Blessings

It hasn't stopped snowing for close to 24 hours in Meridian and the Treasure Valley. It's tapering off now, but there has been a steady stream of flurries since late yesterday afternoon. And I've been ecstatic. School was cancelled today as well as tomorrow due to the winter road conditions.

There is at least 8" on the ground, more in some places.

Our ward is in charge of snow removal for our building this calendar year, and as Chadwick is Elder's Quorum President, he is co-in charge of coordinating the snow removal efforts. He got to the chapel around 6:00 pm after work, plowed a few circles in the parking lot with the Echo so he didn't get stuck trying to leave, and began clearing the sidewalks with the snow blower borrowed from another ward member. Several other men were scheduled to arrive by 6:00 as well but one got stuck in his neighborhood, another at work downtown Boise (where none of his co-workers showed up today), and the others hadn't arrived. Long story short, a crew of men with shovels arrived to help Chadwick with their task.

While he was gone, our neighbor showed up in our driveway on his tractor, black lab Izzy serving as supervisor, to clear our driveway. I ran out to thank him and he mentioned that he had cleared our part of the road three different times today. The amount of snowfall has been incredible and more than Chadwick can ever remember seeing in one day.

I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude wash over me for this kind man who took time from his family and warm home to help his neighbors. For my husband who went straight from work to the chapel and didn't eat dinner until 8:45. And for my father-in-law who was on his own tractor serving his neighbors at that time. This gratitude swelled within my chest, bringing unexpected tears to my eyes this evening.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by good, hard-working, and loving men.

CVC San Diego

As a veterinarian, I need to obtain 20 continuing education credits every two years to keep my license active. We get 1 credit per hour of "class" attended - online, via small lectures presented locally, or at the big, national meetings. Some of the groups such as CVC, AAHA, or AVMA have annual meetings with large groups of people. Western States in Las Vegas in February has an enormous crowd every year (and I'm confident the attraction isn't so much the stellar presentations, though I'm sure the information is good). I've discovered that if I attend one big meeting every other year, I get enough credits without having to kill myself in the off years to fill in the gaps. I've heard good things about the CVC convention in San Diego, and in December the thought of warmer temps and the sun was enough to get me on a plane bound for San Diego at the beginning of that month. It dumped four inches of snow in Boise the day I left....

One of my best friends, Sara, graciously offered to come with me for the weekend. She's not a veterinarian but was able to get some work done from the hotel room Friday and had a good tour of Old Town San Diego during the day Saturday. I took Sunday off classes and we played. And walked. And walked some more. And laughed!

The meeting was great - I like the convention center in San Diego and there weren't so many people as to feel overwhelmed. As with all of these meetings, I learned lots from some of the speakers and should have taken a nap during others. Overall, I came out with several good tools for my veterinary and personal toolboxes. I realized that my favorite lectures were non-clinical in nature - personal well being, leadership, and communication in content. I also realized that I'm not emotionally vested in my clinic. I feel detached from the daily operations (which I am, only working 2-3 days per month), not really part of a team, and not connected to any clients or cases. Those aspects make it hard to continue to work as a veterinarian and I haven't come up with a good solution. Yet.

I'm thinking this could be an annual meeting for me. And one day, for Chadwick and I together. I have colleagues who meet up annually for a meeting and to catch up. I love that idea!

Chadwick's childhood friend, Phil, works near the airport and graciously offered to pick us up and take us to lunch. We drove around town a bit and ended up grabbing a burrito from a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. We ate on a bench with an ocean view. The burrito was amazing and the view even better. It was refreshing to smell the salt of the ocean and leave the stresses of mom-life behind for a few days. While a bit awkward to spend time with Phil as Chadwick wasn't there, it was good to see him and catch up a bit. He was so great to take time to show us around and then drop us off at the hotel. Much better than a ride on Uber!

