Odds and Ends

Things are lovely at the cabin. It rained for two days and we even had a fire to warm the cabin!

 Noah is home and so happy to talk all about London and music and his life. My friend Nicole, who lives on lane A, came by with 6 of her grand kids last night to play on the big swings and they loved how high the swings go.

Sweet Anne and Brooke came up for a Little Hike and sit on the beach with our feet in the river. There is nothing like an old friend who laughs loud when you are trying to be funny. We had a wonderful dinner with the Floyds at the Henniman's house. So nice to be with good friends again.

There is a 10 yard load of mulch waiting for Noah and I to spread on the septic field garden today while Roland goes into Crouch to order a chainsaw and a brush cutter! He feels like a professional logger just saying that out loud.

Tomorrow we are going to Cascade for the white water rodeo and then Chris and her grandchildren will come up and stay the night. There will lots of frog catching and a big campfire! 

I wish I could figure out how upload photos to the blog from my iPad. I am sure there is a tutorial but I would rather be outside!

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving with the Phipps, Nixons, and Ovards. 

It was delicious and oh! so! fun!

 Missing Hannah

 Julie (the hostess) and Tom near one of the 3 tables set up for the meal.

 Joanne, Julie, Kelly, Claire, Me, Tori, and Laurel

Gabe, Noah and Tori

 The boys: 9 of them between ages 15-22. There wasn't a single bite of mashed potatoes left over.

 Julie, Kelly, and lots of fabulous homemade food. That turkey was ridiculously huge.

 Casey with a small portion of the soccer gear for Ethiopia.

Farish

Every year our ward goes sledding at Farish, a recreation area owned by the Airforce Academy. Ike went up the night before for a camp out in the snow.

 

Noah, Jerry, Rodney, Ike. Jerry (the guy you want to be with in a crisis) organizes it each year.  

There was a foot of fresh snow which made for perfect sledding. The sledding runs were long and full of jumps. Daredevils and brave men sledded. We saw some spectacular sledding stunts. The best was when they loaded up a tube with 5 or more people. It was awesome to watch those bodies flying through the air.

The climb back up the hill is long and tiresome.

 

Of course there was a rocking horse on skis. Duh.

 

These are our fearless missionaries. They wore their name tags on their coats and you can see the white shirt and tie. They sledded and built a snowman investigator (already in white!) in their nice black dress pants. I promised I would email this picture to their moms. 

 

Ike goes into the jump.

Ike and Noah were busy sledding, ice fishing, playing ice hockey, having snowball fights, and Roland and I visited with friends. After a warm lunch of a large variety of soups, desserts, and scones (made by the Bishop) we headed off for a snowshoeing adventure.

Rosalia, Angie, Kelly, me, Kathy

I am lucky to be in a ward full of women who like to hike, snowshoe, bike, run, play hard. It seems they are always up for an adventure. Being the klutz that I am I was worried about falling, or possibly dying, on the 1 hour snowshoe adventure. But I survived and only fell twice and only stepped on other people 3 times. Snowshoeing is excellent exercise and so so pretty.

Where In The World Is Julie San Diego?

Remember this chick?I interviewed her on the Bossy! Blog today.

Go read it now.

Leave a comment on Bossy! about how Rad Julie is.

Thanks!

Booze

In the last few weeks I have had 2 weird situations regarding alcohol, or more specifically, my lack of alcohol intake.

Situation #1:
At a neighborhood brunch everyone is drinking mimosas and they keep offering them to me. I decline. After their 3-4th drink this is the conversation I had with the lady who use to be a dancer in big Broadway shows, on Broadway.

Broadway: Are you SURE you don't want one? they are SO good (can you hear the slight slurring?)
Me: No thanks (smile)
Broadway: Why not? Don't you drink?
Me: No, not really, (Smile, glance around looking for escape)
Broadway: Never? You never drink!? (big red lips in surprised OH! shape)
Me: No. I don't (please don't talk so LOUD).
Broadway: So, then, are you a teetotaler? (practically yelling now)
Me: Umm, Yes. I guess I am (big smile, this is the funniest thing I have heard in a long time)
Broadway: OH! I am so PROUD of you! (Hugs me, pulls back and gazes lovingly at me, hugs again). Can I get you some coffee?


