In which I post trip pictures

I'm glad to have my man home. The garage door started acting funny when he was away, and I didn't know what to do. He fixed it this morning. I missed the back rubs too. And thanks need to go out to Cindy, who is loaning us her husband (a.k.a. Jim's dad) for a few days. The grandkids are especially glad to have another person to show off for.

Jim's trip picture dump:

Jim and his dadJim and his sisters

Some cousins we hardly ever see
You should see the web.
Foreshadowing of the weather to come for the whole trip
Raindrops keep fallin' on my hood
One of the MANY train pictures Jim took. He likes trains.
Guess why Jim took this picture
The weird sculpture in the Salt Flats of Utah.
A tree in Nebraska
Finally back in Minnesota, to the lush greens and the plentiful bird feeders

Newest member of the family

We've adopted!

Meet "Little Red Rider in the Hood":This is what Jim went to California for. It's a little truck with a stick shift (which means I will not be driving it. Me 'n stick shifts do not get along. Stick shifts talk crazy talk) and a topper on the bed, which means we will NOT be moving your piano.

The "boys" arrived yesterday about 1 p.m. Jim Sr. immediately unpacked the traditional gift of See's chocolates, which I was waiting for with ants in my pants. He always brings See's chocolate and butterscotch lollypops (spelled like that on the box) for the kids and so they've been walking around with paper sticks hanging out of their mouths looking like they are wannabe smokers. But I guess suckers are "hip" right now. Or in today's lingo, "tight."

Jim took lots o' pictures and I have to go through them all and decide which ones to post here. Aren't you all so lucky? Vacation slides! Jim never cottoned to the digital photography technology until this trip, until he it was incumbent upon HIM to get the pictures taken. I gave him a crash course in Canon usage on the way to the airport last Friday and now, after using the camera all over the western half of the country, he loves it.

Random picture that I found on my camera that I know I didn't take. And it was taken yesterday because it came after the truck picture:We have REALLY high counters.

I don't know why Paul is crouching down. That's what makes the picture kind of funny, I reckon.

Jim is gone, Day 5: The day Jim gets back

Still no jury duty, although if I'd been in groups 1-7 (I'm in 11) I would have had to show up at the courthouse basement (where they have installed the abattoir--Jurors check in, but they never check out--TOTALLY A B-MOVIE HORROR MOVIE IDEA! Someone call *insert name of famous schlocky horror movie director and/or producer here*) at 8:15 a. of the m. today.

Katie had her band awards night last nightShe got a pin for being in Jazz band, a pin for being the drum major, some Minnesota-shaped dangly things for contest participation, a flute keychain for being a senior, several certificates signifying her participation in various things band-related, and she got a hug from a mono-riddled band director. I hope she lives. And she got a DVD of China band trip pictures.

Birdies in a nest under our deck:

Jim is gone, Day 4: Ten things about Jim being gone

1. Jim is still gone; he's probably in Nebraska by now.

2. I actually heard the alarm this morning. Jimmy, who usually does, didn't.

3. Katie never hears the alarm. We have to beg and prod and cajole her out of bed. I got to do that today. At least there is no seminary so I didn't have to get up SUPER early.

4. Dinner is a heinous chore when Jim is gone.

5. I hate driving too.

6. I still on jury duty. But so far, NOTHING. Good thing today, though. I don't know who would have done the after school driving, since Jim is gone.

7. And I hate doing dishes.

8. But most of all, the evenings are boring and I have no one to talk to. I could talk to the kids, but it's hard to talk to the children ABOUT the children. They think I'm lecturing.

9. Jim is going to miss the band awards night for Katie.

10. This is getting old.


This reads like a major downer, but really I'm fine. And I'm doing all the things that I "hate" doing. And I'm fine with that.

Jim is gone, Day 3: Memorial Day, Part 3: Enough already!

Really, I wasn't going to post any more today, but when this event happened, I just had to take pictures and post them. And you will read NO wistful poetics about the end of childhood and how this is a metaphor of it. You can thank me in the comments section.

The boys have been bugging me to let them deconstruct, as it were, the swingset in the back yard. It was getting dangerously creaky and nails were popping out and boards were coming loose. The neighbor kid, Jarid, was in on the bugging me too. And he happened to be over with Paul today. So I let them. I supervised them closely, but I only thought of the camera after they had stripped off all the crosspieces and tipped the whole thing over.

