CHRISTMAS IN OHIO

Robert and I returned late last night from a week in Columbus - very, very cold Columbus - visiting the Hill branch of the family and had a great time. After taking off over an hour late from SLC in a snowstorm, waiting to be de-iced, waiting our turn on the one runway that was plowed, we had a non eventful trip to Minneapolis, where, although it was noon, it was 2' below zero. I don't think I was ever completely warm again. We again had to wait to be de-iced and watched as snow flew around. I don't think it was actually snowing - just blowing around stuff that will never melt till July. Columbus was incredibly cold and yet no snow. Freezing rain, and frozen roads bad enough to suspend school, but no snow until, of course, as we drove to the airport yesterday to fly home! There is nothing that gives you confidence in your flying safety as you taxi toward the runway (the same week that the Continental plane skidded off the runway in Denver) and your pilot keeps jamming on the brakes as if to test them and makes sure they really work - I hope those weren't all close calls with other aircraft, that's even scarier. And then when that plane landed in Cincinnati and we were taxi-ing to the gate, the jet skidded and fishtailed on the frozen ground. Such fun. And then our flight to SLC was delayed quite a bit by the storms. But when we finally boarded there were no problems, no ice, no storms and we're home!


But leaving Ohio was so hard! We had fun and Zoe and Jimmy didn't want us to go. Robert and I got to go to Zoe's school and volunteer at her holiday party, making Gingerbread houses. Robert made some good friends at his end of the table, and after Zoe made her house say OHIO on one side of the roof and UTAH on the other, suddenly all the kids wanted to write words on their houses, too. But some of them couldn't figure out that you had to pull the strings of licorice apart first and got very grumpy when they couldn't bend a huge hunk of licorice into a letter. Later that night we went to the Columbus Zoo to see the lights. They were on a level of magnitude higher than Hogle, just as the huge zoo is higher than Hogle, but they didn't have all of the cute moving and running animal lights that Hogle did. A really impressive display though was all of the lights in the trees and areas around the lake were set to dance to music and it was wonderful. If the kids would have braved the cold better, we could have gone all over the zoo - there were millions of lights everywhere! There was also Santa and this posed a problem. The item that Jimmy wanted is sold out everywhere - a certain Thomas the Tank Engine train. Allison finally found one that is not that specific one, but is from the same movie and is bigger and has been trying to talk him into it, but no luck. So she managed to get to Santa first and quickly explained things. Santa told Jim that he knew what Jimmy wanted, but he knew of something even more wonderful and that Jimmy would be happy on Christmas morning. And Jimmy was okay with it. For about two days. And then he was right back to the original and how Santa can bring it because his elves can make it, etc. The other problem at the zoo was Zoe. She has steadily wanted one thing since October - the Tinkerbell movie. Nothing else will do. So, she asked Santa for movie tickets to see some movie I can't remember the name to. Allison and I were agape (we already bought the Tinkerbell movie). Zoe just shrugged and said, "I changed my mind." Kids.
On Sunday, we had our own Christmas dinner and mini-Matheson party. Ben and Amanda came over. Allison set the most gorgeous table. This was in the afternoon after leading her choir in their Christmas program in Sacrament Meeting. Robert made a pork roast, Allison made mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables, Amanda brought Grandma Matheson's homemade rolls, and Allison made a hot fudge cake with peppermint ice cream for dessert.

We had British crackers to pull and wore the paper hats that come out of them. The food was wonderful and it was nice to have an extended family group together.
Afterwards we opened presents from the Matheson draw and from Grandma and Grandpa Matheson and other presents from SLC family. Zoe was wearing her new Christmas dress that looks like the one Rosemary Clooney wore in White Christmas and every time she entered a room while wearing it, she would pose dramatically and sing, "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas".

Jimmy was completely attached to Grandpa. He had him in his room almost the whole first day we were there, building the most elaborate train track, with tunnels and bridges, and 5 trains running on it. At night he refused to go to bed because he thought we'd leave while he was asleep. Robert finally manged to convince him we'd still be there in the morning and Jim said, "Good, because, I certainly need you tomorrow." Every morning Jimmy and Grandpa would start the day watching the movie Cars.

