Eggciting Traditions!

So we were a day late, but Brinkley didn't know that and, we pretty much 'made' him do it. Yes, the "Dying of the Eggs". For all the finesse we used, it might as well have been the running of the bulls! Kimi lovingly melted the little tablets, using lemon instead of vinegar so it would be 'less toxic', bent the little wire dippers appropriately while Jeremy 'explained' to Brinkley what he was about to do. We all oohed and aahed trying to get our little guy to become entranced, even excited about this box of white eggs, bowls of colored water and Mama, Daddy, Papa and Nana talking in high, chirpy little voices.



Yes, this is Brinkley looking as excited as one can get during the dying of the egg. Poor little guy was exhausted (only an hour nap that day)and his allergies were starting to pick up. He almost reverently placed his first egg in the dye, after being shown what to do. We ridiculously tried not to get his fingers in the dye. Dumb! Of course he's going to get his fingers all yucky ... and so did Nana, because, well, I had to be involved.



This was Brinkley's response ...



What an amazing, fun, project! We proceeded to dye all of the eggs, though this time Brinkley dropped them from a dizzy height and they crunched into bowls each time they landed. Mmmmmm, colorful egg salad to look forward to!

The most fun Brinkley had was when all the eggs were dyed and he proceeded to pick the eggs up one by one and 'load' them into the egg box from the egg drying box. We did that for what seemed like an interminably long time and it was probably Brinkley's favorite time with the whole process. Hooray, green-yellow-blue fingers, one smooshed egg that we tried to get Brinkley to taste (immediately dispelled from his mouth)and a little guy who only showed his excitement when Papa wasn't using the camera. Figures.

Grandchildren

We have one grandson. Naturally, he's the most intelligent, beautiful, talented grandson in the entire universe. Look for yourself.



Cory and Brinkley on February 21, 2009 ====>



Brinkley was born to Kimi and Jeremy in November of 2007. He weighed in at 9lbs. 14 ozs. and is still a big boy with a charming smile (though he won't show it when a camera appears) and the usual winning ways that accompany such a smile.

We now await three more blessings to arrive in the form of Caelen Glenn, due to arrive on April 22nd, but more than likely to show up early as she's 'engaged' and ready to go. Jeremy and Kimi have been working hard to get ready for Caelen's arrival and I am anxiously waiting for the call so I can hop into the car and zoom to Ohio, hopefully with Kris along for the adventure. If Kris comes with, he will get to watch Brinkley and I'll get to go to the hospital to be with Kimi and Jeremy.

Blessing number 2 will arrive in May, hopefully at least by the 14th, to our Jamie and Marco. Jamie has had a really difficult time of things and her usually healthy body has pulled all kinds of tricks on her. Their little girl has yet to be named as Marco thinks that he and Jamie should see her little face to determine which name fits. One cannot argue with that. We had to see Kimi before we could tell if she was Kimi or Jamie. One cannot zoom as quickly for this little girl's birth as it involves planes and airports and such. We just hope we get plenty of notice.

A baby boy will be blessing number 3. We just knew it! Josh and Candy had the ultrasound on Thursday and decided that they would 'unveil' Baby Bean's gender with a cake, as much family present as possible, and the reading of the envelope. And the winner will arrive in August! Names have been discussed with Joshua's being the most interesting, though not necessarily agreed upon. I mean, Dexter? There's a TV show with that title and he's a serial killer! Come on Josh, really?

We love the thought of having all these little bodies at some time being here with their Nana and Papa and playing in the backyard, using their parents old clothes for dress-up and learning to make cookies, bread and strawberry jam with their Great-granny and gardening with Granbob. I was putting something away in the garage today and espied the ping-pong table. I had a vision of that table being up in the garage and our kids and grandkids having tournaments with their Papa.

How can one not anticipate with joy their posterity? To hold these little bundles of joy, see the pride and tenderness in their parents' faces as they enjoy membership in the exclusive "mommy and daddy" club. We, still members of that exclusive club, continue to feel inexpressible joy as we see our wonderful children enjoy blessings and know from whence they come.

Driveways and the hazards thereof

We all make decisions in our lives that affect positively or negatively. Sometimes we do a good thing that turns out badly. I did that today.

