True Story

When Matt was just a baby, he fell asleep in church.  (Miracles do happen sometimes, you know.)  He was a pretty hefty infant, so once he was really out, I laid him down on the padded bench.  I was a little unprepared and didn't have a blanket to cover him, so I asked Mike to let me borrow his suit coat.  I tucked him in under the jacket and remember actually being able to listen to and enjoy part of the meeting, as much as one could with a two-year-old and a four-year-old.

When the meeting was over and it was time to leave, I looked over at my snoozing son beneath Mike's suit coat and had one of those "frozen-in-time" moments.  The coat was much bigger than Matt, but I realized that one day he would have his own suit coat.  He'd be a grown man who would be ready to serve a mission, get married, start a career, and raise a family of his own.  I had the distinct feeling that that day would arrive sooner than I would believe.  I realized that I had better enjoy my little urchins to the fullest because, as all those older parents (people around my present age) were telling me, "they grow up faster than you think they will."

You know what?  Those "old fogies" were right!  Matt recently got his first grown-up suit, and when I saw him get ready for church yesterday, I thought back to the day when he was just a baby, tucked in under his dad's suit coat.  It really doesn't seem very long ago.  Now he's truly an adult, and I'm excited to see what lies ahead.  He kinda looks like a missionary, don't you think?

For Some Must Push and Some Must Pull

Mike, the boys, and I went to the Pioneer Trek Kickoff Fireside on Sunday night.  Yes, that's right:  we're going trekking!  Matt and Rachel had the opportunity to go on Trek four years ago, but as much as Mike and I were hoping, hoping, hoping that we'd get to go as leaders then, we weren't asked to assist.  So, we were very excited when the bishop asked us in December if we could make the trip this year.

The Trek Fireside was awesome.  It really pumped me up and helped me to see the purpose of such a huge undertaking.  The theme of this year's event is "Go and Bring Them In," a phrase from Brigham Young's famous address when he ordered the Saints to go and help the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.  The words can also be associated with a quote from President Hinckley, referring to the present-day need to help today's youth as well.  I got the strong impression that there are undoubtedly young people in need of spiritual rescue, and I hope that this adventure will help to strengthen testimonies and encourage those who may be wandering a little to come back to the fold. 

I had fun looking through some old photos to find the following of Rachel and Matt from almost four years ago:  


This is a "Before" shot.  Do they look young or what?!

 

This is an "After" shot.  I think they held up pretty well.  I hope I do this year, too.

I am excited that Mike gets to be a Pa, while I get to be a Ma.  It's always fun to work on something together as a couple, especially when I'm linked to someone who works so hard and is so optimistic.  I've heard that his grandpa from a few generations back was a pretty good pioneer, so I think it will be fun to walk across the plains with Mike for a few days.



Just think of how he'll look with four days' growth of beard.  Maybe more like Grandpa Brigham?



The Ma's and Pa's were asked to dress in pioneer garb for the fireside.  This is what we'll be wearing on the trek.  I also have an apron, but it doesn't have pockets.  Someone told me I'll absolutely need pockets, so I've got to get a different one.

I'm also excited that we get to go with Matt and Adam this year.  We will NOT be in the same family (guaranteed!), but I suspect we will get to see them from time to time.  Matt had a great experience on the last trip and learned a lot about work since he was actually one of the biggest kids in his makeshift family.  That was hard for me to believe since he looks so little in the pictures.  Adam isn't exactly a burly guy this year either, but I suspect he will try his hardest to pull even more than his weight.  It should be a fulfilling four days in July.

Nope, Not Yet

I was really hoping that I could post some other before and after pictures today.  There was a chance that I was going to get my braces off today, so I took a picture of my mouth before I went to the orthodontist.  Turns out I can take another in three weeks or so.  I may be able to get the blasted things off then.  If not, well, I guess I will try to grow up and be grateful for the technology that has helped my teeth to move and my jaw to stop hurting constantly.  Oh, and I guess the straighter teeth will be nicer, too.  And, as my sweet daughter reminded me, I will never have to have braces again.  Nope, two voyages through orthodontia is probably enough.  I suspect the next dental adventure would be dentures. . . oh my!

 

 

Sledding in Idaho City

We decided to end the year with a sledding trip to Idaho City. It was super cold and windy when we wanted to go earlier in the vacation week, so we waited for the weather to warm up a bit.  Believe it or not, this was warmer. 

