Not Perfect, But Really Really Good

We just got back from California (the kids and I; Jeremy spent the week at Summit Ministries' Adult Conference in Tenessee) where we visited my parents and sister. I looked forward to this trip so much before we left, and then I worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. We have so many special things we like to do while we are there and I worry that we won't have time for them all. Now that the trip is over, I can say that we didn't have time for them all, but I am learning that there is never enough time for all the things I think of doing. And it's really okay! Really! Every afternoon, I would find myself thinking, "Oh no! The day is going by too fast! The kids aren't happy at This Exact Moment! The trip is not living up to my too-high-expectations!" and then the grouchies would work themselves out and we would have wonderful evenings full of pleasant surprises and spontaneous special-ness that I hadn't even thought of. So, I realized, that the trip wasn't perfect, but it was really really good.

Kendra thought it was a good idea for us to ride "The Seal" in San Diego. It wasn't perfect, but it was...good.



This is Captain Darryl and First Mate Tyler. First Mate Tyler had an uncanny knack for making the smallest tidbit of information REALLY DRAMATIC AND EXCITING. "Do you see that building with the ORANGE roof? And see the one next to it THAT IS WHITE? And then next to that IS A PIER?! Well, around that is A WALKWAY!" It was a little exhausting to listen to, but sounded a little like a certain 5-year-old who has been known to say things like, "Now I am taking a bite WITH MY FORK! Now I am taking a DRINK of WATER!" Maybe we have discovered a future career for him. I was hoping for sports announcer, but First Mate of "The Seal" is also very noble.

Being with these ladies is always really, really, really good.

One of the grouchy afternoons was after the seal ride...it was too cold for the beach (and there were big purple jellyfish washing up on shore) and the boys were hungry and the timing was all off for dinner and swimming at the hotel, but somehow...

...apples in the pool seemed to revive the spirits. Then we had take-out Italian food by the jacuzzi...
...and then Evan jumped into the pool without us watching and was rescued by a stranger.

See? Not perfect, but really really good (phew!).

The boys listening to "Taps" being played from the Naval Base (Kendra told them it was the Navy's goodnight music)

We went to Legoland the next day. I was suprised about how much there was to do there...and yet somehow, the ratio of 2 adults to 2 kids and a baby didn't work out super great and waiting in line for rides became a little tricky (I recommend having one adult per child if you plan to go there any time soon).
Things had gotten a little crazy before we found "Duplo Land." I had been THAT mother who ran out of positive incentives for good behavior while waiting in line for a ride and had resorted to ignoring my children and pretending I wasn't with them. Duplo Land had a playground and a little train. Here is Evan, proud to ride the train but trying not to show it:

Here's Sam, trying to decide if he's too cool for the train:
Annie loved it all with unabashed exuberance. Perfect!


Here's a boy left on his own with Legos:

Here's another boy, building with Legos:

And, if you aren't getting the theme, a third boy with his Lego creation:


Evan loved this fountain that played music and shot water whenever he stood on one of the circles:

Another moment that lived up to my expectations.

We ate at my favorite place in Carlsbad. Nearly perfect. So good!

Another evening, we ate dinner on the tailgate of my dad's truck so the boys could have as much time riding bikes as possible. My dad seemed a little sheepish every time a neighbor drove by and smiled or waved.
We wanted to celebrate Annie's birthday, but a busy day and a concert in the park forced us to improvise and eat animal crackers dipped in frosting dipped in sprinkles. Really really good. Not so much the animal crackers, but the whole moment.

Something I've really come to look forward to is my semi-annual reunion with some old girlfriends from high school youth group. Here we were then:





Here we are now...with 12.5 kids between us. Getting everyone to cooperate for a picture was a challenge:




Nearly perfect!

(This one's completely perfect:)

Steaks on a Plane

My sister is a pilot for the Navy. Here is an article she recently wrote about the special mission she flew over the weekend. It is interesting, inspiring, and touching. Enjoy!

Steaks on a Plane—Navy Air Logistics Delivers Fourth of July Feasts



MANAMA, Bahrain – San Diego based Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIVE SEVEN (VR-57) had the recent privilege of delivering Fourth of July feasts for Sailors, Marines, and Soldiers deployed in Africa and throughout the Middle East.



The squadron transported 15,000 pounds of steak and a group of 60 civilians from the “Cooks from the Valley” organization nearly 9,000 miles to complete this mission. The “Cooks” are based out of Bakersfield, California and are led by attorney and founder Tom Anton. Since September 11, 2001, they have prepared and grilled over 130,000 top-of-the-line steaks from the Harris Ranch for troops deployed all over the world. Previous barbeques served by the friendly faces from home include remote bases, ships on deployment, and hospitals for recovering “wounded warriors” such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This year’s Fourth of July festivities were simultaneously served at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Camp Lemonier (Djibouti, Africa), onboard the USS NASSAU (LHA-4), and at Shaikh-Isa Air Base (Bahrain).




