Bring it on!

My washers and dryers were up and going Thursday morning, so I gave them a spin (really). It was amazing to stuff them full of clothes and watch them go. I was completely mesmerized by the see-through doors on the washers. It was astounding, too that in 22 minutes I had clean clothes ready for the dryer. I did 8 giant loads start to finish in about 2 hours. It was a happy time. It really is my own personal laundrymat. I had to program the washers and dryers for different scenarios, but now that's done and I've got my p-touch labels to remind me which cycle I want, I am all set.

The day was a little disrupted, though by a severe pain I kept having in my abdomen. It had woken me up at about 2am, and it just kept coming and going throughout the day. I just kept thinking it would go away--just some tummy trouble or something. I kept saying that until about 4:00 on Friday afternoon when I was on the floor in pain. I knew that it may be tummy trouble, but it was very severe tummy trouble.

Kristy was in town, and Mark was hunting with Josh, so I called Kristy at about 6:00 after I had decided to go to the emergency room. She came and stayed with the kids until Mark and Josh got home later that night. I drove to the hospital and sat for 3 hours in the waiting room, feeling like I was seriously going to explode.

After I got a room in the ER, I got some morphiene and life was better. The doctor couldn't decide if it was a rogue ovary or my appendix. I was thinking more colon obstruction, but I let her figure things out. After an exam, bloodwork, ultrasound and CT scan, it was discovered I had colitis as the cause of my pain and my white blood cell level was high. By this time it was after 2:00 am, and since there was no impending surgery or other procedure, I called Mark to come take me home. Until this time I didn't see the need for anyone to be there watching me lay on a hospital bed. I'm pretty low-maintenance, and I didn't want an audience. They sent me with an antibiotic prescription, and home I went. I crashed for pretty much all of Saturday and Sunday. Today I feel like myself again. I still have to go see a specialist to figure out what is causing colitis. Hopefully it was just a crazy, one-time infection.

When I was in the hospital and the pain was so bad, I kept going to my happy place. Normally that is the Caves Branch River in Belize. But this time it was my laundry room. I kept picturing those shiny silver washers spinning my clothes around and around and it made me feel better.

Some pictures

Mark's camera has too wide of an angle on its lens to take any pictures of the inside of our house. He is wishing for a new 24-70mm lens, maybe for Christmas. In the meantime, I realized I could use Abram's camera to take a couple of pictures today.

This one is of our new green great room.

This is the other side of the great room. Just so you know how dang high this wall was to paint, those paitings you see are 7 feet tall.

Guess who showed up with my stuff? I was singing, "Oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon is a coming..... Oh PLEEEEASE let it be for me," each time I heard a big engine coming down our street today. They've got all the machines in the basement now, and we'll see how long installation takes. For how much it cost, I hope it takes a long time. The front machine is one of the washers, and the 6-ft beasts in the back are the dryers. More pictures soon to come.

There are so many colors in the rainbow...

Another random old song, this time brought to you by Harry Chapin. It has been our theme for paint color selection.

"There are so many colors in the rainbow,

So many colors in the morning sun,

So many colors in the flowers,

So let's use every one."

It has been a little crazy at our house the last week. After the great room "Egyptian Nile" painting marathon, Mark and I rested for a few days, and then we began the basement painting marathon on Wednesday. The game room is a very, very deep red called "Chianti". It turned out so beautiful. Dark brown "Bear Rug" walls in the hallway lead to a deep "Provence" blue exercise room, bright "Turquoise Gem" laundry room, and a "Provence" blue bathroom, "Alluring Blue" bedroom for Abram, and, of course, a "Pooh Bear's Shirt" red bedroom for Jake. It is so fun to have lots of colors instead of our blah blah boring light yellowish white everywhere.

After we get Abram and Jake moved downstairs, we will paint the upstairs bedrooms one by one as we shuffle kids into new rooms. Also, the kitchen needs paint, I'm thinking "Crisp Celery," but that's probably going to be last. I really like painting. I've never done it before, but it's quite invigorating. I'm ready to tackle the upstairs bathrooms, too. I've got to hide the fact that we ever had such boring walls. I know that someday I will say, "What was I thinking?" as I try to cover up some of our colors, but for the next several years, I know I will love it.

I had piano movers come today and take our piano upstairs to the loft. That way it is still in the great room, but not in the way of people and furniture. It looks great up there.

The picture above is of the little treasure I found for our basement hallway. We needed wall sconces, and I had not seen anything I remotely liked until I found this one online last night. It is me, and I'm so excited for them to get here. We'll see how brave I am at installing light fixtures. I took the old ones all down, and I'm assuming hooking up the new ones will just be the reverse. I'm going to give it a whirl with the laundry room light later today and see if I have the magic touch.

