Sweet Sixteen

Our dear little Kenna turned 16 on September 9th.

*Old enough date.

*Eligible for a midnight curfew.

*Old enough (but not yet experienced enough) to have a license to drive.

About that driving - it is usually a giggle-fest (nervousness). She is pretty good at distinguishing between the brake and the gas pedals, unless I am in the car with her screaming "brake", then she gets a tad confused. Yield signs almost completely baffle her. However, she improves with every driving experience she has.

We celebrated her birthday by going out to dinner at her favorite place - Olive Garden, where she ordered what she loves and always orders - chicken alfredo.

Then back home for her birthday cake. She was laughing so hard she could hardly blow out the candles. After many, many attempts she finally did it. We enjoyed some melted wax on her cake. After cake we put on our jammies, opened gifts and enjoyed a family movie. Oh, by the way, she is sporting a cute new haircut that happened sometime last week (I've completely lost track of time).

A Loving Farewell

For those of you who may not know, my mom passed away this last week. She was an amazing person and I will miss her so much. However, we are all so relieved that she is done with the pain involved with terminal cancer.

She passed away on September 1st surrounded by all of her kids and my dad was by her side. She knew we were there. She felt our love for her and we felt her love for us. It was the sweetest, most spiritual experience I have ever had. I never thought I would ever be saying that about her death, but it is true.

With each piece of bad news we received along this journey of her having cancer, she always felt like Heavenly Father was watching over her and showering her with blessings untold. Her faith never waivered. She felt His tender mercies upon her, and we continue to feel His love and peace extended to us as we enter this new phase of our lives. Even now we recognize that one last prayer was answered in her behalf, in that she passed quickly and didn't suffer for days or weeks on end, as some do. Her passing was mercifully fast.

The second Sunday in August, we were all in Idaho for my nephew's missionary farewell. Mom was with us and in pretty good spirits and health, considering. But she did tell me that day she didn't think she would be able to be to Nicki's wedding - it was just too long of a journey and too exhausting for her. I understood, but still wished she would have been in good enough health to attend. When I gave her a last kiss good-bye this week, I whispered in her ear and asked her to meet us in the temple in a couple of weeks. I know she will be with us on that special occasion.

I miss her so much, but cannot feel sorrow for her. She is in such a better place, and free of pain and the worries of having cancer and having dad take care of her, which exhausted him. She was always thinking of him, even to her last breath. My sorrow is for my dad and for those whom she left behind. I miss her already. But she wouldn't want us to be bogged down in sorrow. If she were here now she would be telling me to stop wasting time grieving for her and get busy because I have a lot to do before Nicki gets married. That's my mom!

Newbies at School

Yesterday was the first day back to school for Kenna and Trevor. Kenna was a bit nervous because it was her first day in high school. She reports that it was "boring". However, in seminary she made a name for herself. The teacher asked each of the kids to say what their pet peeves were. According to Kenna, most of the kids gave the usual expected answers. When it was her turn, she said, "I hate when people scratch themselves". This bought a burst of laughter from the entire class and for a split second Kenna wondered why this struck such a funny chord with everyone, then she realized how they were interpreting her comment and quickly defined what she meant. She said, "You know, like when they scratch their arms when they get a bug bite. I hate thinking about the dead skin under their fingernails". In true Kenna fashion she was laughing so hard when she was telling me this, she could hardly speak. Sometimes she can be just a bit dim about what comes out of her mouth. She really doesn't have a crass sense of humor, she just didn't think this comment through before she blurted it out. I love her and especially love her stories, even as I wonder what her teacher thinks of her. As he gets to know her, he will appreciate her zest for life and the depth of her spirit. She adds a definite zing to our family. And by the way, isn't that just an adorable, beautiful picture of her? I know.

Trevor, or as we like to call him, "Mr. Serious" had a bit of an adjustment to middle school. All summer long he has been so excited about starting middle school. It didn't quite pan out as he expected. He thought some of the teachers were a bit too strict and maybe a tad scary. All afternoon he was having anxiety about getting all his school supplies purchased and organized and getting his homework done. I didn't think too much about this, as it is typical Trevor behavior. However, when it was time to go to bed, he kept fiddling around with pencils, pens, papers, binders, etc. Finally, after reminding him several times how early he had to get up, I put my foot down and told him it was time for bed. Period. He was visibly upset so I went downstairs to tuck him in and spend a few minutes with him before he went to sleep, just to smooth over the evening. As I lay in bed with him and we were talking, I asked him what was really bothering him. After he had ticked off a few concerns of his, he got kind of quiet, then asked if he could tell me one more thing. He said they had an assembly first thing in the morning to welcome the kids to middle school and in that assembly, they told the kids that this year would affect the rest of their lives! Understandably, he was VERY distressed about this. I burst out laughing, which I shouldn't have done, and which he didn't appreciate, but of all the things! Trust Trevor to glom onto this one statement and stress about his 6th grade performance affecting the rest of his life. I explained why the (dumb Nazi) teachers did this and promised him that not even Ivy League universities or the military will be checking his 6th grade scores. He was a bit relieved, but I'm not sure I totally convinced him.

He also had to fill out those awful "Tell me about yourself" forms. One of the questions was, "Tell the most embarrassing thing you have ever done". That question is, in and of itself, embarrassing for Trevor. He couldn't think of an embarrassing moment because he spends a great deal of his life trying to avoid said experiences. Even if he did have an embarrassing moment, he's not about to relive it or discuss it with anyone. I think he ended up answering something like this, "To an 11/12 year-old-boy, life in general is embarrassing."Another question was "What is the funniest thing you have ever done?" Again, a very difficult question for Trevor, which stumped him all afternoon. Even though he laughs a lot, tells some pretty funny stories and jokes and generally enjoys life, he never finds himself in the middle of a "funniest" experience. That would be embarrassing! (That would also be Kenna, i.e., above story). He left that one blank. I kept reassuring him that he would do well in middle school and it was just a matter of adjustment. In a few days he will be fine. He misses the simplistic life of elementary school.

hide yo husband

Good for a laugh...

Kent said, "The only thing that tempers the hilarity of this is that those people have the option to vote!"

Oh, and don't forget to click on the song button.

Big Soap Sale

In an effort to make room for my new soaps, I am selling all of last year's soaps for $4.00/bar. This is a wonderful opportunity to stock up on your favorites! As the soaps age, they lose a bit of their fragrance, but not to worry, they perk right back up in the shower. They also become more mild as they age, and these bars are perfect for mildness and gentleness. Hurry and get yours now. This sale only lasts as long as the soaps do!
To order, go to www.ittybittysoapcompany.blogspot.com.

These Are The Times That Try Men's Souls

Take 9 minutes and watch this video. It will be a well-spent 9 minutes and when I listened to it, it gave me hope, something I haven't felt in a very long time when it comes to our current political leaders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=qtjfMjjce2Y

What I've Learned

I've learned a few things over the past couple of weeks:

*Planning a wedding/reception long distance takes its toll. Thank goodness for phones and email.

*Just when you think the decision is made and the issue is settled, its not.

*Nicki and I are both traditionalists, especially when it comes to wedding photography (no magazine spread photography, please).

*I'm in the wrong business. Weddings/receptions are incredibly and disproportionately expensive.

*Nicki is a sensible girl (I already knew that, but never appreciated it as much as I do now).

*Thankfully (on a multitude of levels), we are not the Clinton's ($6,000/guest at dear little Chelsea's sweet affair).

*It will all be worth it in the end.