Jimmy and Jarid:
Guess what Paul wants to do? Hopefully you'll see a video of him doing it down below.
Jimmy twists off a post. This was not work for them. They WANTED to do this. Then they asked how much I was going to pay them and I said, "You should pay me! You were begging to do it."

It seems like Paul didn't do any of the work but goofed around the whole time. But that isn't true. I didn't get any pictures of him in the initial stages of the tear-down.
And now for the videos:

Jim is gone, Day 3: Memorial Day Part 2: Attack of the sequels

I didn't shout in this video, but BEWARE THE WHISTLE (which I did not blow. That was Miss K). This is Katie doing the directorial assisting. Miss K (who is not shown) is doing the main directing. Katie is following her because she doesn't know the song (good thing she wasn't playing the flute!). The band was too spread out for them all to see the director, thus necessitating an assisting director. Now that I've overexplained everything, you can watch the video.

But first I have to upload it.

This video is going to take eons to load. I'm going to go make and eat lunch. I'll be back later to publish this post.

Jim is gone, Day 3: Memorial day

I still miss Jim. He and his dad are in Nevada at the moment. They will be in Salt Lake by noonish and eat lunch there. They are driving all the way to Laramie, I think.

Jim missed the Memorial Day parade. This year we had two marchers. Katie decided to participate (seniors are not required to march) and part of it was because Mr. K the band director is out sick and so there was a directoring vacancy. At the memorial service after the parade, Katie directed the Star Spangled Banner and then went in for the assist on the other patriotic song, which I don't know the name of.

Paul marched in the middle school band. It was his first time I think. He told me that all the kids in the band know that his big sister is the drum major for the high school band because Mr. H (his band director) announced it in class recently.

Of course I took pictures. Of course I'll post them.


Video! Paul's band. Watch for the only French Horn player. That's Paul. And yes, that is me yelling, "Hi Paul!" Paul chose to ignore me.

Jim is gone, Day 2: Houswife meltdown

"Housewife Meltdown"--'nother great b-movie horror flick title?

Being the only parent is hard! Mom, come help me!

No not really. Yes this is hard, but only because my routine is altered and I have a hard time with changes in routine. And I miss my husband. Mostly I miss my husband. My couch buddy is gone and won't come back for a few days. He has been in the company of his sisters, who informed me that they want to keep him there. But he has escaped their clutches and is slowly finding his way back to me. With his dad along for the ride. Jim is under orders to take lots of pictures with Katie's camera and he says he is fulfilling that promise. Hopefully I can post some good pictures when he gets back.

I would like to post two things. Not pictures, but artwork. I asked Matt and Hayley for some pictures that I can use for printing birthday cards, based on an idea I saw on etsy.com. Hayley and Matt have been eager artists and I let them use the computer to colorize their drawings. And if you get a card like either of these pictures, you know that you have a one-of-a-kind piece of childhood art.

Matt's Robot and Robot Cat and Robot Fly:
Hayley's anime-style excitable preteen:
P.S. I gave a talk in church today on Family History. I did all right. I wasn't nervous and I felt prepared. I had to cut the talk as I spoke because I was last and the speaker before me spoke long. I couldn't have given the talk without the great family history work of my relatives, especially my Aunt Laurie. Aunt Laurie, your book on Pierce Hawley was of great help to me in writing my talk. Thank you for doing that work and writing the Hawley story. It is wonderful to have stories of those ancestors!

Jim is gone: Day 1, The Beginning

Jim and his dad, July 2003
Drove Jim to the airport last night. As he told it, I'm dropping him off at the airport so he can fly to CA. Then he's driving himself home from that airport.

Message to Jim, who brought his Blackberry on the trip just so he could check out the shoebox castle: Hi hon, Sorry if I was incoherent and untalkative on the phone when you called to check in. Had I actually been awake, I would have conversed with you, rather than just spewing random words into the phone. I have no idea if you had a good flight, if you were hungry, if you slept on the plane, or whether there was anyone to meet you at the airport. And say hi to the family out there!

