Father's Day - Part One

So I had one of my crazy ideas awhile back. Wouldn't it be fun if I could get the kids all home and surprise Rich for Father's Day. I really didn't say much on Mother's Day this year, but it just didn't feel right not having them all around, almost worse than Christmas. But trying to get 5 of them to coordinate a few days off of their various jobs was just a tad difficult. Even MORE difficult was keeping them quiet about the whole operation. My goodness, they blew it numerous times and I seemed to have to keep telling "little white lies" to cover for them. I so wanted it to be a surprise. I have since repented and been forgiven...just so you know.
On Thursday evening Rich went out to make a visit with one of the missionaries living with us. When he left, Jenny and I headed to the airport to meet the kids. You will notice that Chris is not in the picture. That is not a mistake. He lost his driver's license and therefore wouldn't have gotten through security. He didn't track down a birth certificate in time to get a replacement license. We all felt bad and he felt the worst, I'm sure. Some of us have to learn the hard way. Anyways, this week had been so, so hot in Edwardsville. Well above 90 and super humid. Jenny called her husband and said for them to come to Bobby's Custard for a treat, thinking they'd just be meeting Jenny and I. We were all there before the boys arrived. We all ran up to the jeep and I popped Claire's head through the window for Rich to see. He was VERY surprised. Too fun. Rich loves being around the kids and what better day for such to happen than on Father's Day!

Nauvoo is one of our favorite places to visit. It's about 3 and 1/2 hours up the road from us. The early members of the church lived and built the city of Nauvoo for about 7 years before leaving on their big trek to the Salt Lake Valley. We love being there, especially since the temple has been rebuilt and especially since that is where Katie and Joseph were married. We were able to make connections with a former Bishop that we had in Bellingham. He and his wife (Leo and Pam Liddle) are serving as temple missionaries and they were able to be with us during our temple visit this time. It feels like you are almost in heaven when you're in such a sacred place surrounded by family and dear friends. Doesn't get much better than that! I live for days like this. We had a nice dinner with the Liddles that evening.

Guess what we discovered...Claire LOVES pickles. She seems to go for the sour stuff...pickles and lemons! Yikes. Too funny.

Walking down Main Street in Nauvoo. Yes, you are seeing Katie on Joseph's shoulders, headed for the Nauvoo Fudge Store.

My sweetheart! I'm so glad Rich was surprised, or at least acted like he was. He was such a good sport about it all. I get super nervous when I don't know what's going on. Rich is SO busy at work right now. I wasn't sure if it would even work for him to take a day off, but he had anticipated spending the day with just Sarah. Bonus...he got all of us! The boys did some heavy duty yard work for several hours on both Friday and Saturday. Trees down, weeds killed, mulch spread, and on and on. Sarah and Marshall also agreed to give their dad the gift of a clean garage for Father's Day. Bless their hearts, they picked the hottest two days to go to work on it, but they did a super job and it was so appreciated.

Father's Day - Part 2

One of the things that Sarah and I found at the Galleria in Houston was this darling watermelon outfit for Claire, complete with glasses.
I kind of like watermelon...understatement! And I dearly love watching this little gal when she is sleeping, especially. We were able to time her naps just right as we went back and forth to Nauvoo. She's a good sport about being in her car seat.

As we were weighing the luggage before heading to the airport, Claire headed over to the scale and climbed on. She has to figure everything out! I just laugh when I look at this picture and try to think of the right caption, but I can't decide. She looks guilty..."Who me?", she looks like she's thinking, "I can't possibly weigh that much!", she looks like maybe her diaper weighs too much.

Father's Day...we didn't necessarily plan it, but the girls managed to coordinate their outfits. Lots of blue and white!

Happy, happy Father's Day Rich. It was a great memorable weekend...many sweet memories! We both agree...it's pretty much all about family. So fun to see him enjoy sweet baby Claire!

Keep On Catching Up!!

Love this picture of sweet baby Claire. When we went out to be with the kids in May, I took along some of Katie's clothes that I had saved from when she was a little one. This little dress was a perfect fit! My sister Becky gave this to Katie and I think I put it on her when she was very tiny and had her wear it a long time...it was definitely one of my favorites. Anything with smocking on it melts my heart.
And Claire melts my heart...big time!

Yep, you're seeing braces on Lisa. Not too terribly ugly, huh?? I'm hoping that by taking a little dental action now, it will save some major work later on. And maybe the teeth will even straighten out a little. What's two years??

