MOTHERS DAY WEEKEND

Joyful moments experienced over the course of the last three days.

Karamea arrived on Thursday to help me feed 40 soccer boys.
Ammon and the DHS soccer boys took Region in 4A soccer.
We planted a garden!
Lunch and Jane Eyre with Auntie Rubina.
Hamilton on the soccer field.
Breakfast in bed by Hamilton.
Two hour conversation with Isaac.
Rakai on the grill.
Strawberries and ice cream for dessert.
Jasmine tea and planet earth.
Send email to Isaac...bedtime.

Motherhood is my life.

MIDNIGHT ROSE RAID

"Hey mom, I think I'll go into the neighborhood around 1:00 in the morning and get a few roses," says Ammon jokingly.  My reply, "umm probably not Ammon."  But this is what my kitchen table looked like this morning.  I used to go on midnight raids in the Calgary summers and help myself to the neighbors peas and carrots, so I guess I can't be too mad.  

I'm too old to stay up as late as my children do.  I'm always first in bed.  I think it was around 11:20 when I seem to have heard Ammon waking up his sleeping brother.  "Come on Asa we're gonna go steel some stuff."  Okay, you have to know Ammon to even think that is funny.  I might have smiled in my sleep.  

Hamilton explained the expedition.  Asa did not get up so it was just the two of them.  Ammon was the driver while Hamilton did the dirty work.  They pulled up to the house and so as not to draw attention to the car, Hamilton climbed in and out the window.  Apparently they do not know there is a dome light button that will turn off the inside lights.  The entire back seat was covered with roses as Hamilton just threw them in while Ammon sped off in the getaway car.  I opened the car door to take Hamilton to school and, betcha can guess, yep rose pedals everywhere with a heart shape on the seat.  The car smelled wonderful.  Hamilton pointed out the victim rose bushes while I drove him to school.  Sorry neighbors.  

After school on the way to soccer practice and in a totally different neighborhood Hamilton had his eye out for rose bushes.  "Oh my, that's the jackpot house," he said.

The whole thing makes me smile.  My boys are the most creative children.  But my advice to anyone else...you should definitely not do this for your mother.

Happy Mother's Day to all my dearest friends and family.    

CATCHING UP

Between work and children there is little time for blog posting.  I love being a mom...the work part I can do without.  Well, it is work being a mom but it's the greatest work on earth.  The other work I am talking about is the survival kind.  We do it cause we have to.

I spent last weekend in Salt Lake with Rakai and Karamea.  It was the weekend of the Salty Streets Flea Market, created by Karamea, and she was immersed in pneumonia.  Rakai and I drove up to help her and stayed til late Sunday night.

This was an interesting place to spend my Sabbath day.  Karamea has chosen to include a different sort of crowd in her circle of influence. She created the Salty Streets Flea Market so they would have someplace to sell their recycled art.  I was surrounded by tatoos, body piercings and crazy hair all day.  Not to mention the flow of people coming from the Gay Pride Festival.  It was a lot to handle but I did it for Karamea.  Sometimes mothers have to step out of their comfort zones.  I love you Karamea.  And I admire that you choose to associate with and accept all kinds of people.  Just remember who you are and allow your inner convictions to touch the souls of everyone.

Two days later I was on my way to Cedar City for the Utah Summer Games.  Ammon, Asa and Hamilton were each scheduled to play.  I was the only parent that could go so I decided to get a room and stay in Cedar.  The alternative would've been enduring 15 games and living out of my car for 4 days.  Not a good option.  I'm feeling really good that I managed to watch a portion of 13 of those games.  I missed two because of scheduling conflicts...which was not my fault since I'm not in charge of the scheduling. This year we came home with 2 bronze medals and 1 gold.  Utah Summer Games...it's become a tradition.  As long as I have boys that play soccer and as long as we are in Utah, we will be at the Utah Summer Games.

One week after Salty Streets Flea Market.  It is a peaceful Sunday morning.  The boys sleep and I am catching up.  Karamea called late last night.  The pneumonia is clearing but she has pluracy as a result of the coughing.  She ended up in the emergency room.  There is nothing worse than feeling helpless when my children are suffering.   


Pneumonia at the Salty Streets Flea Market, 3 medals at the Utah Summer Games...it has been a week of highs and lows.  The sorrows of motherhood are always overshadowed by the joys.           

MOTHERS DAY!

