Wednesday, May 29, 2019

21st Wedding Anniversary!

Celebrated 21 years of wedded bliss—a month early! We went to St. Helena—just north of Napa. Thanks to my 17 and 15-year-olds for watching the younger kids—including picking up everyone on their last days of school!




Dinner at the Culinary Institute of America’s Gatehouse Restaurant (St. Helena, CA location).



Only have one picture—but the tastes!!!! I cannot display that on a blog!!! If you are ever in Sonoma or Napa counties—you must try it!!!!! Gourmet four-course meal at a fraction of the cost. We savored every course—such layers of flavor!!! Masterpieces!!! (Our favorites were the tomato tartar, wild boar, and beer-braised halibut with beets).


We spent all day Friday at BottleRock! There were over 75 performers for the three-day weekend but we just attended Friday’s. We heard Shannon Shaw, Flora Cash, Vintage Trouble, Neon Trees, Jenny Lewis, AJR, One Republic, The War and Treaty, and Imagine Dragons. (Imagine Dragons was why we went, one of the few bands my husband has actually heard of and likes. But he ended up enjoying OneRepublic more).



(Neon Trees)

(AJR)

(OneRepublic)

(Imagine Dragons)

(Imagine Dragons, center stage)


Saturday we enjoyed sleeping in—til 9:30am!!! What?!? I know—never happens!

Then we ate a hearty breakfast and then picked up our electric bike rentals. Those made riding 15 or so miles, on bumpy, hilly terrain, that much more awesome. 



(Views of Napa county)

(We spotted #4’s dream house—great views + an orange exterior!)

(Lake Hennessy).


It was a wonderful few days away, doing things that we don’t often do, as well as doing things that we often do ;-). Hooray for 21 years with my amazing husband!!!

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Owie week

I don’t like to post embarrassing or ugly pictures of people but I had to do this one.



My poor baby! #6 had a high fever on Saturday and Sunday. That was her only symptom. Til she showed us her upper right gum where there was a large abscess!! 

We took her to the dentist on Monday and x-rays revealed a broken tooth reeking havoc in her mouth!! The same tooth on her left side had a cavity and the dentist informed us that was probably what had happened on the right—a cavity gone bad!

Poor gal endured numbing and yanking of a nasty tooth—not too mention the gross-tasting gels and goop needed to numb, cleanse, and make impressions (for a spacer). 

Magically fever is now gone. And she is feeling much better!

Monday, May 6, 2019

Baptism?

We baptized our eight-year-old autistic son this past week. In our religion we baptize individuals when they are at least eight-years-old because at age eight children understand right and wrong. We do not baptize children younger than age eight, and usually not individuals with severe mental impairments since we do not know their capacities of knowing and choosing right from wrong [my son fits this description]. 

My husband said a prayer, beforehand, which really flooded the room with the Holy Spirit. My husband’s words reflected my thoughts, that our intent was not to make mockery of the sacredness of baptism, by baptizing someone who probably doesn’t need to be baptized. But, that our greatest desire is to have our son with us for eternity and we wanted to do all we can for him to make it so.

Our eldest child, serving a mission in Uruguay, was able to get permission from her zone leaders to stay up late and video call in and “be there“ for the baptism. So precious!

My special son had his fingers in his ears almost the whole time because the echoey sound of the baptism font and the low buzzing sound from the fluorescent lights was irritating to him. But he did go in and my husband, a faithful priesthood holder, was able to baptize him with one try. My son loves water but has never liked having to dunk his head under.

Here is the little slideshow we made for the occasion and to reflect on our time, thus far, with our precious son. I still don’t know why we have this lifelong trial but I do know that God carries me often and His son, Jesus Christ, will one day return to earth and heal all of us.