I had promised Justin a fishing trip during spring break and yesterday we finally got to go.  Of course, I told the boys if they would help me work on flower beds in the morning, we would go in the afternoon.  We got a lot done by noon and after a quick lunch we headed to the lake.  

By the time we had been there five minutes, I had tied two hooks on lines, attached three worms and watched two bobbers float away.  In the next ten minutes, JJ's pole developed a problem and he couldn't cast so I sat down and put a new line on his pole.  Before I had that finished, Jeremy's reel had fallen apart and he was left with a handful of pieces and tangled line that took forever to sort out.

Both boys were feeling like they needed new poles, but my repairs allowed them to continue casting without problem.  All three boys were casting well, but another problem became obvious - the fish weren't biting.  Or perhaps the fish were smart and had learned how to eat worms off the hooks because we continued to bait empty hooks.

Now all I had to do was monitor the snack bag.  JJ was finally feeling like eating and after eating a good lunch, he tore into his snack an hour later and was ready to eat all the sandwiches.  Jeremy and Justin did not think JJ should eat the entire contents of the bag no matter how well he was feeling.

As usual Justin was our most patient fisherman and he stuck it out the longest.  JJ was ready to play on the nearby playground where we discovered that he was covered in polka dots.

When all was said in done, I realized it wasn't about the fish that we didn't catch.  It was about

-taking time to spend with the boys where they had all of my attention

-snacks, don't forget snacks when you go to the lake

-learning how to fix things instead of going out and buying something

-driving down the road with the windows down and spitting sunflower seed shells out the window

-spending time in the fresh air and sun

-learning that reward comes after work

I could tell that the boys were having a nice time, and it was confirmed at the end of the day when the boys thanked the Lord that they got to go fishing.  And I'm sure that they'll want to drive with the windows down and spit sunflower seed shells out the windows the next time.

It wasn't April 1^st, but it would have been a great April Fools prank.

My cousin was visiting for several weeks from Indiana and we were bored on a Sunday afternoon.  I was 12 and she was 14.  She loved to try different hair styles and she was in the mood for fixing hair.  I didn't want her doing my hair so she decided to do her own.  She came up with a style completely different from anything I had ever seen and then tried on a pair of aviator sunglasses.  She didn't look like the same person and the planning began.

At that time, there was a clinic at the mission and there was a nurse on staff.  My cousin decided to see if she could fool our nurse into giving her a tour of the clinic.  We rummaged around and found a nurse’s uniform.  We found a pin – I think it was dad’s 4-H pin- that she pinned to the uniform.  Unless you actually read the pin, it looked official.  But what about shoes?  Neither of us owned a pair of white shoes so I pulled moms wedding shoes out of her closet.  These were not nurses’ shoes; these were spike-heeled pumps.  She slipped them on and tottered up the sidewalk to visit our nurse. 

She introduced herself as a nurse from a neighboring mission and said she would be interested in having a tour of the clinic.  (Understand that this is the west and the neighboring mission was almost two hours away so there weren't many social calls made.)  We were peeking out of cracks in the curtains as we watched my cousin walk to the clinic with our nurse.  They seemed to be getting along just fine. 

After the tour was over, my cousin said she’d like to say hello to David and Mildred before she traveled back up the road to her mission.  She walked into our front door and as soon as the door was shut behind her, we all had a good laugh.  She had pulled it off.  This was my 14-year-old cousin and not a visiting nurse who had just had a tour of the clinic.  When our nurse found out who had visited that afternoon, she admitted that she did wonder if a nurse could really work in those heels, but other than that she was fooled.  To this day, my cousin has kept her word and hasn't reveled some of what she learned about the clinic.

(The names of the involved parties have been withheld.)

Since JJ is still under the weather, only Jeremy and Justin got ready for church this morning.   It's different than it used to be when not only would I pick out their clothing, but also brush their teeth and dress them.  Those days are past, but this morning I did make some very strong recommendations for their clothing.  And then I took a look at the picture and saw that my boys are almost men!  I'm not sure whether I should cry or gasp.

