February 12

In my haste to get on the road, I didn't post.

We are writing early this morning before we head out on an adventure. This past week my Grandpa Dale Kirkham passed away rather suddenly. Since Wednesday evening, I've been in a sort of fog to think that he has died and returned to live with God. There have been moments when I have been listening to a WWII memory about the Doolittle raid over Tokyo and thought how fortunate I was to have learned about that event and to talk with him before he passed. We will be going to Idaho and joining my family in celebrating my Grandpa's life.

Hurricane has struggled this week with a rather nasty cough. He has passed his cough to Underfoot who has started to struggle with it. Hopefully we have learned how to cure him better than we did with Hurricane.

My brother and I celebrated our birthday this week. I'm lucky to share a birthday with such a great man. We both share our birthday with our Grandma Kirkham who passed in 2005. I was in awe about how many people remembered and shared my birthday with me. I am also in awe about all the people that have expressed and done so much for us as we have prepared to go North.

Sweetheart has worked and worked so he can go with us. I am married to a wonderful man who supports and loves our family.

We hope you are happy and well in your families.

Be well.

February 26

We left Idaho last Sunday.

Returned to Tucson Monday. Cleaned up Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.... Friday night we took off for Phoenix. Spent Saturday in Phoenix returning home to go again today.

Sweetheart

• We drove into Tucson mid-Monday afternoon and dropped Sweetheart off at work. He worked for about 4 hours and then came home. We fetched him and grocery shopped returning home for a late supper and bed.
  
• Tuesday night he attended a court honor for his 11 year-old boys with the other scouts.
• He worked really hard this week and got most of his hours in at work.
• Sweetheart got to play RockBand for the first time. He liked it a lot! He's quite the singer.
  

Mama

• I did laundry, cleaned up house, and played with boys.
• I enjoyed talking with Sweetheart's Dad learning about him, his parents, and his grandparents. It was wonderful to learn the family history of his boys.
• I played RockBand for the first time. It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.
  

Underfoot

• Underfoot went to Joy School one day, but the teacher's son got sick. He was happy to go because his Dad took him. He came in to me before he left and said to Hurricane, "Daddy and I are going to work now. You take care of Mommy. Don't cry too much."
• Underfoot got to play with his Princess Chloe. They made a movie of Romeo and Juliet cowboy style with the help of Chloe's older sister. We still haven't seen the end version, but I don't think either one of them dies.

Hurricane

• Hurricane tried to die on us this week. The boys were playing, and Underfoot hit Hurricane with a light saber. Hurricane got a vitamin lodged in the back of his throat. I walked in the room to see Hurricane's lips turn purple/bluish. I hit him on the back and made a sweeping motion at the back of his mouth. He gasped for air. Hurricane knows he can't play with food in his mouth, and Underfoot is learning to not hit as he is growing up. I learned I need to stay closer to my boys. It scared me. A Lot.
  
• Hurricane loves his Dad and stays close to him when Sweetheart is home. He will come to me if hurt but Dad is his number one man!

We have learned lately that God gives us what we can do. Sweetheart's Auntie said it best, "You don't have to like it, you just need to go through it."


Pictures

Be well!

February 19 - Late

Before this week escapes and next week's letter begins, I thought it is time I sat down to share of our week last week. We wrote to you early in the morning on Sunday. After church we drove to Flagstaff, AZ and stayed in a hotel on our way to Idaho. 

We were going early to work and get things ready for the coming weekend of visitors, visitation, and funeral. We enjoyed the evening together and were grateful to arrive just before a snow storm. Underfoot and Hurricane were enthralled with the snow and had to eat it. They stepped out of the car and picked up a hunk of white snow and ate it. In the morning, Underfoot looked out the window and to his surprise the snow was still there. Snow melts rapidly in our neck of the woods so the enchantment continued.

Before leaving Flagstaff we hit Savers and bought Hurricane a coat for $2. He looked like a marshmallow when wearing it. I even got a few sweaters and a new warmer coat. We traveled all day to meet Sweetheart's brother and his family for dessert - well dessert for us and dinner for them. It was Beck's birthday. 

I mentioned to the server that it was mine and his daughter's birthdays as well. We each got an ice cream sundae. After our "supper," we continued to Sweetheart's sister's house and ate soup and hit the sack.

Yvette graciously watched our children the next morning so we could attend the temple for a date. 

We enjoyed our time together as it was Valentine's day. We ventured north and went to work.

One night while at Grandpa K and Jilli's house, Hurricane wanted a soda that was Grandpa K's. He tilled his head and said in such a sweet voice, "May I have your soda?" and then bowed his head with a grin. He got the soda after everyone erupted in laughter.