Cory's driveway is steep and I've skidded up it in the winter when it's covered with ice. I've schlepped stuff up it when it's all hot and humid outside. Missionaries have filled the driveway and sung to the family after Hector's death. They've also shoveled 'WE LOVE YOU" in the snow on the grass beside the driveway that is as steep. At one time or another, we've all backed down the driveway, swerving our way down trying not to get on the grass or hit the brick retaining wall. Quintin took a door off when driving down that driveway. I'm sure someone has hit the mail box at one time or another. A goat has even strolled up and tried to eat Cory's flowers, turkeys routinely visit as do deer, squirrels and chipmunks.

Today, I believe I did something that will be hard to beat. I went over to Cory's to let Chester the dog out to go to the loo. Before I went up the driveway I stopped and picked up the mail and reminded myself to get the newspaper that was lying in the driveway when I left.

I let Chester out and had to chase him around the backyard because he raced out before his leash was hooked on the door knob. We played with his shoe in the house for a while until Chester tired out and wanted back in his room with a treat. I obliged and headed out the door.

At the bottom of the driveway I drew as close to the paper as I could, opened my door and reached down to get the paper. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my face with the back wheel of the car missing my left arm and face by centimeters. I was repeatedly yelling, "Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh!!!" as I watched the car meander across the cul de sac and towards the curb and grass, gully and trees beyond that.

I ran as fast as I could towards the runaway car, terrified that it was going to go straight into the gully and me having to call a tow truck and explain to Kris what an idiot I had been; that I had nearly crashed the car and been run over too.

I managed to thrust my right leg in the car and slammed on the brake just as the car slowed down when it hit a pile of old, dead leaves and tree trunks. Tree trunks is a relative term. The thickest one was maybe eight inches around, there just happened to be several of them together forming a kind of fence. My brain was going nineteen miles to the dozen, prayers shooting up with thanks as fast as I could say them out.

I backed off the grass, thrust the car into drive and shot away, so thankful that nobody saw my act of stupidity except for the angels that helped rescue me. Do you think I'll put the car into park when I have to pick something up out of driveway?

My back hurts. So does my pride.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ...

... a beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

Yes, that song should bring pleasant memories to some who were lucky enough to teethe along with Mr Rogers, Sesame Street and such. What has become of a generation that knew the classics and now resorts to Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer and such for a babysitting tool? Tsk, tsk, 'tis sad.

So, it really is a beautiful, if somewhat chilly, day in our neighborhood. March is trying really hard to make sure spring is sprung before April. The grass is trying to riz and the birdies are definitely on the wing. We have nuthatches, cardinals, blue birds, birds with Elvis hair-do's, various varieties of finches, woodpeckers and the proverbial crows/black-birds.

The squirrels are out in droves. I don't know what the term for a collection/bunch/herd/passel of squirries are, but there's lots. Nary a sign of chipmunks yet, which is good because that means no dead bodies on the back deck.

Cute creatures aside, though, we shall probably begin to see carpenter ants, the weird crickets that live here, tons of (shiver, shiver)arachnids, wasps and then the fleas and ticks will appear.

There are already little buds on the trees and the odd looking plants that grow in the wet-lands behind the house will begin spouting. They start out almost black, they are so deep purple, and then go to green and slowly unfurl until they are these big, leafy plants that the animals race around under. The ferns follow after the trees blossom, their fronds unfolding a little more each day. Aaaah, so pretty, no wonder we love our back yard!

And then there's my Hero

He's amazing, my sweet husband. I love him a lot, but so do a great amount of other people and so I have to share him. I shared him with the Grillone's and I'm totally okay with that, for the obvious reasons.

Kris and Hector became close good friends. I think it really happened because of Cory and me, we have a tendency to instigate stuff, the two of us. I think in large part, though, it was because Kris and Hector served together at church and, then, there was that dressing alike they somehow managed to do. Okay, so Cory and I have sometimes purchased very similar things (like the color of the purses we each currently use), but seriously, khaki's and plaid shirts that were almost exactly the same? Even we didn't go that far - well, we don't tend to wear khaki and plaid,we're more into black and white clothing with splashes of vibrant color!

On New Year's day we loaded up the car with the Grillone's, us and Bryan and headed for Sonic. It's an hour and a half away near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Why? Well, why not? We love their different lemonades and Karen and Bryan gave a Sonic trip to Sophie and Anders. We adults crashed the trip. Kris and Hector were up front, the rest of us crammed in the back of our Sienna van. Craziness for sure, but so much fun.