The delivery guys are supposed to be here today with my washers and dryers. It is a happy day for Jill.

In order to form a more perfect union

I love James Madison. Such a genius, "Father of the Constitution," and noble leader of our country. It was 221 years ago today that he and other delegates met in Philadelphia to sign our Constitution. What a happy day to celebrate. Good work, James.

Happy Birthday, Constitution!

Family pictures

Don't be surprised if you see one of these pictures in your mailbox around Christmas time. These are pictures from Canada, and were taken by Mark's camera with a delayed shutter. The kids all laughed hysterically watching Mark run to get in the picture in time. This was especially challenging, because right now, Mark's lens has 70mm as its widest, so he has to get really far away to get a picture of the whole gang of us.

The top one is at Mt Edith Cavell and Angel Glacier. It was a beautiful little hike to get there, and so cool to see actual iceburgs breaking off of the glacier. The story of Edith Cavell is very fascinating, and I know why Canada went to the trouble of naming one of its highest peaks after her.

The second one is at Lake Louise. It is such a pretty place, but so over-run with tourists, that it's not very peaceful. The Chateau Lake Louise is a very fancy and expensive hotel right on the lake. We will never stay there, but we love to go in for the show. There is a girl with the world's puffiest sleeves who plays a golden harp, and it is so funny. She plays glissando after glissando, making simple songs sound fancy, and all these Japanese people stand next to her and have their pictures taken while she plays. She just looks at the camera and keeps running her hands up and down the strings. We were all laughing, imagining Aubrey in that spot trying to keep a straight face while people snapped vacation photos of her playing her harp. Anyway, Lake Louise is beautiful, but get there early, early in the morning if you want to see the lake and not the masses of tourists.

Think Green

I have always heard that when you are trying to choose a paint color, to go look in your closet and see what colors you have there. That is a good indicator of colors you like. Here's what I found in my closet:

Cole Haan Janell slippers (my favorite Nike employee store purchase ever), A new green jacket,

and this sweater. So we decided to paint our great room a shade of olive green, a little darker than these items, but the same basic color. It was a big step away from the light-yellowish-neural color that all of our walls were painted when we built our house 6 1/2 years ago. Back then I didn't know how to diversify our palette. I didn't really care, either because we had no furniture that matched.

Our great room has 19-foot ceilings. It's a big room, and it was a big job to paint. The hardest part was masking off the crown molding, and also taking down the can lights way, way up there. Fortunately, Mark is a pro on ladders. We had to buy a 16-ft step ladder to add to our ladder collection, but that was much cheaper than paying someone else to do our paint job.

I'm exhausted, though. Mark got home from work Thursday around 5:00. We jumped right in masking things off. We stayed up until around 2:00, and still hadn't opened a paint bucket. We started painting Friday at 8:00 am with the ceiling, and moved on to the 2 walls being painted green, and finished Saturday morning around 4:30. We slept for a few hours, and started up again around 10:00 on Saturday, this time moving to the 2 big walls being painted a taupe-ish-brown color, working until past midnight. But it is done (except for a few touch-ups around the doors), and it looks amazing. I never thought I would be brave enough to go for such a dark, bold color, but I'm so glad we did. It makes me excited to try out some crazy colors when we paint the basement. I'm mostly excited that the ceilings are only 9-ft high down there. That's going to be a snap.

Aluminum Chef

So I guess there is a TV show called Iron Chef. We don't watch a whole lot of TV, and when we do it is Mythbusters, Spongebob, or Leave It To Beaver.

Our ward youth had an Iron Chef activity last week. The day before the "competion" I was asked if they could use my kitchen for one of the groups. Of course, that was fine with me. Apparently I should have watched the show first to know what that meant and what I was in for.

I showed up at the church at the appointed time, gathered with my group in a corner of the gym, while someone immitating a Japanese guy introduced the teams. I was pushed into the center of the gym to stand with the 3 other chefs, and somebody had to turn me around because I didn't know I was supposed to face them. We were presented the "secret ingredient," which was a pineapple. I was told that we would need to make as many dishes as possible using the pineapple as an igredient.

As I was standing in the square facing my opponents, I was thinking, "Crud. We just got back from vacation and I have not been to the grocery store. I didn't realize that I was supposed to be a chef, or that I would need to provide food!" But I just stood there and smiled, and then loaded 5 kids in my car to head home.

We got into the kitchen and I started thinking. I had frozen chicken, a few potatoes, a couple of apples, and a pantry full of canned food, along with the staples of flour, sugar, etc. It was sad. I felt like Wesley in the scene from The Princess Bride when he and Fezzik and Inigo Montoya are planning their castle onslaught. But instead of "what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak" I said, "What I wouldn't give for a block of cream cheese." One of my guys called his mom, who was at the grocery store anyway, and she delivered a block of cream cheese 15 minutes later.