Situation #2
End Of The Season Football Party. Four of the moms are sitting and chatting while the boys tear up the restaurant/game room. My friend is telling a story about a Halloween party and starts describing a drinking game. Suddenly, right when she is getting to the good part, she stops, gasps a little and says:

"Oh Robin! I am so sorry! Making you listen to how bad I am!"

Everyone turns to look at me. I'm confused and surprised. I am probably the only real non-drinker they have ever met. Its like I'm a freak.

I don't care if others drink, smoke, or stare at the sun.

I wish she wouldn't have apologized to me, but I understand why she did. I have a friend who is vegetarian for religious reasons. When she comes over and I have been frying up some bacon, or chicken, my first impulse is to apologize to her. I think the reason I feel apologetic is because I admire her religious convictions and want to convey that to her. I apologized to her once and I saw how uncomfortable it made her. So now I stop myself from apologizing for eating meat. It is her decision to be vegetarian, not mine.

Why do we do this? Why do people apologize to me for drinking? Why do I apologize for my messy house? My body size? My grubby clothing (rarely in grubs, but I feel the need to apologize when dressed so)? My thirst for Dr. Pepper?

I think it is because we worry that people will think poorly of us if we aren't like them.

Let's trust each other to hold high opinion of those different than us. I'll not think poorly of you for living your life differently. And I will assume the same from you. I'll not judge you for an unmowed yard or cluttered car and hope that you extend me the same courtesy. I think it comes down to being real.

But, if I catch you staring at the sun I might tell you to stop. It's the mom in me.

Football Parents Out of Control

So, I have shared with you that Ike is on the worst football team ever. Ever. The team we played today has an uncle who plays for the Denver Broncos and they are sponsored by Under Armour. They win most of their games by the mercy rule (5 touchdowns vs. 0). They are famous and feared in 6 grade circles.

Half way through the game Ike got hit hard, "pancaked" is what everyone there called it. It was a blindside block after the play. Right in front of me. Right on the sideline where I was sitting and Roland was holding the flag. It was horrible - the sound- my son's limp body. Roland was there in an instant. Ike wouldn't move and then the pain hit and he started to cry (just a little - he's tough you know) and he moved, but only his arms. I was worried about his legs.

Right off the bat (before Ike started moving) the under armour parents started a fuss about the legality of the block, they were ahead 40-0 and they were worried about a penalty. One of the Underarmour parents, let's call him Bully, started yelling about the block being legal and Roland turned from Ike and yelled back, "Bullsh*t".

And then all hell broke loose.

Bully started yelling, very loud, at Roland. Roland turned back to Ike and ignored him. Bully advanced and started threatening Roland, calling him "little man who uses big swear words in front of kids." Bully is literally foaming at the mouth. I am not exaggerating.

Now things are really escalating, parents are upset, Bully is coming up behind Roland and looking for a fight, "Do you wanna fight?! Look at me again and I'll take you out!" he yells.

This is the best part. I wish it wasn't Ike that was hurt or I would have had my camera out to capture this on film just for you. Just when we are all sure that Bully is going to far, my friend, Laura, grabs my arm and says, "You stay here!". She jumps up and gets in Bully's face and yells at him "STOP! He is that boy's father! Leave him alone!" Bully yells back in Laura's face, with his foaming tabacco mouth. Laura yells at him to stop, "He is that boy's father! What are you trying to do!?"

Bully looses control, starts yelling and SHOVES Laura!

At this very time all the parents are yelling, a woman yells that she is calling the cops, the ref threatens to throw Bully and Laura off the field. At this very time the opposing coaches start fighting and have to be seperated by a ref. At this very time I am frozen in my seat, waiting for Bully to punch Roland and hoping that Ike will move his legs. At this very time Ike finally moves his legs. Big relief. I can finally move.

