A new month - but the same old look!

I will be here until the 7th - so the old blog will just have to look like it hasn't been updated!!

I'm off to DC for the weekend - Hannah and Robbie say they have lots of fun stuff planned - I know there's a baptism of one of their Cub Scouts on Sunday!!

I will try to remember to take photos!!

"Here we are together, together, together . . ."

I am getting into a rhythm here at Matt and Eliza's. It's good to know I'm not inflexible and set in my ways. (Don't say anything if you know me well!!)

I was thinking of "snapshots" of life here - ones I don't have literal snapshots for:

Ida singing "Happy Birthday day to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Ida, Happy Birthday to you," as she stands at the sink washing her hands. (Her mom tells her to sing Happy Birthday so she will wash long enough for it to make a difference.)

Theo opening the mailbox - with a key - on our daily mail run.

The statue of a little girl reading in the midst of a lovely, overgrown flower garden that we see when we go on our daily mail run. (I need to take a photo it.)

Collecting "rocks" on our daily playground runs.

Swatting insects - this lush greeness comes with a price!

Snuggling with Theo on the couch - he starts by scooting next to me and then putting is arm through mine!! This little guy could grow into a heartbreaker!

Ida's supreme independence - her tenacity will indeed hold her in good stead as the years go by.

The way baby Lars melds into your frame as you cuddle him. He is a sweet, mellow boy - may he stay that way!!

Seeing how well and carefully Eliza cares for her family. She was always a thorough and thoughful child - and now she's a thorough and thoughtful adult.

"Daddy's home!!" as Matt arrives each evening. He is a gem - the kids seem to know that!

I do miss Harry and the drier clime of SoCal, but I would not want to have missed this opportunity to be here! I'm willing to pay the price!

I'm off to stitch up an apron or two - it's just not a Grannybabs visit if I don't make at least one apron!

What's going on around here

The weather has been very nice - even cool at times. So we have been enjoying outings to the local playgrounds. Matt and Eliza live very close to at least 5 places to go swing, slide, climb, generally get the wiggles out!!

Baby Lars is mostly just growing and getting cuter by the minute!! He weighs 9 lbs. 9 oz. now and got a shot today!!

It has been fun to see Hannah and Robbie and share meals and conversation. We don't do much, but it sure seems like we are having a fine time!



Some Saturday morning movie time for the kidlets - they like to bring their "stuff" downstairs when they watch DVD's.

Theo is taking right to his new job as a big brother to a little brother.

And me? I'm getting good at snatching naps, fielding fusses, remembering where things go and what day is trash day!

We are indeed having a fine time together!

Out with the old, in with the new!

Got a photo from Harry on my phone today - but can't figure out how to get it on this computer here at Eliza and Matt's - and it was of our refrigerator - and it was empty - totally empty. I texted him back, "What's this?" I was pretty sure he wasn't spending the morning cleaning the fridge - and we have a frost-free freezer, so you never see our freezer empty and non-cold looking!

Turns out our fridge died!! We will need a new one.

So I guess I will have a surprise when I get home!!

Hi-jinks in the basement!

I am here in Virginia - enjoying some respite from the heat and humidity by hunkering down in the basement with the kidlets. (Actually, the heat has been quite bearable - the mornings are gray and overcast - kind of like June Gloom in LA but without the chill.)

Theo and Ida are a playful duo. Right now they are playing "school." I remember playing school - I'm sure it's a universal kind of phenomenon. We played "church" too - made our own flanneboards - my dream was to be standing in front of a group telling a flannel board story!

I am enjoying the routine of repeating tasks like breakfast, brushing teeth, getting dressed, cleaning up, making messes and more cleaning up!! There is comfort in routine, a feeling that "all's right with the world" to quote Robert Browning.

I need to feel that way about the daily routine at school - somehow it's not quite as comforting - feels more "tedious." (Maybe because I don't ultimately see the resulting growth, as the kids move on to other teachers and other schools.)

Time for me to get dressed and get on with the day's routine!!

Father's Day Wrap-up

I think this photo is from Thursday night. Or maybe Friday. At any rate, Eliza is looking and feeling good!

Father's Day is drawing to a close here on the East Coast. We have spent a quiet day at home. Theo and Matt went to church, but Ida is a bit under the weather - in fact she had to see the doctor this a.m. for some anti-biotics - so we girls stayed home and kept Lars company!

Hannah and Robbie came over for dinner - Robbie did the grilling honors. I cut up watermelon and made a main dish. Hannah set a pretty table and brought flowers too!

Theo kept Robbie company outside.

It's always fun to see the duo. Hannah is an assistant camp director, so they had some last minute stuff to do. (She's not going, but she's doing pre-camp stuff.)

Eliza feels better than she looks in this picture!! Miss Ida is droopy though.

The man of the day - Dad Matt - who had a hard time not working in the kitchen - he's a regular chef, but we had to keep shooing him out!

Hope your Father's Day celebrations were a bright spot in your day!!

The A/C guy comes tomorrow - we are counting down the hours!!

Here on the East Coast

Well, folks, here I am! I made it safe and sound - took the Redeye to DC, and I'm not too much the worse for wear!! I opted for the pay-extra front row seats with more legroom. I will just say that it's worth every penny!!

Matt came for me at 5:30 a.m. I snoozed for a bit until the kids woke up. I grabbed a couple of naps throughout the day, and I'm thinking I will be ready to go tomorrow, full-throttle! The kids and I did take a walk. Eliza's visiting teacher brought a nice dinner. It's raining, thundering, and lightning right now.