Although a large amount of the “Cooks” come from the San Joaquin Valley in California, some of the members live in San Diego, Phoenix, Seattle, and even as far away as Miami. They are a diverse group of men and women, consisting of doctors, lawyers, judges, students, farmers, and business owners with the common motivation: everybody wants to give back to the men and women in uniform, and they are excited for the opportunity to serve the troops. Each “Cook” contributed personal funds to purchase the steaks and patriotically donated time and energy to join this trip.



The “Cooks from the Valley” personally prepared, grilled, and served dinners for over 14,000 personnel on July 4th. According to Anton, “a common response from service members is surprise, and appreciation—not only that the ‘Cooks’ are there, but that we went to such extreme measures to cook and serve them a meal.” The gratitude is mutual. Brad Peters, a “Cook” who is on his sixth trip states, “they (service members) are the reason we can have a safe and secure 4th of July at our homes in the United States. Our hearts go out to everyone in the military.”



Transporting the steaks and “Cooks” was a special mission for the VR-57 “Conquistadors,” who were chosen to fly it because of the long range, high-speed capabilities of their C-40A “Clipper” aircraft. The Clipper is the military’s version of the Boeing 737-700/800, yet has three configurations: to carry 121 passengers; 40,000 pounds of palletized cargo; or a combination of 68 passengers and 15,000 pounds of palletized cargo. For this mission, the aircraft was configured to carry both cargo and passengers. Three full pallets of steak were loaded into the cargo section of the aircraft, and additional boxes of meat and seasoning were carried in the baggage storage areas in the aircraft’s “belly.”



The mission was unique due to the diplomatic and logistics requirements of bringing civilians into multiple combat zones, as well as the challenge of transporting perishable cargo. In order to keep all the beef (packed on ice) at a safe and regulated temperature, VR-57 pre-positioned a new flight crew at a fuel stop on the route of flight so that the mission could continue without delay. Once arriving in Bahrain, where temperatures average well above 100°F, the meat was immediately loaded on “chiller” trucks and sent to refrigerated storage. The “Cooks” and steaks were then divided into four groups and sent to their ultimate destinations for the Fourth of July feasts.




All four events were a success and well received by deployed heroes. Naval Aircrewman First Class Darryl Calzo, who is deployed to Bahrain, enjoyed the steak and the sentiment behind it. “Knowing we are not ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and that people at home are thinking about us is a great feeling.”



VR-57 Commanding Officer Bill Crump, who flew the mission said, “We are honored to be part of this mission, as we are with every mission in support of our troops. This mission is particularly gratifying because of the involvement of the Cooks from the Valley. I am inspired by these ‘Patriots’ not only giving of their time and money, but more importantly their genuine sincerity and appreciation of our forward deployed troops.”



“Cooks of the Valley” has a goal of serving in new locations such as Afghanistan and has already planned another simultaneous, multi-location barbeque this Veterans Day.

These Strange Ashes

These last few days have felt a little strange...going about mundane tasks like watering the flowers or going to the park with the wildfire raging just a few miles from our house. I haven't driven around the small mountain that blocks our view of the burned area yet, and I kind of have been avoiding it. Yesterday, the western edge of the fire that we can see from downtown got menacing and huge again and I think made the hearts of everyone sink to their stomachs.
We later found out that it was a burnout operation to secure that side of the fire to prepare for heavy winds today. I still haven't heard if one of our town's most beloved spots, Lockett Meadow, made it--oh, I just got word as I wrote this that it was spared!
It is going to be quite a different drive to get to Lockett Meadow, but maybe it will make the beauty more spectacular...reminding people of how quickly such beauty can be gone. As I learned years ago while reading Elisabeth Elliot's book, These Strange Ashes, God often burns up the things we think are most important--even GOOD things--to help us turn to him. It is difficult to think that the burning of his beautiful creation could be included in that wisdom, but he knows our propensity to unfaithfulness. So many people here in Flagstaff love and appreciate the forest and are grieving about it. I pray that people will find the proper balance between loving God's creation instead of worshiping it--I've asked myself this week if it is an idol in my life. Living in and enjoying beautiful surroundings is not a God-given right or does not give intrinsic quality to our lives. God is still good in Garbage City in Cairo, Egypt, and he is still good in the charred forest of Flagstaff. This morning, the birds were chirping loudly and the smell of rain was in the air...even a few drops are falling now. I choose to thank God, who controls the floods and fires and rains, not Mother Nature--who, if she existed, would be a strict and severe teacher, despite her beauty.

(Watch the movie on youtube for full screen)

I heard a few people this week say, "It would be beautiful if it wa sn't so sad." It IS sad...but just like I told Samuel when his new toy broke this morning (and I'll admit that I almost cried with him, because that's how God made me), it isn't everything, and it isn't what's most important. In the case of this fire, no lives were lost, no structures were damaged and firefighters, policemen, and everyday citizens worked sacrificially to love their neighbors as themselves. That's pretty important.

(Here's pictures of Garbage City, Cairo...and the amazing cave church that serves the people there--I was reminded of this as an old co-worker visited there last week and posted pictures on Facebook)

Some Important Updates

Update #1: You might remember me mentioning that Evan's affection for Annie is displayed by him calling her "it" or "her". Today, he said sweetly, "Mommy! Samuel's little sister Annie is standing up!"