Should we have waited longer?  At least it wasn't as windy as it was earlier in the week.  Downright balmy.



It had snowed fairly recently, so even though it was pretty brisk, the landscape was SO pretty and the snow conditions were almost ideal--lots of fresh powder.

We had a fairly nice drive up there.  Rachel, Matt, and Adam slept in the back seat, and Karen, Andrew, Mike, and I talked in the front half of the van.  Spirits were reasonably high when we unloaded, but I'll have to admit that I thought it was really cold to be sledding.  However, we pressed on.  Here's a group shot, minus Mike the photographer:







Rachel started out pretty enthusiastic. 

Poor Adam doesn't have a lot of body fat to keep himself warm.  He was pretty aerodynamic on the runs, however.

Karen had a bad sledding accident in Rexburg when she was five.  Fortunately, Grandpa Young was a dentist at the time and could stitch her gum back up where a front tooth got knocked out by a chain link fence.  After two runs, she claimed she was having flashbacks and was content to sit on an inner tube and watch. 

Andrew, on the other hand, was a very enthusiastic run builder but also young and brave enough to go on the runs.  I guess he got experience growing up in snowy Colorado.

Matt's a teenage boy and will try anything and everything. . . and always head and face first.

I was brave and had fun on just about every run (FEET first). . . until this wipeout.  This ended my day.  Got my neck tweaked pretty hard, and I was done.  Is there a spot next to you for your old mom, Karen?

I'll have to admit that Mike is just about the happiest guy I know.  However, even he seemed moved to have the entire family gathered for the holiday break. . . even if it was in the freezing cold.  He managed to keep a smile on his face when the officer stopped him in Idaho City on our way home for going 42 mph in a 25 mph zone.  I was ticked, but his happy demeanor probably kept the officer from issuing a citation.  As usual, I completely enjoyed being with my family and would endure frigidly cold temps or a blazing hot sun to be with the people I love.  But maybe we'll wait for double digits to go sledding again. . .

 



Christmas Wrap-Up

One final post about the holidays, and then I'm done.  Promise.  I know my parents enjoy reading about ALL the minutia of our lives, but anyone else who reads this blog shouldn't be subjected to the long, drawn-out ramblings I tend to fall into.  I'll finish up Christmas today and then try to think of something else to post about.

I had to work for six hours on Christmas Eve, but I actually enjoyed having everyone else do all the work and then come home to enjoy the fruits of their labors.  (At my core, I'm more lazy than I like to admit.)  Mike and I had planned the  week's menu and decided on white chicken chili, and it was a perfect meal for a chillly Christmas Eve.  I think Karen and Mike did most of the work on it, but I also think everyone pitched in.  It was fun to sit up around the table for a late meal together.  I was happy that they waited for me to get home at about 8:00 p.m..  Yes, Matt is making a goofy smile in this picture.  I'm not sure why he has taken to doing this lately, but I sure do love my goofball son. 

Part of our Christmas Eve tradition has always been to act out the Nativity.  Karen departed from her normal role and played Mary this year.  Maybe that's because she had her husband Andrew to play Joseph.  I got to be the narrator.

They look cute even with old bathrobes and a towel on Andrew's head.




I like his picture because you can see my braces and my reading glasses.  Such an odd time of life I'm in. . .  (Rumor has it that I may be getting my braces off on January 26th.  Then I'll have to find some other way to look young.)



Rachel just tried to stay awake.  She had a BRUTAL semester.



Adam's just trying to hold it together until Christmas morning arrives.  I'm glad he still gets so excited.

I also had to work on Christmas, but I didn't have to go in until 1:00 p.m.  So, we had plenty of time to open presents, call the grandparents, and be generally lazy.  It was a super fun morning.  I most enjoyed seeing the looks of surprise and pleasure on everyone's faces when they got either just what they wanted or something that they really didn't think they'd get but were surprised by.  Witness:

Matt got an I-pod touch for Christmas last year, which was either stolen or lost three weeks after he got it.  Santa decided to surprise him with a replacement.  Let's hope he can keep this one longer than three weeks.



Karen really wanted a wheat grinder, so she was stoked when she opened this up.  Health nut.  Andrew wanted (and got) a Rockies jersey, but we forgot to get a picture of him opening it.

