'Tis the Season . . .

"It won't be snowy," I said, half thinking and mostly doing.  Doing dishes, laundry, cleaning, organizing, dressing, hair, bathrooms, dishes, weeds, raking, dinner--doing it seemed everything that needs doing in a house.  Doing it all about half way. 

The sun shone in the valley.  Bright, warm Thanksgiving sun.  November sun that shines golden and warm and thankful to be shining.  The last hurrah of the sun before the gray takes over.  The sun that enhances the last of the royal statice in the garden and the remaining emerald strands of grass.

"It will be muddy, but not too cold and not snowy."

I was wrong!  Thankfully, we had boots and coats, a few gloves and hats, and a Magaw a bit more wise than me.  We didn't freeze trudging through the two-foot deep snow.  We didn't loose Pops as he cut a path for us all.  We didn't loose Dad as he happily drug out the choosing.  He drug it out so Magaw and I would KNOW we had good trees.   When we set up those trees full of forest life, a bit scraggly and see-through, not designer at all--when we set those trees up we would remember we looked them all over.

Rachael skimmed across the snow on her still-baby sized feet.  Matthew and Emma sunk and giggled and threw snowballs and giggled.  Jared's boots filled with snow and then water, but he held it together.  Hyrum didn't want it to end too soon--he is his mother's son.  Magaw found the trees.  Dad and Hyrum and Pops cut them down.  We threw snowballs.  The sun shone through the mountain forest, dropping golden drops of shining water off the evergreens.  And we drank in that smell.  Ahhh.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Emma, playing with the newly set out nativities.  The Nativities are played with all the time.  Since Hyrum was a toddler, they are a source of never-ending adventures.  One day we won't have any littles to play with the flying wise-men and hold the little babies and break the brittle Josephs.  Every glued together crack and missing ear will be even more special then.  

Christmas story magic.  

We really did have summer.  

We basked, gardened, farmed, ranched, vacationed, broke noses, played with cousins, camped with the Young Women, The Boy Scouts, and Good Friends, picnicked, read stories, swam, swam with cousins, reunioned in Ephraim, played at Bear Lake, woke up early, stayed up late, explored the river bottoms, fireworked, said "Hello" happily and "Goodbye" tearily, batted mosquitoes, sprayed weeds, looked at stars, entertained neighbor kids, enjoyed story time, pulled weeds, and tried to hold onto the moments just a little longer.  And Then . . .

First Day of School 2014

UEA Adventure 2014

               

Rest stop near Morgan

Playing in the Leaves at the School!

    

Halloween Fun!

Rooster's #11 Birthday!

Kathy's Miracle

We planned and worked for months.  We informed, asked, smiled, copied, organized, spent hours on the phone, disagreed, laughed, cried, pleaded, prayed, and pulled our kids all over the place planning our 5K and fundraiser for Kathy and her family.  

She moved to town just 5 months ago.  We picnicked together, watched kids play together, worshiped together, gardened together, and began forging friendships.  Our time together was limited, though, and she became sick.  Our hearts broke for our new friend, and they continue to break.  So, one warm late summer day, we met at the park determined to do something.  Could we really do anything?  Carissa's brain child was born, and the scheming began.

October 25 dawned bright and autumnal.  The kind of blue that only happens in October.  We gathered, sleepy-eyed and anxious, a culmination of emotions and efforts almost to the breaking point.  Would anyone come?  Did we know how to organize a race, an auction?  Was it going to flop?  What would we do with the thousands of dollars worth of donations from good and generous people and businesses?   What would we say if we heard one more snide comment?  But mostly, what if no one came?

Sondra, her girls, and I marked the race course.  Michael and James measured and remeasured the route.  The Knights had the Taylor's lawn decorated.  Ryan gathered tables.  Kate and Carissa and Kristie and Amber and Cindy and Susie and Sondra and I were working on the fumes of little sleep and anxious hearts.  We blew up the final balloons, wrote the final signs.  The Party Barn was brimming over with donations, and all were ready and at our posts.  I ran home in a brief moment, to frantically get my kids and whoever else's kids ready to bike and run.

