It wasn't just a Clayton Weekend!

The Taylors had some action this weekend too! Jack and Thalia brought son Mclean here for a weekend visit - he just got home from his mission to Russia last week!

They all went to church at Helen's ward, then came home for lunch before Mclean shared his photos and experiences from Russia.

Most of the get Taylor/Terrill get-togethers this year have been at funerals - so it was nice to have a more festive occasion to meet.

What we do around here!!

We enjoyed having Esme and Annika while Bonny and the big girls went to camp. A new craft has emerged - making accessories out of colored duct tape - very cool!!

And of course we visited with Grandma Mary - and Aunt Donna took the little girls to movies and to McDonalds.

We shopped for fabric for American Girl Doll sleeping bags - made our way - the cheap way!! They came out quite nice if I do say so myself!

The white board - always fun - especially for leaving reminders that you were here!!

We had a puzzle going the whole time too - on the last day, Grandpa helped us finally solve it!

We also enjoyed swimming, Grandpa Bob stories, chocolate milk and Milanos, and shopping for skirt material - I made the three girls matching skirts - need a photo now!

Our next event is the Clayton Reunion, then a trip to VA for the blessing.

The fun never ends!

Whare are those "hazy, lazy days" of summer??

This summer - and most summers actually - has been a busy one. I think "hazy, lazy days" of summer are lost somewhere in the past. I remember summer being a laid back time - way back when I was a kid!! Starting with the year I worked to save money for college, summer ceased to be a "kick-back" time!!

But this summer has seemed exceptionally busy - a very good busy, but busy nonetheless. And it's not liable to change before next summer!! First came going to VA for Lars' birth, having Phoebe and family here, having cousin camp, having the Little Women here while Bonny did camp, the Clayton Reunion, going to VA for the blessing, having the Little Women here again - and then school starts! In between there have been other visitors, other events - I have loved all of it.

But Saturday - a busy day also - I decided to sit down and watch Giant - I had ordered it on NetFlix and it came weeks ago - so I took up my crochet hook and started watching it. Harry joined me - and since it's a two-disc movie - and we spent two nights watching it. (I had ordered it because the Times did a series on movies that hadn't won Oscars but that should have - Giant was one of them. So I started ordering the films they had listed. I'm not sure I agree with their conclusions, but it's been interesting to watch the movies.)

I went through a phase in late high school, early college of reading all the books by one author. I read all the Edna Ferber novels, all the Sinclair Lewis novels, all the Ernest Hemingway novels, all the John Steinbeck novels - you follow my drift.

I had totally forgotten Giant - so yesterday I went and got it from the library - resisted successfully the temptation to buy it - and spent the day on the couch and on the swing outside - totally engrossed in the story!!

And it looks like the movie was pretty faithful to the book - some minor details have been changed, but the story line is intact. James Dean - always eerie to watch him on screen; Elizabeth Taylor - beautiful as always; Rock Hudson - I'm not surprised he didn't get the Oscar - surprised he even got nominated. Although Harry thought he did a credible job.

It was good to kick back - for at least a day anyway - today may be back to busy, but busy has its place too!

There oughta be a law!

I think there is some kind of natural law here at work. Last week, when we had Calvin, Porter, and Harry here for a sleepover, we got to bed pretty late. We had spent the day at the beach, then had been at Bonny's for dinner and racing about their property. I was certainly tired, but was up a bit later getting things in order. I assumed everyone would sleep late, since they sometimes do, and since it had been a long, tiring day.

Wrong! Porter was up at 6:45 - bright-eyed and ready to go. I have to admit that the kids were not crabby, as tired adults sometimes are! It's hard to be annoyed with someone who is so cute too!

Last night, Eve, Esme, and Annika had their second sleepover night in a row. We got them to bed relatively early, after chocolate milk, Milanos, and stories from Grandpa Bob. Eve had to be at gymnastics by 9 a.m.

Of course I had to wake them at 8:15!!

It still goes against every fiber of my being to waken a sleeping child!!

Way to go Sully!!

Text from Phoebe: "We made it home safe and sound. And Sully did not cry once the entire way."

That's my boy!

"Time to say good-bye . . ."

Getting ready for someone's visit is a busy, bustling happy time. Then they arrive and the it's even happier and busier. But before you know it, it seems like the visit is over - and it's time to say good-bye!!

Phoebe and family were here for nearly 2 weeks, but now it seems like they just came and went!! I do miss them all!