Someone finally got Bully out of there. Roland walked Ike off the field. Laura sat down by me, shaking. Everyone cleared out fast. I spent the rest of the game feeling like everyone was staring at us, watching Ike's every move across the field, and feeling very proud of Ike, Roland and Laura.

So proud of the way Ike handled himself. So proud that Roland didn't smear Bully. So proud that Laura would stand up to Bully.

The ref called unnecessary roughness.

Eliches - Labor Day Edition

We went to Eliches for Labor Day. Roland was fighting a cold so he stayed home - besides, his eyeball might have popped out on one of the rides. Kathy, Terra and I were the bravest women. We went on the scary rides.

On the scary Sea Dragon ride.

The wimps who wouldn't do The Tower of Doom (Dun dun dun!).
Debbie, Jenni, Laurel

Bill, Me, Kathy and Terra on The Tower of Doom (dun dun dun)


These guys did every single scary ride, some of them twice!


Me and Laurel.

Bill and Debbie.

Noah and Kaila on Mind Eraser. They forgot the whole ride.
(This was my most favorite ride. I went barefoot and the wind was whistling through my toes.)


Peter, Terra and Brian


Dallin and Kathy


Me, Dallin and Kathy on The Boomerang. Very fun and fast. Ike took this picture.


Me and cute Dani.

Guns and Roses

Guns:
They say a boy can turn anything into a gun. Even watermelon.

Ike will burst into the room with a "gun" made of various substances and announce "I'm Jeff Bauer" (Jack's brother). Sometimes he mixes it up a bit with .007, "Jeff...Jeff Bauer".

Roses:
I am lucky enough to live in a friendly neighborhood and every so often the neighbor girls get together for lunch. They are a loud, bossy, hungry bunch and I love them!

18th Ward Reunion

I got to go to Boise this week and see a bunch of wonderful women from the "old" 18th ward, before it was divided and scattered about. Oh, how I miss the great women of that ward! We laughed, hugged, talked, and ate. Most of these women taught me how to be a grown up. I have watched them raise their babies and copied their amazingly great parenting. I treasure their friendship and feel so blessed to have them in my life...even if it is only once a year!Hey, all of you Boise girls who read my blog, I am having a "girl day" at the cabin this Thursday. Bring good food (potluck), hot swimsuits, sunscreen, and a lawn chair that can sit in water. Get here early and stay late.

If you have questions email me, or leave your email in the comments, or call Ann H., she will cheerfully share details (right Ann?).

Rafting

The put-in point. See how steep the ramp is!!!?

Our good friends, Doug and Nicole, just bought the cabin up the road from us! These wonderful people taught us to raft 22 years ago. Ever since we got our cabin we have wanted to get rafts and hit the river.

D&N took our family rafting today. I, for the first time in my life, guided the raft. We used oars rather than paddles so I was completely (ineptly) responsible for the lives of Nicole and her darling dogs (rafting dogs!). I only almost killed us three times.

Ike and his fancy doggie purse.
Maggie (the purse) only fell in once during a rapid.
She is one tough puppy.

Hannah

I want my own boat now.

It was great fun!

Farish and Fish

Truck full of sledders.

We went to Farish for a ward sledding party. Farish is on the Air Force Academy property up in the mountains and it is a beautiful place with mountains, lakes, a lodge and cabins for rent. We had lots of fun sledding, ice fishing, visiting with friends, playing games, and eating lots of great food.
The sledding hill was fairly steep and I thought it was scary. Ike and Noah had no fear and finally at the end of the day I went sledding. It was so fun. I shouldn't have waited so long!
I caught his very first fish while ice fishing. In this picture he tried to kiss the fish and just as he got the fish close to his lips the fish opened it's mouth like it was trying to bite Ike. It kinda freaked us all out. Roland helped Ike clean the fish and later that night we fried it up and Ike acted like he liked it - but I think he was just being a good sport.