Santa brought Rachel an I-pod touch also.  Her I-pod was pretty old. . . in electronic years, of course.

Oh, how Adam loves his BSU Broncos (and his Duke Blue Devils.)  Anything that celebrates either of those two is highly appreciated.  He's pretty easy to please.



All in all, it was a truly marvelous holiday.  It bears repeating that the best part of it all was the presence (of all of our immediate family), not the presents.  Doesn't get any sweeter than that.  (This is getting long, so I think I'll post about our sledding adventures tomorrow.  I don't want to lose my whole audience.) 



Christmas Recital. . . at Our House

I was browsing through the holiday pictures when I realized that I hadn't posted anything on the Christmas recital that we had at our house.  Matt has two cute little girl students that he teaches, and their mom thought it would be a great idea to have them perform in front of a group.  I agreed.  The pressure my kids have felt over the years of having to perform has really helped them learn to polish their pieces.  So, we had a very small but fun recital here just before the holidays.  It was intimate and relaxed and fairly low-key.  I wish all recitals were like that.


Matt's students came through with flying colors.  It was awesome to see them perform so successfully.  It was also fun to see their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents bursting their buttons.



Adam had a basketball game the night of his own recital, and he happily agreed to play here instead of missing a basketball game.  Can you believe that?  He played great.


Matt played an individual piece, and he and Mike also entertained us with "Sleigh Ride."  This is a tradition that started with Mike's family.  I have heard countless combinations of Mike's mom, him, his brothers, and his sisters play this piece, and since then each of our kids has played it with Mike.  It never fails to bring some excitement to the holidays.  You see, the Youngs prefer to play a LIVELY rendition.  A few days later, Matt's piano teacher and another older lady played it at Matt's recital, and it didn't even sound like the same piece.  It was very dainty and, well, restrained.  I much preferred the increased tempo and dynamics. 

Overall, it was a fun night and a great way to increase the holiday spirit.  What am I going to do when I don't have any children playing in holiday recitals?

Big Jud's

My wonderful daughter has already pretty much covered our Christmas activities in her blog, but I decided to throw in a few paragraphs and pix myself.  We decided we had to take Andrew to Big Jud's while he was here.  He didn't accept the challenge to try and make it to the Wall of Shame, but instead, we all enjoyed two large burgers, fries, and tater tots together. 


"Can you believe the size of this bad boy?"  Rachel is so good at making funny faces.



Adam was SO hungry by the time we got to the restaurant--we spent too much time painting--that I think he was thinking about trying to make it on to the Wall of Shame.  Sorry, kiddo, there's no way you could have done it.

How does one make it to the Wall of Shame?  By eating an entire burger (or a double) with all of the Idaho potato-sized fries that come with it BY YOURSELF.  If you're successful, then you get your picture posted on the wall.  Believe it or not, Mike tried to do it a few years ago and made it all the way to just eight fries left before he had a "reversal of fortune."  Hungry anyone?



Promised Pictures

When I read the comment from Karen after the last blog entry, I realized that I HAD to post the pictures of the finished ceramic projects TODAY.  Yes, I am usually lazy, but this time I actually had a legitimate excuse to procrastinate/ignore this blog.  More on that later.  However, I can't stand the thought of Karen waiting impatiently by her computer, hoping, hoping, hoping that her mom will post the pictures.  So here they are:


The mug on the left is the one I made in Spokane.  The colors turned out just like I had hoped.  The middle mug is Rachel's.  It looks especially cool on the inside.  The Boise State mug is, of course, Adam's.  Rachel helped him quite a bit on the logo, but he did most of the rest of it himself.

 

Matt chose his colors independently from me and Mike, but our pieces actually look like they match.  (Chips and salsa, anyone?)  Surprisingly, Matt uses his cereal bowl every morning.  I think he's proud of it.



Last but certainly not least, here is Karen and Andrew's cute pitcher.  I love the colors they chose, and I like how they put Miller on the side.  I think they are proud to be their own little family.  The inside is a cool greenish blue and makes it look like the perfect vessel for a fun summer punch.  Nice work.

