Last Day Nursing Jude

Thursday May 18. It's been a long time coming, the last day nursing Jude. Still, it was hard. We had a flight that afternoon to Spokane. I held Jude tight.

So many emotions. I've done this so many times & yet I don't want to ever forget. 

Yes there were tears(for me at least) I know things are changing quickly, that we will hopefully be blessed with a baby girl. Jude are you ready to be a big brother? Exciting, wonderful & a bit bittersweet. Remember Jude, you'll always be my baby. 

A side funny note. After I finished nursing Jude, I asked him if he wanted me to sing him a song or just sit with him. He said,"no song. Just sit." 😂 As I left, he said, "good night mama." 💓

Life is about to forever change... again

This week we are off to Spokane. This is a big trip. We are going up to be with our baby girl and to bring her home as our daughter. Life is about to change in a big way... again. More to come on this. I'll post every detail I can....

Time for a new lawnmower

The boys start mowing the lawn right around 6 years old. I do have Thad out pushing the mower now and he is 5 but he is still right there next to me. Jonas and Keat are becoming old pros.  They are used to pushing our Honda around. This is a beast of a mower. The drive feature failed long ago. One of the wheels is quite jacked making it just a bit harder to push. The clutch bar is held together by duct tape. It's at least 20 years old but the engine still runs like a champ...until recently.  

Last Saturday Jonas came in the house with a look of shock on his face. He said, "Dad, I think there's something wrong with the lawnmower. I ran over something."  I went out to see what the damage was. He ran over the edge of the basketball standard!  The massive bolts and steel frame took a big hit!  I told him that our trusty old mower is likely dead. When I start it the mower shakes so violently it acted like it is about to explode. I bought a new blade thinking that may solve the problem. Nope.  The crank was way bent. Even aftet I pounded it with a hammer trying to get it all true again, it was no use. So I bought a new Honda mower today and took our old friend to the scrap yard. 

I could probably save a lot of money by just hiring someone to mow the lawn. At least we wouldn't wreck another mower. But then the boys wouldn't learn much about working hard, saving and investing money or even stepping up and shouldering some of the consequences when you run over a basketball standard. 

Update-- it's a week later now. The boys are back in the saddle mowing away. This time with much better equipment. It was pay day so Jonas and I talked tonight about the mower. I told him that I had to drop about 480 on a new mower and asked if he felt like it would be a good plan to have him shoulder some of the burden. I asked if it was fair if I cover about 440 and he cover the rest. He was hesitant but understood and agreed to step up and cover that part of the expense. It wasn't easy for sure but his work for the last two weeks covered a good part of it. Then he cracked out his wallet tonight and paid off the last $11 dollars.  He actually ran up excited to tell his mom that he paid off his debt!  It will make for a good story for his kids one day. But more than that, it taught us something about Jonas and his personality. He thrives in an environment where he is shown respect. He responds well to us when he feels like we respect his views and see him as a mature kid capable of more. When I told him we need to talk man to man he smiled. Hope we can replicate that. 

The Gift

We spent some time with Grandpa Tingey yesterday. I asked him for Erasmo Fuentes contact info so we could buy a statue of Christ with the baby in His arms for Kate. He liked the idea and asked if we would take his to give to her. He wanted us to tell Kate that "her girl will be in the Lords hands."

 

We hope the message and intent of this gift is felt. Not only will her girl be in the Lords hands, but so will she.  Things will work out. 

We have this same sculpture at our house too. It is a priceless reminder always in front of us. One day this will go to our daughter and she will have the matching sculpture that her birth mom has.  To us it will be a reminder of the Lords love and concern for us and also the Christlike and selfless and courageous example that Kate showed. 

Erasmo Fuentes, the sculptor is an artist and guitar player from Mexico. Grandpa Tingey once saw his sculpture of an Eagle and was impressed and felt that Boyd K Packer would feel the same because of his passion for sculpting and painting birds. He took Erasmo to the packers home to introduce him. He was right, President Packer was impressed by his work. The two hit it off. It was on President Packers birthday. Erasmo asked Grandpa to give the eagle to President Packer. Grandpa smiled at this part of the story and told him he wasn't going to give away his eagle!  The two did exchange gifts of their art though. 

Grandpa suggested that the Church hire him to sculpt down at the MTC. You'd laugh to hear the way Gpa tells the story. He told President Packer that "the church has a lot of money and this man needs work-- go ask President Hinckley and see what he says. Gpa told him that he would even find a donor for the work if necessary. Sure enough, President Hinckley said yes to the offer and the Reams donated the funds for the large sculpture at the MTC of two missionaries on bikes titled, "anxiously engaged."  

Remembering Dale Martin

 

Dell Martin passed away a couple of  weeks ago. This is my good buddy Mike Martins dad. Dell left an impression on me. He was good at the things that matter most. He was a patient and kind father and a good husband. He was stalwart and steady in following the Lord. His obituary resume is stacked with all the right things. I don't gather that he sunk much of his life into vain or unnecessary pursuits.  My parents and all of their neighborhood friends are all around the same age. They look after each other as they are all facing these trials you face in your golden years. When my dad went over, he and Ralph Knudson gave the kids and Marilee blessings. Mike told me that when he hugged my dad he felt like his dad was there hugging him. Amazingly my dad told me something similar. He said that when he hugged Mike he felt like he was hugging him for Dell and felt him there.