What a Year!

As usual, we have had a busy year, with people going here and there.

John still lives here in Phoenix. He did spend six weeks this summer in Kansas, helping my brother, Bob. Jordan finished out at Scottsdale Community College and is now completing his BFA in dance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Jacob is living with his Inline Speed Skating coach in San Jose, CA and attending De Anza College majoring in Photography. Jared is still attending Arizona Connections Academy, online school. He is busy with field trips, guitar lessons and AZ Ascenders rock climbing team. Jeff is still working in Long Beach, CA at Boeing. I am still running from place to place as the zoo keeper and in the mean time running our business.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this will be a VERY long blog, here are links to a year of photo albums on facebook.

Christmas 2011
Was this really a year ago??

JordanDanielsDance Film Shoot
February 5th, 2012 Phoenix, AZ. Film shoot for JordanDanielsDance. Jordan's first film project, my first time as a producer! You can watch it here: DRUG

Riparian Preserve
January 27th, 2012 Gilbert, AZ. Arizona Connections Academy Field Trip.

Flandrau Science Center
February 1, 2012 Tucson, AZ. Another Arizona Connections Academy field trip.

Skiing!
February 3rd, 2012 Sunrise Ski Resort. Would you believe another Arizona Connections Academy field trip? Skiing babee!

Disneyland 
March 17th, 2012 Anaheim, CA. Spring Break at Disneyland. We had a trip of "firsts". We have been going to Disneyland for years but we discovered there were many things that we have never done. So we DID them! See my additional thoughts on this trip at: The Disney World

Easter 

Jared's 10th Birthday
April 9th, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ. Doing what else? Climbing!!

AZR Ropes Comp
April 14th, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ. Jared's first ropes comp.

Spring Leadership
April 20th, 2012 Spokane, WA. Spokane Spring Leadership.

For details and my thoughts on the next 3 albums see my blog: Three Weddings and a Funeral
Kansas Trip
April - May, 2012 Paola, KS. Went back to Kansas for 3 weeks to help out my folks!
Van Omen Wedding
May 18th, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ. It was so wonderful to be a part of David and Cassie's special day!Daddy
May, 2012 Paola, KS. Pictures of events around Daddy's passing.

The events of the next 5 albums are in: It's Monday so this must be Kansas
Derek's Wedding
June 16th, 2012 Camp Verde, AZ. When did they grow up???
Life's a Beach
June, 2012 Huntington Beach, CA. Finally made it to the beach...
Trophy Meet
June 23rd, 2012 San Jose, CA. Southwest Pacific League Trophy Meet.
Indoor Nationals
July, 2012 Lincoln, NE. USARS Indoor National Championships.
Daniels' Reunion 2012
July 21st-23rd, 2012 Junction City, KS. Just a few pictures from the 2012 reunion. So blessed that God saw fit to put me in this family!

I blogged about the next week of journeys in: It's Tuesday so this must be Colorado
Friend Day
July 25th, 2012 Kansas City, KS. I got to spend the day shopping & visiting with one of my lifetime best friends. We hadn't seen each other in probably 20 years but it seemed like yesterday! Some friends truly are for a lifetime!

Blogs on ODN and SMU are: Half Way! and By the Numbers (which also summarizes our travels)
ODN
August, 2012 Colorado Springs, CO. Outdoor Nationals World team Trials 2012. Plus the activities around that... Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods, Josh & John's and of course four square!
SMU
August 16th, 2012 Dallas, TX. Taking Jordan to college at Southern Methodist University.

AZR Ascenders Mini Comp
September 22nd, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ. Jared Rock Climbing Mini-Comp. He got 3rd place!

Kartchner Cavern
September 28th, 2012 South of Tucson, AZ. Arizona Connections Academy Field Trip to Kartchner Cavern. It was definitely worth the drive. One of the best caves I have ever toured!!! Being a living wet cave really makes a difference in the formations.

Fall Festival
October 12, 2012 Gilbert, AZ. Arizona Connections Academy Fall Festival.

