Crazy Time

I know it has been awhile . . . it has been nutty around here. I will explain more later, after we are settled. (Possibly sometime next week.) For now, this is all I have to share. If you have a moment, enjoy a good laugh. I struggled not to pee my pants. :-)



I am going to TRY and do "natural childbirth" again this time . . . but I make no promises! Only about a month left! (Only, HA! It feels like forever!) Oh, and as of 3 days ago, Henry weighed 6 1/2 lbs. If I went until my due date of May 8th (which the doctor is not going to allow), Henry would be a real whopper! NO wonder my back hurts!

The New Chivalry

I am a big fan of men being nice to women.

(And women being nice to men!)

Now-a-days it seems rare to see acts of old-fashioned chivalry. I think that many men would show such actions, but they are rendered afraid. With all the new "power women" (and all the junk that goes along with them) it is no wonder chivalry is flying out the window. Women are not as soft anymore. Women can be rough. (Not to mention nasty and mean!) Often men don't know what to do, or what women expect them to do -- when chivalry is concerned. To help, or not to help . . . that is the question. Some women like men to offer friendly assistance, and others will bite if assistance is offered.

We live in a day when old-fashioned chivalry is considered out-dated and unwanted. There is a "new way" of doing things now. I was just introduced to this "new way" a few days ago . . .

I was in a parking-lot waiting for Charles. I was watching people (as I always do) and I saw something I had never seen before . . . . A car pulled into a parking spot and a young man jumped-out of the passenger side of the vehicle. He then walked behind the car and quickly made his way over to the driver's side of the vehicle. He stopped at the driver's side door and courteously opened it for his lady-friend: the driver. It caught my attention, and struck me as a little odd. I guess she wanted the power of driving, and the politeness of door-opening, too? Hmmmm . . . interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I rarely allow Charles to do nice things like opening doors for me. When we were first dating I was taking Martial-Arts and I fancied myself a "tough-girl" (and I was!). I could do 50 knuckle push-ups and everything. I let him know that even though he was more than willing to do those nice things -- I was more than willing to get in and out of cars/buildings/etc. myself. It was not because of some power-struggle. No, I was (and am) just super impatient . . . waiting for someone to open a door for me is torture. I just want to get out (or in)!

However, I think it is adorable when I see chivalry in action, especially in older people. I love to see hand-holding, caring smooches, a man offering a lady his arm, door-opening, etc. It is so lovely. It is such a beautiful thing. It should not be lost. All those lovey-dovey things, or even just respectful/helpful things, should not be lost in the past. I love to see men treating women with respect. And I love to see women accepting it! (I need to get better at that!)

But I am not sure how I feel about this new form of chivalry? Women driving and expecting help out of the car . . . that just seems silly to me. Next thing you know, it will be the women driving and helping the men out of the car.

Judging

I NEVER do this . . . no, not me. :-)

Hallelujah

Just a little music moment.

I came across this video today, and thought it was a good time to share it, again. It goes along well with the post about our living-poor days. Forgive the quality. One day I will have all of the right equipment -- for now, just look past the image/sound quality. Thanks. :-)

Each picture has a story behind it. The broken car, the trip from Alaska to Washington, the 500 sqft home, etc. Each image means so much to me. They were good time. They were the best times.

This video makes me cry every time. It is good to remember. It is good to look back.

Hallelujah!

Baby Henry Status

Just a quick baby update:

We had another specialized ultrasound today.

(Specialized = EXPENSIVE!)

• Henry has 3 kidney's. The extra one is attached to one of his regular kidneys
• He has an extra tube running from the third kidney down to the bladder
• The bladder has a cyst in it because of the extra kidney/tube
• Chances of surgery are likely, but there is a possible chance it could correct itself
• We will not know if the kidneys improve, or work properly, etc. until after birth when he will have some special testing done.
• For now we go in to check amniotic fluid, regularly. Levels need to stay high -- not drop low.
• Right now his amniotic fluid looks good, even excessive (I am extra-bloated because of it, yea!)
• They will monitor baby/fluid closely. If fluid levels drops early, baby needs to come out early
• Meanwhile . . . we wait. :-)

That is all we know for now. I still have two months left until I am due, but I feel ready to give birth tomorrow. This has been the hardest pregnancy for me. I think it has to do with the underlying stress of knowing something is wrong. I try to ignore that fact as much as I can, but it is still there -- in the back of my mind. Even though the complication is fairly "minor" it still causes some concern.