Our first night in warmer San Diego (it was only in the 50s and breezy, which felt cool) we found an Old Spaghetti Factory in the Gaslamp Quarter near our hotel and happily consumed pasta in a place that holds a nostalgic place in my heart. We had been up since 5:00 that morning and were slightly punch drunk, and after Sara made a sassy comment about something, I chucked a piece of bread at her and we dissolved into giggles. Not just a chuckle, but tear-dropping, goofy, little girl giggles. In the middle of the restaurant. It was cathartic. Throwing bread, or threatening to throw bread, became a theme for the rest of the trip. Turns out Sara can be sassy and I adore this trait in her.

We talked about everything and nothing, read in silence in the evenings, and made good traveling companions. Dinners were eaten outside at every opportunity despite the chill and Sara found a small sweet shop that boasted hand made fudge. The woman who owned the place is originally from Mexico and Sara adopted her immediately, referring to her as "my Abuela."

I was a good girl and attended lectures Thursday afternoon and all day Friday and Saturday - I logged 13 credits under my belt and feel good about the event. One of the women in leadership lectures talked about "power poses" and the women leading the discussion had the audience strike several poses for 2 minutes while jamming to girl-power songs. Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles were three individuals whose poses we used. Here's Sara striking a Usain:

Sunday we treated ourselves to a play day, leaving husbands at home to fend for themselves through the snow, church, and early morning meetings (for my Chadwick). We spent a good portion of the day at Balboa Park and enjoyed warmer temperatures and the sun on our faces. The California Ballet performed in the afternoon and we watched a wonderful performance of The Nutcracker.

The San Diego Parade of Lights was Sunday evening - and instead of a parade of cars and horses, it was a parade of boats and yachts! All were decorated to some degree, some with music and a party on board, others more quiet. Ranging from a small rowboat to thousand-dollar vessels, it was quite the deal. Crowds lined the shore along the route and we had a good chat with a local family.

Monday was another travel day and we left San Diego with reluctance to head back to the snow of Idaho. On the plus side, we were looking forward to seeing our husbands and kiddos, who survived our absence with flying colors.

Our hotel had a ginormous gingerbread house in the lobby. And I love that they included an ingredient list!

My friendship with Sara has always been strong and I was grateful for the chance to strengthen the ties between us. I'm also grateful for the insights I gained into my feelings about my career as a veterinarian and hope that I can find a new direction in which to use my degree over the upcoming years.

A Trim

During an evening sweep of the kitchen (a nightly ritual), I noted a chunk of brown material on the floor under one of the bar stools. It didn't look like paper and there was too much to be dog hair....yet it looked like hair...

It was. Light brown, a slight curl on the end when held. Only one head in this house grows that kind of hair! I asked Mallorie the next morning if she had cut her hair the afternoon before. She thought for a moment, and I could see the wheels turning as if to decide what to tell me. Finally deciding on the truth, she smiled and said "yes!" I asked her why and she, of course, had no answer. We then had a short discussion on the appropriate place to use scissors, which in this house is on paper.

Chadwick had to look for the spot on her head where it was trimmed - right in the back, a small section she was able to grab from her ponytail. Morgan never attempted any such thing. Must be a second child activity....one day I'll get around to taking her in for an official haircut to blend the ends a bit better. Luckily, that little bit of curl hides most imperfections and no one is the wiser!

One of the Best Parts

One thing I love perhaps more than the eating of the turkey on the actual day is....leftovers. I live for the day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. I will volunteer to host dinner. And cook the turkey for the chance to have leftovers. When my Abuelo was alive, he would take the leftovers and make the most amazing biscuits and gravy the following morning for breakfast.

I settle comfortably with my sandwich for lunch.

The Lone Star State

The first weekend of November we took off for Texas for a visit to my grandparents. Let me just say that it is a PROCESS to get three young children and my over-packing self ready for a trip. On a plane. Where there are limits on the amount of baggage I'm willing to pay for.

The morning started super early with grogginess, a quick ride to the airport, and a breakfast of egg muffins while waiting for the plane. I have to admit I was hesitant to find joy in the flight as we didn't purchase Spencer a seat and he's....well....busy. All of the kiddos were troopers and with Chadwick to be the voice of calm, all was well. The girls love flying and Spencer was ecstatic to see all the planes from the window. The flights were uneventful, the layover short and sweet, and with 30 minutes left in the second leg, my sweet boy was starting to reach the end of his rope. He normally doesn't have access to our iPad but I downloaded a few games and learned about the wonders of "guided access" prior to our adventure so he was happily distracted enough to get through the flights, both to and from the Lone Star State. I'm so proud of how well they all did!