No, We are Not Hoarders

And now, on to the reason I could have put off today's blog post.  A couple of years ago we had the carpet replaced in the office and in the family room/nook.  These are two of the most used rooms in the house, and the carpet was looking pretty thrashed.  We were pleased to get it replaced and were happy with the results. . . until it started to buckle and ripple.  We lived with it for a while, then finally had a flooring guy come and look at it.  He said that the carpet hadn't been properly stretched when it was first installed.  So, we got to get it restretched this morning.  Awesome.

Did I mention that the office and family room/nook are two of the most used rooms in our house?  Mike was thrilled to get to move everything out of the family room and almost everything out of the office.  (The heavy computer armoires got to stay--thank goodness!)  Fortunately, Matt got home from the gym in time to help with the heavy lifting.  (I knew there was a reason I had sons.)  Adam could have helped, but he was deeply immersed in a science study session for today's test.

So, where does one put all of the furniture and stuff from two and a half rooms?  In the living and dining rooms, of course.  Then we look like hoarders.

When Adam finally came up for air from his study session, he walked by the living room and said, "Hey, Mom!  We look like that TV show now.  You know--Hoarders."  Yes, we do, son, but I can assure you that it will not remain like this.  Before I got married, I believed I was quite an orderly person.  Then I realized that compared to Mike, I am actually a bit of a slob.  I know he won't be able to live with it this way for long.  It will be clean again.  Guaranteed.

I still promise to record a few things about the best Christmas break ever, but I have some straightening up to do right now.  Think I can lift a couch by myself?  Maybe I'll wait to move the big stuff until the guys get home. . .





Matt's an Adult

I have the greatest intentions when it comes to blogging.  I really do.  Then I get busy. . . or distracted. . . or lazy, and I just don't keep this updated like I want to.  Every time I think of my parents and parents-in-law so far away in Bulgaria and Mexico, I feel a twinge of guilt that I'm not blogging every day.  I'm going to try to do better in 2011.  (I inevitably fail at resolutions, so I've never been big on setting them.  But I'm gonna try. . . really.)

Matt turned 18 in early December.  Wow!  Now I'm the mother of three adults and one teenager.  I remember seasoned parents telling me when I started having children that my kids' growing up years would go fast.  Well, those "old people" were right.  The years have just flown by.  It truly doesn't seem very long ago that we brought Baby K home from the hospital.  Now I have three full-fledged adults.  Did I blink or something?  

I'm sure Matt would have loved to throw a rockin' party--he is our most social offspring--, but we kept it pretty low-key.  He went to a high school basketball game with some friends, then had a bunch of people over for cake and ice cream.  Some stayed to watch a movie and socialize afterwards.  For the most part, I'm impressed with Matt's friends.  He has a lot of them, so I'm amazed that he's been able to find the cream of the crop to associate with.  (We did have a few issues letting Matt's friend, Faruk, enter our home with such an ugly shirt on--Carolina fan, oh dear--but since he is about 6'5", we couldn't really stop him.  Adam did make sure he showed him his Duke room, however.)  Anyway, good for Matt for associating with good people.

As far as gifts go, Matt must truly be entering the adult years.  He did get some clothes, but his main gifts were a digital camera (small enough to be taken to college and on his mission) and a set of nice luggage.  Welcome to adulthood, Matt!  I think you'll manage to find some fun along the way, even if you're not a kid any more.

Ceramic Christmas

As I mentioned in the last post, I enjoyed my pottery painting in Spokane so much that I made the WHOLE family go with me for a post-Christmas activity.  Mike and the other males were a little reluctant, but you know what?  They had a great time.  Seriously, I was surprised by how much everyone enjoyed it.

Here are the pictures to prove it:



Karen and Andrew painted a pitcher. . . together.  They must still be in that sickly sweet newlywed phase.




Matt painted a cereal bowl.  He was super focused.





Rachel painted her own mug, then helped Adam finish up his Boise State mug.  She is one artistic girl.  No, Adam is not stoned.  He was just tired and hungry.



Mike and I painted a square serving bowl. . . together.  We're not in the newlywed phase any more.  We're in the "Mike's too scared to paint on his own but smart enough to know that he needs to participate to keep his wife happy" phase.



See how much fun I'm having, honey?



In short, a good time was had by all.  Tomorrow (or Sunday) I will post pictures of the finished projects.  I may also get going on preserving the Christmas memories.  We had an AMAZING time with everyone home.  I seriously can't remember a Christmas I've enjoyed more.  Fun, fun times!