Anyway, that is it for now. I am feeling (and looking) nice and chubby, my groin is in all sorts of pain most of the time, and it is worse after walking. Dang it. Oh well . . . may the next few months fly by quickly! I am dying to move my body again!

My Utah Fears

I will write more details of our big change, but first I want to write about some of my thoughts and fears. I woke-up thinking about this today, so I thought I might jot down some thoughts, while they are still fresh.

I came across these quotes the other day, while doing some light reading . . . they sure did not help with my concerns!

President Heber C. Kimball said: After a while the gentiles will gather by the thousands to this place, and Salt Lake City will be classed among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the results will be financial bondage.

Persecution comes next and all true Latter- Day Saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize and others will be still not knowing what to do . . . .

Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to the tests that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes.

Brigham Young said: If the Latter-day Saints do not desist from running after the things of this world, and begin to reform and do the work the Father has given them to do, they will be found wanting, and they, too, will be swept away and counted as unprofitable servants.

Wow. I know. I follow the Salt Lake news pretty closely and this does not seem too far off from what is currently going on: extravagance, financial bondage, church members being tested to their limit, some not knowing what to do. (It is extreme in Utah for LDS members, because of the concentration of members all in one place.) Hence, I have some anxieties about purposefully stepping right into the battle-zone. (Not that anywhere in the world is exempt from these trials, certainly not -- it is just that Salt Lake City was meant to be something different for the Latter-day Saints, something better.)

Look, I know day-to-day living may not be so intense in Utah, you probably wouldn't even notice things mentioned in above quotes. I know I find myself very comfortable when I am there -- visiting different places and people. But when you step back and look, there IS something larger going on and it is hard to ignore it. Well, it is hard for me to ignore, at least. I am a big-picture type of person.

It would seem that those who love the Church there, love it mightily. And those who don't love the Church, openly fight against it with great anger, force, and with fueled passion. It is a tragedy, really. It is to be expected, but it is still a real shame. Can't we all just get along? I am concerned about the clash of the people, not for me so much . . . but my children. I will have to increase our defenses.

Can you tell I am nervous about this move? I am excited about a great many things . . . but there are some underlying fears that I just wanted to throw-out on the table and work through.

People. I love people. I can love Utah-people, right? ;-) It is not the people I am most worried about, it is not even really the place . . . what I fear is: Prosperity.

For the last 12 years, or so, we have learned a lot about both sides of the money-spectrum. I still have our bank statement from years ago that shows $3.00 -- total. We still drive our 1991 and 1995 vehicles -- praying they will continue to work. We have been living in a 2 bedroom home for the last 4 years, nice and squished together. We have cried when there seemed to be not enough food, and we have received most things in hand-me-down style. What I am saying is that poverty (American poverty) is something I have experienced, something I have learned to handle, something familiar. I am not afraid of it. I know it well.

It is not poverty that I am afraid of . . . it is prosperity that I fear the most -- even just the image of it. Extravagance . . . I do not like. Don't get me wrong, I like nice things . . . but it is excess in extreme that makes me nervous. Not just for others, but for myself. I am as vulnerable as the next person.

When we move to Utah, we will not be living in a 2 bedroom squishy home -- we will have a very spacious home. We will still drive our cars, until they die, but we will need something more reliable for the Salt Lake freeways. We will likely not starve -- especially since my parents will be living with us. There is a good chance that we might live a "comfortable life". A life with more than one bathroom. :-) Honestly, this scares me a little. I know you probably think I am crazy, but 12 years of survival-mode does that to a person.

I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to lose all the precious things we have learned. I don't want to forget what we have gone through, what we have known. And the miracles we have seen and felt. Of course, I don't want to starve, either! I know living surrounded by prosperity does not have to take away humility, but I am guessing, just guessing -- it makes it harder. I could be wrong.