Last night Matt went to a movie with a friend. This morning, I woke up with a jolt--I didn't remember Matt coming home! Was he home? The kids haven't learned to check in with me when they get dropped off or when they come in from playing outside. And I apparently haven't learned how to search the house for missing children before I go to bed. Properly chagrined, I checked Matt's bed and he was in it, fast asleep. It kinda reminded me of the time that we all went to my mom's house for a family gathering and we couldn't find Matt when it was time to eat (an hour or so after we arrived at my mom's house). We searched the house high and low. Finally, I thought back to when we first arrived and I couldn't remember Matt ever coming in the house. So I looked out in the van and there he was, fast asleep. I felt so bad, but he was not aware of having been left behind, so there wasn't the agony of having to console a left-behind child. He was about 4 or 5 at the time--he wasn't an infant or anything.

Random old picture time! These are from 2003.

Hayley is holding a snake at a birthday party for Jimmy and Paul:
Katie at DisneyWorldJimmy with his clay bowl at the district art fair:

Paul on his bike:
Matt doing who-knows-what with his hands:

Bad Poetry runs in the family

Jenni, of the sisterly nature and aquatic, posted a poem in response to a post of mine. Because I love bad poetry, I must share it with you. Yes, Jen, it is bad poetry. But that's why I like it.

Here it is:

Little Paul Horner,
Sat in the Corner
Tooting his little French Horn.

Along came Morg's Sousa
And didn't even excuse her
And took up all the space in her room and in the car and everywhere else. That thing is huge. And my poem fell apart.

Mormon humor--not quite an oxymoron

Check out these cards. Some are serious, but some are amusing.

Ones I found chuckle-able:

Nice Journal
Wax Old
Families are Forever
Cheerios
Count Your Blessings
Free Talent
You're so Sweet
Always There
Cheap Labor
Good Works and Tupperware
Food Storage
Got Casserole?
10 Virgins
Having Kids

Coupla things

I'm very tired. And no, that is not one of the "coupla things" I'm here to tell you about. I'm just tired and I want to go back to bed.

Thing 1: Jim leaves tonight for CA. Sunday he starts the long drive back in the truck with his dad. The truck is staying here, but his dad leaves next Saturday. The kids are excited to see Granddaddy.

Thing 2: Got an email from Paul's middle school band teacher. He (Mr. Band director) is recommending Paul for the top band at the high school next year, which means he could possibly be in the 9th grade band for the first trimester and then skip right to Wind Ensemble. He'll have to audition, but Mr. Band Director wouldn't recommend Paul if he didn't think Paul could make it. Katie didn't make it to Wind Ensemble when she was a freshman, then again, flute players are as plentiful as grass. Not so with French Hornists (or as Jen said, French Hornets). Paul seems not to care, but I do, and I'll make him practice for the audition.

Please sir, can I have s'mores?

After three days of trimming the dead wood off the lilac bushes, I felt a bonfire coming on last night. I tried to interest various children in the fire, but Hayley had a friend over and both of them are "artistes" and could not be dragged away from the drawing board. Paul and Jimmy were at church for volleyball, Katie drove them and when she got back, she burrowed into her room and I never saw her again. Matt came out for a bit, but then went back in the house.


So I played with fire all by myself. And I roasted marshmallows all by myself. I was a little worried that passers-by might think I was odd, sitting alone in my yard with a fire and marshmallows so I ate only four (marshmallows, not passersby).

Jury update Part Two

Called back today at 11:30 a.m. The message for all potential jurors was...(wait for it)...


"Call back at noon today."


Half and hour. I have half an hour to live.


Update: I called in at noon. They said call back at 4:30.

Normandale is in Katie's rear view mirror

Katie got her grades for this semester at Normandale: 3 As, 3Bs.

She is now the proud owner of an Associate's degree, and she will graduate with honors!

Katie has also attended her LAST DAY OF SEMINARY! Four years of getting up to be at seminary by 6 a.m. (yes, she was frequently late) five days a week studying scriptures. She rarely missed a day, and there were some Spring Breaks when she could have not gone, but she went anyway. She served as Vice president over Music, counselor, and secretary in the seminary presidency.

My baby is moving on. High school graduation is next, although that seems weird to have graduated from college (albeit a community college) before having completed high school.

At the moment, Katie is working on a major project for her grad party. She is assembling many many photos into albums.

Jury Duty Part 1

It's part one only because I've only mentioned jury duty in posts with other topics discussed. This post is all about jury duty.

I called in at 11:30 a.m. today like I was supposed to and the recorded message said to call back tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.

Boy, jury duty sure is fun (written with a medium serving of sarcasm).