At night after the kids were in bed, Allison and I and which ever husband we could get to join us, would play games. We played Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Sorry, Life, Apples to Apples, Rummikub, Rummy royal - I know I'm forgetting some, but we had a lot of fun. Especially when we ran out of hotels in Monopoly and used candy instead. Then as you got foreclosed, you could just eat them up!

We got to see Allison's cafe, got to shop for Christmas presents, wrap them up and have fun together. I even got to be a duck in Relief Society. All in all, we had a great time, and it was very sad to say goodbye again. But gratifying to see how well they are doing in Columbus.

LIGHTS, ANIMALS, ACTION!

We went to see the Hogle Zoo Lights with Dan and Dawn and their family on Saturday evening and it was a lot of fun! We thought we'd go while the weather was still warm, and judging by the snow piling up outside, we made the right decision.

We arrived at the zoo shortly after 5:00 - just at dusk. The zoo was just starting to fill up and the weather was just nippy. We were glad for our coats, hats and gloves.





The lights are everywhere in the zoo - lining the walkways, up the trees, and in moving displays of animals. There were frogs leaping, foxes chasing rabbits, bears hunting prey, a beautiful peacock spreading his tail and many more. I think they have to do this because most of the animals go to sleep when it gets dark and there aren't many to see. The monkeys were awake and playing, as were the leopards. Some of the buildings were open to warm up in, like the small animal building, and the snakes were as awake as they ever are!



They have put in a carousel since I was there last and the kids clamored to ride it. Well, all except Morgan, who was terrified of the wild animals. Dan was never able to actually sit her on one and ended up standing and holding her as the ride went round and round, and she called "Need you!" as she saw Dawn. After the carousel, I took her on my lap to cuddle her and warm her up as we scootered along on my Rascal. The next time we went into a building and I let her down and told her to go to Daddy, she said, "No, Cappaw!" and went straight to grandpa and very decidedly held his hand. So, little Daddy's girl, who insists that Dan do everything for her, has a limit, and evidently Dan crossed it with his carousel ride of torture. Morgan stayed with either Robert or me the rest of the night. I loved it!

We saw some Irish dancers perform and inspite of the cold, none of the three kids moved a muscle while watching and we had to drag them away. (I need to point out here that Noah was also with us, and aside from waking up once to eat, he very politely remained asleep and contented the whole time.) About 6:30 the wind picked up and it became horribly cold. We put our heads down into it and struggled to the exit, with our minds full of the hot chocolate we were headed home to, and were glad we were not one of the hordes who had gathered to come then - the parking lot was filled to overflowing and long lines streamed to each ticket window!
If you go to see the Zoo Lights, and I recommend it, go early!

DECORATING WITH CHILDREN

Hurray for December!

I was in a funk about decorating this year. It didn't seem worth hauling out 50 or so nativities and other Christmas things if no grandchildren were going to be around to enjoy them. I had even bought new Fisher-Price sets to expand the one the kids play with the most before I realized that no one is around to drop in during December to play with them!

So I decided to make my own fun and invited Audrey and Holly to come and help me set up the Nativity sets. And we had a ball. Robert and I got all of the books and other displays out of the


bookcases before the girls arrived and Robert brought up most of the boxes I thought we'd need. When Audrey and Holly ran through the door and saw the big empty cabinet with its doors looming open, they both took a breath and said, "Oh boy, this is going to be a lot of work!"


I showed them how to build up varied heights on the shelves with blocks and how to pick a good color drape to show off the pieces. We looked through my photo album of all 120 sets and I let them have quite a bit of (guided) leeway in picking what they wanted - and did not - want to display.


The first shelves we did were the two filled with the Santas from around the world. We read where each was from and the story that goes along with it. They were fascinated by the different costumes and customs, especially by the Japanese figure, which has two faces, and the two women, Italy's la Befana, and Russia'a Babushka, who missed their chance to see the Christ child and then spend the rest of their lives seeking Him. Audrey wanted to know exactly where each country was, so we set each figure out as if they were on a great big map of the world before they split them up into the two shelves.

They were so eager to open each new box and unwrap each new piece that Robert, sitting in his den, said it was like listening to people watching fireworks -- all the oohs and aahs. Occasionally, in their enthusiasm, I had to remind them that these were breakable, but for the most part they were great and we really had a fun time.