We flew into San Antonio where we met my mom and Mark at the airport - they brought a car seat for Spencer so we didn't have to check all three seats in Boise. They also brought fresh faces, three boxes of books and toys, and snacks. It was a welcome treat. The girls went off with their grandparents while Chadwick and I took the sleepy toddler to get our rental van and meet the others. Yup, we became minivan people for a weekend and while there are so many pluses to that type of vehicle, I was glad to come back to my Honda Pilot upon returning home. This little man of mine woke up at 5:00 and was still going at 3:00 pm central time. He finally gave up and passed out in the car for a much needed nap. Found the hotel, checked in, let the girls play on the playground (the hotel itself wasn't great but I would stay there again for the playground, a brilliant idea if I've ever seen one!). It's amazing how one feels like a new person with a change of clothes and a freshly washed face. With that, we were ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Friday evening we braved the tangle of road and found our way down to the Riverwalk, a place I remember from a childhood visit to that town. The girls begged for a boat ride and because the grandparents were eager to spoil, off we went on the Riverwalk for a tour. Spencer stayed dry and we got a great view of the area with some history. We could see the Christmas lights hanging from the tree branches in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. Floating the Riverwalk during December is now on my bucket list. We ended with a late dinner that seemed to take forever and a day to get to the table. We had tired children in the back of the van on the ride to the hotel!

When in Texas, Chadwick must run in Texas, so he registered for the Friends of Government Canyon 15K. It was his first trail run (compared to the road races he usually runs) and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was slippery from rain the previous day and he spent the run slipping on rocks, destroying his shoes and injuring his knee to some extent. The other challenge was the humidity...not something we can train for here in the Idaho desert. Chadwick finished second place overall in his race Saturday morning despite the difficulty of the terrain and weather.

After a quick shower and some food, we packed up both cars and went back downtown to see the historic Alamo. Spencer was interested in the squirrels climbing trees and running any direction but where we wanted him, Mallorie kept asking when it was time to leave, and Morgan and Chadwick wanted to read every word of every placard in the vicinity. Morgan got to participate in a re-enactment of loading a weapon from that time period. What a process!!

Off to Uvalde, 84 miles west of San Antonio. The drive was easy and we arrived mid-afternoon. It was great to see the home where Nell and Poppi have lived for many years and the kids were thrilled to be out of the car for a while.

Someone carved a smiley face into this prickly pear. We laughed as we drove down the street to their house each morning.

They were great hosts and had done a nice job of clearing most of the breakables from the main living room so Spencer didn't ruin too many items. Every evening, Nell putts out into the yard in her motorized scooter to feed the deer that live in the neighborhood. There were at least 6-7 that come every night when they hear the lid to the metal trashcan that holds the corn. The girls were entranced and promptly drew several pictures of the deer while they were feeding. It was also fun to watch Poppi interact with the children. As a scientist, he is naturally curious and was delighted by the curiosity and desire to learn that my children possess. He was down on the ground pointing out bugs, butterflies, deer tracks, and anything else the little ones were investigating. Nell watched the chaos with a bemused smile and stayed out of our traffic. Lunches at the park, stories read, blocks built, pictures colored, and lots of talking filled our days.

A small gecko welcomed us into the Griffen-Graham home....running through the tile in the entryway as we walked inside the first day.

I love that Spencer can take what is available to make a tower. Or a pile. He's obsessed with shoes.

I'm glad to have taken the time to make that plane ride. I'm glad my grandparents had the chance to get to know more about these great-grandchildren. And grateful for my parents who made the long drive from Albuquerque to bring a car seat, toys, books, and love.

What fun we had!