Sweetheart worked with my brother, Scott. They sanded a floor, painted, swept and who know what else at Meridell Park, plowed a field, gathered materials from all over, did property inspections, and even got a little shooting in. Each night Sweetheart was exhausted and went to sleep.

The boys and I cleaned, washed, and got Grandpa's house ready for house guests. I then ran errands and tried to be helpful where I could. The boys were troopers to be with me. 

One day I got to watch Miss S, my niece. She is a lot of fun. She likes to be held so I made a baby sling and wore her. She was great! One day the boys worked with their Grandpa K, Uncle Scott, and Dad. Hurricane's favorite part was driving the tractor. He kept trying to make it go fast once he learned where the hand throttle was. Underfoot loved to play with his cousins.

I learned a lot about my Grandpa's service to other people during the weekend. At the visitation and funeral many people shared stories and memories about how my Grandpa helped them. Scott said that if you had a secret after you told Grandpa it wasn't a secret anymore and he would try his best to help you solve the challenges you had. 

Each of his children spoke at the funeral. Uncle R gave a life sketch and talked about how he was resourceful and wanted to work and work hard. He never looked for a handout and earned what he owned. Aunt K spoke of his parenting and how he had a favorite poem by R. L. Sharpe (1809):

Isn't it strange that princes and kings

And clowns that caper in sawdust rings

And common people like you and me

Are builders for eternity.

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass, a book of rules;
And each must make, ere his life is flown,
A stumbling-block or a stepping-stone.

My Dad spoke about the resurrection and how a trumpet will sound. My Grandpa was a trumpet player. My Grandpa and Grandma had "adopted" many different children. My Dad asked one of his adopted grandson's, M, to come and tell him about the resurrection then gave him the trumpet with the challenge to learn for himself that the resurrection was real. I got to lead the music.

We went to the cemetery, and a veterans group gave him military honors. 

We then had a party at Meridell Park in the dance hall. I'm glad we went and participated. Many people again shared their memories. It was very sweet.

Later that night my parents' family met together. We enjoyed each other while children played and played.


There are two sets of pictures to share:
First part of February
Middle February

February 5

Sweetheart traveled to BYU this week to spend time recruiting for Raytheon and as a bonus got to spend time with his siblings and my Grandpa H. He had a bunch of memories come back to him while at BYU. He said that he saw about 3:1 ratio of mechanical engineering students to other fields. He would recommend prospective students to look into the market and pick a lesser known major like acoustics. He loved the time he got to spend with his siblings. He said they spent time talking about how they grew up, funny stories about their parents and their experiences, and the hopes each of them have for their futures. He brought home slinkies and LED flashlights for our boys. He also brought back truffles which Hurricane found and ate 1/4 of the stash. When Hurricane wants something he'll go get it. Determination is something for amateurs. Hurricane is unstoppable.

Underfoot and Hurricane are great buddies. They love to be together and will stick by each other in most situations. Recently, Underfoot has started expressing anger by punching Hurricane. He has spent his fair share in the corner while Hurricane has spent his fair share crying. They come back together like nothing ever happened.

We went for a ride to share some Nutella for World Nutella day. Sweetheart was talking with my brother, A, and Sweetheart makes the comment that Underfoot has his finger out the window and is shooting the air. My brother told me the experience and said, "Just shootin' the breeze, uh?"

Yesterday Sweetheart had a rough day and so to cheer him up and flirt with him a bit, I would tap him in the bum with my foot with a sideways kick while we were shopping at Costco. At one point Sweetheart decided to kick at the same time I did and took me to my knees literally while knocking the breath out of me. (He fell down too!) I am sporting two lovely black bruises on my kneecaps. I didn't know that kneecaps could bruise. It rattled my body to my shoulders. When I got up this morning, I felt as if I had been doing push ups because I was sore. It was just sore muscles from hitting the floor so hard. Next time I flirt with Sweetheart, it will have to be a non-contact sport like batting my eyelashes.

We finished making the tomato sauce on Monday. Hurricane and Underfoot got to play with friends this week. We went to an American composers symphony night with a couple from our neighborhood. The composers were Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, and Conni Ellisor. Ives wrote early 1900s and wrote his music with a lot of quarter tones (not notes). Copland was wonderful. Ellisor wrote the music for this concert. The piece was made mostly for Mountain Dulcimer. The performer was very excited to play his instrument.

We also celebrated the Chinese New Year at a party. We enjoyed Lo Mien, sticky rice, stir fry veggies, almond cookies, and fortune cookies. The hosts had red envelops for everyone, and we had a great time!

We hope this finds you safe, happy, and well.