Cousin Time

Saturday afternoon...

David's family arrived first and while we waited for Carly and Craig's families, we played outside.

Peter's drawing Brody's outline in chalk.

 Charlie sharing with Hallee.

 Gigi and I and the vintage 49ers sweatshirt I found in my parents' guest room closet.  It's very red.

 David gets the box.

 Cute boys.

 Getting smashed by the bottom of Brody.

 Ah, Chase, Carly, and Cadence finally arrived!

 It started to get chilly so we went in for tea.

 And billiards.

Peter and Cade

 So fun to all be together. 

 On to s'mores

Gigi and Riley, both five years old. 

 Brody, Gigi, Riley, Charlie in the front

with Pete and Rube in back

and Cade and Granpa playing pool.

Sweet boy

 Poker lessons with Uncle Dave

And they're still playing as I type.

So Here We Are...

...in California.  And I'm just going to tell you that it's sunny and warm.  Warm.  Like, so warm Reuben wanted to know what winter was like in California.  "Um, Reuben, this is winter in California."  His cute reply:  "Then let's move to California."  That Reuben is a smart one.  So I informed him that people in California already know about Jesus and if they don't they can access the resources to learn about him.  Sorry Bud, but I hear Chicken is nice.

Let's move on to pictures.

This was a morning bike ride.

The jacket came off quickly.

The back of Granpa's truck is exciting and fun.

See all that sunshine?

My Dad was about to cut this box down to recycle

when it was rescued and redeemed as a toy.

They played with it for a long time.

Reuben's inside with a pillow and blanket.

We flew helicopters controlled by my Dad's iphone.

Maybe you can see the helicopter at about 11 o'clock from Reuben's head.

And maybe you can see my Dad's shoes?

They're kind of hard to spot.

The boys got to drink some of Granpa's Powereade.

Super exciting.

Rube seesawing with my Mom.

 Going up the parallel bars.

Charlie has organized these Jolly Ranchers about a zillion times.

I won't let him eat one so he consoles himself by lining them up and counting them.

Fun time, yes?

But wait for it.

More and better is to come in just a few hours now.

My sister's fam arrives first, then my brother's, and then my other brother's.

And we're all sleeping here for a couple days.

I've been on the brink of happy tears all day.

This is such a rare event.

So thankful to be here!



Here's What I Know

• Our temps have dipped below zero.  They're back up now.  Still freezing.  And I think I feel especially cold because we've been listening to The Long Winter, a Little House on the Prairie book, and they are having a terrible time.  Holy canoli.  They are freezing.  Every day.  And only eating bread and potatoes each day, but now they're out of wheat and they ate the last potato.  Meanwhile Almanzo and his brother are feasting on stacks of pancakes and syrup and some kind of pork meat item.  We are listening to this story in the car and we haven't gone anywhere for a few days and I'm aching to know if Almanzo made it back from his 40 mile trek to find wheat to save the town!
• Paul just found a Culver's gift card from this summer with a $11.63 balance.  If you're cold, you might as well eat ice cream.
• I emailed our local live theater and asked if they would like to have my wedding dress and veil.  And they said yes.  With exclamation points.  I changed my mind.  I'm going to keep it.
• As I was going through my sewing things tonight I got emotional and sentimental about a seam ripper.  It was my very first seam ripper and it was given to me by my Great Aunt Phyllis.  I didn't even know what a seam ripper was before she took me under her quilted wing.  It is an essential sewing tool.  Here's an example:

 It's like 3 inches long.  We're not storing much when we move, and we're bringing just a few suitcases with us when we go.  And yet I feel as if I should save the seam ripper.  Never mind the footstool Paul made me when we were long-distance dating, made from walnut harvested from his father's farm.  Stow the seam ripper.  That's when I knew it was time for a break from cleaning out the upstair's room.