After about three hours, we were almost finished and the girls were about at their limit, so I gave them the job I had saved for last - the Fisher-Price sets. This was just what they needed to rejuvenate them! So many people and animals and tents! Plus the musical angel. They set it all up according to the box pictures and then immediately began to change it all as they made up their stories and played. The stories began right from the scriptures and deteriorated from there. As I put the finishing touches on the displays, I overheard bits and pieces. Holly is definitely picking up her Dad's vocabulary, because one line shouted over and over was, "Baby Jesus is freaking cold! He's freaking cold!" I guess they got over the cold because the girls paired up all the figures: wiseman & camel, Mary & Joseph, sheep & sheep, etc, and they all danced to the angel's music. Audrey and Holly took turns dipping each other. It's a good thing that all of the work was over and all breakables were under glass!

Having the girls here made the whole day fun and now my living room is festive and cheery and my funk is gone. We'll have to make this a yearly Christmas tradition!

PS -The unsung hero of the day, as usual, is Robert, who had to bring in the empty boxes for the bookcase stuff, haul those away, bring up all of the nativity boxes, and more nativity boxes, and more, and search for some more that we wanted, and at the end af the day, take them all away - all while suffering from a really bad chest cold. Thank you.

IT'S WINTER! SNOW AND KIDS

November and snow have come to Salt Lake. After a picture perfect October with beautiful yellow leaves on my maple trees contrasting with my green lawn, and delightful temperatures, November hit with a bang. Trees and shrubs are bowing down to the ground under the weight of the 4 1/2 inches that we received here on Wednesday. I know it started snowing Tuesday at my Dad's house and in the mountains, so they've all received more.

Robert was going to take in the swings before it snowed but because the tree looked so lonely without them, he just couldn't bear to do it just yet. Today, even under the canopy of leaves left on the tree, they got a fair amount of snow and they look even lonelier!




But snow means nice cold temperatures and quieter neighbors and less yard work and HOLIDAYS!!! And holidays mean family.

Here are a couple of photos from our get together when Allison was in town.



A smiling Noah!













And Morgan in her "Princess Sweater"

CONFERENCE TIME

What a lovely time conference is for those of us lucky enough to live here in the heart of Utah. I would have said "Zion", but I was listening to conference today and we're not living charitably or lovingly enough to be called Zion yet here in Utah. We have a ways to go. But we do have the perks.









Last Saturday evening, Erin and Rachel and I were able to sit in the presence of the prophet as we heard the marvelous messages prepared for the sisters of the Church. The Spirit is so strong as you sit together in the comfortable Conference Center, all of one mind and heart. When Sister Beck spoke of how hard it was to have her mother move far away from her, and asked, in tears, "Who will be my mother now?", I was in tears too. I hope all my young daughters (including in-laws) and nieces can take strength from Relief Society.



Today, we had the luxury of watching conference at home, on the bed, in our jammies, with the windows open to the rain. This is the way I have always been able to watch conference and have never really appreciated it so much until now. I know that people come in from across the country to go to the conference center to actually be in there with the prophet. I appreciate that sentiment and like to take advantage of that on other occasions so as to not take up a seat. And I know that members outside of Utah have to get dressed in Sunday clothes and go watch in their stake centers. But having been with the Saints in Ohio and have them talk about the trips they make to conference and how important it is to them, and finding out from Allison that where she is, that even watching at the stake center isn't even an option. You can see it if you have satellite, or as her Bishop said (as he was raking his lawn during the afternoon session), you just read the Ensign!

I love conference. I love options. And I really love watching it in my jammies. In the rain.

PLAYING WITH CHILDREN

This sums up so nicely the experience of spending time with children who are between the ages of 4 and 7. At least all the ones that I am related to. They all want to make up the game. Each one one wants to be the dictator of the rules, the charactors, the plot...basically the universe. With Jimmy and Zoe, the ground is usually hot lava and no one can walk across it. If Jimmy has to reach a toy, wants a cookie, has to potty, whatever and comes up with his own imaginative "wetsuit" Zoe throws a fit because it "isn't in the game". And vice-versa for Jimmy if Zoe breaks one of his rules. And pretty much the same for the other cousins too. What is it about this age that they each need to be the king? (Or princess?) Were we this way, too?