This is Halloween
October 31, 2012 Phoenix, AZ. This is Halloween, this is Halloween... Jared carved his first Jock-O-Lantern.

Class Day
November 5th, 2012 Cave Creek, AZ. Library, lunch and hike with classmates at Arizona Connections Academy.


USAC Local Bouldering Comp - Picture above.
November 11, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ. So proud of Jared! Finishing 9th in the USAC local comp.

Thanksgiving

November 22nd, 2012.  3 days of eating, family and friends all make for a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Another Mini-Comp
December 1st, 2012 Scottsdale, AZ.  Another mini-comp with Jared's team.  This was a ropes, 3 best climbs competition.

Tinsel 1/2 Marathon

December 9th, 2012, Hemet, CA.  Tinsel Speed Skate in Hemet CA. 1/2 marathon skate on the front end of the Tinsel Triathlon. It was a beautiful day and as usual a fun event. Jacob won in his age division.

 

As I said, "What a Year!"  We will actually have all of the boys home for Christmas!  But they will be going their separate ways for New Year's!  I wish a very blessed Christmas and a special New Year to all my friends and family.

 

As for me...

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

By the Numbers

Well, I am finally back in Phoenix! But I had another little 2,100 mile trip tacked on to my travel plans.  More on that later...
Jacob finished up Outdoor Nationals strong.  He placed 5th in the 10,000m point race on the road, which placed him 10th in the nation and put him on National Team.  Nas finished as an alternate to the World Team and Lani skated strong on the road.  Because there weren't any rain delays, we had a day to just hang out.  We went to the Cheyene Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, CO which I highly recommend.  It is one of the most interesting zoos I have ever been to.  However, it does require walking many steep walkways and stairs. 

On Saturday, August 11th, I made the trek to Denver to take Jacob, his coach and teammate back to the airport.  Jared and I spent the rest of the day visiting Garden of the Gods.  Sunday, August 12th, we packed up and took off driving to Phoenix.  The drive was one of the easiest yet.  Normally a 14 hour drive, including stop times, we made it with very few stops and made it in 12 hours!  Side note: 8/12/12 was my 29th wedding anniversary.

While we were on the road, my 22 year old son, Jordan, was accepted into the dance program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, classes start August 20th.  In talking with him, we were going to leave on Wednesday, so I had 2 days to turn around and leave again.  As we got packing and figuring out the drive times, we realized we needed to get on the road sooner.  We mapped out the trip, and saw that El Paso would be the perfect stopping point.  As chance would have it one of my dearest friends lives in El Paso.  I gave her a call and she was more than happy to let us crash there Tuesday night. 

Jordan's friend Michael went with us to help with the moving.  We took off around noon on Tuesday, stopping in El Paso and arriving in Dallas on Wednesday.  Thursday we were able to move Jordan into his apartment and walk around the campus.  SMU is a beautiful 100 year old campus and the Meadows School looks wonderful.  Michael and I headed back to El Paso on Friday.  Michael got word that night, he didn't need to go into work on Saturday.  This meant we were able to sleep in and just laze around Saturday morning and visit.  I was so wonderful to see my friend, Lena after many years.  I finally got to meet her husband and 6 year old son!  She has such a beautiful home and her family were such gracious hosts.  We headed home around noon on Saturday.

Amazingly, I will be home for seven weeks!!!  I have basically been on the road for 4 months!  Wow! That's hard to believe!
 
Here are some of the numbers:
Left on April 25th back home August 18th - 16 1/2 weeks or 116 days.
25 traveling days (23 driving, 2 flying)
17,383 miles on my truck
36 days at home
55 days at other places
31 days of school while on the road (finishing one school year and started the next)

Places?
10 hotels
3 friends/relatives homes
2 hospitals
11 states (CA, AZ, NM, CO, NE, KS, IA, MN, MO, OK, TX)

Food?
3 visits to Josh & John's (best ice cream EVER)
Can't even begin to count restaurants... some notables:
2 hospital cafeterias actually really good food
Fargo's Pizza in Colorado Springs
G&R's authentic mexican food in El Paso
A micro brewery in Minneapolis, GREAT burgers in an amazing old building
Smokin' Bob's Bar B Que (a little partial since it is my brother) His brisket and beans are literally award winning!
I am SOOOOO done with Applebee's and Taco Bell for a loooooong time!!!
6 lbs lost... REALLY!?!?!