A quick picture after church.  Karamea honored me by wearing my favorite color.  It's been a good day.

I've known for a week that Isaac was going to call at 10am.  I woke up early, made breakfast for everyone then waited for his call.  Isaac's friends James and Corbin came over to talk to him too.  We talked for two hours.  I think the hardest part of the separation is not talking to him whenever we want.  He's doing great though.  Check out his blog for the details.

I've said it before and I still feel the same, motherhood is the part of my life I like best.  To my children - Rakai, Karamea, Isaac, Ammon, Asa and Hamilton.  Love you so much, you are my joy.

MISS THIS

A long time ago in another lifetime I was a seamstress.  I stitched matching dresses for Karamea and I to wear to church and other special occasions.  I created window coverings, quilts, quiet books, pajamas, cute little heart garlands, Christmas ornaments and so on.  I miss those days.  I miss strolling through endless isles of fabric bolts, glancing through pattern books, piecing quilts and watching an outfit come together one stitch at a time.

I have my dad to thank for my sewing obsession.  Way back when I was fourteen ,in the days when they actually had funding to teach great things in school, dad made sure sewing was on my class list.  Grade nine through grade twelve, I took sewing.

It was about 5:00 this evening when I was just finishing up at work, Hamilton called.  "Mom, I need a flag for my school project."  My reply, "great, when do you need it by."  The shocking response from a very quiet voice on the other end of the phone, "tomorrow."  

Ummm, thanks to months of meditation I was able to keep my thoughts to myself and calmly say, "okay I'll work on that after I start dinner and laundry."  Thirty minutes later I was on the way home from work but not until I stopped to pick up Asa from basketball practice.

While preparing dinner Hamilton and Ammon searched for some old clothes I could use to cut and create a flag.  Dinner is over, laundry is in the process, the flag is complete.

And I miss being a mom.   

CUT THE STRING

As I type my children are in the other room playing a game. They converse, they laugh, they enjoy being together and the aroma of a Sunday night treat is in the air. I write with mixed emotion and consider my future.

Rakai booked his one way ticket to New Zealand last week. He leaves November 30. With Isaac leaving for his mission and Karamea in Salt Lake my household will feel drastically diminished come December.

Magnificent motherhood memories surf the waves of my brain. Walking through the park... pushing them on the swing...stitching matching dresses for me and Karamea...bedtime stories...Rakai loved Little Black Sambo...butterfly kisses...bikerides...hiking in Zion...laundry for the masses...soccer games...piano and violin recitals...songs of delight...puddle stomping...Redwood Trees...Door of Faith Orphanage...ocean breezes and orange sunsets...

This list is endless...

I treasure motherhood it is my joy and my priviledge. The greatest of any of my blessings.

SATURDAY MORNING

THE SOUNDS
Regae on Pandora

THE SMELLS
French Toast on the grill

THE SIGHTS
Blue skies and sunshine

THE TOUCH
Everything that goes with fixing breakfast

THE TASTE
Peaches and Creme on French Toast

It's quiet and peaceful as I make breakfast for all my sleeping men.
And when they wake
SOCCER
and
SATURDAY SURPRISES

WHAT SHE SAID

Karamea's blogpost explains Tuesday and Wednesday of my week. Except she failed to mention what it cost me...more than just a whole lot of love. But at least now I know she is comfortable in her little loft apartment 300 miles from home.

In the last couple of days I have been reminded that downtown Salt Lake in the spring is a beautiful place. There are so many memories there.

Then we went to Provo to watch Dixie play soccer. Uggh! The game was great until some kid on the opposing team decided he didn't like Isaac. Can you say injured at minute 25 and out for the rest of the game? It was awful and even more so because I am his mom and there was nothing I could do. I really wanted to go punch the kid and then go punch his dad.

The Deseret News describes the game like this but they failed to mention Isaac's injury and the fact that Provo would've lost if not for their violent behavior.

JOY FILLS MY SOUL

My Mother's Day morning has been spent looking through files of photos. I selected only a few to share in a slide show. These pictures bring joy to my soul and a smile to my face. I am blessed.

Happy Mother's Day to me and to everyone who has a mother.

ARE THE LIGHTS ON

It's late. I got just back from Walmart. I've been driving around in the car almost this whole night. Asa to soccer - Hamilton for a haircut - Ammon from work - Hamilton to scouts - Ammon for a haircut - pick up Asa - Asa to piano - home to make dinner - pick up Asa - boys to the gym - myself to tanning - Asa home - pick up the boys - stop at Walmart.