Hector brought out the playfulness in Kris, oh, and the competition. Can we mention table tennis? Can we say that they were going to start playing racket ball together because they both needed to get into shape? Hector had even looked into a gym membership right across from Kris's work and they were going to start doing that.


(Valentine's 2007 - The Melting Pot)

We teased Hector the one day we were at lunch at Chili's. Yes, we liked to hang with each other, even if it was just to meet for a quick lunch/dinner, just so we could chat and be with one another. Hector's back was really beginning to bother him a lot and we said it was because he was out of shape and warned Kris he would be going the same way if he wasn't careful. Little did we know.

Hector's back got to the point where he was crying from the pain and that's when Cory took him to the emergency room. That was January 23rd. From that day on I don't think there's been a day that Kris hasn't either called or been with Hector, Cory or both.

When Hector was in the hospital, Kris would visit on his lunch hour. He'd go in the evenings. Sometimes I went too, mostly it was just Kris. He became a medical proxy so Cory wouldn't always have to deal with the doctors and Kris could speak on her and Hector's behalf.

Kris spent many and evening by Hector's side, buoying him up. Sometimes they were on their own together and I don't know what was talked about or even if any talking was done, but I know that Kris loved Hector like a brother.

Kris had to go to California on business. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Hector was taking a serious turn for the worse. Kris didn't want to go. It was February 25th, a Sunday. Hector was gone by Wednesday 28th. So much happened in that time, though. The number of calls, conference calls between doctors at Morristown Memorial where Hector was and doctors at Sloan Kettering, a cancer center. Arrangements Kris made to talk to these doctors, have records picked up, delivered, copied etc. were all made.

There were physical things that Kris did in order to help Cory and Hector, like the proxy work, but then there were the things Kris did that truly make him my hero. Kris gave of his love 24/7 to the Grillone family. He bought Hector's mom tweezers at the hospital because she found a hair under her chin that she wanted to get rid of. Who does that? My hero, that's who - he knows and understands how I feel about chin hairs so he wasn't about to let Olga suffer! He walked the corridors with Cory, bought a Curious George for Brinkley at Cory's urging. He skipped meals for them, he fasted purposefully for them. Kris went to the temple whilst in Sacramento and as he contemplated in the Celestial Room, knew where his friend would be and what he would be about - the Father's work.

Kris came home early. He somehow managed to be a Bishop, friend, husband, and still carry out his job in California, then come home early. He had to. He hurt so badly not being with us all in person and this sweet, sweet man didn't even have enough time to truly grieve himself, he was so busy helping us all do it. He was there at the funeral home from the time the viewing began and only left after everyone else, bar the funeral home employees, had gone home. He arranged for the young men to go to the church before the funeral on a horribly snowy, cold day to shovel the parking lot and side walks. He knew the people would come despite the weather. His faith shone through, sometimes more than ours, as a beacon for us to follow. He's a good man, this husband of mine.

Kris's words at the funeral, a talk he actually had to write down for the first time in his life, were poignant, stirring and touched many who heard with their ears and their hearts. He was our Bishop but he was also Hector's dear friend, Cory's physical and spiritual support and his arms were constantly open for hugs and reassurances.

Kris misses his friend, as we all do. He's about his Father's business, though, picking up where he needs to be, working hard to make the lives of others better. He did so just last night. We were with the Grillone's for Family Home Evening, Hector's parent's last night here before returning to Utah. No sooner had we arrived than Kris has to leave for an emergency, to help and comfort yet another family in great distress over something.

Kris leaps buildings in a single bound, in my mind. He's there with the safety net when we fall, me included. That's why he's my hero. Oh, and then there's this small thing we've got going. It's called marriage for time and all eternity. So we don't always get to be together every single moment, but you bet I'm going to see we get some good quality time in the next life! Hmmmm, heroes wear tights .... nah, white ones wouldn't look too hot.

It's been tough lately but ...

The desire to write a blog interspersed with pictures overrode the desire to just write. Now I have so much to write about this may end up either being the longest blog in history or a blog about the same thing told in several installments.