Activities?
3 skating competitions (Trophy Meet, Indoor Nationals, and Outdoor Nationals)
21 individual races plus relays
3 moves (Jared moved bedrooms, Jordan moved home and then to Dallas)
2 weddings attended
1 Family Reunion
1 Business Convention
1 Funeral
2 zoos (Lincoln and Cheyene Mountain)
lots and lots of visiting

People?
65 relatives at Daniels family reunion
3 cousins I never knew, Jim, Irvine and Jay
9 friends I haven't seen in YEARS Barb, Tom, Kris Ann, Derek & Sharon, Randy, Karen & Tessa, and Lena
10 relatives I haven't seen in YEARS Vivian, Sarah, Elle, Jenny, JT, Bob, Cheryl, Janie, Mom and Dad.
2 in-laws I hadn't met yet, Keith and Matt
Many, many friends and relatives, old and new, from all over!
I can't even begin to count the number of hugs, laughs and tears.

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

It's Tuesday so this must be Colorado

As I write this I'm sitting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since my last posting...

Tuesday July 24th, I took Jeff, Jacob and Kylee to fly out of Kansas City International Airport. Jeff went back to Long Beach, Kylee to Rialto, and Jacob to San Jose.

On Wednesday my dear friend, Karen Brundridge came to KC to visit with me. This came about because of Facebook. I posted an album on Facebook of old high school pictures that mother gave me when I was in Paola in May. Many were of Karen and me, in our baton twirling outfits. I, of course, tagged her. These started a conversation that went something like, "I miss you", "It's been too long", "We should get together", "I'll be in KC in July", "I'll be there!” As it turns out, we were staying, 1/2 mile from her oldest daughter's apartment. Here's the pic: Karen, Me and Tammie.

I can't exactly remember the last time I saw Karen, I think it was around the time Mom and Dad moved away from Galena (our hometown). That would have been 21 years ago!!! Karen and I were best friends in high school. She married right after high school and stayed in the area. So while I was in college, I saw her every time I came home. She was one of my bridesmaids (right after my sister). Her daughter was only a few weeks old at my wedding. Even after we moved to Arizona, we talked on the phone regularly. I can't really say why we lost touch after that. I think we both, got VERY busy with children, changed land lines to cell phones and moved a few times. We found each other again on Facebook recently.

Anyway, we spent Wednesday evening catching up and all day Thursday, doing lunch and shopping on the plaza. It was so much fun! I am still a little amazed at how it didn't seem like we had been apart that many years. Actually, it felt more like last week. Afterwards, I was telling her how funny it is that our lives are so similar and we still just "click" as friends. She said, "Not really, there was a reason we were best friends all those years ago." She's right, some friends are for life whether you're around each other or not. Here's a picture of us at 2am after a full day of shopping AND talking into the wee morning hours!

On with my journeys! I was so wired and wide awake that I decide to throw my suitcase in the truck and head for Minneapolis at 3am Friday. I needed to be there early on Friday and I knew I wouldn't be getting to sleep or getting up, in time to make it. I did get tired in the northern part of Iowa and pulled in a rest area and slept for 2 hours. Here is where I slept; it was the NICEST rest area ever!

I left Jared in KC with John. He got to help John and Uncle Bob (my brother) with some barbeque. Jeff flew into Minneapolis on the Thursday night red eye and landed at 5:30am. When we got in the hotel room we took a long afternoon nap! We were up in time for the evening workshops.

We were in Minneapolis for the "Nelsen Family Reunion" which is a business convention we attend every summer for our Amway business. It was a great weekend, with so much good information. We are so excited about the mobile apps and the technical upgrades to our business website. Plus, we got to hang out with some friends we hadn't seen since last year's event and as always meet some new friends, with all of us having the chance to share ideas and information.