THIRTY-EIGHT DAYS OF DROUGHT

Thirty-eight long days. The swings blew silently in the breeze. The grass began to grow in the worn, dirt patches under them. Grandpa was known to shed a tear or two as he worked in the yard and passed the lonely spot.
And then, last Saturday, relief came came flooding through the yard in the form of Audrey, Ethan and Morgan with cries of "High push", and "Grandpa, now me" and , of course, "Mine!!!" What a fun afternoon we had. The temperature was a perfectly sun-filled, yet just-right September day. The kids and Grandpa played outside while I had Noah at the Temple while his parents attended a sealing. Noah was absolutely perfect in the Temple. I imagine he felt quite at home there.
When I returned home, the kids were taking a break in the house for lunch and then we all went outside again. Morgan wanted to swing over and over, but most of her weight is in her tummy and backside and her short little legs just can't compensate very long. Grandpa would hold her on the swing and she would be so happy, but after about two forwards and backs, she would start to slip off. She would be happy to stand there and just hold the swing - until Ethan wanted his turn. Then the chorus of Mine, mine, mine would ring out. Ethan was very good about not fighting with her and let us distract her before taking his turn on the swing. He was the most daring of all - swinging the highest, climbing the highest - in fact, he almost made it into the tree and seemed surprised when we encouraged him. We told him the rule was that when he
could do it on his own, he could climb the tree. And he made some serious progress.

They all got up and sang and danced for us. Ethen has some good dance moves - he looks as though he has watched a lot of soft shoe routines. Morgan didn't want to sing or dance until someone else did and then she would go throw them off of the 'stage' and yell "mine". Then she would perform. She also didn't want her picture taken in her car. She would hide her face below the doors and frown so we wouldn't take it. I had to wait a long time before I could get one.

Later, however, we couldn't take enough pictures.
All of these group pictures were dictated by Morgan. And for nearly every normal shot, there is one with their tongues sticking out! And then she had to see each one.

After all of this hilarity, we went into the house and Audrey and Ethan and I settled on my bed to watch The Muppet Show - There I was, on my bed with a boy and girl - just like old times. I just need to get these grandkids up here more often! Morgan, however, was not content to sit and watch TV. She was determined to sit on the hearth in a little gap between the CD rack and the boxes. She has stood in that spot before, but now the huge exercise bike is on the way and was completely blocking her path. She kept trying to get through and would look at me. I would say no and she would smile and say "peas?" and I would say no. This went on over and over until she went around to other side of the bike and made it onto the hearth. She gave me her biggest smile that said - see? I'm so smart.

And then she ran over to play with grandpa.

We have seen all of the grandkids since Jimmy and Zoe moved away, but this was the first time we had a group here for a long time and they played outside with us and we felt like we got to know them a little better. Knowing Jimmy and Zoe was easy because they were always here. We need more time with all of the others and especially Sam and Holly before they go away for several years. We need to work some time out, right?

I HAVE BEEN TO OHIO!

Yes, that really is a building, shaped like a basket. In fact, it is the world's largest basket-shaped building, but not the only, basket-shaped building. Within 20 miles of this one, there are two more! I have taken some flack for not updating my blog in so long, but I've been in Ohio, and with such wonders to see, how could I have had time to blog?
And then on my last morning, I turned on my trusty little laptop to check out my flight home to Zion and witnessed its last gasps as it died before my eyes. My computer man, Darwin, called me last night to say that, although he was able to save my files, there was nothing he could do for the little Dell. So I'm writing this blog SITTING IN A CHAIR! IN THE DEN! And I hope you all appreciate the sacrifice. (I do and do and do for you people...)

But, back to Ohio. Lest you think there are only wicker shaped sights in the midwest, you are wrong. They also trim their shrubs into art. In The Old Deaf School Topiary Garden they have reproduced the entire painting of Seurat's Sunday Afternoon at the Grande Jatte. My little camera could not get far enough away to get the entire "painting" in one shot, but you can see quite a bit here - even the monkey in the lower right corner. It really was a beautiful park with lily ponds and benches and weeping willow trees. Very serene for all those people who weren't by us - Jimmy and Zoe were playing a racing game.



