Your ABC's

I just copied this ABC Quiz from a link I saw on DadGoneMad.com, a girl who left this comment (censored slightly):

A Letter to my Laundry:
Dear Laundry, Quit multiplying every single time I turn off the light g**dammit. I swear to G*d, last week I had you down to nothing...NOTHING! But this week there is a 6 foot (and growing) pile in my room, flowing like a cotton river out the door and into the hall. WHAT THE H*LL??? Stop it. Just stop it. Thank you. Kristine

Man, I just said the same thing today! How do I all of a sudden have two loads EVERY DANG DAY!?!

It's time to get a little interactive with the ABC Quiz...whatayasay? In case you don't know how to do this, click on the comments, copy (Ctrl+c) and paste (Ctrl + v) this quiz into the comment box and type your own answers over mine. Then visitors to my blog can read what you wrote and leave their own info! C'mon, it'll be fun!

A is for Age – 33 3/4
B is for Booze – NEVER!
C is for Career - Domestic Goddess
D is for Dad's name - James
E is for Essential Item to Bring to a Party – my well-rested self
F is for Favorite Song(s) of the Moment – Radiation Vibe by Fountains of Wayne (an oldie!)
G is for Goof Off Thing To Do – Read, take long baths
H is for Hometown – TUCSON, ARIZONA
I is for Instrument You Play – Piano, Flute, Tin Whistle (all poorly)
J is for Jam or Jelly You Like – triple berry blender jam and currant jam
K is for Kids – Two: Adeline and Heidi
L is for Living Arrangement – Married with children, moving into self-built house in a matter of weeks!
M is for Mom's Name - Lyndi
N is for Names of Best Friends – well, at my age, the list is exhausting because I have a lot of really truly wonderful friends that are/were situational but no less significant—so chronologically, those I’m still in touch with: Susan (Siouxsie), Jeanne & Georgia B., Heidi, Erin, Tom & Adriane, and last but not least, the grandparents, Bill & Lyn
O is for Overnight Hospital Stays – Two. Childbirth…I’m good at it.
P is for Phobias – creeping things touching me, especially those that are small and furry or poisonous; also, I have a HUGE sense of personal space and I can’t help but freak out when it gets invaded too much, even by my beloveds.
Q is for Quote You Like – “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” ~Dr. Seuss
R is for Relationship That Lasted the Longest – I suppose you are asking about ROMANTIC relationships and that would have to be my husband if we are talking continuous, without “breaks”—nearly five uninterrupted years, beating my previous record of 2 yrs continuous and 10 yrs on-and-off
S is for Siblings – Counting Steps and Halves? Ready, Set, Go! Willy, Laura, Lisa, Sam, Dana, Jill, Matt, Sara, Amy, Mike, Marshall, Abby, Ryan, Rhonda, Erin, Kristi, Kelly, Kaycee
T is for Texas, ever been? – Several times, mostly passing through the panhandle—stinky Hereford, Amarillo, etc…Christmas 2002 was spent at Del Rio and San Antonio, though—lovely, place, that San Antonio
U is for Unique Trait – I believe I will one day steal Reagan’s title of Great Communicator—while his strength was speech, mine is letter-writing
V is for Vegetable You Love – Spinach or Green Beans
W is for Worst Trait – Yelling at my family, being loud/obnoxious
X is for X-rays you've had – mostly dental, unless you count ultra sounds
Y is for Yummy Food You Make – I am becoming a SALAD chef (o, the yummy salads I can make)—a great companion for my husband the Grill Master
Z is for Zodiac Sign – LIBRA

Now your turn!

From the Hive

THE BEEHIVES (in March): This is the class of girls I teach at church (two girls are missing from this picture) and they are hilarious. I read this funny article in McSweeney's today that made me think of them. Middle School is so crazy and ruthless and I can remember all the drama so clearly when I listen to them. Of course, I can't tell them that none of it will matter in, like, 6 months because I know you can't really see that far into the future at thirteen! I luv 'em to pieces!

Bringer of Light

Still on our minds...today's news.

my cherub 

No One Has Come For Her

Heidi woke up from her afternoon nap a while ago. I went in to get her and she was sitting up in the middle of my bed, smiling brightly, and she cocked her head and waved at me. My heart just about broke, looking at this roly-poly bundle of love with her halo of gold hair, rosy cheeks, angelic grin and new pearly teeth, this cherub fallen into my bed.