Sunday night, Jeff and I got a bite to eat and then headed back toward KC. We stopped in Des Moines, Iowa and got a hotel room.

Monday morning, July 30th, I drove Jeff back to the KC airport and he flew back to Long Beach. I then drove back to John's hotel. That evening we did some laundry, joined Bob and Cheryl for dinner and packed up.

Tuesday July 31st, John headed back to Phoenix; Jared and I headed to Colorado Springs. John is stopping in Tucumcari, NM. I finally was able to unpack my truck COMPLETELY! The crockpot and boxes of food that I have been hauling from state to state finally will be put to use. This is the last leg of the travels. Tomorrow morning I head to Denver to pick up Jacob, his coach, Deb and other skaters from the airport. Then it is 10 days of skating for Outdoor Nationals! I'll keep you posted...

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

It's Monday so this must be Kansas

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we have crazy summer travel plans. It started shortly after I returned to Arizona.

June 15th, 2012

I have been home a week and the pool is looking good! Jeff flies into Phoenix.

June 16th, 2012

Jeff, John, Jared and I drive north to Camp Verde to attend the wedding of a dear family friend, Derek Hinkle! Tom & Kris Ann Hinkle (Derek's parents) were our next door neighbors for years. We raised our kids together. When I first met Derek, he and John (my oldest) were both in diapers. It was a beautiful wedding, despite the heat and it was so wonderful to spend the day with Tom & Kris Ann and other longtime friends, Doug & Jeri Lynn Thompson and Sharron (Tom's sister).

June 17th, 2012

Jeff, Jared and I drive to Long Beach, CA to spend a week at the beach.

June 19th, 2012

John takes off driving for Kansas. When my Dad was in rehab, John had asked if he would be any help around the farm. Dad thought that would be wonderful. Mom and Dad live on a farm however, they don't farm. They rent out the farm land. The immediate property around their house is constantly in need of something, i.e. mowing, repairs to out buildings, fence repainted, trees trimmed etc. When we were back for the funeral, there was discussion about, "what now?" John had already arranged for the time off. He decided to go ahead and come back; even if he didn't do much around the farm he could help my brother with his Barbeque business. That is exactly what he has been doing.

June 22nd, 2012

Jared and I drive to San Jose, CA for Jacob's Speed Skating Trophy Meet. Jeff flies in that night. The meet goes really well. Jacob wins 1st overall for Novice Sr Men for the meet and the season. He also finishes 2nd in the Sr Open for the season!

June 24th, 2012

Jeff, Jacob, Jared and I drive to southern California. We drop Jacob off in Valencia, CA where he meets up with longtime friends, Andrew, KJ and Josh. They went on a, "Graduation Road Trip" starting at Six Flags and going up the California coast. They dropped Jacob back in San Jose. We then drop Jeff back in Long Beach, CA. Jared & I continue on to Phoenix, AZ.

June 25th, 2012

Jared and I arrive home in the early morning. The pool is green AGAIN!!! I drive directly to Mesa in order to help Jordan (#2 son) pack up his apartment to move back home. His apartment contract was up mid-June and he will be going away to school in mid-August. So he is home for 2 months, which worked out well because he can take care of everything while we're gone the rest of the summer. Yes, our summer travels haven't even begun yet!!! At the time, I actually get to stay home for 3 weeks. I de-greened the pool, planted grass on July 4th, Jordan had his wisdom teeth out on the 13th and we had a "Breaking Bad" marathon... all of seasons 2, 3, and 1/2 of 4!

July16th, 2012

Jared and I take off driving for a 4 week trip! First, Lincoln, NE, Jacob is already there watching the World Class and Standard divisions at Indoor Nationals.

July 17th -20th, 2012

Lincoln, NE - We get to watch Jacob skate Indoor Nationals. Thursday afternoon while Jacob had practice, I drove 2 1/2 hours down to Holton, KS to pick up my niece, Elle. I brought her back to Lincoln. On Friday my niece, Sarah, came to watch her cousin skate too! Jacob really enjoyed having his cousins there to cheer him on. They really enjoyed seeing him skate for the first time.