We spent an afternoon/evening at Geaga Lake Waterpark that was very delightful. We got there just as a lightning storm closed the park. But we had free passes and the radar picture looked good, so we went in anyway and within 20 minutes had an open waterpark virtually to ourselves. Chris' brother had rented a cabana for us, which is where I stayed - a covered gazebo with lounge chairs, a round, unbrella-ed dining table with chairs and catered service. Now that's the way I like a waterpark - everyone else go get wet. I recline in a gazebo while people come feed me. The waterpark is set on the shore of Geaga Lake, which was so pretty at dusk as we were leaving. This photo is Jimmy trying to torture a squirrel. We stayed over night by the park which was up north by Cleveland and the next day drove to Kirtland.

We took the RLDS tour through the temple and it was very hard to endure. We knew the history would diverge after the martyrdom. But there was a 20 minute film before the temple and it was very grating to hear how Joseph founded the Community of Christ Church and how he was the prophet of the Community of Christ Church. And when I brought up the incident of the women having to break their china for the building (for Zoe and Jimmy), the tour guide brushed that off as just an urban legend. In the temple itself, he was no less annoying, concentrating on the
architectural details instead of the real ones.
I got Zoe alone and told her that the thing I wanted her to remember was that Jesus had appeared to Joseph Smith here alnog with Moses and Elias and others and that at the dedication, it was filled with angels that many people saw - even outside on the roof - and that she was here where Jesus had been. Her eyes got very wide and I think she will remember that.
Then we went to the LDS part of Kirtland and this, too, was a disappointment, in a way. The kids had seen the photos of the fun things Holly and Sam got to do in Nauvoo and we all supposed that Kirtland would have stuff like that too. But they told us right up front that, no, they don't. We asked for our own special tour, just for our group, and to see things that would just appeal to kids. So we got a very nice set of sister missionaries who took us to the Newel K Whitney Store and a couple of other places and at the end turned the kids loose in the Johnson Inn. The Inn is filled with interactive displays where the kids could press buttons and turn on lights and since it was empty and not antique, they could run around and be noisy. I think the sisters wondered about me. My glasses had broken the day before so I had to wear my dark glasses all the time - even in those tiny dark Kirtland buildings. And I wasn't walking well enough to climb old stairs to the second floors, so I sat around in the dark alot. Chris, however, went everywhere. But the kids were glad to get to the hotel and go swimming after all that touristy stuff! The next day we went to Lake Erie. I couldn't make it near the shore because of all the sand, but Zoe generously gathered two handfuls of Lake Erie rocks and dumped them in my Amigo basket. They are still there.

I have lots of photos of Allison's house, if she doesn't get around to posting them, I guess I will. But I made myself my own little haven in her house in Zoe's room while I was there and it all worked out all right. Zoe's room was light blue, so it was bright, and for the most part she played quietly, so it was quiet. Although, the room was assailed frequently by marauding pirates or demons or race cars or whatever else a 4 year old lonely brother can be. Zoe's door has a hole cut in the bottom - like there used to be a cat flap or something, and very often something would sail into the room, launched by Jim. Or sometimes just his cute, chubby face would try to peer through to see what we were doing. Which was usually reading. Zoe would sit against the window and read. I would lay on my air mattress and read the Deseret News on my computer. But this was only in the second half of the three weeks - the first week getting ready for the Taste of Reynoldsberg, nobody sat down. Then the truck came, we left on the little trip and came home and moved in and nobody sat down. It was only the third week that there began to be some extra time now and again to sit down. But to get back to the point, the other reason I liked spending down time in Zoe's room was the view out of her window. It reminded me of the little homes on the San Juan Islands or in Anacortes. All very green and peaceful. Jimmy gets up before everyone else and on two mornings he saw deer out of the window. They are just two blocks off of the main drag, and most of the rest of Reynoldsburg is much more dense than this, but this park-like section is so nice. Their huge back yard joins about 4-5 others and the neighborhood kids gather at dusk and play Hide and Seek and such. Jimmy and Zoe are too young to join now, but it will be fun as they get older.