JJ stayed home with me and had some water therapy.  After his bath, he said that he thinks he can eat today.  He also told me that he's allergic to medicine.  At least we know that he's tired of taking medicine around the clock.  That bubble gum flavor is no longer delicious.

We listened to a recorded sermon and had some extra cuddle time and a relaxing morning.  I've missed being in church today, but I have still been rejoicing in the resurrection.

Wednesday started earlier than usual at our house when alarms started going off well before the break of dawn.  We needed to get JJ to the surgery center by 6:45 and it takes 45 minutes to get there.  He had slept in the living room so that we could wake him without waking the other boys.  He headed to the shower where he just stood for the longest time saying that he didn't want to go.  We had been talking about tonsils for several weeks trying to prepare him for this day but all the talking and preparing couldn't make him want to start his day so early.

Before we left, I checked on Jeremy and Justin who were primed and ready to stay home while Dean and I took JJ for his surgery.  Justin was complaining of a sore throat but we knew that it wasn't anything major even though in his mind it was.  Jeremy and Justin did a good job of holding down the fort while we were gone but managed to leave a mess in the kitchen from their breakfast.

We checked in at our appointed time and we were soon called back to a prep room with JJ's tiger Kirby in tow.  We talked about chairs with wheels and beds with wheels, but when he was given the option, JJ chose to ride in a wagon.  Kirby was prepped along with JJ.  He got his heart listened to and his oxygen level checked. His hat and mask were too large, but he was soon ready for surgery.  As they left the prep room, JJ was worried, but he kept a stiff upper lip and tried very hard to be brave.

Surgery didn't take long, but we still had to wait quite a while (at least it seemed a long time) for him to wake up and then for the nurses to manage his pain.  When we walked into recovery, it appeared that Kirby had done fine, but there were tears in JJ's eyes.  He just wanted to be cuddled and as soon as he was disconnected from his IV he crawled onto my lap and fell asleep.

The past 48 hours have included a lot of cuddle time, regularly scheduled Tylenol and ibuprofen, lots of Popsicles and even ice cream for breakfast.  Justin has continued to feel bad and this morning started to run a fever.  Jeremy has joined the two of them in the sick bay with a sore throat and headache.  When all the boys feel well, there is lots of singing and shouting, but I haven't heard any songs today and JJ doesn't even want to listen to music.  

Spring Break officially began today, but there wasn't any rejoicing since none of the boys feel well.  I'm just glad that we can get all of this out of the way at the beginning of the break so that we can have most of next week to enjoy.  Even though all three boys are under the weather, I expect that they'll soon be back to their normal energy levels and ready to enjoy life again.

We celebrated JJ's 7th birthday almost two weeks ago, but I got so caught up in the busyness of the following days, that I haven't taken the time to post anything.  Dean's parents stopped in on their way home from Florida and helped us celebrate.  The following day, Jeremy, Justin and I joined JJ at school for lunch.  It was hard for him to eat when he knew he had cupcakes to pass out to all his classmates.  I had forgotten that children eat cupcakes from the top down - perhaps we should have put more icing on them.  On the other hand perhaps their teacher is glad that they weren't any more sugared up.  JJ is quite proud of his new age and is already counting the years until he can be 13.

Right after celebrating, life sped up in our otherwise undramatic lives.  Between getting the floor replaced in the laundry room, a new patio step, no heat which resulted in needing to replace the furnace and a leaking water line, things were hopping for three days.  At one time there were three different crews at work, pounding and digging and hammering and banging.  Reading to the boys was next to impossible and they found it difficult to stay focused on any kind of school work.  I was pleased though with the amount they did complete despite all the distractions.

I'm not sure if Justin was inspired by the builders, but he had fun building his tower during all the hubbub.  

After being gifted with some new clothes, Jeremy had fun dressing up and wondered if any cousins would get married before he grew out of them.  So far it doesn't look like there are any weddings on the horizon, but it's still fun to see my taller-than-me son all dressed up.

