College Girl

Last week Sarah started her sophomore year at NPC.

*

I still can't get my mind around the fact that my baby girl is a college student! Wasn't it just a few months ago that I was cuddling my firstborn in my arms and vowing to protect her from every hard thing in the world?

Sarah was the first in my tradition of first-day-of-school photos.

*

Here she is at age 5 in front of DeNeil Olson's kindergarten class on August 17, 1995. Mrs. Olson was young, patient, and nice, and Sarah had no trouble adjusting to school.

*

After we dropped off Sarah, I took Jacob over to the Toddlin' Jackets preschool and took his picture on the front steps. His was my second first-day picture, although he'd actually started at the preschool several months earlier.

*

Then came 1st grade on Sept 9, 1996. It was the year school started late due to extensive remodeling throughout the district.

*

This is Sarah, age 6, at Brenda Penrod's classroom. Brenda had been teaching for many years and Sarah did well with her. Jacob was also in Mrs. Penrod's class 2 years later.
*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Aug 14, 1997: 7-year-old Sarah begins 2nd grade with Zita Seballos Semingson. This was a very exciting year for Sarah because she had a brand new baby brother. Dylan was 7 weeks old when school started.

*

That was also when I went back to work, leaving my 44-day-old infant with a sitter. I cried all the way to work. Which may explain why Sarah's hair was so wild on the first day of school!

*
*
*

On to 3rd grade! Here we have 8-year-old Sarah in front of Pam Trainor's classroom on Aug 13, 1998.

*

We love Mrs. Trainor, who lives just around the corner from us. Dylan was in her 3rd grade class 8 years later!
*

*

*

*

*
*

*

*

*

*
Blue Ridge Elementary School ended at 3rd grade back in those days. Students moved on to grades 4, 5, and 6 at the nearby Mid School. The change could be a bit frightening, as Sarah's expression here attests!

*

This was Kay Locke, 9-year-old Sarah's 4th grade teacher, on Aug. 12, 1999. Kay is one of the most amazing teachers I've ever met. Jacob was in her class 2 years later, and soon afterward Kay retired. (I don't think Jacob drove her to retirement, though!)

*

August 24, 2000: Sarah, age 10, begins 5th grade with Lisa Gray, a first-year teacher who gave up a career as a police officer to become a teacher.

*

Sarah had a special connection with Mrs. Gray and they stayed in touch for awhile. The following year Mrs. Gray and her husband, a DPS officer, moved to Australia for a year on some sort of exchange program for law enforcement.

*
I'm not sure what happened with the shot below. Since I had a regular camera in those days, I didn't know the picture was bad until it was developed.

*

Thank goodness for today's digital cameras!

*

Anyway, you can almost see 11-year-old Sarah in front of the classroom of her 6th grade teacher, Denise Thomas, on Aug 20, 2001. Sarah grew up a lot in Denise's class.

*

Again, Jacob was in Mrs. Thomas's class 2 years later.

*

Originally I had intended to continue first-day photographs until my kids all graduated from high school. However, without a specific classroom to pose them in front of, it became a bit trickier.

*

I did take pictures in front of the junior high school while Sarah was in 7th and 8th grade, but by the time Jacob reached 7th grade I gave it up. The junior high's school hours were the same as mine at the high school, and my first-day-of-school duties as a teacher made it hard to continue the tradition.

*
At left, 12-year-old Sarah on Aug 15, 2002, her first day as a 7th grader.


And here we have Sarah at age 13 as an 8th grade student on Aug 14, 2003. (The first of many photos taken with my first digital camera!)

*

She certainly blossomed into a young lady during the year she turned 13, didn't she!

*
And so Sarah has traveled a long road to reach the life she has today as a college student. I'm so proud of the choices she has made along the way. I know she'll accomplish great things as she continues toward the goals she has set for herself.

*
Sarah, you go girl!

American Express

*

I finally sat down with my credit card bill (and no, I do not use American Express) and reconciled it with all of my receipts from our Missouri vacation in July.

*

Here are the damages, paid in full.