July 19th, 2012

Jeff flies to KC, John picks him up from the airport.

July 20th, 2012

Jeff and John drive to Junction City, KS for the Daniels Family Reunion. Jacob skates his individual events all day. Jacob, Kylee (Jake's girlfriend), Jared and I leave Lincoln at 12:30am for Junction City, KS and the reunion.

July 21st -22nd, 2012

DANIELS FAMILY REUNION! It was a great reunion and it was so fun to have almost all my family together, Jordan had to stay in Phoenix, AZ due to work. :( At the end of the reunion we all drive back to KC.

July 23rd, 2012.... One week down... three to go... It's Monday so this must be Kansas!!!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

More about Dad - Words attempting to describe Dad!

My father was an amazing man. He had so many aspects to his life. We tried to capture that in the end of his obituary, "The words husband, father, grandfather, uncle, engineer, designer, inventor, storyteller, teacher and perfectionist best describe Bill Reynolds". Here are some more words to attempt to describe my dad.

Dad was a war hero. In 1943, he was drafted in the army at age 18 however he was given a one year deferment because of being the last son working on the family farm. He went in the service in 1944. He was wounded in the Battle of the Colmar Pocket, February 5th, 1945. He should have died in the Ardennes. His femoral artery was severed by mortar fire however the wool uniform and mud packed the wound and kept him from bleeding to death.

Dad was a student, duh, what teacher isn’t also a student. After two years of rehabilitation he married my mom and went to college on the VA bill. They had children, a boy and a girl. He graduated with a degree in Agriculture Education and a minor in Engineering. After graduating, he and my mother, who had her degree in Home Economic Education, went to teach school in Hope, Ks. They lost children (my sister Carolyn was killed in a car accident at 1 year old). They moved to Kansas City and my dad went into engineering, he was the guy who designed production lines, because of people like him; we have "how it's made". They had more children, my sister and four years later me.

Dad was an entrepreneur and started his own business, Fire Electric Safety Demonstration Kits. Still the teacher... they were purchased by fire departments and school districts to teach fire and electric safety i.e. how to put out a grease fire. We moved to Galena, Mo, this is where I remember growing up. Galena is a small town, pop 300, on the James River near Table Rock Lake. My brother was already in college and never moved to Galena with us.

Dad was an avid fisherman and golfer. As I talked about in my previous post, dad was a story teller. After all what's a fisherman (or golfer) without a tale to tell! There were too many fishing stories to even begin to share them all!! Add in the “almost hole in ones” too.

Dad was a jokester. He loved the stories that ended in laughter. He would talk about growing up on a farm in Kansas... flying model airplanes off of John Brown's Lookout... getting into mischief with his best friend Durbin... Boot camp at Fort Hood Texas, catching an armadillo and putting it into an annoying guy's tent... Being on guard duty one night in Alsace, France and reporting to the CO that there were spies in town because two women were speaking German. (The area was bi-lingual)... His engineering experiences... He designed a chicken packing plant in Arkansas. Frozen chickens were difficult to process because the frozen legs and wings would break off when they would try to wire them. However, if the chickens weren't frozen bacteria would grow before they could get them processed. His solution was to put the whole plant under pressure. The chickens were supposed to be held by the leg, when they first turned on the production line it was on too high of speed. The chickens were flung around the plant at such a high rate they couldn't get to the off button! Dad would howl with laughter every time he told this story, mimicking dodging and weaving to try to get to the off button while being pelted by chickens.

Dad was a history maker. Because of that factory design, dad invented vacuum sealed cans. It was for a product call "Spreadables". Basically, tuna salad in a can, again to prevent spoilage he put it under pressure. Spreadables were on Apollo 13 and after the disaster and the water tank blew, it was the only food the astronauts could eat. (I haven't called Tom Hanks yet to ask why that fact wasn't in the movie) Just think of how many "shelf stable" foods we now enjoy because of vacuum sealed cans! That was my dad!