I know my brothers will be here, I thought.  I know as many Rees' will come as can-- my heart lifted a little with that thought.  It really is good to have family.  Good for so many reasons.  Caroline and Becky were organizing all the kids at home.  Theirs, mine, the neighborhood!  What kindred spirits to recognize that need.

I ran out the door again, heart pounding.  Janeal was just leaving her home, and I thanked her for coming!  At least we would have someone else!  And then I looked up.

Hundreds of people filled the road.  They'd come.  My eyes filled with tears in gratitude.  I wished Kathy could have seen them.  They came for her, a stranger, but they wanted to somehow help lift her burden.  They were showing her love.  And they came.  

The race started and I will never forget the pictures in my mind.  Some serious runners, but mostly families.  Ally pedaling with all of her 10 year old might, wearing a shirt in honor of her mom.  The ladies from the care center where Kathy was.  Spiderman.  Nikki, taking charge of the registration and making it happen!  Fancy t-shirts, Kaden and Jared, winning the mile.  Hyrum flying by on his bike.  Emma and Jace, wondering how they had biked the 5K instead of just the mile.  Quin, diligently pulling Makaell across the finnish line.  Caroline and Becky and Adrienne, loaded full of kids.  My brothers and their families, getting there late, but racing just the same!  I wished I could have raced with them, ran around the Taylor's turn and cheered and waved.  I wish I would have gotten to the auction sooner, by the time I arrived, it was over.  Everything was purchased, generosity flowed.

One day I may post pictures.  I don't have any for now.  But the day and experience buoyed my soul.  I wish I could take Kathy's pain away.  I wish her cancer would go away.  I wish her Luke had lived.  I wish she would live.  I wish her children and husband didn't have to go through this.  I hope she knows a little of the love we feel for her and her family.  I hope that that love can be a balm for her family.  It is for me.

Spring is Here!

Spring has Sprung!

The sun came back, and so did the slamming of the screen door.   What a glorious, happy sound.
We eat dinner too late and go to bed far too late!  Sometimes the kids go to school with yesterdays' grass stains still smeared across winter white knees.  The world's green (for now!) and all is bright yellow and green and easter-egg hued.

WELCOME BACK SPRINGTIME!



 

 

 

Tomato Plants

For Sale

Order now to be delivered by Mother's Day.

To order call Hyrum or Jared Rees

Variates include:

Hamson

Celebrity

Amish Paste *heirloom*

Cherokee Purple *heirloom*

Sunsugar (delicious orange cherry tomato)

$0.25 per plant

*Order soon-limited quantities available

 

 

 

Four-Year-Old Wisdom

 

 

"The Bath is HOT!" Matthew said, running into the kitchen buck naked.  "It is hotter than CHESTER!"  Chester just turned 100 years old and is apparently one hot man.

"It is hotter than a heater!  NO!  IT IS HOTTER THAN CHESTER'S HEATER!"

HAP


We like to talk about the "best things" at dinner.  Last night Emma told us a great story.  She and Hap and Princess were out ice-skating on the ditch/pond in the borough pit in front of our house.  A rock jiggled out of place, leaving a puddle of water.  Princess hurried over to the the little puddle and lapped up the water.  Not wanting to miss out, Hap ran over to a smaller rock, pried it up out of the frozen earth, excitedly watched the water pool under it, and then he leaned down and lapped it up.  Emma told it matter-of-factly and without any questioning.  To her this wasn't strange, watching her brother lap up the ice-puddles like a puppy.
Does this reflect absentee parenting?  Did we forget the safe-drinking water lesson?  Have we come this far?  Our oldest son never left the house without his own personal bottle of hand sanitizer.  And now this . . .  Perhaps we are tired.  Perhaps we are lazy.  Perhaps we should sent Hap out the door with his little reminders:
"Did you remember to put your pants on?"
"Are you wearing clothes?"
"Please don't drink in the gutters."
It really is the little things that are most important.