It was hard to leave, especially because the kids didn't take it well. Thank heaven for technology! Web cams and email and free long distance - we are a spoiled people.
But look what I had to come home to - little Noah! What a cute little boy. And news that his cousin Max will be joining him in January. And to see all my grandchildren again - those I hadn't seen in a month, and those I hadn't seen in more than 3.
I guess the answer is to enjoy our family togetherness in whatever form we can and enjoy it full force!

MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

I thought I'd write about my cute grandchildren and start with the girls. This is the oldest, Audrey. She is going to be 7 years old in a month and is smart and beautiful. When she was little she would get out of the car and run straight for me and at the last minute veer off and run straight to Grandpa! But she makes up for that now and is full of hugs and kisses whenever we see each other and she always likes to sit with me and read a book. What a darling girl to start off our dynasty of grandchildren!




This is Zoe. She came along just six weeks after Audrey. Where most of the others always preferred Grandpa, Zoe has always been mine - mostly because for four of her nearly seven years, she has lived around the corner! Zoe is a smartie like the other girls, loves to read, loves to play family and loves to torment her brother. It may be the age, but both Audrey and Zoe like to dictate the game and the rules, which can really tick off the other kids and even each other. They can get so mad at each other and then turn around and hug and cry when it's time to go home!





This beautiful girl is Holly, sitting in Jenny Lake. She's been away all summer and I'm looking forward to seeing her soon. She turned 5 in Minneapolis and is looking forward to first grade. Holly is another one that was hard to pin down for a hug, but I think it was because she lived so much inside her head and always had a storyline running, preoccupying her. She is fun to watch play as she talks all the parts of all the toys. Erin encouraged her to come out of herself a little at a time during Kindergarten and she did very well. She is also incredibly smart and has her own blog!

This is Morgan. She is coming up on 2 and is darling. She loves her daddy and then her mommy and grandma is waaaayyy down on the list. I was in Alaska when she was born, and sick the first 6 months of her life, so there was no early bonding. Every time we get together I have to work to reestablish a bond. I seem to have found the perfect connection - free food for grazing! Last week when we were relaxing in the backyard, Morgan discovered the raspberry bushes and immediately set to work stripping them. Pretty soon she was coming up to me, offering a hand smeared with smashed
raspberries to "gama". She found the way to a grandma's heart - to come up and give hugs (or smashed raspberries) and call her grandma - and I found the way to Morgan's - sprinkle the bushes with food!


All of these beautiful girls have a strangle hold on my heart and I love them all. Aren't they adorable?

THE GRAND TETONS

Welcome to the Colter Bay Tent Cabins! And not just any tent cabin, but our own #148. When I asked the young attendant in the office as we were checking in if the bike lock was still on the poles, he said, "I can tell you've been here before. That's my favorite kind of customer." and then he just handed over the stacks of Bear warnings, Fire warnings, and How To Burn Your Wood Stove Without Burning Down the Tent warnings without having to explain. He did feel it necessary to give us a map just in case we had forgotton where #148 was and as we were leaving, he also mentioned that #150 (where Allison's family was staying) had a bear in it two nights ago. Allison and I decided not to share that with Chris.

We got right into the swing of things by deciding we were too lazy to cook dinner, so about 9:00pm when we were building up a big bonfire to cook down for marshmallows, Allison and I decided that we would at least wrap the corn up in foil and throw that in the fire. Delicious! But that ended the laziness. Allison rustled up some terrific Dutch oven meals the next breakfast and dinner. In fact, the breakfast was so good we kept munching on it all morning, so we were too fat and lazy to make lunch. Speaking of marshmallows, it turned out that everybody liked to roast them, but nobody wanted to eat them. But this was a Grandma camping trip -so what's a little waste if it makes them happy? We put out a sheet of foil next to the fire pit and opened the whole $1.19 bag and let them roast and discard to their hearts' content. When you see the occasional marshmallow fall into the fire and billow up like a Fourth of July snake it makes you wonder if the kids don't have the right idea after all.