The carport is clear - no scooters, beach towels, bouncy balls, strollers, or car seats. How boring!!

Arcelia came, so the kitchen floors are clean - no dropped waffles, no hook-on high chair, no cluttered counters, no full fridge, no charming Sully to play with!! How lonely!!

I'm not looking forward to my solitary breakfast - maybe I can persuade Dad to eat when I do!!

But wait, maybe Annika and Esme will want whole wheat waffles one morning!!

And maybe they will want to ride the scooters up and down the driveway. And shoot water guns at each other. And play Golf and Mormon Poker. And draw on the driveway with chalk. I'm thinking they will keep me busy!!

But we still miss Phoebe and family!! Come back soon!

What's Wrong With This Picture??

Came home late Thursday night with Phoebe and the children. They were all asleep in the car, so it took a bit of time to get them all tucked in without awakening them. I walked around opening windows, checking the mailbox, listening to voice mails, and then I walked into the dining area.

Something seemed wrong, if you know what I mean. And something was wrong. This Nebeker print usually hangs on the wall - it doesn't sit on the floor!

The wire had broken in half - obviously. But the rather heavy frame just fell straight down - didn't fall over or anything.

I'm glad we weren't home. I'm glad Sully or one of the other kids wasn't crawling or walking anywhere near it when it fell. I'm glad it didn't happen when we had 20 people sitting around the dining room table eating. I'm glad it didn't happen the day I had the luncheon for Anna May - the food table was sitting under the print that day!!

But I'm not glad it happened.

I'll let you know what we did about it when Harry figures out what to do about it!!

What a difference a 43 years makes!!

Here I am at the beach in Mexico in 1968. Dad and I had had driven the Jeep truck down - camping along the way. Now I wouldn't think of going camping in Mexico! (Nor would I pose for a photo in a bathing suit!!)

Here I am at Will Roger's State Beach on PCH near Malibu - yesterday in fact!! I sit in the shade, fully clothed - sitting and crocheting. I'm content to be doing so, but I wonder what this says about me??

The years have changed lots of things. What I look like. What I wear. My weight. What I do with my time. What my priorities are. My energy levels. But I'm still wearing dark glasses! I would not change much - maybe I'd like to be thinner and have more energy and be more flexible (I have a friend who says, "I can't touch my toes, but I'm still flexible.") I want to be flexible physically - I'm not sure how or when that skill disappeared!!

I imagine being retired in some charming coastal town - maybe writing a novel. Oh the places our imaginations can take us!

I imagine being on a mission with Harry - not sure what that will be like, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

I imagine being retired and not having to be anywhere at any specific time. Maybe that would get tiresome though.

I imagine not having great kids who have chosen great spouses - that would be sad. They are work and they have used up time and resources over the years - but it was time and resources well-spent! I don't want to imagine a scenario that didn't have grown kids - problems and all!

I imagine - and it's not hard, since I have so many friends who have few or no grandchildren - life without a bevy of beautiful grandkids. Wouldn't want to go there. They can be rambunctious and time consuming and they leave chaos in their wake sometimes - but I love each and every one of them in a special, individual way. And that is a great blessing in my life - one I thank the Lord for each and every day.

Tomorrow we are going out to my mom's to visit and sew and catch up with my sister Leslie, who is visiting. I am so grateful to still have my mother in my life. That is a great and wonderful blessing - another one I thank the Lord for daily. (And I'm grateful for my sisters and brothers too!)

So what's a few pounds or a few wrinkles or a few gray hairs? I'd take today over a bathing-suit-ready body any day!

An anniversary of sorts

Today is Bastille Day - but for Harry and me the more significant occasion was deciding to get married. On July 14, 1967, we agreed that we did indeed want to be together forever!!

It was a good choice!!

To celebrate, we went to the Hollywood Bowl and saw Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in parts of Swan Lake.

And it was so long ago, we parked in a nearby residential area and walked into the bowl - and got $2 seats!

My how times have changed!

Things happen when you start cleaning out the garage!!

Getting ready for Phoebe and David's visit meant restoring some order to the room in the garage. While doing so, Dad and I both came across some forgotten treasures. Dad found his grandfather's pipes and solid ivory napkin ring. I found my Grenoble scrapbook. And we found a heretofore forgotten Pritchard print from 14 years ago!! We are remembering that Nebekers sent it to us - and it was oversized for the folder where I keep all the others, so I'd filed it in a portfolio of artwork belonging to Hannah and Eliza. I took it to Aaron Bros. today for matting and framing - watch for the great unveiling!