• I'm going back to California.  Next week.  With three children and no husband.  Know why?  It's the 100th Day Extravaganza of the Successful Stem Cell Transplant.  It's the anti-funeral.  My Dad has recovered from the ordeal, has not a bit of leukemia in him, and we're going to celebrate.  All of us.  Except for Paul.  But everyone else.  My Brother.  And my other Brother.  And my Sister.  And their families.  And galleons of aunts, uncles, cousins, and relations.  (Not that they're pirates, but galleons just seemed the word to use.)  It's going to be fabulous.
• When I told Peter about this trip and I started listing all the family we'd be seeing, he got a super cute grin when I came to Cadence.  He said, "I've been waiting so long to see her."  Sweet boy.  I had no idea.
• And the 49ers are in the Super Bowl.  Isn't that wonderful?  Kind of neat for the city of San Francisco - first the Giants win the World Series, now the 49ers.  If only I cared for the Giants.  Which I don't.

• Well, I think that's all I know for now.  We're making peanut butter for math tomorrow.  Reuben squealed with delight when I told him.  Then he hugged me and said he loved me and 'thank you!!!'  I hope it's as exciting as he's planning it to be.

They Called My Name

Last time I wrote, I was visiting my parents in California.  So let's pick up from there.

My parents drove me to the airport, I checked in, and went to Gate 5.  About ten minutes later I heard, "Paging Southwest passenger Stacey Spenard.  Stacey Spenard.  Please somethingsomethingsomething."  I don't remember what they said because I was so giddy that my name was being called on the P.A. system.

Turns out my flight was being delayed indefinitely and I was going to miss my connection in Denver.  "So you'll have to reschedule and fly out tomorrow.  Here's a voucher to keep you happy."  Here comes my second favorite part.

I asked the Southwest lady behind the counter, "Can I use your phone to call my Mom and have her come pick me up?"  I felt like I was five years old.  It was funny.

So my parents turned around and came to retrieve me.  One more day in Cali, but at that point I was mentally geared up to go home and see my boys.  Flew out the next morning and here I am.

In other news...

• Paul submitted his resignation this week, giving the church sixty days notice.  Really, he gave them verbal notice two years ago that we would be leaving about this time.  Many were surprised when it became official.  The first weekend in March will be his last.  We've been here eight years.

• We are moving overseas in March.  You could call it a job transfer.

• Charlie celebrated his first time-out this week:

• Paul and I have a trip planned to go to an International T. Networking conference in Arizona next month.  It's totally focused on our future move.  Bonus that it's in Arizona in the midst of winter.  And double bonus that we paid for our plane tickets with Paul's voucher from flying in November and my voucher that I got this last trip when I had to fly out the next day.

• The upstairs' back room needed to be painted, so as a family we tackled this task.  The person who painted this room many moons ago, painted over striped wallpaper that we could see through the paint.  So we decided to strip the wallpaper and then paint the wall anew.

 Removing old wallpaper is fun!

 Reuben enjoyed using the scraper.

 Charlie took initiative to get a trash bag and pick up all the wallpaper bits.

I love intiative-takers.

 Hello Paul.

 Later that day.

The wall still has not been painted because...

like every 'easy' project we've attempted in this 1800's home,

the project always has an unexpected surprise that complicates our efforts.

The bare wall behind the wallpaper has cracks and divots and mega-unevenness that is going to require mudding.

Which is probably why the people just painted over the wallpaper.

• In our history lessons recently, we reenacted the Great Fire of London:

 In just a few days, four-fifths of the city burned because

the homes were so close together and made of wood.

 Poor London.

•  We've had lots of snow.  Peter & Bros. Snow Removal has made lots of dollars this winter.

 After a long morning of scooping snow,

Pete and Reuben went to play on this pile.

See Peter reclining on the mound?

•  Charlie, like his older brothers of yore, climbed his way into the snack cupboard.

 He's answering our question, "Where's Charlie?"

Apparently, he doesn't know.