Then I had this thought, this illogical thought that I had a few times with Addie, too-- in a split second, I thought to myself, "This cannot be the tiny baby I had last year, this angel cannot have sprung from me...but she must be mine because, you know, I've had her the whole time and no one has come for her." Isn't that funny? I seriously have this weird time warp thing where I just look at this big ol' baby and wonder where did the time go? How did you get so big in an hour? And I always conclude that this baby must be mine because no one has come for her. Weird, my brain.

PS: Weird thing that Addie does: When she makes Heidi cry, she immediately starts singing, "Twinkle Little Star" at warp speed, a little louder than Heidi happens to be crying, a lame attempt at (a) consoling her sister and (b) saving her own hide from getting in trouble for making her sister cry in the first place.

Somewhere Down the Crazy River

It's been a busy Monday already, trying to catch up from our topsy-turvy, very somber weekend. After 11pm on Friday night, men from church called and asked for all able-bodied men to join the search for the missing boy scout on Saturday morning at 5am. He fell into the Yellowstone River about 55 miles south of us in North Yellowstone Park. We had to meet the excavator at our house and form our driveway on Saturday morning, so we didn't go with our ward, but late Saturday afternoon, my brother Matt and his family arrived from Helena--the boy's home town--to join the search. Rich came home from working on the house and went down to Gardiner with Matt while Amie and I got my house in order and headed down to the ranch to set up camp--about 15 miles closer to the action. Rich and Matt met us there, saying they would join the search in the morning after a special 7am sacrament meeting in Gardiner.

I ate dinner at the ranch, but brought the girls home to sleep and attend our own church (I was teaching ) on Sunday. Matt, Amie, Jake, and Rich got back from the search around 4pm, tired and sunburned and quiet. Amie had helped feed the 200+ search volunteers and Rich's & Matt's search party found the boy's second tennis shoe early in the day. But by Sunday evening, there was still no sign of his body.

Of course it has been heavy on all our minds. When we camped, we camped up near the quonset hut, not on the banks of the river--an obvious, unspoken effort to avoid the same fate. And at the gym this morning , all the ladies were talking about it--they got the story, shook their heads, and then it was quiet--all these moms, lifting weights and probably thinking what I had thought: what would you ever do if you lost a child? What would the river be like after that? What if you were the scout master? Who makes the call and what do they say? It's really so horrible.

It's so cliche, but it makes one's goodbyes much more careful because, as morbid as it is, every goodbye could be your last. I mean, one sends one's kids off to camp on the assumption they will be back in a week or two, sun burned and bug-bitten and exhausted. But what if they DIDN'T come home? I would at least hope out last interactions had been full of love. Ugh!--it's so sad.

So silly me--my first morning thought was, "Man, I have so much to do today to catch up!" (I would be the world's worst single mother). But I immediately felt guilty for my grumping about. I have both of my kids and my husband, safe and sound, to clean up after, and I am so grateful to have the kind of husband who gives up his rare free time to serve a family in need. No question, no complaints. I hope to be half as good a person as he is someday.

Today is the first day of Addie's Play School, so I had better get ready for 90 minutes of letters, numbers, seasons, holidays, shapes, and music! Be sure to click on the green link above and keep the Sanburg family in your prayers.

Acclimating

I am famous for whining about the weather, but this time I am whining about the heat. Last week when we got home from Utah, it was still barely reaching 60 degrees and the girls had to wear jackets to the park. It was kind of a bummer, but I thought we were in for a warm up and we'd be enjoying a few weeks of 75 degree weather in no time.

Only a week later, Rich and I were taking the girls out to lunch and we were SO HOT! I told him to take the girls to McDonald's because they have an indoor play place and they wouldn't get all sweaty and dirty. And then we laughed and I said, "What has happened to me? It's probably 80 degrees and I am cryin' about it! I don't think I could ever live in Southern Arizona again!"

WHAT!?! Did I say...? Yep, the heat made me blaspheme the desert!