Bell ringers

This morning, Jim asked me "What are you going to blog about today?" (Or was that last night?) I didn't quite know so when I sat down at the computer I thought I'd first look through my pictures to see if there was anything worth posting about. And sure enough, I'd forgotten to blog about HayleyandMatt's Children's Choir concert.

That was a doozy of a day, last Thursday; so much was going on and I'd only found out at 4:20 p.m. that Katie had a voice recital at 5 p.m. I also had to drive Jimmy to work at 5, pick up Paul from track at 5, and release fake child to her parents who were to pick her up at 5. So I could not go hear Katie's final voice recital. (insert crying sound, stomping feet sound, and pouty face here)

Anyway, I drove Jimmy to work, gave fake child back, and Jim picked up Paul. Then I grabbed Hayley and Matt and drove to the Children's Choir concert. On the way, we stopped at a clothing store to buy Matt a new pair of black dress pants because the pair that he has worn for past choir concerts had suddenly become about 3 sizes to small and he could barely walk. He was also sporting about 3 inches of visible athletic tube sock in the ankle area, offering hard evidence that he has not learned to wear dark dress socks (he does have them) with dark dress pants. He changed in the car and we made it in time for the start of the concert.

Katie met us there because her voice teacher is the choir leader, so the recital and the choir concert were in the same place. The concert was good, as usual. They sang and played the handbells and I got to turn pages for Katie for one of the songs.

Here are pictures from the event:

Katie the accompanist. This was her last time accompanying the choir--she's been doing it for three years.

Hayley rings two bells. Most of the other kids had one bell to ring.
Of course, Matt's bell had to be the largest one--longer than his own arm. Compare to the sizes of bells rung by the two girls on either side of him.
I leave off this morning with one last picture: the maniacal, even diabolical, bell-ringer, QuasiMatto

Tracking Paul

Paul's last track meet was today. I thought the last one was the conference meet which was last week, but I was dead wrong. Today was the last one; BUT it was strictly relays and the team mile run. Paul participated in the team mile and came in 6th overall (!!!!). He shaved off another 11 seconds from his previous best--from 5:51 to 5:40 (!!!!! I can't even schlep my butt around the neighborhood circle that fast). So yay for Paul!

He just better not realize that he can run away from me if I wanted to discipline him and I would never in a million years be able to catch up with him.

No jury duty tomorrow morning; I have to call at 11:30 to find out if I have to appear in the afternoon. Argh.

The XIth thing

Forgot to mench*, no jury duty today (the first day of my two-week service). I call this afternoon after 4:30 to find out if I have to report tomorrow. It's a day-to-day thing. My knitting and Games magazine are ready to go should I have to show up at the courthouse tomorrow.


*short for "mention." Kind of like "natch" is short for "naturally."

X things

1. "X" as in the Roman numeral.

2. Katie played the organ for stake conference yesterday. This is the third time. Fortunately, she knew about it in advance, unlike the second time she played for that particular meeting. I got to sit with her and pull stops and change the volume while she played. Unfortunately, we were in such a position as to be seen on the big screen projector that 2/3 of the congregation watched. On the upside, a lot of people noticed my haircut. Unfortunately, the haystack had a pitchfork in it. (Oatmeal flashback!!! Anyone else remember that book? I think Grandma and Grandpa Hawley had that book and I'd read it in wonderment while visiting).

3. Three pieces of cake is two too many, but still yummy. HA. I only had two pieces!

4. I did have three crepes.

5. Yard work is on my list of things to do today. Hoe the garden, plant some more peas, get the dead hosta sticks into the garbage, rake out the dead peony sticks and put them in with the dead hosta sticks. Hope they can get along.

6. Visitor #1200 to this site was the librarian at the Salt Lake City Public Library. Visitor #1234 (COOL NUMBER) was my cousin Megadaisy.

7. I love libraries.

8. Read C. S. Lewis's book Out of the Silent Planet for the 2nd or 3rd time. 3rd time. Definitely the 3rd time. Will continue with Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. Bought the books at a library sale.

9. Jim will be driving from Elko to Somewhere In Wyoming a week from today. I wish I could go with him. I actually like driving through Wyoming.

10. My oatmeal is all gone and I'm all done with X things.

Sunday Sampler

Katie wants to say that the burping contest last night was all Paul. She claims that she could never get a good voluminous burp going, but Paul excelled at length, volume, and short downtime between bursts. So apparently Paul won. He had an admiring audience in his siblings. His mother was rolling her eyes all over the basement.