After another day which was shortened at both ends by unplanned or out-of-the-norm events, both of the older boys thanked the Lord for a wonderful day.  I am glad that when they get to the end of what seemed to be a frustrating day, they can still thank the Lord for it.  Tomorrow will be another one of those out-of-the-ordinary days, but with the Lord's help we'll get through it and at the end of it we'll all be able to thank him for the day.

All the clocks in our house are finally changed and we haven't been late to any appointments, but it's obvious that our body clocks haven't changed yet.  When bedtime rolls around, the boys are still going strong and when day dawns, their heads are still firmly fastened to their pillows.  Even our cat Pepper is still on standard time - she usually wants the door opened at six, but we haven't heard her cries before seven this week.

Even though I have been heard to complain  just a little, some, okay, a lot about the time change, it is nice to have more daylight post meridian as opposed to ante meridian.  The boys have been spending a lot more time outside and were even outside after supper playing basketball last night.  I know that some of their desire to be outside is tied to the nicer weather, but they are very tuned to the amount of daylight and tend to come in when the the sky darkens. 

When it was time for their pre-supper jobs last night, I found them on the trampoline with blankets and pillows.  They were having a pillow fight so I'm not sure why they had blankets, but there were three boys, three blankets and three pillows in a heap.  And wouldn't you know that one of them said that one of the others had hit him with a pillow.  I thought that's what they had intended to do.  I think a tattle-tale was wagging.

As I write this at 6:30 in the morning, Pepper has begun begging for attention.  Her body clock is starting to adjust, but I haven't heard a peep from the boys' rooms.  Give us another week or two and they'll begin rolling at earlier, but for the time being, I'll let them sleep.

This morning I realized that I hadn't called or written to my mother all week long and decided that I needed to write a little.  I didn't get far into my letter before the demands of the day caught up with me and I left an uncompleted letter open on my computer until I came back to it late in the afternoon.  As I wrote I realized why I was feeling just a little tired and out of breath.

We've managed to put a lot into the week and haven't had a lot of extra time.  JJ's school has been celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday all week long.  Each day has focused on a different book and he's dressed each day to match the book title.  He also attended an after-school celebration with dozen's of others.  He's looking forward to wearing his pajamas and carrying a stuffed animal to school tomorrow.

Justin started a new phase in his life and he's not real happy with the pain that it brings even though he is excited about the process.  Since he's always enjoyed science, he was especially interested in seeing the full-head x-ray.  The technician enlarged it on her computer screen so he could see it well.  He was also pleased that the pain means he gets his favorite snacks for a while - applesauce and yogurt.

Not only did we have three dentist visits we managed to squeeze our shopping in around them and still got some school work done.  Jeremy said that it's very difficult to take a science test in a waiting room, but he did finish it.  He was much happier when one of our jaunts included a stop at the library where we were filmed with our bulging book bag for a local TV show.

Still to come this week:  more waiting-room-schooling, reading to JJ's class, youth meeting for Jeremy and Justin, visit with friends for JJ while Dean and I celebrate our anniversary, school program, home visit for JJ and guests for Sunday dinner.  Next week has a little more breathing space - perhaps I should just fill up our schedule with home time.

and how I helped get him in the air.

Way back when I would run with abandon...

Way back when I could run with abandon...

Way back when I would yell with abandon...

Way back when if my brother did it, so did I...

Way back when we were all younger...

I looked out my window and saw my brother sitting on the back of a horse.  Gordon had saddled a horse, and since Gordon was our hero, Paul was probably following him around and asked for a ride.  There they were in front of the house and I wasn't with them!  My small mind immediately said, "that's not fair,"  and I took off running as fast as I could.  I ran out of the back door and around the south side of the house.  What my mind didn't say was, "hey, I'm running behind a horse that might not like yelling girls," and I kept on running and yelling.  Running and yelling behind a horse that my little brother was sitting on.  Running and yelling until I saw my brother take flight as the horse reacted to my screams of, "I want a ride, too!"

My brother flew straight up into the air and fell straight down into Gordon's arms.  I don't remember that I was scolded in any way about my behavior that day, but Gordon grew larger than life in the hero category.

Way back when we were all younger and my brother took his first flight.  

