THERE

Evan is there. Away. At school.
And, by all accounts on Facebook (the only way we've really managed to hear from him), he is happy and well, and apparently "NEVER MOVING BACK HOME!"

How quickly we went from this:

(Evan reading his acceptance letter to BYU-I )

to this:

(Driving away to Rexburg, ID. That car was so jam-packed, we barely had room to fit the family!)

and to this:
Boo hoo.

I really did cry, but this wasn't when. This was when Evan was saying, "I have to go, Mom... The guys are coming...You don't need another picture...I'm leaving now," all because people from his welcoming team were coming to get him for first night/get to know you activities/night games.
The guys did come and Evan did refuse any more pictures. Our last view of him was as he ran down the hall yelling, "Lock the door when you leave!"

"Well," said Michael, "I guess that's it. Eighteen years* of raising him, and he runs down the hall with his friends."

Only if you do it right.

So that's how dropping off our oldest child at college ended;
with him dropping us.

This is how it began:

We drove 30 minutes from our nephew Adam's Idaho Falls apartment to the very small, very clean, very snowy BYU Idaho campus in Rexburg. It is beautiful, and set right below the temple.

We found the building where Evan was to register.

He got out of the car, and I started to cry.

"You can't go to college, Evan. I haven't taught you everything! I'm not done yet! I promise I'll be nice if you stay! I'll do your laundry. I'll clean your room!"

Sweet Evan put his hand on my arm and said, "I know, Mom. It is kind of sad."

And then he walked away!

He registered, got his dorm room key, paid for food, had his ID card made, bought his books, got a job (thanks, Adam!), talked to his counselor, and went to the meeting for incoming students.

Later we found his dorm room, brought all his stuff into his dorm room, shopped for more stuff for his dorm room, and then, he left us in his dorm room!

The end.
And another beginning.

*Being a late-comer to this family, I have only had just shy of 13 years raising Evan. And every moment was...exactly as it should be. Sometimes hard, often fun, always joyful.

When I think of the joy I've had with these boys, I also think of the gratitude I have for their real mother, Lynne. Without her, there wouldn't be any of this.

Certainly it's easier not to have to share. That's my tactless honesty about the whole thing.
But also in all honesty, I would be oh so wrong not to know that she's still a part of things, and oh so much more wrong not to say thank you for the gift of motherhood she gave me, wittingly, willingly, or not.

So here's my ethereal shout out to the heavens: none of us truly knows the effect we have on others' lives. Thank you, Lynne, for all the ways you've affected my life for good. Your boys are genuinely good, grand to the core, and awesome to the hilt. I am grateful to you for the opportunity I have to know and raise them.

THERE II

Speaking of being there, the whole time we were in Idaho, Adam was there.

Adam is my oldest nephew, and having just graduated from BYU-I in June, is an excellent tour guide of the area.

He is also a fabulous host, and his Idaho Falls apartment isn't even remotely bachelor-pad-ish (thanks, I'm sure, to his soon to be wife, LaDawn, who obviously was the one working magic in the home dec department).

While still a student, Adam worked for the graphic design department on campus. Hence, his work was everywhere.

We found Adam's work when Evan went to register.
We found Adam's work when Joshua wanted to buy something from the vending machines.
We found Adam's work when we went to the student center.
We found Adam's work when we went to the cafeteria.
We even found Adam, and his work, when we weren't with Adam!

It was fun being with Adam. And profitable, too, since he was the one that found Evan an on campus job! It was also nice to know that Evan has family so close by.

All he has to do is find that poster again.

NOT THERE

Today my sister Merrit got married, and I was not there*. Physically.

But, thankfully, due to modern technology, and the heroic actions of sister Super Dana,
I got to watch the whole thing via web-cam and the Internet (thanks for inspiring the idea, Kim!).

(And when I say whole thing, I mean whole thing...from the picture taking in the background to the nose itching in the foreground...whole thing! Lesson learned: when on web cam, wear a high neck shirt, remember strangers are watching, and don't touch nose...)