• The kids go to youth group on Sunday nights.  Here's one of their very spiritual lessons:

 They wrapped Reuben in toilet paper.

 Looks like a piggy snowman.

•  Earlier this week I was tricked into going camping.  They said we'd be staying in a cabin.  They said we'd take turns preparing meals.  They said it would be lots of fun family time.  And I believed them.  'Camping' never came to mind... until I started packing.  The problem with camping is all the prep (work!) and all the cold (cold!).  I know, I'm a whiner.  Poor me, had to go stay in a cabin in the woods and hang out with family.  It was a really nice time.  Paul's parents and his sister's family came too, and we stayed in two large cabins.  With the cabins came arm bands to get into the indoor waterpark.  Three days of water play for the cousins, board games, and down time.

 Know this game?

Settlers of Catan with Papa, Peter, Paul, and cousin Benen.

And Nana keeping watch on the couch.

 Fascinated by the popcorn popper.

With Aunt Anna.

 Popcorn Party on the cabin floor.

With cousin Cecily.

• And I have a fun video demonstrating Charlie's organization skills.  But it won't load.  So maybe tomorrow.

An Update of my Knowledge

Here's what I learned today as a result of hanging out with my parents.

• Hillary Clinton is the shoe-in president of our country for the 2016 elections.  No need for any of us to vote.  According to the Rush Limbaugh show.
• Joe Montana really wanted to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the day, but, alas, they turned him down.
• Joe was a "system" player and he's okay with that because it earned him several "system" rings.  Does that make sense to any of you besides my Dad?
• Mr. Montana's son does not play for Notre Dame any more and it makes him sad.

• A banana and dark M&Ms makes a really tasty snack.
• Spinning around on the bar at the playground can cause bruising to the back of the knee.  That never happened when I was 8.
• Sometimes plastic surgeons use their skills to change the identity of mobsters.  Thank you crime tv.  Castle, I think.

• Ok, I learned this on Saturday:  "Pavone" means peacock.
• I observed the footwear of many women as we waited at the City of Hope.  Lots of professional type ladies are wearing really big/tall high heels that make them walk in a very unnatural way.  The other end of the shoe spectrum here in So Cal are the casual ladies wearing warm fuzzy boots.  In So Cal.  It was 75 degrees.  Hm.
• I am a terrible hospital companion.  I.V. racks and syringes still make me weak, light headed, and nauseous.  It's embarrassing.
• The City of Hope is very near where I bought my motorcycle.  It was a cute red Honda Rebel.

Did you learn anything interesting today?

Me and Cali

So here I am in California.  I've eaten an In-n-Out cheeseburger, three ice cream bars and one avocado, knitted four dish cloths, walked ten miles, slept ten hours every night, driven in traffic nearly everyday, been spit-up on by baby Cadence, and have been introduced to crime television shows.  I've also hung out with very important people - the true reason for this trip.  And I have photos all ready to show you, but I can't get them uploaded.  Let me try again...

Okay, so I was able to post them over on facebook, including an exclusive video of my acrobatic feats of amazement.

I came out to help with housework and hang out with my mom and dad who are recovering from my dad's stem cell transplant.  The bonus is that my sister also came to visit with her new baby.  So we've had some unique family time.  I got to go with them to City of Hope, where my dad is being treated, and meet a few of the people who helped save his life from leukemia.

What I've learned from this trip is that I need to persuade my therapist to prescribe unto me a quarterly trip to visit my family.  It is so restorative.  Special family time, perfectly temperatured sunshine, no children to care for or cause me to wake before my ten hours are up, familiar places and food, no children to care for or...  It's just so nice.

Now I pause to express my love, appreciation, and greatest gratitude to my husband who is home with one vomiting child and two highly active children.  Isn't he wonderful?  He is.  So is his mom who is also caring for our children many days while I'm not.  A break in parenting is so golden.  Thank you, thank you!

Time for football tv and the beginnings of another dishcloth.