Way back when I would act without thinking ... oops that still happens sometimes.

From my earliest days, I knew that Dad spent a lot of time visiting people in the community.  He had a brown leather valise that was full of Bibles, scripture portions, song books and a bag of hard candy.  When I was very young, the Bible had not been translated into the Navajo language and as books or sections of the Bible were translated, he would add another to his bag.  He attended language sessions so that he would be able to read the Bible in Navajo and he practiced until he was able to do it with ease.  Many of the people he visited could not speak English and even though Dad could carry on simple conversations, he couldn't teach or preach in Navajo.  Reading the Bible and songs became a way in which he could share the Word when he didn't have a translator. 

I can remember going along with Mom and Dad when I was quite young.   The welcome was always warm as the hosts would draw up seats for Dad and Mom and I would often find a seat on a fleece on the floor.  I would run my hands through the wool and idly listen.  There would be a coffee pot on the stove in the middle of the room and perhaps a piece of dried mutton hanging on a wire strung across the room over our heads.  An occasional wisp of smoke would escape the stove giving a sweet cedar smell to the room.  By the time my hands had a lanolin smell, Dad would reach for his valise and ask me to pass out songbooks.  We would sing a couple of songs before Dad would open his Bible and read.  There would be a time of sharing before prayer and farewells.

Over the years, the black songbooks were replaced by red ones and the scripture portions were replaced by the entire Bible.  The old brown valise wore out and was replaced by something else, but Dad never tired of traveling around the community.  Even though Dad retired and no longer went out on a regular basis, he still enjoyed the times when he and mom could get out into homes again.  Today would have been Dad's 78th birthday and he's been on my mind a lot today  When I went looking for pictures this was one I found taken one of the last times he was well enough to spend a day visiting.

I have started going into JJ's classroom once a week to read to his class.  I take books that I love and we're having great fun.  I go on Friday afternoon right before dismissal and the children get to finish up their week with storytime and their teacher has a few free minutes to make sure everything is ready for the class to leave for the week.  This week, Jeremy, Justin and I had been running some errands so I took them with me.  As soon as we got there, JJ introduced his big brothers to his class and then sat down between them to listen. 

When storytime was over, the children went to their desks to pack their backpacks.  While we waited for JJ to pack up, we observed the class.  One little boy sidled  up and gave me a piece of paper he'd glued and colored and told me he'd made me a truck.  Another boy found found a nickel and wanted me to take it.  The best way to describe those last few minutes of the school day is "organized chaos".  All the kids knew what they were supposed to be doing and their teacher had an order in which she was giving instructions, but of course, there were children walking around passing out homework and others walking back and forth to grab coats and backpacks.  Jeremy and Justin, who have never been a part of a classroom, just shook their heads in amazement.  Justin looked at me and whispered, "It is always like this?"  We left before the rest of the class and I could tell that JJ was as pleased as possible to be walking out with big brothers.

Even though Jeremy and Justin are often with me when I run errands, JJ doesn't get to go shopping very often and he sometimes feels like he only gets to go to church and school.  Yesterday, he decided he wanted to do something besides chores around the house and began asking if I would take him to the park.  Since we had stopped at the park on the way home from school, I said we wouldn't do that two days in a row.  So he was back to the drawing board.  Had to think up something to do.  In a little bit he was back and wanted to know if we could go "to that outside store we went to with grandma".  Now that request took a while for me to figure out, but then I remembered going to a flea market with mom when she visited in October.  Jeremy and Justin also thought it would be fun, so we decided to go after lunch.  All the boys had some spending money and it was fun to watch them shop.  JJ knew exactly what he wanted and found the perfect trucks without much trouble.  Jeremy and Justin on the other hand weren't sure if they wanted to spend their hoard, but they sure had fun looking at tools.  Justin was tempted by the power tools, while Jeremy saw tools that he thought could be used for blacksmithing.  They finally decided to spend their money on a doughnut, and since JJ had spent his money the lady selling the doughnuts treated him.  As we drove home, all the boys agreed that they liked shopping at the flea market and wondered why we didn't do that more often.