My Nana

Janice Ruth Anderson was born August 9, 1934 in Chicago, IL. In her youth, she played violin and the organ at church. She married her high school sweetheart, Rich Wahlberg, in December 1952 and during their lifetime together shared many adventures, laughed together, cried together, and loved one another. Janice served for 21 years as a volunteer at the front desk of Presbyterian Hospital, adored her dogs, enjoyed traveling in their fifth wheel trailer, did puzzles, and was an excellent seamstress until the rheumatoid arthritis in her hands prevented her from threading a needle. She loved to laugh and would often snort in the middle of a fit of giggles.

I knew this woman as Nana.

My grandparents always lived down the street from us, usually within an easy bike ride. I spent countless nights at their house in the summer, staying up late playing Monopoly and watching movies. She was a great spoiler of her grandchildren. My mom, Nana, and I had great fun together - eating a pretzel at the mall while window shopping, decorating the house for Christmas, cooking together in the kitchen, taking walks on our camping weekends, and laughing the whole time. We had a blast during Mom's weekend in Pullman eating pancakes at the firehouse and admiring the young firemen who lived there. We took a road trip to Denver to watch Wicked, a trip in which Nana drove all of 3 miles and never lived it down.

Her face beamed when she spoke of her grandchildren and was proud as a peacock to become a great-grandmother. The world revolved around my grandpa, to whom she was married for over 60 years and whom she loved fiercely until the end. We lost him to brain cancer in June of last year. This strong woman lasted until late November before joining him, stubbornly refusing to spend a single anniversary without him by her side. I blame my stubborn streak on the Scandinavian genetics I inherited from that side of the family.

The shock of losing both grandparents within 6 months has only slightly worn off. In my down time, it's hard not to reach for the phone to call and update her on the latest doings of my children, a topic from which she never tired. Her death brought my family siblings together for the first time in over 5 years which is no small feat. I admit it was strange to stand in my parents' kitchen, observing my grown brothers have a conversation. I guess they will always be my "little brothers" in my mind.

I miss her dearly and with for the chance to see her again, to hear her laugh, to spend an afternoon walking the mall munching a pretzel, or take a walk through the campground next to her with a dog on the leash.

She was the only person I've ever known to use the phrase, "tookie in the hoovit." How could you not love such an individual??

A Day of Thanks

I love how this time of year brings out the better humanity as a whole - there is more giving, more gratitude, and more tolerance of one another. It's a time to take a few moments and remember what we have been given, from where our blessings come, and a time to think outside ourselves for a season.

Each November, Chadwick creates a wonderful "thankful tree" from which we hang leaves expressing things we are thankful for each day. The trunk and limbs are in themselves a work of art and by the end of the month we have a blooming tree of gratitude. I love to see what the children are thankful for each day. This year, he created a "thankful branch," mostly because a full tree wouldn't last more than 15 minutes (20 tops) before Spencer started re-arranging all of the pieces.

We had the opportunity to host Thanksgiving day at our house - Nancy and Steve and James with his family joined for the fun. That morning, we slept in, watched the Macy's parade on television while prepping the food and house for the big meal. I started quite a few things the day before and, overall, Thursday went quite smoothly. We always have enough food for twice the number of people in attendance and never enough room in our stomach to eat as much as our eyes desire. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, green salad, olives, carrots, pickles, cranberry sauce, stuffing, Nana Manwaring's cranberry salad, and squash. I have been on the search for the perfect dinner roll....this year I found the recipe. It was one that I received about 6 years ago from a friend, but I was intimidated by the looks of the card. My culinary skills must be improving as I no longer shook in fright when glancing through the "how to" section of the recipe. They were worth the wait. Pie and ice cream were at Aunt Sheila's new house in Meridian with several other Fife family members.

I love how Chadwick's family pitches in to create the meal. How we help each other clean up. The interest we show in each other's lives and accomplishments. Watching the cousins play with one another. Observing Spencer run happily between Chadwick, James, and Gideon, trying to catch and throw a football as big as his head. Seeing Jordynn and Mallorie sitting next to one another on the couch drawing quietly. The warm feeling that comes from having loved ones and food in the house at the same time.

There is much for which to be thankful.