Curse you & your sentimental songs, Don Henley!

I did pretty well today. James' party was so very fun.
Q: But how do I know I am still "on the edge"?
A: When Don Henley on the radio sends me to sobs. Don Freaking Henley.

On the way home from the ranch tonight, Heidi and I listened to this and I cried:

Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by
When "happily ever after" fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly
But I know a place where we can go
That's still untouched by man
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass wave in the wind
You can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around
Offer up your best defense
This is the end
This is the end of the innocence...
So who knows how long this will last
Now we've come so far, so fast
But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say good bye
Lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around
Offer up your best defense
This is the end
This is the end of the innocence.
***

I will say that I am glad it was The End of the Innocence and not this one, cuz this one slays me every single time (most recently while swimming with my children at the water park last month).

From James, this morning

James: Why do you feel sad?
Me: Because I'm gonna miss Papa Bill
James: He died. He went back to Heavenly Father.
Me: Yep. His spirit is with Heavenly Father, but we will have to go put his body in the ground next week, and that will make me sad because I will miss visiting him.
James: (totally excited & animated) But he's gonna come back alive...Jesus is gonna help him!
Me: Yep, but we have to wait a while for that. And while we're waiting, I will miss my Grandpa. But he won't be sick or itchy anymore, isn't that so great?
James: And he will feel better in his big brown chair and he will talk to me and play with me!

***

James, Papa, and the big brown chair from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

I am so thankful for little baby testimonies.
That "big brown chair" is mighty empty today!

Goodbye, My Grampy

Arthur William Elrey, Jr.

Grandpa Bill

29 March 1925 --- 2 September 2010

It's a Wonderful Life!

There just aren't words.
I thought I was ready, but I miss him already.

"give me these moments back--give them back to me..."

Zucchini Boats

'Tis the season for zucchini recipes, so here's one I made up tonight...



Zucchini Boats


Ingredients

a chug of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 slice of onion, chopped
4 Mild Italian Sausages (remove casing)-OR- 1 lb ground meat (turkey would be great)
1 huge zucchini (mine was 2' long and 3" around) or 4 regulars
1 c sliced button mushrooms
Italian Herbs Seasoning, Johnny's Magic Seasoned Salt
2 roma tomatoes
grated parmesan cheese (you know, in the green shaker bottle)
1 c grated mozzarella
medium frying pan
baking sheet or pan covered in foil
***

chop your garlic and onion
heat oil in pan, then sautee garlic & onion til translucent
add meat and break it apart as it browns and sprinkle with about 2ts Italian seasoning
meanwhile, slice your zucchini in half lengthwise, then "gut it": hold knife at an angle and remove the pulp and seeds, leaving about 1/4" of pulp on the skin, forming a "boat."
chop the zucchini pulp into cubes and add to the frying pan with meat, etc. *
add mushrooms to the pan, stirring til everything is tender; sprinkle and stir in about 2Tb of Parmesan cheese (then drain fat if necessary)
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Pour sauteed mixture into zucchini boats, then top with cubed tomatoes and mozzarella cheese (I added a shake of Johnny's seasoned salt and some lemon pepper and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning at this point just to give the zukes some flavor--I recommend having the big Costco Shakers of these seasonings, plus the onion, garlic, Taco, Ranch, and cinnamon shakers--it's so nice to have those staples!). [keep reading below--->]

Bake at 350 til the cheese is bubbly...serve with french bread & olive oil (or garlic butter).

Bon Apetit!

*one could add chopped bell peppers here for more color & vitamins if one's husband didn't get terrible heartburn from bell peppers. I bet it's delicious!

First Day of School

I hear angels singing...it's the hallelujah chorus! The girls started school again today: Addie in 3rd grade, Heidi in 1st grade [James is on the waiting list for pre-school still, so we'll keep doing home/ co-op school til he gets in]. Last night, when we'd only been home from Utah for about 22 hours, we had Gram & Gramp Melin over for a German dinner and Family Night. For family night, we talked about President Hinckley's "Be's" and unveiled our motto for the year: We talked about helping each other finish what we start and do our best, and then Rich gave each of the children a Father's blessing with his dad. It was sweet and everybody was asleep a little after 8pm. We had more rain and it was cold outside (46 degrees), so it felt like fall!
Here we are arriving at Winans School this morning at 8:15am.
[Addie, ?, Heidi, James, and Daddy]

Addie and Heidi
[notice that Heidi got a good road rash and lost a tooth while we were in Utah]

Sisterpals!