Dad was a genius and taught me the simplicity of genius. There was a time in TV between vacuum tubes and microchips, TVs used crystals. They were man made crystals and they needed to be sawed and sanded into thin slices. The saw blade was 3 times the final thickness and then the cut was so rough that they had to sand 2 times the thickness off. So for every crystal slice they wasted 5 times as much crystal. That's if it went perfectly but about every third crystal would crack or catch on the saw tooth and fly off. Dad's solution came from watching his mother make cinnamon rolls. Any baker knows what I'm talking about, once you roll up the cinnamon roll pastry, you take a thread wrap it around the log and slice off the individual rolls. Dad designed a similar machine to "slice" the crystals, using fine piano wire. Not only was it much thinner than the saw blade but the crystals needed little to no sanding and there were no cracked or destroyed crystals. Simply genius!

Dad was a constant tinker. I don't know how many patents dad has his name on, not to mention, his home rigged inventions. Every time we visited, there were simply things around the house that just made every day easier. When he was in rehab, he showed his physical therapist his "chair exerciser". He had designed a couple of devices out of rubber tubes and wood blocks which basically made a bow flex out of his easy chair. The physical therapist said, "Wow, you should patent that!" He just chuckled, I'm sure dad can't even count the number of times he's heard that one!

Dad was a craftsman. His last couple of projects included a replica of a Canadian fur trader's canoe and wood flower pots. He has built so many beautiful and practical wood projects and furniture. My son's bedroom furniture includes a desk and dresser that dad built for my brother's nursery in 1948.

These words don't even begin to scratch the surface in describing my dad. He would have said he was simply, "just ol' Bill"!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

Moments with Dad

I am the youngest of three children, a "late in life" kid. When I was 13 my sister went to college and I was left as an only child. My mother went to work as the night auditor of a resort. I was my dad's fishing buddy and to get me out of the house, so mom could sleep during the day, dad and I would go fishing.

That first summer we found a perch spawning bed. Dad and I would get up early and head to the lake. We would put in at Cape Fair and I would ski to our fishing hole. In the early morning there was usually fog still sitting on the water which was as smooth as glass. We would fish all day. We filled a freezer with fish that summer! In the evening, mom, dad and I would eat dinner then mom would go to work. Dad and I would sit at the kitchen table and talk. Actually, he would tell stories and I would listen, for hours! We'd sit there so long, that we would get hungry for a snack. Dad always had sardines with saltine crackers. YUK! My dad was a genius and a bit of a jokester so he was always fascinating to listen too. Plus he lived an amazing life (I'll write more about that in another post).

The day I was traveling to the hospital was touch and go. I talked to my brother while I was at the Phoenix airport. He said that they had turned off the defibulator and had him on a med that regulated his heart. They were planning on taking him off of it when I got there. Basically, they were trying to medically help him hang on until I could get there. I arrived and everyone was weeping around his bedside. He heard me come in and said, "There’s Paula, we've been waiting for you." He held out his hand and I went to take it. We all circled the bed and thought it was his last moments. He looked at all of us tenderly and said, "You're a funny lookin' bunch!" My sister said, "Well, we're your genetics." Which made dad laugh, "suppose so", he said. The in-laws in the room quickly piped in, "not us!" The tears had turned to laughter.

They took dad off the med and his heart regulated itself. The doctors were a little stumped as to why but attributed it to the fact that the rest of his body was so healthy. He was a little restless Thursday night and had a bout of his heart going a little wonkers. We thought, "This is it" and his heart regulated itself again. Dad slept most of Friday.

Friday evening, my brother's wife Cheryl, brought Smokin' Bob's Barbeque (my brother's business) in for dinner. It was a mini family reunion. Dad had some ham and was visiting with everyone. Later in the evening local people went home. Those who stayed bedded down on various cots and couches.