*

Fuel costs to drive to Missouri:

$126.03

*

Fuel costs for the return trip:

$130.09

*

Cost of Oklahoma toll roads:

$15.50




Cost for 4 nights at hotels along the road there and back:

*

$242.89

*

Cost of eating out during the 17-day trip, including meals at Silver Dollar City:

$ 262.10

*

Cost of groceries and goods to supply the trip and 8 days in the resort condo:

$227.14

*

Cost of entertainment:

**Branson show "Six"

**Silver Dollar City

**Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede

**Ripley's Believe It ot Not Museum

*

$579.89


*
*

*

Cost for souvenirs, including this Silver Dollar City tee-shirt for Mom:

*

$190.03

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

17 days spent on holiday, having a great time with my children:

*

Priceless!

Today's Headline

Look who made today's newspaper! Okay, so it wasn't the front page headline--that would be Governor Brewer's visit to our area--but Jacob's article takes up almost half of page A7 of the White Mountain Independent!

*

The full article is below. Sometimes my scans aren't clickable, but if you can enlarge it by clicking on it, feel free to read all about it!

*

Sometimes Desiree is a bit fanciful. She assigned herself the role of "spokesperson" when she wasn't elected to an office in SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), but her mom is a local radio personality which means Desiree is well-connected for getting their club coverage. So it's all good.
*

To correct a few of her misconceptions: the club was not in "limbo" last year and Jacob did not just join up recently. Jacob joined SADD and became vice-president during his sophomore year. Brian, the originator of our SADD chapter, had quit the club but Jacob felt it was worth carrying on. After Jacob revived SADD, Brian was enticed to return and serve with Jacob as his vice-president. Last year Jacob became president of the club and continues in that position this year.

*

So many of my students are destroying their young lives with "destructive decisions." Jacob's choice to direct his time and energy toward doing good is a great joy to me.

*

I'm proud of you, Jacob!

Photo Booth Fun

*

A few weeks ago while I was looking through some envelopes of old pictures, these tiny little photos fell out. They brought back a rush of memories from 35 years ago.

*

I used to love those little photo booths where you and your friends could be captured on film in your zaniest moods. I still see these booths around, but now they seem more high tech and less fun.

*

I thought it would be fun to share these priceless little relics of past fun with friends and family.

These were taken at the Fresno County Fair on Oct. 1, 1974. I had moved to Southern California 2 years earlier, but traveled to Fresno to spend time with my best gal pal Peggi.

*

This was during the heyday of our best-friendship. The top picture is one of my favorites. Those smiles call back to mind the great times and all the experiences we shared as single girls.

*

I was 20 at that time and Peggi was still 19. Life was so much simpler then, wasn't it? We just didn't know it yet!

Now we're going WAY back in time. This is the earliest of my photo booth photos, taken at the Fresno County Fair in the Fall of 1970, when I was 16 and my little sister Karla was only 10!

One year later, October 1971. Again, we are at the Fresno County Fair. I was 17 and Karla was 11. On the right is our second-cousin Cheryl, who was also 11 at the time.

Fast-forward to Sept. 6, 1972. I had just turned 18 five days earlier, and Karla was 12.

*

Our family had moved to Southern California a few months before, and we decided to make a family trip to one of the local theme parks, Six Flags Magic Mountain.

These next 2 pictures were taken at a K-Mart in Anaheim on Aug. 7, 1974. Our cousin Cindy had come to stay with us for awhile, so we got her in on the fun.

*

The photo below is probably the only one I ever did solo. It's much more fun with friends. If I remember right, I think we were all quickly jumping in and out of the booth to get different combinations during the 4-shot session.

*

Since there were always at least 2 of us in these "photo shoots," we would split up the little string of pictures, which is of course why I don't have all of them in my possession.

*

These were taken when I was still 19, but my 20th birthday was just 25 days away. Cindy was 14 years old, the same age as Karla.

And, last but not least, another trip to Magic Mountain, on Sept. 9, 1974. Almost exactly 35 years ago now!
*

Here we have myself, just turned 20 and thinking I was already an old maid, and little sis Karla, who was now 14.

*

I just love these little trips down Memory Lane. Don't you?

One Heartbeat Away

On Friday night I ended up in the emergency room. Again.

*

The arrhythmia I've lived with for 12-odd years has taken a turn for the worse.