Baby Lars is a sweetheart - so far he's been pretty mellow. I may even take pics and post them. But one thing at a time - sleep is first on the agenda!!

Some pre-boarding thoughts!

This photo has nothing to do with the post. But Karl says you need photos or posts get boring. The photo is of my collection of books to give away or sell. I'm leaving them out - maybe while I'm gone, Harry will figure out how to exchange them for cash!!

What I wanted to share was a quote we used in our Ward Conference presentations for the last 5 months - we did one a month since February. I'm glad to be finished. But it took all that time for this quote to really have an impact on me.

Chieko Okazaki, former counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency, said, "Remember, the goal of faith is not a problem-free life; the goal of faith is salvation."

I think we should all memorize it, and repeat it to ourselves often.

What's been going on around here!!

Lots has been going on around here - school ended with the announcement that Anna May is retiring!! We were pretty much taken by surprise - and we will certainly miss her. I'm actually not sure how I'm going to get along without her!!

Jan has been reassigned also - but is going to apply for Anna May's job - we hope she gets it - might make it possible to get along without Anna May.

Eleanor Esqueda is retiring also.

And Arabelle Aguirre is going to a school in San Jose. Traci and I are staying though!!

I bought this cunning little "alstromeria vase" as a going away gift for Jan - then loved it so much I bought two for myself!! I think I will get lots of use out of them - they seem perfect for a school teacher's desk, don't you think?

I am off to Virginia tomorrow to tend to Eliza and brood - especially little Lars - can't wait to meet him. Alice was here this weekend, school ended, we had Ward Conference, I'm getting ready to leave - I don't think it could get more hectic - so I'm going to go in and finish an apron - this one is for me, so I can granny in style!!

I may or may not get some posting done while I'm gone - we will wait and see. If I don't get any done, you will know that I am gainfully employed!!

Meet Baby Lars

There might be a few readers of my blog who don't read the Terrill blog or Facebook, so here's your chance to meet the new man of the hour!!

Lars Terrill Selander, born Sunday, June 12th at 10:30 p.m.

I'm excited to go meet him in person this week!! (And stay awhile too!)

School is out - almost!!

Tomorrow is the last full day of school - Friday is a minimum day, and then we are home free until the 25th of August.

I got a 15 year pin!! I will put it with my 5 year and 10 year pins - looks like I'm amassing quite a collection!!

I am ready for school to be out. It will be a busy summer - but busy at work and busy in the summer are two different kinds of busy!!

Alice is in town - said she'd come out Friday and help me finish packing up my room. The start and end of the school year are a lot like moving - packing, unpacking, sorting, purging, cleaning!!

Alice is good at all that too!!

A love of books!

It is amazing to me to reflect upon the large numbers of books that we go through in our household. As a child, we had the scriptures, a set of World Book Encyclopedia, and a collection of Andersen fairy tales and the Brothers Grimm. I distinctly remember the year I was eleven or twelve, and I received a book for Christmas. Books were at school. Books were in the library. Books were not on our shelves.

The traveling library came every other Friday. During the school year it came to the school. In the summer time, it came to the gas station on the corner of White Oak and Chatsworth. Alice and I took the wagon - we could each check out 12 books - by the time the two weeks was up, Alice and I had each read all 24 books and were eager for more.

I'm not sure when I started acquiring books. Of course in college I had textbooks, and as an English major, I had lots of other books to buy too. Soon I was buying books that weren't required. After Harry and I were married, nearly every gift we gave each other was some kind of book.

And it has mushroomed from there. Now there are just too many books. Some of my books are like old friends - I just like to check in with them every now and then!!

So we are purging - and this box is destined for the Friends of the Library. But I keep buying them too - that's a habit I need to break. Maybe once I retire.

That can be my goal!!

If you know a book I own and you'd like to have it, just ask!! I'll even mail it to you!!

Walking the walk

When there is a 5K available with a race Harry is running, I usually walk it. The one today was a 5K Race, 5K Race/Walk, and a 5K Walk. We took a bus 3 miles from the finish line - there were about 800 participants - and waited for the starting gun. There were about 7 porta-potties there, and at the last minute, I decided to go use it one last time before the walk started - the lines were finally gone!!

When I returned, literally everyone had crossed the starting line - in fact, the PrimeTime people were getting ready to dismantle it. So I hustled over it and got going - I was literally last in line!! It kind of looked like this!

I decided to jog a bit and was surprised at how long I could keep that up. Finally one knee started to express its displeasure at being used in such a manner, so I went back to walking. I eventually passed quite a few people, but I was pretty much at the end of the race - which is not a problem for me.

As you can tell from this photo, the route is not scenic at all. We crossed over freeways, and walked through areas of boarded up houses and evangelical "one-man" churches. After a bit we got into the retail and industrial section of Fontana, but there was nothing scenic at all. I was surprised at how this affected my walking.

I have done this walk several times, but usually I hook up with some other walkers and our conversation keeps me going. There was no one to hook up with today - they were all ahead of me - so I was left to my own devices. And I thought about how much I love walking around Monrovia because there are beautiful trees, gardens, lawns, houses - even the retail areas are charming.

I will try not to take them for granted in the future!!

My "BFF" - that would be Joy!

My "BFF" Joy, high school buddy, girls' camp cabinmate, college roommate - sent me this for my birthday this year.

Joy has given me some great gifts over the years - this one ranks right up there!!

GREAT kids - and Great Grand Kids!!

Here's the shot from Sunday of both the Great Grandmas with a portion of their shared brood.

I knew my great grandma all my growing up years - she didn't die until I was an adult - and it was a blessing in my life.

I think these great kids understand that it's a blessing too!