We played lots of games, with and without the kids. Sometimes they played without us. As I watched Zoe play Sorry with her Grizzly bear family I asked if she was moving for them because they were bears. She glared at me very sternly and said, "They choose not to because I picked the game." Later, she game over to me and in a whisper, hissed, "Don't call them toys in front of them. They don't like it!" Bytheway, Zoe won the game.
During my laying-flat times in the tent cabin I played Mother-May-I with the kids and taught them an old favorite from my youth on Simondi Ave: Here Comes a Jolly Butcher Boy. Somehow, typing it out it seems a little less innocent than it really is. Zoe was great, Jimmy was easy - he was always a motorcycle.




For the most part we sat around enjoying the scenery and letting the kids play. Zoe, who remembers last summer, kept saying over and over, "I wish my cousins were here."
We stopped on our way south to let them float their boats in String Lake. Zoe wanted to wade like she did in Jenny Lake last August, but the occasional floating icebergs made her think twice about it.







We had our final meal at the Cheese Factory in Thayne, Wyoming, enjoying once again the cherubic face of a four year old who thinks if he scowls hard enough and yells authoritatively enough, using language unbecoming such a tender youth, he will immediately receive anything he wants. It never happens and yet he never learns.





We had a great time on this vacation and learned several things:

• A four year old with a bladder the size of a walnut should not take long car trips.
• That same child does not do well watching lots of little geysers while waiting for the big one
• Chris can be very pleasant, in spite of great pain, when he is feeling guilty.
• There are few buffalo in the Hayden valley in June.
• Grandpa has checked off a major item on his bucket list.
  

YELLOWSTONE

Well, we've been home a week and I'm finally recovered enough to post! Our trip was really a lot of fun. We've never been to Yellowstone in June and it was a delightful time to go. It wasn't very crowded and not too hot -- although we had been planning on temps in the 50's and 60's and were slightly annoyed at the low 70's. But we were never rained out anywhere and the blackout during our stay at Lake came conveniently after dinner and ended before we woke up. It made playing Sorry and Go Fish all the more exciting as the light faded. The double rainbow the second night was beautiful!.
It was a little early in the year for the buffalo herds to have come south from the Lamar Valley and we didn't see many of the big elk herds, but we saw a huge daddy moose, the up-close and personal grizzly and her cub, baby coyotes, a big coyote who lived in our cabin complex and many snowshoe hares who hid under our cabins to avoid the coyote. We really didn't need the snowshoe hares because we brought the Energizer Bunny with us. He was 4 years old and didn't seem to be equipped with an off switch. Ever. According to his parents, he even talked in his sleep. But, luckily for us old folks we had separate accomodations. One thing that was really fun was seeing the geysers with little kids who were really tickled by them. I know we were there last summer with the grandkids too, but what made this different was that it was cool enough that I could actually get out on the boardwalks and I had my heavy duty scooter with me. Plus there were only two kids, so when they got they got tired on the longest oart of the boardwalks they could both ride. Robert and I never visit geysers or mudpots when we go alone, but we had a lot of fun. And being there when Beehive geyser went off was really cool. It is so tall and incredibly powerful and goes full strength for about 5 full minutes. It is very unpredictable and only goes off once or twice a day. The sound and pressure difference between Old Faithful and Beehive is kind of like your garden hose and a firehose. We stayed the first night at The Old Faithful Inn. We were on the third floor and there was no way to get the scooter up to any floor, so that was a little tricky. But the kids and I sat at the table on the mezzanine and worked hard on their Junior Ranger paperwork. By the end of three days in Yellowstone those two kids were so well prepared for their ranger interview - and so proud of their patches!
I'll write about Tetons tomorrow!

The Alien in my Brain

So far all of my tests have come back unchanged - the MS ones and the seizure ones - all the same as they have ever been. Except for one surprising result -- my spinal fluid has strep in it! My neurologist called me back in immediately to go over this because, as she said, "you're not supposed to have strep in your spinal fluid". I had to have another spinal tap to confirm it, but she said the lab techs would have had to lick the petri dish to contaminate it. So she's thinking I might have had chronic meningitis since May of 2006! (I told you I wasn't feeling well.)

Because she wants to recheck the results, plus check to see if the strep has damaged my heart, she doesn't want to actually treat the disease for another few weeks -- in spite of everything I've read on the Internet that says chronic meningitis needs immediate hospitalization and IV antibiotics. So I just wait. But every time I get a headache, or slurred speech or other symptom, I can't get it out of my mind that there is a foreign substance surrounding my brain, swirling around it, trying to take it over. Some alien out of Star Trek. It is a freaky feeling and I can't make it go away. Maybe it will come out my ears...