*

I had a bad episode on Thursday afternoon, but it cleared up after 15 minutes and all seemed well for the rest of the night. However, the irregular heartbeat returned on Friday morning, worse than ever.
*

By the end of the school day I knew something was really wrong.

I drove to the doctor's office after school and waited an hour to be seen. They put me in the red-white-and-blue room, one of my favorites. I got these pictures while I waited.

*

All of Dr. Paxman's exam rooms have themes. My kids' favorite is the galaxy room. One full wall is covered by a life-sized photo of the moon's surface, and the rest of the walls and ceiling are dotted with glow-in-the-dark stars and planets. A 3-D alien peeks out at you from inside a frame on one wall.

*

When my kids are there, the doctor turns off the light as he enters the room, revealing the glittering galaxy above our heads as he cries ominously, "Woo-ha-ha!" He's a riot.

4 EKGs later, I learned my formerly non-lethal PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) are now originating in the bottom half of my heart.

*

It means that at any time my heart could just stop. I could black out and never wake up. Sudden cardiac death. Just one heartbeat away from meeting my maker.

*

Unsurprisingly, I was sent straight to the emergency room, where I spent the next 5 hours.

*

Back on the heart monitor and blood pressure cuff, plugged back into the IV and another EKG. This time a chest x-ray, as well.
By this time I was experiencing what they call bigeminy. As I told the nurses, "This is no fun, by jiminy!" (Pun intended.)

*

A bigeminy means every other beat is a PVC. It feels like a little person is in your chest, continually kicking the inside of your breastbone. Not painful, but certainly uncomfortable.

They say my heart is still healthy, other than this electrical misfire. That's good. It means I'm less likely to die from it.
*

It seems my potassium levels were at deadly levels. Normal is 3.5 to 5.0. Anything at or below 2.5 can kill. Mine was 2.8. I have a new potassium prescription.
Wyndie took this picture of me about 30 minutes before I was finally discharged. She was there for me throughout this entire experience, helping with my kids' schedules, making calls for me, waiting with me, and even bringing me the yummy salad you see here.

*

Many other friends have added their prayers, well wishes, help, and hugs. These things bring the important things, like friendship, into clearer focus.

*

Wyndie's husband and a member of our bishopric also dropped everything to come visit and give me a priesthood blessing.

*

I am so grateful to everyone!

*

I also have to mention my ER physician, the wonderful Doug Wright, and the amazing male nurses who entertained me for my entire stay. What more could a single girl ask?

*

The crisis isn't over yet. We're having trouble adjusting my potassium levels and the arrhythmia continues off and on. I feel perfectly normal about half the time. The other half is a little bit rough. During the worst episodes, my heart isn't getting enough oxygen, which really wears me out.
*

I'm supposed to slow down, avoid stress, get more rest. Hello? Single, working mother here!
*
I have an appointment with a cardiologist next week, on September first. My birthday. Should be interesting.

*
Thanks to everyone who has offered help and expressed love and concern. I appreciate the prayers offered in my behalf and hope they will continue as the cardiologist attempts to resolve the issues causing this problem.
*

One heartbeat away... But then, aren't we all? Knowing of our human frailty is the reason we cherish the things that matter most in this life: our faith, our families, and our friends. God bless you all.

Return of the Banditos

Our rascally raccoon family has returned, and they're getting fat and sassy on the cat food we store on the porch.

*

They came back a few weeks ago, but I've mostly been able to ignore them. Until last night.
*

At 3:30 this morning I awakened to the sound of many heavy footsteps racing across the roof. They are chubby little critters. If I'm not mistaken, the two adolescents were wrestling directly over my head.

*

I tried to go back to sleep, but my brand-new dolphin wind chime suddenly began ringing insistently. It went on for 5 minutes before I realized only 1 of my 7 chimes was ringing. The wind does not ring one chime and ignore the others!

I got up and peeked out the kitchen window. There was one of the young raccoons sitting on his haunches with the dangling dolphin between his tiny paws, batting it back and forth to make the chimes ring.

*

At this time, Mama Raccoon decided it was time to go. She jumped from the rail to the nearest tree and chittered to her babies to follow, but they hesitated. It looked like they were afraid to jump.