We got to Walmart and Isaac went inside. I found a parking space up front but it was under the light so I put my sunglasses on. I totally forgot they were on my face and as I pulled out into the road I said, "why are the lights not on?" The lights are normally on auto so they shut off and on by themselves. I don't usually ever have to touch the dial.

I'm driving down the road looking for the light dial and when I find it I just start turning it back and forth. Ammon says, "Mom you are scaring the people." And then I realize...I'm wearing my sunglasses.

Oh my gosh...that was soooo funny...and I am sooooo tired...

FABRIC

Once, in another lifetime, I used to sew. Fabric was a weakness to me like shoes are a weakness to some. Last year, when we moved, I donated boxes of fabric to charity. Sad thought. Yesterday I took Asa to the St. George Library. They have mini quilts on display in the showcase.

I miss fabric. I miss sitting at my sewing machine creating dresses for Karamea and quilts for whatever. Children at my feet munching on snacks to pacify their hunger while I just kept on sewing. Sewing into the wee hours as if sleep was unimportant.

I have my father to blame for this. He insisted on Home Economics in High School. Learning to sew was absolutely essential. He didn't really care about my other classes as long as I learned how to sew. Mom didn't drive. Always supportive of my sewing class, dad and I would spend hours in the fabric store thumbing through pattern books and picking out fabric and notions. Sewing is my lost passion.

I miss that other lifetime...

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

THE SOCCER MOM REPORT
The 2008 Utah Summer Games are over for us. Four players, four days and eighteen games later the boys have obtained 3 medals. Isaac and Ammon each have a gold and Asa a bronze. Hamilton did his best but they are young and in the learning stages. It was exhausting and we are all sunburned.

THE KCSG REPORT
The interview with Colin Raye was awesome. He was very cordial as were his manager and everyone around him. KCSG personnel did a fabulous job and I am happy with how things turned out for KCSG's part in the opening social and ceremonies of the 2008 Utah Summer Games.

Wanna know more - check out this website - http://utahsummergames.org/

As for Sunset on the Square...HUGE SUCCESS! There were at least 500 people in the town square. It was tons of fun and a perfect June evening under the stars. Next movie is Independence Day on June 27. KCSG and Spinners are giving away a Scooter. That one should be an explosive time!

The Mom Report
Today is Father's Day and the first Sunday home for Ra. Actually everyone is home together and it's a strange sensation. I prepared a celebration meal for all of us - the first time in more than a year. The house is more chaotic and noisey. There is always loads of laundry and dishes in the sink. Someone is always in the kitchen eating. I'm not exactly sure how I will stay on top of it all.

This is motherhood in a whole new way.

THE MOTHERHOOD PROJECT

Motherhood – The act of nurturing human beings and building healthy, caring human relationships.

With a definition such as that, I would ask, is there anything more important?

In our view, society’s dismal failure to value mothers and mothers’ work is inextricably linked to the fact that every facet of our lives is dominated by “bottom line” thinking and market values. Quite simply, the United States values market work — the production of goods and services and profit-making — much more that it values care work — the nurture of human beings.

We are working to transform the culture so that the values that are dominating our lives — radical individualism, consumerism, relentless work, the quest for material success — yield ample room for care, connectedness, stewardship, and other values necessary for raising healthy, caring, ethical human beings.

In our search for solutions to value and empower mothers, we favor measures that give mothers choices and flexibility. We oppose “one-size-fits-all” solutions. We favor policies that enable mothers to choose different paths based on what they deem best for themselves and their children and families. We favor policies that enable fathers as well as mothers to spend more time with children.

With regard to activities or technologies that raise threats to the health and well-being of children (activities such as advertising and marketing to children and certain new bio-technologies and cyber-technologies), we seek to preserve the dignity and integrity of children.

Guardian Angels

Today I think about guardian angels and the peace I have felt over the last 9 months as Isaac has traveled internationaly on his Rotary Exchange. He has returned back to Germany after 10 days in Italy and for most of those 10 days I did not have contact with him. As a mother of a traveling 17 year old son I felt nothing but peace knowing that my son was safe and protected by angels.

I am thankful for guardian angels who protect and for children who are in tune enough to be inspired.