"Can we go yet? The bell is gonna ring!"

Heidi meeting friends and lining up...

"Reunited and it feels so good!"

Sweet little first graders!

Addie's class had already gone in when we walked her to her door...

Here she is taking her seat, excited to see her friends.

***

It has been a wonderfully quiet morning, I've been editing and organizing photos, doing laundry, playing with James...I love being the mom of these rad kids and I'm excited for this school year!

Our Utah Trip

[BUT FIRST...in case you missed this on facebook...]

NOW, back to UTAH...Kids in the car near the UT-ID border on I-15

***

We got super lucky because Uncle Jess (Rich's bro who lives in Florida but develops wind farms all over the US) was in SLC for ONE day, and it was the day we we drove down from MT! We met him for dinner in downtown SLC.
Before dinner, we took a walk to stretch our legs (and our wallets at The Body Shop sale...I scored some new pink grapefruit body wash and lotion) at the Gateway.



It was a VERY hot day in SLC, so we let the kids get soaked in the fountain...

Heidi got the wettest (of course).

James didn't want to get wet, but Addie "helped" him.

SPLASH!
***

We went to the car and changed into dry clothes, then we went to dinner at Tucano's Brazilian Grill...YUM! The gang with Jess

The gang with me

***

After dinner we caught the trolley and rode over to temple square. It was so calm and beautiful!

We got to visit the Christus statue

Heidi, Addie, Rich, James, and Jess looking at Jesus with T-Square in the background
***

We took the train back to Gateway and said goodbye to Uncle Jess, and headed down to the Phillips' home in Eagle Mountain where we were staying. I didn't take any pictures of our kind hosts, Rita and Geoff--SAD!--but we had such a nice time there! On Friday morning, we went to Aunt Jill's hair school to get hair cuts, then we did a little thrift shopping, stopped by Mom & Mark's house, and headed up to South Fork Park for a picnic with the Buchert Clan.
(We had a blast with The Tribe)

Heidi at the park sign.

Rich bought James a set of little construction machines as an early bday gift while we were getting our haircut and he was OBSESSED with them the rest of the trip, bless his heart. Addie happily returned the favor of all the times he played Barbie's with her and she played with him at the park while we waited for our friends to arrive.

Such a boy...I LOVE IT!

The girls wanted to show off thier new hair do's...

Heidi

Addie

Heidi checking out the mountains around Provo Canyon

more playing in the dirt

more posing...Sweet Adeline
***

Eventually our dear ones arrived and I was surprised to see Baby Sam Egan...

he's 13 now! Sam is my dear Heidi's ("Big Heidi") oldest child and only son.

This little doll-baby is Helena Ruth--RUTHIE--Heidi's baby girl.

I kept remembering that Heidi told me Ruthie's sisters called her "Hen-on-a-roof" when she was born. So cute!

Gathering for a blessing on the food

[clockwise from bottom: Jeanne, Grandfather Buchert, Papa Rodriguez, Oma Buchert, Maggie, Sam, Amy, Chris [they go together], Heidi, Elijah, and a sliver of Rob]

Digging in

[Grandfather, Maggie, Chris, Heidi, Elijah, Ellen, Geo, Anna, Rob, Johanna, Me]

James' new trucks were a big hit.

Finn, James, Ruthie and Josie playing in the dirt

James & Josie

The kids used charcoal from the fire pit to draw these amazing pictures

[Finn, Heidi, James, Addie]

Maggie, Heidi, James, and Scout

[Scout and Finn belong to Johanna; Maggie is Heidi's 2nd child]

"Little Heidi" and Josie are 18 days apart.

Heidi and Georgia were telling me all about a groovy website called "Knock-Off Wood."
I look dorkily excited.

The Two Heidi's

(remember this?)