Update #2: Annie is standing up on her own, laughs, coughs, growls, says mama and "doggie" (makes a panting sound).

Update #3: You may remember that our patio table was broken under the weight of the Epic! Snowstorm! of 2010. This weekend, I saw some garage sale ads that included outdoor furniture, so I set out with my money jar (that should have been for groceries) to look at new tables. It was 6:45 and I happened to swing by one in our neighborhood where they offered to sell me one for $25. Having been shopping the used patio table market in Flagstaff, I knew this was a good deal and couldn't pass it up, even though the chairs were bistro height and didn't look very kid-friendly. As soon as I drove away with 2 of the chairs, I had Impulsive Garage Sale Purchase Regret. "I will sell them on craigslist before Jeremy wakes up," I thought. But, I needed to get on to the garage sales in the nicer neighborhood to see what I could have purchased if I hadn't been so hasty. At the next sale, I saw a cute, rustic picnic table with matching wood chairs and a little side table. The lady of the house who had to be fetched by the overwhelmed husband said $60 for all and I talked her down to $50 (see, I include all these details to let you see the psychological and sociological reasons that I set out on a Saturday morning with no money to spend and ended up with 3 tables and 6 chairs. And it's in my nature to include a lot of details). I got home after multiple trips of collecting the pieces from the first patio set and met Jeremy on the driveway. He was a good sport and offered to go pick up the second set while I promised to sell the first set for a profit. I put it on craigslist for $50 and had 3 offers within the first hour (remember, class, I bought the first one for $25). I was feeling pretty proud of myself for being so business savy, and then Jeremy came home with the second set and sat in the chairs of the first set and declared that he wanted to keep it (because "I can put my feet up on the little bar under the table." Whatever.) So then I had to call back 3 people and tell them that I had sold the set...to my husband. Now we have all the pieces incorporated into the yard and I can't bring myself to part with any of them.

Update #4: There is a large fire in Flagstaff. Homes are still threatened. I'm sure you have heard about it on the news. We're praying for friends who live in it's path and all the firefighters. It is windy today. It is kind of exciting to see the tankers and helicopters flying over our house all day. We were supposed to go to the woods and have a campfire yesterday for Father's Day, but that seemed a little weird in the face of all the wildfires that are threatening homes, so we decided to hang out at our house. It was a fun evening despite the pack of wild banshees that were running around causing trouble and howling at the moon. Only one screen door was destroyed in the process.

Update #5: After spending the evening with fellow banshees Zoe and Joseph, Evan declared that he wants to marry Zoe and Joseph.

Update #6 (and also an Updated Update #1): When told he couldn't marry Zoe and Joseph, Evan changed his mind and says he wants to marry Annie. He'll have to fight Sam for her. The following video shows this conversation and also includes proof of Updates #2 & 5.

Update #7: Jeremy has declared himself "officially an old man." He went to a bone and joint doctor and found out he has arthritis (among other problems) in his knee.

Update #8: At my Diet Coke Provider (Shell Station on the corner), my Diet Coke is now 76 cents instead of 75 cents because Arizona voters voted in favor of more sales tax. Thanks, Arizona voters.

Update #9: We've outlawed knock-knock jokes at the breakfast/lunch/dinner table. I never thought I would have to make such a specific rule, but believe me, it was necessary.

Update #10: I am becoming a fan of The Pioneer Woman. Her recipes are GOOD. Her comments in her recipe posts are FUNNY.

Update #11: (Not really an update, just random information) Jeremy is not a fan of Dr. Laura. It doesn't surprise me, but I was surprised he was so decided on the matter.

Update #12: (Why am I writing this post like this? It's weird...oh well): I got a new saxophone student. I want more. I'm greedy for saxophone students.

Update #13: The kids and I (okay, just me, after I yelled at the kids to "Get into the car so we can get to CHURCH!" and then worried about what the neighbors would think) decided to say only kind words or no words. Evan then said in a sickly sweet voice, "Kind words." Then he made a horrible face and shouted angrily, "NO WORDS!!!"

Update #14: I don't want to brag, but I guess something important that you may or may not want to know is that I have lost 30 pounds and can now run 6 miles pushing a stroller (and that is even at 7000 feet elevation and includes hills!). I only mention it (ha) because I want to just do a little shout out to my system, because hey, it has worked 3 times now--for a total of 110 pounds (or more) lost! I use The Change One Breakthrough Eating Plan (it's a diet, they just don't want to call it that). I just use the book that I got for 87 cents on Amazon. And I exercise with Debbie Siebers using her Slim in Six DVDs (by Beach Body), also purchased at a discount for Mother's Day a few years ago (don't worry, I wasn't offended). Anyway, it works, and I did really bad this time and it still worked. It helped that I had a baby waking up at 4:30 am to get me exercising early. And then Diet Coke gets me through the afternoon, which isn't great, but I'll deal with that later. So there, I said it--consider it a shameless plug.

Update #15: Annie, on the other hand, is getting chunkier legs.

She also likes to climb into things.


And, it appears she has grown a Siamese twin from her head.

An Early Morning Action Sequence

Does it surprise you that they look like this at the end of the day?