So while other groups had chefs who had planned in advance and had things already underway, we came up with the following:

1) grilled potato, teriyaki chicken, and pineapple kabobs

2) fruit pizza (a big cookie crust with a cream cheese sauce topped with pineapple, apple slices, frozen strawberries and grapes)

3) strawberry/banana/pineapple smoothies. Fortunately I had a bunch of frozen strawberries.

An hour later we showed up at the church again to see what everyone had come up with. One group came with deep dish barbecued chicken pizza (with pineapple topping) and cinnamon rolls, another had carved into the pineapple and filled it with a yummy pineapple salsa (big points for presentation), another had some fancy rice and chicken dish served on a slice of pineapple, and some other funky things. I felt like crap. My group did not win. I am not an Iron Chef. I figured I was more like Aluminum or Manganese. But our fruit pizza was excellent, I must say.

Next time the youth have an activity based on a TV show, I will make a point of watching the show first. Oh, the things I could have done if I had actually gone to the grocery store first.

Trading spaces

We have listened for the past 2 days to the pounding of drywall going up in the basement. It already looks so different down there. I found out yesterday that our washers and dryers were shipping today, so they should be here in about 2 weeks. I need to hurry and figure out my flooring and wall colors for the laundry room so we can get that done quickly after the drywallers are finished mudding and taping next week. I have no laundry facilities right now, because EVERYTHING is out of the basement. We put a big taped X on the laundry chute doors so that nobody accidentally throws anything down into the abyss. I may whet my appetite for my new set up by going to a laundromat this week!

In the middle of this all, we decided to paint the main floor of our house this weekend. After 6 1/2 years, the walls are pretty worn. 9 people can do a number on walls. We decided to paint now, because our new furniture will be here in a couple of weeks, and we want to have it done before that comes. So as if having everything from the basement crammed into bedrooms and the main floor wasn't crazy enough, we will now have everything from the main floor in our bedroom. Since we have no bedroom furniture, it won't be too big of a deal.

Mark's aunt Judy asked me last fall what style our house was decorated in. I told her "student ecclectic, and minimalistic." Basically none of our furniture matches, and it is a total hodge-podge of various things we have purchased or been given along the 16 years we have been married. We actually bought 2 nice leather sofas 12 years ago when Mark got out of dental school, but they have seen much better days. I've scrubbed them to death. I got a very beautiful sofa of my grandmother's, which is so comfortable, but it was ONE sofa, and we have 9 people. I love it very much, and we will move it to the basement when the new couches come. Anyway, I will be happy to tell Judy next time I see her that we finally have a style, which I believe is "traditional." I'm definitely not a contemporary gal.

So after our painting project this weekend, we will paint the basement next weekend, and then get some flooring down to get some things moved back in. I'm toying with the idea of doing the tile myself. It seems like something within my abilities. Have any of you done tile? Am I dreaming? My desire to do it myself is partially fueled by my desire to create, but more so by my desire to save money.

My little buddy

Zack is figuring out this "only-kid-at-home" thing. After we dropped off the kids today, we came back home, and I said, "Zack, it's just you and me. What should we do?" He immediately ran to the cupboard in the kitchen where I keep puzzles, and shouted, "PLAY!" So we got out the puzzles and did them all. As we were doing the 4th or 5th puzzle, Zack started talking to himself (which he does a lot). He was saying, "Daddy work.....Abram at school....Aubrey at school....Jacob at school....Joel at school.....Noah at school.....Nanny at school......Zacky not at school." After puzzles, we did playdough for a while, as we listened to the lovely sounds of screw guns putting sheetrock up in the basement.

Back to school

Today I had 6 kids in school. It was very odd. Even stranger than that, is that now, and for the next 10 years or so, I will have a high-schooler, a middle-schooler, and an elementary-schooler, or some combination of all 3. Crazy. To make things a little more interesting, Abram is going to a high school not in our district, but still only 3 1/2 miles from our house. It's a fantastic school, and we are all just so happy that they accepted him as a transfer.

His school reminds me so much of my beloved Skyline High, "Fair alma mater to thee we are true, ever we praise thee, gold and the blue....." Even the same colors! Another similarity is that choir is cool there, and so is the debate team. Just like my high school.

Jake is enjoying middle school so far. He is a happy boy to be out of elementary school. Such a handsome guy, and so dang sweet. He is excited for Outdoor School coming up in just a few weeks. He has also learned the valuable skill of mowing lawns. Good times!Aubrey is tolerating her schedule. Her happiest moments at school are when she TAs for our favorite teacher ever. Our middle school has a dearth of elective options. Let's see. There's drama (again), choir(not a chance), or technology--again. Hmmmmm. I'll take TA. No foods, home ec, woodshop, metal shop, or any of those middle school staples.
Joel and Noah love their charter school, or as Noah likes to call it, their "smarter school." They were up at 4:00 this morning in anticipation of school. They couldn't wait. Joel had a special surprise for him. His wonderful 3rd grade teacher moved up to 5th grade this year, so he knew he would have her for math. But then he learned that they were actually going to take 4 4th graders and keep them in the 5th grade room most of the day, so he gets to be with his beloved sensei for this year, too.