So Lindsay has this incredibly darling picture of Claire right next to a picture of a Cabbage Patch doll. Claire could have been a model! It's too funny! Well, Sarah and I ventured into the Goodwill store not too long ago and look what I found! $4.00! Yahoo! This Cabbage Patch was born in 1986...yep, older than Katie! We brought her home and washed her up really well. We pulled out some of our old doll clothes and I even did a little embroidery. She's not too crazy fond of her yet, but does enjoy playing with her yarn hair.

After Sarah finished her last day of school the three of us caught a plane to Houston. Rich had this crazy idea for a road trip, escorting a picture home that was in his Houston office. So we'd fly to Houston and drive home, picture in tow. Sarah and I had a great day shopping at the Houston Galleria, which is just huge. We did find some great bargains. We also met up for part of the day with our friend Beth, who lives and teaches in Houston. Lots of fun. Beth showed us where this "Wall of Water" is close to the Galleria. It was super neat.

I think something like 11,000 gallons of water a minute "fall" down this wall. The next day we left Houston around 6:30 a.m. and headed for home. We arrived home around midnight. What on earth were we thinking? We are much too old to try and make drives like that in one day!

Seriously So, So Behind!

I'm not quite sure what has happened to the months of May and June...they seem to have disappeared in a rather rapid fashion! The passage of time has not dimmed the fact that I still find myself checking Oreo's chair to see if she is ok. And every time the doorbell rings I can hear her barking, clearly! And then we saw her twin at the pet store today...she had just finished being groomed and looked so much like Oreo. We miss her to say the least.

On May 21st Rich, Sarah, and I headed to Utah for a very, very busy weekend. We woke up early on the 22nd ready to do some serious shopping. Provo is the best place to buy everything a future missionary will need. Rich and Marshall lined up some suits and shoes and a few other necessities. Later that afternoon we were able to accompany Marshall as he went to the Provo Temple. What a wonderful experience to be in such a sacred place surrounded by family.

Love this boy! It was a beautiful evening as we were leaving.

The next day we traveled down to Manti to witness the wedding of our niece Emily to her sweetheart Dave. Manti, Utah is about an hour and half from Provo and there is the most amazing temple there that was built in the late 1800's. The antique furnishings are just a site to behold! I look at the above picture and try to imagine how happy Evalyn, Rich's mom, would feel at this sight. I am quite sure that it would thrill her. Her posterity continues to grow!

This is a picture of a set of first cousins, Nick and Lindsay, and second cousins, Riley Taylor and Claire Brewer...how fun is that??!!

Some more cute, cute first cousins...Katie Brewer and Rachel Nielson. Katie and Rachel are about 3 months apart in age and have enjoyed lots of fun times over the years.

Oh, and this is kind of fun...Chris brought along a new friend for us to meet and we all LOVE her. So happy that Holly and Chris' paths have crossed. She seemed to fit right into the Bowerman mix of crazy and fun personalities. Looking forward to getting to know Holly better!

Ode to Oreo

I have put off doing this post for awhile, just because it makes me a bit sad - actually very sad! The time finally came when it became apparent that Oreo's quality of life had deteriorated to a point where she was miserable. It was time to let her go. I felt like I had been holding on to her for a bit longer than I should have. She has been my little companion for 13 1/2 years. I'm not quite sure what my response will be when I'm asked who I've been talking to when it doesn't appear that there is anyone around. I've always been able to say that I was talking to the dog! We had some awesome conversations! If only we could all be so understanding, so non-judgmental, and so forgiving as our doggies!

We were able to pick Oreo out in November of 1995. Sarah was just barely 2 and I would take her over to the house where the puppies were every week so that we could take a picture of how she was growing. I was quite sure that Sarah wouldn't let the other kids know what was going on. Rich and I were able to bring Oreo home on Christmas Eve...a long, long night. She was so sad to have left her family. She finally ended up in a hamper, in the car, in the garage so she wouldn't wake up the kids. In the morning the kids had to go on a scavenger hunt and eventually found her in the fireplace in the family room...way too fun! They spent the rest of their Christmas vacation that year sleeping on a mattress in the kitchen with her until she was okay on her own.
Oreo was a perfect fit for our family. She lived in five different houses and several different kennels over the years. Three airplane flights just about did her in...definitely NOT her favorite thing. This picture was taken in February of 1997. It was interesting to watch her black hair eventually turn very gray. We originally called her Noelle because of her Christmas arrival, but then someone said she looked like an "Oreo" cookie, and that was it! So she was officially Oreo Noelle on her AKC certificate.

One of her VERY favorite activities...riding in the car! "Oreo, let's go!" and she'd come running! Whenever she would be with me to pick someone up and she would spot them coming, her tail would start going in circles, not just back and forth. Always made me laugh. Oreo was incredibly territorial. As long as she was in HER house, HER yard, and HER car she was queen and let you know it! In a couple of our homes she loved sitting on the back of a couch or chair and being a true watch dog. However, when we would be out on a walk she didn't make a noise. Not a social butterfly!