*

To help nudge them, I jiggled the doorknob loudly and opened the door noisily. Diego burst onto the porch, ready to make raccoon stew.
*

The babies hadn't jumped. One huddled on the rail while the other hid inside a hole in the bench. He peeped out now and then to look around (top picture).

He came out and joined his brother while Diego was out in the yard barking at their mom in the tree.

*

When Diego returned to the porch and saw the youngsters, the crazed snarling and snapping of all parties began, but I quickly called off Diego and brought him inside.

*

Once the door closed, the young ones decided they'd had enough excitement for one night. They made their way to Mama's tree, where she'd been been crying for them all along.

*

That was enough excitement for me, too. I turned off the porch light, locked the door, and returned to my bed for 2 more hours of sweet slumber. I hope Mama and the boys were able to do the same.

The Anniversary

56 years ago today my parents, Myron and Jane Butler, were married.

*

They planned an October 2nd wedding, as you can see in the announcement at left. That would have been 3 days after Mom's 16th birthday and 4 weeks after Dad's 19th birthday, but they just couldn't wait that long.

*

They eloped to Reno, Nevada on August 18, 1953. They took their parents and one of Dad's sisters, Aunt LouDene, along with them.

*

There are some errors in the newspaper clippings. Dad's middle initial is T. not P. and Grandpa Haley's name is spelled Loyd, not Lloyd.

*

The date at the top of the left announcement is in Mom's own handwriting.

*

I love how they describe all the ladies' dresses. You don't see that anymore, unless you're attending the Oscars!

*

I only wish I had pictures of my parents on their wedding day. I've only seen one photo of my mom in her wedding dress. I hope my dad has it somewhere. I need to get all the old photos from him and scan in the ones I don't yet have.

*

I'm sure when they sent out these invitations they had no idea that Dad wouldn't be able to attend his own reception, due to his boss refusing to give him time off. What a Scrooge!
*
This is Mom 4 days before her 16th birthday. With her at the reception are her brand-new in-laws, my Dad's parents Lawrence Edward (Ed) Butler, age 61, and Myrtle Van Ausdal Butler, age 58.
*

On June 1, 1968, my parents were sealed in the Oakland, CA Temple for eternity. Here they are on the temple grounds. Dad was 33 and Mom was 30 by this time, and all 6 of their children had been born.

*

Mom only lived long enough to celebrate their 48th anniversary, but I hope today she was able to pause in her heavenly work and smile at the memories of that day 56 years ago. I know she always cherished it in this life.

*

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Raining Ducks and Geese

I knew first thing this morning that it was going to rain today, big time.

*

No matter how much I worked with my bangs, they curled every which way. That kind of humidity can only mean a major downpour.

*

I don't mean raining cats and dogs. I mean raining ducks and geese!

*

It was about noon today when the heavens opened.

Rain ran off the schools' roofs in thick sheets like wild waterfalls. Heavy, rushing streams nearly a foot deep raced across the parking lots.

*

Naturally, I had to be out in it to attend meetings in other buildings.

*

Teachers huddled against walls. Students screamed with laughter and gleefully stomped through every stream.
It reminded me of another downpour 4 years ago, August 2005.

*

The first 3 photos were taken on New Year's Day 2007 at a pond a few blocks from our house. My sons often go fishing there.

*

On that occasion, my kids walked there with their visiting cousins to feed the ducks. The pond hadn't frozen over yet.

It was a completely different picture in August 2005. As the kids and I drove home from school that day, the rain was so heavy we could barely see the front end of the car.

*

This was the sight that greeted our eyes when we turned into our neighborhood. The pond, at left, was spilling across the road and into a neighbor's front yard. Fallen pine trees floated across our path.

In this shot you can see how the creek now extended into the yards of homes across the way.

*

Up the road, my friend Wyndie's family had to sandbag their kitchen.
*

Ducks and geese from the pond swam serenely across the road and frolicked about in peoples' yards.

*

We had to take an alternate route home.

While I snapped pictures, some of the geese waddled over to our car and honkily scolded us for interrupting their play.

*

I love storms, so I found all this exhilarating.

*

And that's why, when I'm caught in a rainstorm, I now think to myself:

*

"It's raining ducks and geese!"