Where to begin. I think I may start at the end and go back to the beginning. I have a really, really, really dear friend. She's like my sister. We do Diet Coke, shopping, griping, errands,Q Dobe and La Salsa, movies, cry, laugh, mani-pedi's, bear our testimonies to each other, double date with our hubbies,make jewelry, yup, just about everything, together. Last Monday we were at her dear, sweet, way-too-young-to-be-gone, husband's funeral.

It's hard to write about. Feelings are still so tender, close to the surface. Tears come as often as does laughter. I wasn't with Cory every second of every day of when Hector was sick, but I was there always in my thoughts and when I could be, I was there in person.

Sometimes I was able to be a comforter, hold hands, soothe a brow, murmur quietly to try and calm through painful, painful moments. I tried to give bits of laughter that could turn tears to smiles. What does one do for a friend whose body is being invaded by an unseen, unwanted enemy? How do you comfort your 'sister' who is in an agony of her own watching the love of her life slip further and further away? There's only so many rides you can give the kids, words of encouragement, trips to the pharmacy for more drugs that have little or no effect, trash cans emptied, phone calls made, avoided, taken, meals shared, appointments kept, apologies made. How inadequate one feels, but, in the face of all that is struggled through, dealt with, and faced once more, the common thread that wound through and bound us all together, was there.

The love of our Father in Heaven and atonement of Jesus Christ was the thread. At times we felt that the thread was thin, almost invisible but at others it was strong, almost like re bar. It held and supported us, strengthened us, reinforced us for yet another round when needed. Hector suffered so greatly from the melanoma that invaded his whole body in just a month. From nothing to be seen in every test taken, to ravaging his whole body including his bones. If it hurt us so much to see him suffer so, how did the Father feel as He watched His Son suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane? How do we feel as we contemplate that Suffering that was for us so that He could know our every pain, want, need, desire, heart ache, joy, and indeed our very souls? Oh how small and insignificant it all seems when our exaltation is contemplated, but how real it is when you are existing through it with someone.

How does one keep going? Some days I know better than others. I see Cory, Sophie and Anders move through their lives as brave, strong and positive as they can be. Then we share moments that make us recall the swift inevitability of Hector's course despite the being brave, strong and positive, and the pain comes so swiftly that it almost chokes you. And the tears come again. Then the remembrance comes again of the love of a Father who gave His Son.

That sacred, holy offering by man least understood,
To have our sins remitted and take His flesh and blood.
That we may ever witness the suffering of thy Son,
And always have His Spirit to make our hearts as one.

How infinite that wisdom, the plan of holiness,
That made Salvation perfect, and veiled the Lord in flesh.
To walk upon His footstool and be like man almost,
In His exalted station and die or all was lost.

The words to the sacrament hymn come as easily as the tears do, tonight. The Spirit has truly been able to make our hearts as one. It's what has kept us all going. Countless prayers, hugs, murmurs of love and endearment, hands held, songs sung, hearts touched and lives changed forever.

I'm not sure I personally want to learn and grow this way, but the Lord knows what it takes for us better than we do. If it hurts so much just to watch Cory endure this, I just don't know. It's been tough lately but it's also been good.

No one said it would be easy ....

Okay, I know what you are all thinking, she's going to quote that obnoxious one about "but it would be worth it", well I'm not, well not entirely and certainly not in the vein that one would think.

So I'm in the process of figuring how to type one totally cool blog with pictures inserted appropriately etcetera etcetera, but Methuselah is giving us fits. Methuselah, for those not in the know, is our ancient laptop. He's decided to fritz and by that I mean send up all kinds of warnings, alerts, deny any connection to something called the Internet and basically act like an old fart. Pardon the expression.

All this precedes what I'm trying to tell you all about. I haven't posted anything more since my amazing discovery of how to put pictures on the blog because all the pictures we have, and that I finally learned how to download onto the laptop, are ONLY on Methuselah and not on this here desktop. I have to figure out how to put same pictures onto this here yet-to-be-named desktop. There are so many inlets, outlets and whatsits that I don't know what goes where and my eyesight is so nearly fifty years old that I can't see the tiny little pictures next to the openings where things get plugged into. (Is that a dangling participle?)

Dangling whatsits (and participles) aside, I am working on creating a work of art. Well it will be in my humble estimation. I'm having fun doing this whilst listening to my Pandora selection. I LIKE this stuff, it's fun. Now if I could just figure out how to make the blog as amazing as Brinkley's and Liam and Kimberly's. But, like I said, no one said it would be easy .... !