Priorities

Joe and I were raised to be thrifty.

We’ve lived in the same house now for nearly 24 years. Most of the furnishings and decor are years out of fashion and way past their “expiration dates”. But as long as we can get by with what we have, we feel no sense of urgency to update. Our appliances? As a general rule, we only replace them when we absolutely have to. For example, the right front burner on the stove has worked only on the high setting for the last several years. But there are 3 other burners that work right, so why not wait to get a new stove until we remodel our kitchen some day? The blender works most of the time, but when it doesn’t, I can deal with the inconvenience.The washer leaks a bit on the spin cycle…if it spins at all. But a hand can get it spinning when it refuses to do it on its own. And rags do a pretty good job of soaking up the water.

But some things just can’t be tolerated. When the coffee grinder broke last week, it was replaced before nightfall. And when our desktop computer lost the ability to connect to the internet on Saturday, we had it replaced with a new laptop within 24 hours.

Priorities, I guess.

What Could Be Better?

Last week I had the opportunity to spend 6 days with Lani and Michael and my new grandson, Gideon. What a privilege to be present for the first week of his life! I loved every minute of it, but I especially treasured our morning cuddle times. For 2-3 hours every day, I got to hold Gideon while his mom and dad got some uninterrupted sleep. He’s absolutely precious! Here are a few of my favorite photos from the week:

In the photo on the left, Gideon was just home from the hospital. He was 2 days old. On the right he’s a day or so older.

Here he is on his very first walk, carried by Michael.

He is such a cute little boy!

He loves to look at faces, especially that of his mama. In the picture on the left he was at the park. Swinging would have been more fun than sitting in the stroller…

The week was also special because I got to spend a lot of time with Kelsie, Graham, and Isla.

Isla was fascinated with Gideon!

Too cute!

On the Kirkland waterfront. Isla had fun chasing and feeding the ducks.

At Lani’s neighborhood park.

To top it all off, I got to see Josh for an evening! He was on a business trip and stopped in to see his new nephew (and the rest of us, too).

What a wonderful week! Thanks so much, Lani and Michael, for giving me the gift of time with you and your precious little boy!!!

Perfect timing!

My niece, Erin, had always dreamed of having her 3 cousins, Lani, Kelsie, and Shannon in her wedding. So when Erin asked Lani to be a bridesmaid last February, Lani didn't know what to say. Lani had just discovered that she was pregnant, but hadn't announced it yet. Her due date: September 22nd. Erin's wedding date: September 18th. So Lani said yes. And then prayed that the timing would work out. As the dates for both approached, it was a race to see which would happen first, the birth or the wedding. Hopefully, both would not happen at the same time! One by one, last-minute pre-wedding events got checked off the list: a shower hosted by Lani and Kelsie, a shower they needed to attend, the bachelorette party, decorating for the reception, the rehearsal, and the rehearsal dinner. It was looking like things would work out. And they did. But barely! Lani made it through the wedding and the reception. And then fifteen minutes after the bride and groom left, her water broke. Five hours after that, the baby was born! God's timing is perfect!!

Lani and her husband Michael after the ceremony

Shannon

Kelsie with her husband, Graham and daughter, Isla

At the reception

Dancing with her niece, Isla

Auntie Lani and Isla

Conferring: Is it time to go to the hospital?

The new mom

Holding Gideon a couple hours after his birth

The new family

The morning after the birth

Destination: Soda Springs, Idaho! (Or What I Did on My Summer Vacation)

Who goes to Soda Springs, Idaho for vacation?

We'd never even heard of the town until Josh accepted an internship at a phosphorus producing plant there last spring. When we shared the location of his new home, the universal reaction from those who know their geography was an awkward pause followed by, "That's out in the middle of nowhere..."

Well, they were right. Soda Springs is 4-5 hours away from the nearest major airports (Boise and Salt Lake City). It took us 14 hours to drive there. But the drive was worth it. In my book, any place where I can spend a week with my husband, all of my kids and their spouses, and my granddaughter is a great vacation spot!

Our family in Josh's back yard. Pretty, isn't it!

Soda Springs has it very own geyser!

Kelsie

Lani

Josh's neighbors are horses

Making friends

Josh spending some time with Isla