I sat with Dad. He had switched his night and day. He wasn't uncomfortable, just awake. We sat and talked or I should say he talked and I listened. I said, "This reminds me of that summer when we would sit and talk in the kitchen." He said, "ya, just you and I" We reminisced about that summer, skiing and fishing. He tried to tell me how to get to that fishing hole. Finally, he gave up and said, "I can take you right to it but I can't tell you how to get there." I told him that I still haven't ever eaten sardines. I actually love the smell because it reminds me of dad but I can't bring myself to eat them. He said, "They’re not really that good and the aluminum from the cans leaches into the fish and is bad for you."

I can't really remember the last time dad and I sat and talked into the night like that. It's was probably the summer before I got married (1983). Medically, he shouldn't have been so wide awake and talkative. I chose to believe that God gave me one more night of listening to my Daddy. I will always treasure those hours. What a difference a day, a few hours or even a moment can make!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

Three Weddings and a Funeral - 19 plane flights and over 5000 miles driven

For those who know us, it is no surprise that we are traveling all over this summer and that our travel plans are a little on the crazy side.  But this year it is turning out to be more crazy than normal.
Let's back track a bit...

April 7th, 2012
I received a call from my brother, Bob.  My Mom and Dad had been in a car wreak.  Mom was fine however, Dad was in the hospital and the car was totaled.  My brother sounded so stressed.  My parents live a good 45 minutes from Kansas City which is where my brother lives and the hospital.
After talking with him more and my husband, we decided that I could go help out.  My youngest is in an online school so we could simply take his school work with us.  We already had plans for Spring Leadership in Spokane, WA April 20th, so I would leave after that.

April 25th, 2012
Jared and I take off driving toward Kansas.  We arrive on the 27th.  Dad was doing well in rehab however, it was taking a long time for him to get his strength back.  For pictures of that trip click on this facebook link: First Kansas Trip

May 3rd - 6th, 2012
Jacob drives to and from Colorado Springs, CO to train at the Olympic Training Center.

May 14th, 2012
Dad gets out of rehab and we head home with a short stop in western Kansas to visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joel and Becky and mother-in-law, Norma Jane.  We arrive home on May 16th.  The yard is a 8" high, the koi pond and pool are both green... YUK!

May18th, 2012
Jeff comes home to Phoenix for the weekend and we attend a family friend's wedding.  John went to Florida for his friend's wedding.  Jacob goes to Speed Skating Regionals in Citrus Heights, CA.

May 22nd, 2012
My brother calls, Dad took a tumble and fell.  He is back in the hospital for observation.

May 23rd, 2012
They send Dad to the Heart Institute, he didn't fall, it actually was his heart.  His implanted defibulator went off while he was home.  He isn't expected to make it through the night.  We decide for me to fly back ASAP.

May 24th, 2012
I fly back to KC and arrive at the hospital mid afternoon.  My nieces, sister and brother are all there with my mother.  They decide to move Dad out of the ICU and into comfort care.  Dad had signed a DNR the day before.  John helped Jared finish his last 3 days of school! Which wasn't a small task, he still had 3 major projects to finish and submit.  The sitting in the hospital continued for 4 days.  Dad was alert, aware and talkative.  He wasn't in any pain so he wasn't on any pain meds.  At 3am on Memorial Day morning, Dad's heart finally gave out.

May 28th, 2012
Mom and I go back to the farm and begin the week of planning.

June 1st, 2012
Jacob flies from San Jose, CA and meets up with Jeff in Phoenix.  They fly to KC.  John is a groomsman in a wedding on June 2nd.   After the wedding, John, Jordan and Jared start driving to Kansas.

June 3rd, 2012
Dad's memorial service.  Three of the boys were still on the road, they miss the service but arrive at the farm in time to see some family.

June 4th, 2012
Dad's internment in Ft. Scott National Cemetary, with full military honors.  He was a WWII vet, you can go to the link to see the memorial video and obit: William Reynolds Obit
John, Jordan, Jacob and Jared all take off driving for Phoenix.

June 5th, 2012
Jeff and I fly back to Phoenix.

June 7th, 2012
Jacob flies back to San Jose, CA. and it's my birthday... oh ya, the pool is green AGAIN!