It was awesome. Or 4w350m3, as my computer-savvy brothers might say :+)=!
Here is a recap of some of those awesome moments from Merrit and Matt's wedding:

• The first 45 minutes of online chatting with my brothers, who were also watching 45 minutes of...nothing...with me. I'm being serious; it was fun!
  

• The miracle of technology: I watched people talk on their cell phones as I talked to others on the computer while it streamed live video of a wedding taking place clear across the country from me. Amazing. Thank you, super smart people of the world.
  

• People turning their back to us during photo ops mise-en-scene.
  

• Dave welcoming the guests, and his beleaguered, "Um, I'm having a hard time hearing..." because Matt's sister (?)--who was amazing, by the way--was still singing her soulful, soundful rendition of "At Last."
  

• Dave re-welcoming the guests, with his "compliments" to the songstress: "Uh, I thought that was real music, and I was just waiting for someone to push the pause button..."
  

• My dad forgetting the words to the song he wrote. Typical.
  

• My dad getting all emotional as he sang the song he wrote. Touching.
  

• The flower girls--my two nieces and their cousin--coming to Grandpa's rescue and singing the song for him. Tremendously touching.
  

• Merrit's song for Matt. Great lyrics to a great song, Merrit...especially the part about the proof of your shopping prowess, use of the phrase "brain stem," and the part about choosing Matt even though he was poor... So sentimental!

• Merrit's succinct summation of her presentation with, "So...(pause, pause, pause,) yeah!"
  

• Matt and Merrit singing "The Prayer" together. Man, that boy can sing! Merrit, you were pretty good, too!
  

• Matt's one-upmanship of Merrit's temple picture. He blew that one out of the water with his one thousand million forty seven pictures/memories in one! All Merrit had was a postcard... All joking aside, seeing them both share the same surprise gift with one another was really one of the most endearing, special moments of all. It was truly lovely. See you guys in a year!
  

• Matt wiping away some of Merrit's happy tears. That was tender.
  

• Matt caressing Merrit's hand.
  

• Merrit's hair. I mean, Merrit's Hair.
  

• Rob scanning the room with the web cam during the musical numbers.
  

• Lighting the candles. (Lindsay-Dave-Colin-Amy-Dana, do you remember ever seeing one of the Eastern European wedding waltzes done with candles? Oh, my beautiful.) It reminded me of an Eastern European wedding waltz done with lit candles...
  

• Merrit leaning down towards the computer to say she loved us.
  

• And, finally, the closing song: an electric guitar/rock star version of the wedding processional. Who knew?!

And who knows what wonderful things are yet to come? I'm excited to be a part of them all, one way or another. Thank you to all who made it possible.






*And why was I not there? you may ask.
Because tomorrow morning, *sob*sob*, we are taking Evan to college in Idaho.
Because tomorrow morning, *sob*sob*, life as my little family knows it, is going to change.
Because tomorrow morning, *sob*sob*, I will feel older, Evan will feel bolder, and the temperature will be much colder. At least until summer.

HUNGRY

A song for you...

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
three cheese balls,
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
four frosty floats,
three cheese balls,
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
five chocolate ginger snaps (maybe seven?)!
Four frosty floats,
three cheese balls,
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
six coconut candies,
five chocolate ginger snaps (maybe 12?)!
Four frosty floats,
three cheese balls,
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

(fast forward to the last verse, shall we...)

Each day after Christmas, this is what I ate:
twelve strawb'ry twizzlers,
eleven cinnamon santas,
ten sweet gherkins,
nine cubes of cheddar,
eight bowls of chili,
seven cups of chowder,
six coconut candies,
five chocolate ginger snaps (at least)!
Four frosty floats,
three cheese balls,
two cups of cocoa,
and a bowl full of Swedish meatballs.

Hope your holidays have been as full as mine!



p.s. Does this song make me look fat?

IRREVERENT

Greetings to those of you still doggedly hopeful enough to check in here...