I felt a little better when I watched the news that night--it was about 102 degrees in Billings and 94 in Livingston, so that made me feel a little less whimpy. Besides, we didn't get a "run-up" the the 90's--I mean, it was cold and then it was hot. NICE... Not. And It's still dusk outside at 10pm! But not for long, since Tuesday was officially the longest day of the year.

I checked weather.com and it said that Tucson, like Billings, was 102 degrees last Tuesday. Hmm. And Livingston's average temperature for this time of year is 75 degrees, so at least there is hope that the 90's won't last too long!

And finally, there is sad, sad summer news: the city has shut down the fabulous FREE wading pool in Sacajawea Park (because there is no lifeguard--dang that liability stuff!) In like 40 years, nobody has even been hurt or drowned there, I don't get it. We are officially bummed and now we have to go buy a wading pool for our future backyard (rumor has it that we will be moving in around July 18th...I'll believe it when I see it!)

SACAJAWEA WADING POOL, R.I. P.

We "Heart" Nicole

Nicole and her sister are great babysitters for a lot of reasons--they play games, they clean up, the girls love them-- but the best reason might be that Nicole makes great chocolate chip cookies (with Addie's help, of course!) Thanks for all your help, Nicole and Moriah! You are fabulous babysitters! Look at Addie and Heidi gobbling up those cookies...

Heidi: "You ate yours ALREADY!?" 

Cookie Monster! 

DRUNK ON CHOCOLATE! 

Solstice

This is a photo taken Halloween 1971, also known as the day I was blessed. That's my Grandma Lyn, my Great Grandma Marie, me, and my Mom, Lyndi. "Gramaree" would have been 93 today (I think--she has been gone 9 years now). Her birthday makes the Summer Solstice special.

Water Girls

Our family took a summer job caring for the yard of one of our insurance customers. Sometimes we mow and groom on Monday nights for our Family Home Evening activity. It was so hot yesterday, we thought the girls would enjoy running through the sprinklers. Boy, did they! They were adorable.

Daddy (taking a break from mowing) tries to get Heidi to play in the water. 

Addie...my waterbaby! 

Heidi...not sure she likes the sprinkler. 

Addie figured out that she could aim the sprinkler and terrorize Heidi! 

Heidi was so proud that she could carry the ball around! 

Here's the three of us after lots of Family Home Evening water fun! 

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY: June 18, 1971 in Wurzburg, Germany

...Richard Thomas Melin was born!! Look at him! Even as a toddler, he was a man with a mission, workin' hard even in a shirt and tie!

...And look at him now at 34! He's got three girls and a new house to wrangle and he does it with grace and the patience of Job. Seriously, I thought he was a pretty neat guy when I married him, but I had no idea (a) that he knew how to make or fix just about ANYTHING IN THE WORLD (b) that he could put up with extremes like me pregnant, rowdy primary kids, or two-faced back stabbers in our build--he is patient and kind and guiless and I want to grow up to be like him! or (c) that, with the birth of our two girls, he would become the most loving, involved, doting daddy that ever lived. We are all so blessed by him--thanks, honey, for all you do and are! Happy Birthday and Father's Day!

Photographic record of our first-ever BBQ at our new house--Rich had painted Angie's doors a few days before, so they are lining our garage. He is grilling brats and dogs to feed the workers on Saturday--HIS BIRTHDAY! 

Uncle Mike, Heidi, Rich, and Aunt Angie enjoy some BBQ in the middle of Saturday's work. Mike was helping Angie and Davy install their slate floors across the street. 

Just so you get the whole layout, here are our floor plans. 

There's our front door from the dining area. 

Here are Addie and Cousin Danny playing cars in the guest bedroom, which is on the front corner of the house. To the left is the Living Room and to the right is the bathroom. 

As you come up the stairs, you face the door to the garage, where we painted this. 

Looking across the basement family room into the girls' room. The stairs and the Laundry room are to the left and Addie's princess easel is set up in her room to keep her busy while we work. 

This is looking into the closet and bathroom in our bedroom in the basement. You can see my carpeted bench in the closet and the yet-to-be-tiled frame for the jacuzzi tub in the bathroom (we will probably wait to finish the bathroom after we move in). 

Silly Cousins!

Nana cooked us all a yummy taco dinner on Saturday night (6/4). Here are some cousins on Will's back deck sharing chips.