She had several different groomers over the years and was always well-behaved. Her favorite was Kim in Bellingham. They became great friends, especially considering that Oreo spent four months in Kim's kennel while we were building a home in Washington.

I laughed when I found this picture in the newspaper. I'm not sure Oreo could ever see it or paid attention to it. I wish I still had it. This little ball of fur worked her way into my heart, followed me around the house, and spent hours at my side. One thing that always made me smile was how she would come sit by the piano when I would play. I can hardly stand walking by the chair that she slept in for the last several years. I keep glancing at it to check on her! It just feels like something is missing. All of us will miss her extreme level of happiness when we would come home after being away, especially if we had been gone for awhile. Today after returning from Utah was kind of difficult...no greeting from Oreo! Yikes. We miss her kisses, sneezes, and waves. Thank you, Oreo, for the joy you brought to our family. We will miss you!

Some of the Reasons I Love Edwardsville!

Ah, I LOVE this time of year! It seems like the cold winter season went on and on this year, but alas, spring has arrived! In our front yard we have two of these awesome trees, called Pin Oaks. These trees hang onto their leaves for what seems like the longest time.
This picture was taken on March 17th.

This picture was taken on April 20th, just over 4 weeks later. The dead leaves are just about gone!

This one was taken this morning...8 weeks after March 17th. Isn't that amazing - the transformation! I love watching this!

I think the flora and fauna in our area loved the abundance of rain we have had this year! The dogwoods were incredible. This one is not far from our house, it is shaped so nicely. I kept forgetting to snap a picture as I drove by...this is just about at the end of it's blooming. So pretty!

Right up there with my favorite flower (gardenias!) are lilacs. The scent is amazing! Yummmm!

I am so grateful for the abundance of beauties that exist all around us. How lucky we are!

Marshall...a Tribute to My Soon-to-be Missionary!

Years ago, when Marshall was in Kindergarten, he went on a field trip over to a local community college close to his elementary school. If I remember correctly, the purpose of the field trip was to open the student's eyes to the endless possibilities of what they could be/do when they grew up. They all came home with various signs hung around their necks explaining their choices. This was Marshall's! Marshall has grown up knowing that his future aspirations included serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints one day. Last night, after MUCH anticipation, he opened his call, which had finally come in the mail that day. Marshall will be serving in the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission. He could have gone anywhere in the world! There is a very large Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT (which is where Marshall has been washing dishes for the last 6 months!) and that is where most missionaries go before they leave for their assignments. However, there are some Missionary Training Centers located throughout the world, and there happens to be one in Brazil, soooo...he'll leave straight from home to Brazil. YIKES! He reports on August 26th. We have a lot to do in four months!
Marshall has had some great examples along the way. He grew up hearing wonderful stories of his father's mission to Paris, France. Rich served for two years from 1976-1978. Marshall's older brother, Chris, served in Knoxville, Tennessee from 2002-2004. Marshall's brother-in-law, Joseph, served in Samoa. I have always loved this picture of Chris and Marshall. They didn't have too many matching pieces of clothing like the girls did, but I loved these shirts!

Marshall has a cousin-once-removed (that would be his cousin's son) named Perry Sessions. Perry recently received his mission call to New Zealand. Marshall and Perry's paths have crossed occasionally over the years. They've both been at BYU for their freshman year. Can't remember how long ago this was! But we're sure excited for Perry also. He leaves July 2nd.

A couple of years ago we were at the church museum in Independence, MO. There was a display showing all of the languages that the Book of Mormon has been printed in. Have you ever heard of a language called "Marshallese"? We thought that was great. I've often wondered where in the world they speak "Marshallese".

Thanks to Chris, Rich, Sarah, and I were able to see Marshall open his call, via a web cam. It was pretty chaotic, but definitely memorable. Here's a fine picture of the group right afterwards. Apparently there was some discussion as to whether my "known-to-be-very-emotional son" would possibly shed tears when he finally read the letter, but no, he was ALL smiles and very thrilled. We had all tried to guess where it was that he would go, but we were all pretty off the mark. Oh well, the possibilities were endless!

I am so thrilled with Marshall's desire to serve. What a commitment from these 19-year-old young men to put their life on hold for two years, pay their own way, go anywhere in the world they're asked to go, and preach the gospel they love with all of their hearts. I'm so pleased. I have no doubt that he will be blessed immensely throughout the remainder of his life for the service he will render to the wonderful people of Brazil. I love you Marshall!