Yesterday, Grandpa H took 60% of my children to the Scottish fair while I had my hair done. Jimmy didn't get to go because he had to work and Matt had a baseball game. So Katie, Paul and Hayley got a dose of their Scottish heritage and they got to spend some quality time with Grandpa. Dad, I hope the kids were good. I didn't get to show you my haircut.

Anyway, since I didn't go (Dad didn't invite me...sniff. Not. I'm glad the kids got time with Grandpa without mother hovering and taking over) I gave Katie the assignment to take pictures. I forgot to tell her to get pictures of herself and Paul and Hayley and Grandpa. As a result, all the pictures featured the activities and performances at the festival without a single shred of evidence that they actually attended. Oh well. So you get no pictures of my kids but you can see a Scottish cow, a caber being tossed, and a group of bagpipers.Also this weekend, Paul got himself a regular yardwork job. Our neighbors behind us had not mowed yet this year and the grass and dandelions were getting quite tall. Other neighbors have complained about that yard since the long-time owner moved out two years ago. There have been a series of renters since then, and the yard doesn't get regular maintenance. Instead of whining about their yard, I urged Paul to go knock on the door and ask if they would like him to mow the lawn for $15. He was hesitant, but after more encouragement from Jim, Paul went over and knocked on the door and asked. And the residents said "sure!" So he mowed the lawn and they paid him $25! And they said he could come back every 2-3 weeks and mow. He's very excited! Paul likes to mow, although he did do three lawns on Saturday (our lawn, the neighbor's, and my mom's) and got some blisters. But Paul doesn't complain much about anything (except Matt and Hayley). He just takes it all in stride.

Braaaaak!

The kids are upstairs having a burping contest.

I think I'll just stay here in the basement forever and cover my ears. And try not to think of the contests we had as kids.

On the chopping block

Before on a really good day:
After allowing a young lady I know to "hack" a ton off and apply highlights and lowlights:
Don't know why this picture is so orange but I kind of like my hair orangey. Maybe I'll have that color done next time!
My long hair was driving me nuts. I am not a good stylist of my own hair, so more often than not, it would be stringy and limp. And ever so slightly wavy on one side in a way that is frustrating. So I put it up in a clip. But then I'd have hair that wouldn't stay and I'd get mad and threaten my hair with the electric clippers. Then my hair would cry, and pummel me as best it could.

So my hair and I decided to go on a date to the local salon and have a bonding moment. Then, before my hair knew what was happening, I ordered the hit on it and had it hacked off in the back. I'm ruthless like that. We'll see if my hair ever forgives me. Not that I'm sorry, though, I LIKE my new style. But then it's always nice to have someone else do the straightening and the spraying and the hairdrying and the ratting (yes, she RATTED my hair!).

What do you, the viewing audience, think?

This blog's first meme

1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Butchie Caravan

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Tin Roof Thin Mint

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) Seva

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Detective Yellow Kitty

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) - Katherine Santa Monica

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Evasa

7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Pink Tang

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) George Pierce

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names ) Patricia Gilbert

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Strom Sarasota

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Halloween Lilac

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now + "ie" or "y") Strawberry Capri

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Oatmeal Larch

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + "Tour") The Sewing Tornado Tour

I LOVE "The Pink Tang" and "Halloween Lilac" and "Strawberry Capri."
I just might start signing all correspondence with one of these names! Too bad I didn't do this meme BEFORE I had children! Katie and Hayley might have different names!

Anticipation

Just a few months from now (2 1/2, I think) we will be going back to the lodge in Colorado for a reunion. For those of you of the Evans persuasion, here are a few pictures to whet your appetite for the trip. These pictures were taken nearly 3 years ago, so yes, some of the kids look younger.

The whole group of us who stayed in the lodge has gathered around the firepit in our nifty reunion shirts (THANKS FOR TIE-DYING THEM, JEN) for a picture:

Some tired girls (two Aldens, two Smiths, and one Evans) at Mesa Verde:
A group of us just after getting mooned by a lady who couldn't hold it another 50 yards:
Matt patiently befriends some hummingbirds (click on the picture for a closer look and you will see two birds at the feeder):
Katie on one of the many couches at the lodge. These two beauties are on the front porch of the lodge (facing the above hummingbird feeder).A family picture. Paul has grown about two feet since that picture was taken. Jimmy wasn't that tall back then either. He was standing on a rock.
Are you excited yet???