Wrist Rockets

This past weekend, we traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. My sister told me I have been there, but I was very young. Maybe 5. So I really count this as my first trip.

We did something unusual for us. We stopped along the way. Normally when we go on a trip, we are traveling for upto 12 hours and we stop just to potty and fill the tank and eat.

This time, we stopped to see the sights and play.

Craig bought two wrist rockets and taught the boys how to use them. The fun factor shot up with the aparati. Boys love to throw rocks into water anyway. Now the boys were able to launch rocks to new, never-before seen distances.

The dock made me a bit nervous. The water was deep and fast. Craig said, just as we were approaching the dock, "If you boys fall in, your gone." I worked hard not to let that fear control me. A few times I told the boys to get back from the edge. They were facinated and having a lot of fun. I bit my lips and tried to look at the mountains after a while.
I felt a lot better about it when they boys were on the ramp. I'm not too sure that they minded the new location. It was a bit warmer, fully out in the sun. We stopped a few times to launch rocks at the water. It was fun enough that they didn't mind that the DS's were out of batteries.

Nicknames

Brenda decided a while back to call me Google. She teases me about my ability to remember trivia.

She and Karly were trying to figure out something and Karly said "google it." Brenda said, "I am" and called me on the phone.

This past week, Josh decided to expand on the given nickname.

He decided that he is Google 2.0 and Boaz is Yahoo.

New dining table-

This is my new grown up table.

I have 8 chairs. This table has a butterfly leaf. So it expands easily.

It looked a little greenish in the store. I didn't like the lighting. But in my house, it looks better. A lovely walnut.

Challah

I remember challah from when I was a nanny in New Jersey. It is a Jewish egg bread. So for Easter I decided to make challah. This is not an Easter/Passover bread. Passover is a no yeast feast.

But I was excited to make this bread this year.

With a lovely egg wash, my bread was golden and wonderful.

deodorant

Josh told me that he needs to start wearing deodorant.

Isn't that my job to tell him? :)

I don't think I told him it was okay to get older. I don't know how this happened.

seven years ago . . .

Seven years ago last night Craig and I went into the hospital.

I was swollen and slow. The baby had pressed on my hip for months and I was ready to get him out. We were days from the due date, but he had been turning, and we didn't want him to turn the wrong way again.

I walked and walked and walked. All around the hospital. I don't think I have ever walked so slow as the day I go into labor. Craig was kind and crept along with me.

They induced me the slow way. No potosin. I wanted it to get going, but the nurse told me the doctor wanted me to labor through the night and be ready in the morning. A reasonable time -- for her. So I went to my room and put some tunes on and got hooked up to the monitoring systems. (My tunes were hymns.)

About midnight Craig fell asleep. It gets a bit boring watching the contractions on the monitor. I could feel them. They were slow and lazy.

I listened to Craig sleep.

My CD ran out.

The contractions began to pick up.

I listened to Craig sleep.

I wondered if I should wake him up to get a new CD.

I wondered if I should call the nurse to change the CD. But that would wake him up.

He'd had a long day at work.

I breathed through another contraction.

And another.

They were getting serious.

The nurse bustled in and Craig woke up.

She was surprised at how strong they had gotten. So quickly. Craig was a little sheepish. I just concentrated on breathing.

About 2 am they decided to call the anesthesiologist. He lived in another town and needed to drive about 45 minutes to get there. (Maybe he arrived at about 2 am -- after all it was all seven years ago.)

They called and woke the doctor up in the middle of the night. Somehow that gave me some measure of satisfaction. Laboring all night long so the doctor can rest did not sound very fair.

At 4:36 am he decided to make his entrance. I only pushed for 22 minutes. I know some women only push three times. Sometimes I hate them. 22 minutes was short for me.

After that my memory is fuzzy.

Our family became complete 7 years ago. Happy birthday Boaz.

Officially an Idahoan

My car has Idaho licence plates.

My purse has an Idaho driver's licence.

My bank and Credit Card companies know my official address.

My son is taking the Idaho standardized tests.

I have my insurance cards for Idaho.

Idaho.

I never thought growing up that I would leave Utah for Idaho. But then I never thought I would leave Utah for Oregon. I guess, to be more precise, I left Oregon for Idaho.

Idaho -- not very glamorous. But then neither am I. I am practical.

We live in Idaho because Craig got a job here. I've been telling people for a month that Craig has returned out of exile in Oregon. He is so happy to be back in Idaho that sometimes he can't stand it.

Yesterday we went to watch a nephew play baseball. It was a good game. My nephew's team won. Actually, they shut the other team out. What I remember most from that game was the incessant wind. I came home covered in grit. Every time the ball was hit and the runner would take off, a cloud of dust would attack us. Every time the runner on third base ran home, a cloud of dust would attack us. And at odd moments unrelated to anything else, a cloud of dust would attack us.

I tease Craig about bringing me to this place. But I have to admit it is a nice place. The people are wonderful. We love the ward. I like my kid's teachers. Boaz is having to work hard to catch up on his reading. (How could that be a bad thing?)

And my family is here. I have always said that I could be happy anywhere my family is.

So I am an Idahoan.

Welcome home to Idaho.