So, I find myself grateful for some crazy things. I am grateful that we made the choice to live in our small home. I am grateful my daughter has been sleeping in a walk-in closet for the last couple of years. I am grateful we have all shared one bathroom -- even when we are all spitting toothpaste in the sink at the same time. I am grateful for running out of hot-water on Sunday mornings. I am grateful that our cars are old, and rusty, and paid for. I am grateful for all the experiences we have had that have lead up to this point. I am also grateful for the thing I thought I would never be grateful for . . . our student loans. This precious debt has kept (and will keep) us "humble" (financially, at least). The loans will be there as a reminder to be careful, prudent, and frugal. To be wise with our decisions, not hasty. It is our only debt, outside of a mortgage. Thank you student loans, you are such a big help. How can I ever repay you for your kindness? Maybe in 30 years. :-)

I know I am all over the place with my thoughts, it is morning. But my point is, I am concerned about being surrounded by great prosperity (sorry, Utah -- it is a real thing there). For as we all know . . . prosperity leads to pride, then follows utter destruction. Yikes. You see, the reality is, I am terrified of pride, because I am really susceptible to it. I can even create in myself what I call "poor-man's pride" (being proud, of being poor). This (pride) may not even be an issue for most people, but for me -- I have to be really careful. Pride is like a shadow that follows me, lurking, waiting. Now I am walking into a real danger-zone! (For me, not everyone!) Must. Be. Careful.

Anyway, it is just bigger there in Utah than it is here in Idaho (in every way). I hope that we can survive the pull towards keeping-up with whatever is going on around us -- I mean the weird stuff, not the good stuff. I want to be involved in the good stuff. I am going to drench myself in the good stuff. It will be necessary.

Let me just add . . . I know that some of you are Utahans, through-and-through. And that is fantastic. Most of my favorite people come from Utah! (Including my parents!) I am not trying to insult those who come from Utah, or who love it. I am hoping to become one who loves Utah! I am just afraid of the newness of it, and the unfamiliar culture there, and that is to be expected. And as an outsider . . . well, Utah comes with a lot of baggage. It just does. I am just trying to work through it. Wish me luck.

So, I may live in Utah . . . but I will always have growing-up Alaskan in my back-pocket, and the loving Idaho people in my heart. And, after all, it is not the place that you live -- but the purity of the heart, that is "Zion". So maybe, just maybe . . . Zion can be in Utah, too. :-)

But that, of course, is up to me! No pressure.

BIG NEWS!!!

WE ARE MOVING TO UTAH!!!!

If you like us and you live in Utah -- this is good news. If you don't like us and you live in Utah -- this is bad news. If you like us and you live in Boise -- this is bad news. And if you don't like us and you live in Boise -- this is good news. :-)

We have been working on making this decision for months now. An opportunity came up for Charles, and we had to decide if we were willing to take the risk. I will admit -- I am scared. I have never lived in Utah before. I am actually the only one in my family who has never lived there. I have some concerns, for sure. But for now my excitement is overshadowing my anxiety. Thank goodness.

My parents moved away from Utah over 46 years ago, so we could grow up in an environment that was not saturated with Mormons (we lived in Arizona and Alaska). We had interesting experiences growing-up in places where being a Mormon was a rarity -- it was character building. I also had it in my mind that I would NEVER live in Utah, if I could avoid it. I had adopted the same opinions of my parents. But now, after 46 years . . . my parents will be returning (with us) to live in their homeland, the place of their birth, Utah! And I will be raising my family right smack in the heart of "Zion". :-) Funny how things change.

It will be interesting, I am sure of it. This is a BIG change for us, not one we were even planning on -- but that is how life works, sometimes. Things come up out of the blue and suddenly you are packing and heading in a totally different direction!

We are planning on heading-out sometime in June, so we have a few months to prepare. I have to give birth, we need to rent out our house, and the kids need to finish school. (The list of to-do's is incredibly long, but I will not bore you with details!) So much to do . . . so little time. I am so glad I am in the last months of pregnancy for it all! HELP!

