept about what that entails.

This boy, I am still amazed that I love every phase and would not wish him younger. I loved him as a baby and toddler and preschooler, but I love him this age too. Happy Birthday my sweet boy.

Mother's Day 2019

I really love the mother's day gifts the kids made in school this year. Coupons for nice things like lots of hugs and kisses, breakfast in bed, help making dinner, and getting flowers. I love the enthusiasm my children have for mother's day at this age and their desire to make me feel special. I have already had the chance to use two coupons for a back and foot massage.

A few years ago I didn't understand why mother's day had turned into celebration of womanhood instead of a tribute to the unique role that mother's have in their children's lives. But recently I have recognized that while a mother's role is divine, there are many women who have the opportunity to nurture others that don't employ that title for them. And maybe those women will never be identified by those whom they love, but that doesn't mean God doesn't acknowledge their Christ-like service.

For me, I am forever indebted to my own mother and the miracles she has performed in my life; for the strong woman she has helped me to recognize in myself. I am thankful for her tireless love and service on my behalf. But I am also thankful for the Seminary teachers, Young Women leaders, Relief Society Presidents and women friends who have nurtured me in a way specific to their unique talents.

Women can be pretty awesome.

First Beach Day of 2019

During spring break, we attempted to have a beach day, but the weather was just the worst. It was cold, and very wet and while we looked at the beach, we didn't bother exiting our car. Chewkie was so sad not to get the chance to play that I promised I would let them skip school when the weather got warmer. They then proceeded to ask after their pledged beach day every week for the next month and a half and every week I had to tell them that it was still not yet warm enough to merit a trip.

But then, oh what bliss, we had an abnormally warm week that also resulted in a warm day on the coast (because the too are not guaranteed at the same time). And what was better, we were able to convince two other families to skip school and join us.

The problem with going to the coast is the constant fear that the predicted weather doesn't often correlate with reality. And you don't often realize the discontinuity until you've gotten out of the car.

So imagine our joy when we stepped out in Neskowin and found we didn't need sweat pants or jackets to enjoy the beach (70+ degrees with very little wind). The kids played beautifully, there were no major mishaps, and I even got to feel like a good mom as Chewkie, Boy Howdy and I went for a long walk on the beach combing for seashells and sand dollars. Definitely one of the best beach days ever!!

My Parents Have Moved Back to Oregon

My parents faithfully served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past 18 months and now they live in Oregon, a few blocks away from me. When we lived in Pennsylvania and my parents lived in Virginia the kids and I used to make the trek down to see them every month and a half or so. They even came to visit us a few times. But there is something so heavenly about having them a 5-minute walk away.

Aside from the crazy amounts of service they have provided to me since they've been back, I have loved watching my children have a relationship with them that I never got with my own grandparents. My parents and I routinely ask my kids if they see each other too often, and the answer is always the same, "never". My children can't get enough of their grandparents. It is a beautiful companionship they enjoy.

I also love spending time with them. I feel bad sometimes that I drop in too often on them, but so far they haven't seemed to mind. Or I feel guilty that they chose West Salem when so many of my siblings would have loved them living close to them. But feeling guilty serves no helpful purpose so instead I choose gratitude. I'm thankful my parents felt impressed to move into my area, I'm thankful for their desire to support their children and grandchildren. I'm grateful they are still alive and active. And I'm so thankful I get to benefit so directly from their love and examples.

Matthew and Sara Go to NYC

A few months ago, Matthew got a "promotion" at work which really didn't mean a bump in pay so much as double the work. Instead of two plants to manage both government/client relations and contracts, he now has four. For the month of February and March, we saw him on weekends and approximately two of the remaining weeks. It was hard on everybody. Matthew doesn't travel well, the kids missed their father and I missed my sweetheart. 

At some point early in the spring, I told Matthew to carve out some time for a trip with me. Because of all his trips we had the airline and the hotel covered, and my parents were happy with taking care of our babes back here in Oregon. It felt destined to happen.

Bonus, we still have our best friends back in Pennsylvania who were willing to make the trek into the city to spend the afternoon and evening with us. Matthew and I agree they were THE HIGHLIGHT of our trip but, just for completion sake, here is what we did with the rest of our time:

Thursday - We left Oregon early and made it to NYC while it was still light outside but just barely. So after finding something to eat we made it an early night.

Friday - We walked passed the Empire State Building but since it was enclosed in clouds we didn't think going up to the observation deck would be worthwhile so we moved on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had a special exhibit that was made up of decades of rock and roll guitars and other memorabilia that Matthew got giddy just thinking about. This picture spoke to me. I could have stood hours in front of her.

Sadly, Matthew left all of his eye meds at the hotel (only a few days out of surgery then) and we needed to get back to the hotel to take care of his peepers. Plus, even with just the art museum we had already walked many miles and both Matthew and I were tired. So that night back at the hotel we watched Avengers: Infinity Wars

Saturday: Which meant that first thing in the morning we found a theater with a 9am showing for Avengers: End Game we could see before meeting up with our beloved Brintons.

With the Brintons, we walked the Highline (an elevated train track converted into a garden walkway) to this really cool set of stairs that we couldn't walk up because their tickets were gone for the day, but was a fun photo op. (Matthew is finally able to wear sunglasses that don't cost a small fortune!!)

After that we took the train to Brooklyn where we had yummy authentic New York pizza and walked along the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan where we walked and said good-bye to our most darling of friends. We LOVE you Brintons (please move to Salem)

Sunday - We went to church and spent the rest of a VERY rainy day holed up in our hotel room.

Monday - We both got to see the Statue of Liberty for the very first time. I was surprised what an emotional experience it was for me - especially given our current state of political affairs. To know that for so long and for so many people the Statue of Liberty was their first welcome. Their first breath of relief. This poem I memorized as an elementary schooler kept running through my mind as I looked on this timeless symbol of what it means to be an American.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Oh how I wish I lived in a country that still felt this way.

After the inspiring walk around Liberty Island, we took the ferry back to Manhattan and made our way to the real tear-jerker of the day that 9/11 memorial and museum. Oh heavens, I thought my heart was going to burst as I relived my own experience with that fateful day and mixed that with the horrors of those who lived and died in New York City that day.

It was such an interesting experience for me, as I didn't live through Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, or any other national tragedy. Going to see the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii just wouldn't hold the same powerful emotions for me as seeing the 9/11 memorial. Walking through I couldn't talk for fear of crying the ENTIRE time. So glad I finally got to see both of these iconic places before we left.

After being fairly emotionally drained, but feeling the need to do just one more thing before leaving the next morning, we walked back through Central Park (thanks to the volunteer Park curator who told us where to meander) and finished by getting cookies larger than my fist to take back to Oregon with us.

What a lovely trip. I'm thankful for my parents who lovingly looked after my children so well in our absence. I am so thankful for this man and the amazing job he does to provide for his family. I'm thankful that he has gotten so much better about vacationing with me. I'm thankful for a wonderful weekend recharging and reconnecting with my dear sweetheart.