I just got home from church, giggling all the way, because of several things:

One, church is over and a nap is imminent.
Two, a friend gave me both a ride home and a green Christmas cookie.
Three, Joshua was wearing his tie on his head.

I giggled through the last 20 minutes of church, as well, all due to the antics of an 11 year old boy in my Primary class. Usually this child does nothing but make me pull my hair out, but every now and then I may admit to the few sporadic moments of enjoyment he provides. Young Master M is one of those frustratingly interesting people who know just the right buttons to push...on everyone. He annoys the grown ups, he annoys the kids. He annoys his parents, he annoys the dogs.

But today he made me laugh.

In our Primary room there are some wooden blocks with cute paper letters pasted to them, displayed each week to read the word:

F A M I L Y

but when I came in the room just after Master M today, the blocks instead read:

IM A FLY.

The leader in charge, not paying any attention, simply moved the blocks closer together; but not before Claire, one of my favorite youngsters, looked at the crafty wordsmith and said, "Fine. Shoo, fly, don't bother me."

Awesome.

Also pretty entertaining was when Master M correctly answered a questioned directed to him, but then, when the leader of the discussion tried to elaborate, he interrupted her with, "Yeah, yeah. We got it. Can we move on now?"

I confess, I adore it when people say what I am thinking.

So, it's been a pretty good day so far. And now, my friends, I nap.

Rather than sugar plums, this just might be what I envision instead. It makes me giggle, too.

FULFILLED

A dream come true...

Last night I was here
(forward FDD, row 22, aisle seat)

to see this

which was this.

Seats on the floor, next to my dear friend Rebecca,
it was a night to make my dreams come true. Michael even took us out to dinner beforehand!
(He then went to the movie theater to watch G.I. Joe...)


And everyone lived happily ever after.

GRATEFUL

Here's to you, Lindsay!

Monday night the male counterparts and I got together for family night and made this:

A Gratitude Tree!

We each had several little tags upon which to name any variety of things for which we find ourselves particularly grateful. I then oh-so-artistically hung them upon a dead tree branch, put the branch into a vase of very cheap/after Halloween clearance priced/quite stale but still lovely candy corns, and stood back to admire our new centerpiece.

All artistry was lost on said male counterparts. However, the humor of some of the tags was not lost on me. Check this one out, written by the one son who doesn't have a cell phone:

I also smiled at the entries "snow," "my laptop," "all electronics," and "girls" (complete with smiley face). And of course my heart warmed to read, "Mom and Dad," along with four tags printed with the word "family."

(I'll admit to being the one who did not join the crowd on that one, having already inscribed my tags with words like, "lotion," "new clothes," and "toilet paper." Yeah, I'm some sort of shining example...)

But the tag that really made me stop and think was this one, written by Michael.

Do you think there is a tag anywhere on those dried and withered branches that says, "My wife," or "The woman who makes me all those wonderful meals I eat, and irons all those clothes I wear," or even just plain "Keri"!?

And yet the dog made it up there.

Serious cause for reflection.

But, the truth is, although I would NEVER IN MY LIFE have chosen to put Sadie on any list of any thing I'm grateful for, I will admit that my heart--materialistic as it may be--was touched that Michael chose to do so.

And, though I don't have too many pictures to prove it, I think these next few photos are pretty representative of how all the fine fellows I live with feel about the dog.

(I stepped in poo yesterday, right after vacuuming dog hair off a white rug, so don't even think of asking me how I feel about the dog.)

But, truth is (enough with the truth already!) I, on my own, would never have given my husband something that would have made him a happy and grateful man, would never have allowed my children the fun they have with the fur ball, and would never go outside half as much as I do now. And that means I never would have seen things like this:

or this

or this

.

So, there may be reasons to be grateful for Sadie after all.
May be.

My husband says so.

If you haven't got all the things you want,
be grateful for the things you don't have,
that you don't want.

I like that idea. Time to fill out some more tags!