So, off to Utah we will go. I am returning to the land of my people. It is the place where my ancestor's (on both sides) helped to settle and build. The Salt Lake Temple bears the hand-prints of my great, great, grandfather, who put his sweat and tears into crafting it. My pioneer ancestors are buried in the graveyards scattered throughout the land there. The homes where my ancestors raised their families still stand. There is so much there . . . so much to pull me there now . . . now that I understand my history. I am SO excited about that. I can do hands-on family history tours! I can walk where they walked, and pay respect to those who have gone before me.

Oh, and let us not forget all the wonderful living relatives I have there, too! ;-) wink!

There is this strange feeling inside of me that has been growing . . . like I am going home.

There is something beyond our control pushing us there . . . to the place I vowed to never live.

UTAH HERE WE COME!

Bread

Grandma Sycamore's Bread . . . need I say more? I LOVE this bread. It is second only to real homemade bread. Last week our family went through 5 loaves of it! We are a bunch of bread-oinkers around here. This bread is SO GOOD it becomes a snack-food. I know it is a little more pricey than some other lessor options -- but if you are going to eat white bread . . . Grandma's is the BEST! Yum!

A Little Empathy, Please . . .

I had a brilliant idea.

Last night for Family Home Evening, I decided we should learn about compassion and understanding. Number one on my agenda was allowing the children to experience how mommy feels being pregnant -- so they could understand why I lay on the couch so much, and why I am not as "peppy" as I normally am.

I loaded a backpack full of rice (12 pounds for William and 24 pounds for the bigger kids), and I strapped it onto their fronts. Looking back now, I really should have added a couple of rice bags on their chests, and a few more on their backsides. :-) I just wanted them to feel the "weight" that I carry so that they could appreciate me a little more, and also be a little happier about helping me when I need it.

After loading them down with weight, we had them do some simple tasks . . .

William is bending-over to clean-up items off of the floor. He grunted, and chuckled, and struggled. It was pretty darn cute, and accurate! He was super funny to watch . . . he spends the most time with me, so he seemed to copy my behavior the best -- waddling and everything. :-)

I should have taken video!

I had them lay down, so they could experience what it is like for me to try and sleep, or rest . . .

This is Sammi saying, "Ugh!"

Sammi was supposed to just find my shoes and put them on . . . it took awhile.

Sammi doing some light cleaning . . . and cracking knees.

(You'll notice Daddy was enjoying this, too. He said he did not need to strap on the weight for empathy -- he gained 20 pounds drinking hot-chocolate every night, during undergrad school.) :-) He, he.

Daniel experiencing lying down with the fantastic crushing-sensation. "Ugh!" he groaned.

Even sitting was uncomfortable . . . he is smiling because it was his last task before he could take it off.

They lasted 5 minutes . . . how about 9 months!

We had a good talk about how everyone can help mommy better -- now that they understand I am not just a wimp and I really struggle. Let's hope it worked!

We also wanted to go beyond having pregnancy-empathy, so we added a few more tasks and challenges.

We tied blindfolds over their eyes and had them experiment with some easy tasks in the darkness.

Writing . . .

Walking around . . . looking for particular items in the house. Lots of things were knocked over.

Finding his way to the bathroom . . . it was hard!

We also had them tie their good hand behind their backs, and try and do normal things . . .

Brushing teeth . . . tricky.

Getting a drink of water . . .

Putting on shoes . . .

Not easy!

Tying shoes . . .

It was rough!

It was a fantastic Family Home Evening. We also sang the primary song, "If you don't walk like most people do". We discussed how some people have special challenges that they have to learn to deal with and overcome . . . but also emphasized that nothing is impossible. We had them listen to Beethoven who composed music while deaf, they watched Ray Charles play the piano without being able to see, we discussed the girl from the Soul Surfer movie, and we watched Kyle Mynard climbing a mountain without arms or legs -- amazing!

Empathy for others is an important quality to learn, especially when children are young. I also wanted them to see and understand that people are not defined by their abilities or disabilities --- but by the strength of their heart. It was a really special night. I highly recommend it for a family activity!

Tangled

I think Disney's Tangled is one of the best movies EVER!

I love it. It is so beautiful, fun, creative, and the music is fantastic. It just makes me feel happy . . . like little-kid, blissful, happy.

I think it is time to watch it again . . . it has been awhile!

That is all. Over and Out. :-)