My MRI Miracle

Yesterday, I had a horrible experience that came to include a truly miraculous, loving experience literally wrapped inside. I had to have another MRI -- two in fact. I wrote about having the Brain MRI last week. I have had those several times and they are very hard on me. I have claustrophobia and for the brain scans you are laid down on the narrow table with your head placed in a little trough to hold it in place. Then they pack the sides so you can't move your head, place a hard, plastic cover over your face and ship you into the machine!

I have to make certain to have my eyes tightly closed well before anything covers my head and to be thinking intently of wide open spaces and never once think about where I am. I also have to have taken proper amounts of Valium. I usually picture the mountains and camping spots we've been on. I remember that during the MRI in the summer of 2004, I "walked" every day of our trip to Paris. If I can keep my mind firmly outside of the machine I can handle the test.

But yesterday, the MRIs were on my cervical spine and thoracic spine and so were 90 minutes instead of 45. I took my pills, wore my comfy clothes, tried to pysch myself up for it. But to reach your spine, you have to go much further into the machine. I closed my eyes, they put the plastic cage over my face (but, thankfully, didn't have to pack it) and then slid me in. And it was instantly horrible! There was no way to escape where I was - my elbows touched the sides of the very narrow tube, and with every breath my wrists -- which had to be crossed over my abdomen touched the top of the tube!

I squeezed the panic button and said take me out right now. They took off all my coverings and I just breathed and tried to talk myself down from the panic I was in. The tech tried to help - he said they deal with claustrophia every day, and told me it was my decision. I finally decided I was ready to try again, closed my eyes as tight as I could, moved my arms as low as I could and went back in.

I knew that no mountain or stroll would get me through this. I just breathed prayers over and over -- "Help me, Heavenly Father. Help me." Over and over. I tried to sing hymns. I couldn't remember any. You all know me -- I couldn't remember a hymn? I finally came across "I am A Child of God". I sang the first verse over and over in my mind. That lead into "I know that My Redeemer Lives". Not the whole song or even one whole verse, but different lines like "He lives to silence all my fears". And after about a half an hour I realized that I couldn't feel the tube anymore. My hands were grasping each other tightly and I could tell that part of my hand was asleep, so I thought that was why I couldn't feel it. And I was so grateful to Heavenly Father for taking away the sensation of feeling the tube and said so, over and over.

I made it through the whole 90 minutes of the tests, but I never made it to the mountains or Paris. If I took my mind off of hymns or prayers, I was immediately in trouble again. But about an hour into the test when I was feeling particularly assured I raised up my hands to feel the tube. I discovered that the reason I wasn't feeling it wasn't because my hands were numb -- my hands moved up almost an inch before touching the top. Either Heavenly Father made the tube larger or me smaller, but either way it was a miracle and I made it through this terrifying trial. It is so comforting to know that our Heavenly Parent does not want us to suffer, just as we watch over our own children in their anguish and want to help.

This is my brain

I finally saw Dr Skuster last week and she wants to recheck all of the big-time brain tests before she embarks on a new course of action. So, last week I had an EEG -- A sleep-deprived test where I had to stay awake all night the night before. Yesterday was a Lumbar Puncture and today I had a Brain MRI. Next week I have two Spinal MRIs and then the next week I get to spend 8 hours with a neuro-psychologist! I hope all this information leads to some definitive treatment -- I'm looking forward to getting better and doing things this summer.

It's about time!

I haven't followed up on my blog for over a year! But now that we're about to split up, I agree with Erin, I think it is important to keep in touch and write down the daily stuff that we want to remember. I especially want to have all the cute, special or funny things the grandkids say recorded so they don't become lost over time. I remember thinking as my kids were gowing up that I would never forget that, it was too funny! But guess what, we do forget. Life moves on, too much, too fast. So write them down. We need to remember Helping and Sharing, Why are you so old, Me talk Grandma, and your house is mad out of mooses? (If anyone hasn't heard the stories, speak up, let's share).