Now time to plan our summer travels!!!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

Why can’t men vacuum?

Those who are friends on facebook know that we have recently done some upgrades to our yard. By June we finally had enough grass that required a lawn mower. So the weekend of my birthday my husband bought ME a lawn mower. IT WAS NOT A BIRTHDAY PRESENT! He bought it for me because he is still working as a consultant in Long Beach, CA.

Mowing the lawn is an entirely new experience for me. I grew up in the country and we did mow the 5 acres around our house, mowing was my dad’s job. Although, I do recall my mother hopping on the riding mower once in a while but it was definitely a parent job not a kid job. When I left my parent's house I was in college and then I got married so any lawn I had, my husband took care of. It is just the way we settled into our household chores. I got laundry, he got yard. Although THAT is not a fair comparison, I HATE doing laundry and he loves working on the yard. It’s the farmer in him.

We got an electric lawn mower, a pretty cherry red one (STILL NOT A PRESENT).  Our yard is so small that a riding mower would be ridiculous. A person would spend more time turning around than mowing. It made me think of Rosanne’s “Domestic Goddess” routine when she said she would do housework when they made a riding vacuum cleaner. (first vacuuming thought)

Even though I haven’t mowed lawns before, I remember watching my dad go back & forth in a pretty pattern. I also frequently would be outside doing other yard work when Jeff mowed and for some reason weed eating became my job. So I’m not a complete yard novice. However, adding the electric factor makes a difference when figuring out the best pattern method, you have a cord to contend with. There is also the tree and pool slide to maneuver around. It has taken me four or five times to figure out which patterns work best. The backyard was easiest just the outside edges were odd shapes but the front had the tree and phone trunk line box (why is it in OUR yard?).

Yesterday, as I finally found the exact right pattern for the front yard, I thought how much it was like vacuuming. Cord management is a large part, covering the area efficiently and getting around obstacles. I know that men take pride in their lawns and mowing techniques. It made me think, “Why can men vacuum better?” I know the few times that I asked my husband to vacuum, he just did a willy nilly starburst type thing in the middle of the room.

As a reminder, I live in a house of ALL boys, four sons in all, which brings me to another question, “With an all male household, why is mom the one doing the yard work?”

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!

More Thoughts on Life

We have been having beautiful weather here in Phoenix. May was gorgeous and it stayed beautiful for the first half of June. I had a wonderful birthday day. My husband, Jeff, was home for the weekend and stayed over for my actual birthday (on a Monday). My whole family was here, which is rare, usually my boys are going in four different directions. My daddy called to wish me a happy birthday. It’s a long story but I haven’t spoken to my parents for many years so it was a HUGE present to get to talk to him. We talked for an hour and what a joy to hear that they are doing well. My parents are in their mid 80s so it has been a constant concern of mine. Then I received over 60 birthday wishes on facebook. What another joy! Finally, we went out to dinner at “The Melting Pot” which is a fondue restaurant. It is almost dinner AND entertainment. Three hours of talking, dipping, cooking, laughing, it was sooo much fun!


Because of the weather I have been hiking a lot for my exercise. Sunday, June 13th, I was hiking with my prayer partner. It was beautiful blue sky, a lovely breeze and we were able to pray together and praise God on the top of a mountain. On the way home, my cousin, Kay, called me. My Uncle’s wife Donna had passed away. What? I couldn’t have heard her right. Donna was this energetic, active, healthy lady. When we stayed with them last summer she hiked my tail off. How? As I broke the news to the rest of my family, each replied with, “What?” It was mind boggling. I went a little numb. All the joy and hope I had been feeling just sort of drained from me. My poor uncle, to have found love again after my aunt passed, then for her to be so suddenly taken from him. Thank God for our faith. Donna was a Godly woman so we know that she and Jesus are rejoicing at her homecoming. All I could think of was the line in a song, “… life is precious, life is sweet…” The joy I was feeling that week was replaced with melancholy. Life goes by like a blink of an eye. Lord, help me to make the most of every single moment!!!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!