I also found the tape of Eliza reading Lion for Lewis!! I need to figure out how to post that - it's a real treasure!!

And the forgotten silhouettes - not only ours, but all the girls from my Young Women years!! I will see about reducing them and scanning them in.

circa 1952

circa 1951

Sometimes I'm in the car when The Writer's Almanac comes on. I love the details Garrison Keillor comes up with - did you know today is Henry David Thoreau's birthday? And that he inadvertently caused a 300 acre fire when camping? Many believe that's why he went to stay and reflect at Walden Pond.

And I love how Mr. Keillor says at the end,

"Be well. Do good work. And keep in touch."

Seems like a worthwhile motto to live by!!

"Snapshots"

I had Eliza take a shot of me with Lars - I've been here nearly three weeks, but have not really taken lots of photos - we are pretty busy around here doing other things!! But I did want to be sure to at least have one!!

I love holding little babies. Last night friends of Matt and Eliza were here, and their new baby - a couple of weeks older than Lars - was kind of fussy. So I offered to hold him. I guess I just wanted to see if I could still calm a fussy baby - it's my dad in me coming out!! He did settle down - even burped a couple of times. I think he was tired too. They have three little boys almost under 3 - their oldest will be three in September I think! So Mama has her hands full. The boys are all cute, and Mom is calm and resolute - that certainly impressed me!

(Lars is not fussy at all - I do get lots of chances to hold him, but he settles down almost instantly, so I wasn't sure if my fussiness skills were still intact!!)

But I was reminded of Bonny's infancy. Bonny was a long-awaited, much-loved baby- but she was colicky!! She cried a lot. Sometimes we just put her in her bassinet, and turned the stereo up loud! Fortunately, she cried in the daytime and slept all night! And once she got over colic, she was a wonderful infant who was predictable and easy-going. She slept well, ate well if you fed her her favorites, and entertained herself well.

As I was sewing this afternoon, I was thinking about each of our kids and wondering what "snapshot" would come to mind as I thought about each of them.

Bonny would sit on the floor with an old grocery box I had covered with fabric. She would take her toys out of the box - and then put them back in. She was 6 or 7 months old, and this was pretty much a favorite activity of hers. As a first child of struggling students, she didn't have lots of material possessions - I'd piece together fabric remnants my mom sent to make dresses for her! But she enjoyed what she had!

Harry was a calm, quiet baby - ate and slept well from the get go. He would sit on the floor with 2 year old Bonny and follow her lead. He would sit in an infant chair and she would lay toys on top of him - he didn't resist at all! He had the curls though, and everyone thought he was the girl and Bonny was the boy - mainly because I dressed her in unisex clothing so I could pass it down to Harry! And she had a little Dutch bob for a haircut. She was pretty cute though.

Phoebe was a baby who did not like to be cuddled - at least when she was fussy. She wanted to be laid on the couch on her tummy and have her back patted - and patted!! I watched lots of late night TV during her early infancy!! She always got attention from passersby when we were out - even back then she was "working the crowd" with her smile and her big blue eyes!

Eliza enjoyed a lot of attention as a baby, since there was almost 6 years between her and Phoebe. She spent her first couple of months sleeping in her car seat - all night, but she wanted to be tilted that way - the tilt of the car seat seemed to be just right. She was pretty mellow - either that or someone was always holding her, so she didn't need to get our attention by hollering!

Hannah was adventurous - she was my only climber. She was pretty mellow too. And of course, she had her casts for a few months, so carrying around a baby with casts is a lot of my memory of her. They certainly did not deter her - she crawled and got around just fine with them. She had a cute smile - and people always thought Hannah and Eliza were twins - at an early point, Hannah caught up size-wise to Eliza, so they were the same size for a time.

Noah was also mellow - maybe I was just real nervous with Bonny and that's why she was colicky!! My favorite memory of him, though, is the way he was totally willing, as a very young baby, to be read to. He never tired of being held in your lap while you read a book to him. I spent lots of time in that big blue and gold chair in the window corner of the living room, reading stacks of books to him - I especially remember one called Dad's Back by the Australian author.

I wish I'd kept journals about my kids. I sporadically made notations about things, but there was not a systematic effort to record the things they did and said. So lots is lost in memory.

Make this a cautionary tale!!

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!