Savanna got silly-girl stagefright when she was entering her classroom this morning. It was like she couldn't believe it was real. She just couldn't make it through the door, and she giggled nervously. Finally she went in, and her whole world changed. She is a school girl now, and she loves it.

Zack and I had a great morning cleaning bathrooms and folding laundry. We got all 4 bathrooms clean, but it took extra long because Zacky was my helper. He sure was proud of himself, though. I'm going to have to figure out a new system now that I am his whole entertainment committee.

Downsizing

It is strange to be at a point in life where we are downsizing. For so many years it was one more thing for one more kid. Zack is our Z, and so it is strange to be giving away clothes and toys that we will never need again. The crib is gone, the bouncy seat, the teething toys (the high chair is ready when you are, D)... I could go on. It is actually quite liberating to be getting rid of things rather than trying to find a place to store them.

One thing I never thought I'd be rid of was a double stroller. I had a double baby jogger which I used to take Zack and Savanna on my walk/run route, or just for a walk to the park. It was great, but it was a beast. 17 pounds of a stroller, and 70 pounds of kids inside of it. Getting out of our neighborhood was the hardest part.

Before we went to Canada, I sold the double stoller on craigslist, and purchased the single-wide version. Baby Jogger has a new Q series, which actually folds up more easily than you can even imagine. I accidentally purchased the Q rather than the regular one for my friend's baby shower group gift, but once I saw the folding in action, I knew I had to have one for myself when Savanna went back to school. Because I am cheap, I waited patiently for REI to have another "20% off of one outlet item" sale, and they had one just in time for us to get the stroller before our trip to Canada.

It's a good thing. With Savanna starting school tomorrow, I will no longer need two seats for little munchkins to accompany me on my walk. Tomorrow will be a big downsizing day. I've always had 2 or 3 (or 4 at one time) pre-schoolers with me during the day. Tomorrow Savanna goes to Kindergarten, and it's just going to be Zack and me. I am very excited.

More pics from Eifel Lake hike

When we were at the end, the view and the meadow had me singing "The hills are alive...." and then also, "I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find......" I love The Carpenters.Zacky got a break from the stroller once the trail leveled out.Savanna was the pacesetter for our hike. She did a great job of going and going and going. The lakes and rivers really are this crazy color of blue:

O, Canada!

I really like visiting Canada. Banff and Jasper National Parks are truly the most beautiful places on earth. I must say that my favorite place is still the Valley of the Ten Peaks at Moraine Lake. The ten peaks are so unbelievable, and they just all line up one right next to the other. You can't get over how amazing one mountain is, and then you realize there is another right there next to it! And in the middle of all of this the electric blue/green water of Moraine Lake.

We hiked one day to Eifel Lake which is at the far end of the amazing Valley of the Ten Peaks. It was a grueling 1 1/2 miles up steep switchbacks, and then another 2 miles along the edge of the valley to get to this lovely little lake right beneath Eifel Mountain (the 9th of 10 peaks). From Eifel Lake you look back down this beautiful valley at the peaks and the lake, with a meadow of wildflowers all around you, and really nothing could be more beautiful. Especially when people you love are in that meadow with you. I actually pushed the jogging stroller up the mountain for this hike. It was the hardest thing physically I have ever done. Here's a picture of me as I made it to the top of the steep uphill section of the hike.

We then marched along the trail to the end of the valley where we all sat down and enjoyed some much-needed water and snacks. It was unforgettable.

Just one of our adventures in Alberta. More posts to come, and many, many more pictures.

Back in the US

We're home. We had a beautiful week and a half in Alberta, Canada. I cannot believe the mountains there. It was a little cold, but we were prepared, so it wasn't bad.

I have lots of things to post, but I'm trying to catch up on laundry right now. Here's one funny thing that happened.

Savanna and Joel each got new hats in Canada. Joel used his own money to buy a really nice shearling bomber hat at a fancy leather/fur store in Banff. Savanna got a cute wool knit hat with an owl face and ears. One day as they were both wearing their new hats, I heard the following discussion:

Joel: My hat is so warm. I'm so glad I bought this hat. It is made of sheep.

Savanna: So, my hat is made of sheep, too.

Joel: My hat is leather and shearling. I mean it is actually made of sheep.

Savanna: Well, my hat is made of sheep, and sheep are made of yarn.