James & Josie

***

We had a beautiful night with the Bucherts et al, and then we stopped by the Petersens to swap cousins. Addie slept over with Ally & Belle & Ben. We took Jack with us to sleep over with Heidi and James at Phillips'. SO FUN! On Saturday Rich did some yard-saling with his buddy Jeff Spalding, then we went back to Petersens to swap kids--we left Jack & Heidi & Ben with my BIL and took the girls with me and Jill to do some school shopping while Rich went to lunch with Jeff. When we got back to Petersen's, Heidi was goofing around riding Ben's little bike and she crash-landed on her face and scraped up her knee. She had a mild concussion and couldn't remember the wreck, but she seemed better an hour later. We went to AF Hospital to visit my mom in ICU--she looked really good and we had a good visit. She should be going home later today. After the hospital, we headed up to SLC to Martin & Becca Buchert's house for a potluck/family dance.

Scout, Anna, Daffoldil, Heidi, and Finn playing with the ipad.

Note the tragic road rash.

Martin & Becca have a trampoline...it was a big hit. I don't think James ever got off!

I love this photo of him mid-air, with Ruthie and Addie.

Picnic time!

{Clockwise from top: Jeanne, me, Georgia, Heidi, Becca, Johanna with Finn, Jacob & Anna [they go together]}

Martin & Andy overseeing the festivities

Jumping Beans!

Ruthie, Heidi, Scout, James, Addie, Josie

The Family Dance kicked off with some limbo.

Our Fine Host showed us how it's done...Go, Martin!

Daffodil looks pretty daunted by the limbo stick!

(Geo and Addie held it up)

James, Heidi, and Ruthie (in a new dress), still jumping

Johanna looks exasperated with her kids--Finn and Scout are so cute!

[and I couldn't help noticing Johanna's AWESOME jeans and belt]

Rich did an awesome limbo tuck-n-roll!

Jacob and Anneleise are engaged...so they limbo'ed together

Heidi and Rich take a breather

Heidi lost a tooth on Friday, before the bike wreck.

I love this picture of Martin dancing with his girls. Daffodil looks super into it, and Anna looks so sweet over his shoulder.

Oh, my...there is much to comment on here. Mostly I love how Eden and Maggie (lower left corner) and Anneleise are all doing the same move.

Georgia raised the roof with some White Stripes

[[[ASIDE: do these fotos remind you of this?...]]]

[Village of the Damned, 1995]

The Two Heidis Dancing

Rob (far right) acts as a responsible eldest sibling and shows the kids how to boogie.

[Sam, Annie, Martin's legs, Heidi, Jeanne, Eden, Becca, Maggie, Rob]

***

As the evening wound down, we thought we should replicate our glam session photo from 1992, sans the glam, of course...

Remember this?

Here we are, 18 years later.

In living color!

Jamie, Jeanne, and Heidi =BFF!

Grossing Jeanne Out.

another attempt...mi amigas lindas!

I promised Heidi I wouldn't post this when Rich said, "Wait, Heidi looks tarded in that one," but I couldn't resist. Plus, how cute is Addie right there?

We had SO. MUCH. FUN.

Note Little Heidi being crazy here, and the addition of Heidi's sparkly little niece, Scout.

***

Oh, it was hard to leave that party. I love the tribe so much, and there were so many unfinished conversations. I wanted to talk to Anna about her wedding plans and life in Hawaii, to Joh about her recent move to SLC and life after Africa, to Heidi about every little thing--daily life, motherhood, marriage, being the bishop's/doctor's wife, etc., and Georgia and Jeanne and Becca, too. But the night slipped away and we'll have to catchup electronically (although it is my new mission to lure Martin and Becca up on a little family vaycay). I hope to visit Heidi in upstate New York VERY soon.

***

On Sunday morning, we got up early and cleaned up, said good by to Rita and Geoff, stopped to say goodbye to cousins, and hit the road around 11:30am. We took a couple of breaks along the way, the quickest and most refreshing being this one near a spring just over the Montana-Idaho border on Hwy 20...we were 2 hours from home.

James, Heidi, Addie at the spring.

Thank you, Bucherts/Egans/Smiths, for all the fun, and to The Phillips for the accomodations.

We love & miss you all!XO