Home Again

We returned home yesterday. Our long trip has come to an end with some eventful moments.

My brother, A., left the Missionary Training Center for Washington D. C. this past Wednesday. As a missionary, he was allowed to make one phone call before leaving and called home. He has been learning the Spanish language. He took one or two semesters in school but could not carry on a conversation. Now he can understand and talk back. We were so happy to hear his voice and his progress. He will call my parents again at Christmas. What a lucky opportunity to hear his voice!

Underfoot felt better on Monday after being sick the past weekend. He likes to stay up as late as possible especially since he gets to watch television. One night he didn’t go to sleep until the wee morning hours. The next night he slept 16 hours.

Underfoot loved to watch movies with his Kirky. Underfoot would climb on the counter and turn the television on and ask to watch Veggie Tales.

Grandpa K. took us on an adventure one night to see the grave marker for Grandma K. It is awesome! We went for a drive and enjoyed being with him.

Baby K2 smiles lots and lots. He also smiles when you tickle his collar bone. Baby K2 looks like a baby now instead of newborn.

On Thursday night, the K. family gathered for a picnic. We enjoyed each other's company.

On Friday, L4 had a break through on his project at work. He was very happy with his accomplishment. We decided to leave on Friday with a few stops in between there and home:
– K2 met his cousin, Angelina Faith (born August 15). She has a full head of black hair. She is a lovely little girl.

– Underfoot and K2 went to see the Salt Lake Temple where Mama and Daddy were married.

– K2 got to meet his Great-Grandpa H. for the first time.

– The air conditioning died on the car in the mist of all of the introductions.

Because the air conditioning died, we decided to drive as far as we could into the night while it was cool. We picked up our travel companion, Laurie, and started for home at 8:30 pm MST.We stopped in Page, AZ at 3 am PST.

L4 decided to come and save us from the heat and started to drive north with Laurie’s husband Saturday morning. We started to drive south. The car started to get warm around Flagstaff, AZ so in a hopeful attempt to see if the air conditioning would work, I turned it on. And IT WORKED!!! We have no explanation. L4 met us just north of Phoenix, and we drove home.

After L4 “saved” us, we started our drive home. Underfoot would talk to Baby K2 and then giggle (a most delightful sound). It was peaceful to listen to. At lunch, Underfoot wanted to share his ice cream with Baby K2 and tried to give him a “taste.” I’m glad he wants to share with his brother.

The air conditioning died on the way home from church.

It has rained here finally. On Saturday we got 1.5 inches. Today the rain came with wind that blew the rain sideways. It was amazing.

Project Car

Underfoot, K2, and I are still in Idaho. While we have been in here, we have played with cousins, aunties and uncles, and grandparents. We have spent time working on little projects for Curves and helping my Mom set up Curves Smart.

Underfoot has been spoiled by his aunties and uncles by getting to watch as much of The Incredibles as he wants in their homes. (They haven’t shown him Cars for him to beg to see that.) Auntie J. and Uncle S. even sent home the DVD with him to watch. Underfoot also got a haircut. After his haircut, he got sick and has stayed sick with a fever for the past three days. We hope that he is not like Sampson, and his physical strength is found in his beautiful hair.

Baby K2 is a great baby. He is given high compliments. My cousin’s son was born in July and is 3 weeks old. Their baby is 1 pound lighter than K2 who is 10 weeks old.

Yesterday, my parents took us for a ride to see the cabin and Merridale Park. It was a lot of fun to be with them as they are both very busy people. I learned about my paternal great-grandparents. It was a great treat to be with my parents and talk with them. Grandpa K. has taken us to lunch and spent some evenings with us.

L4 reports:

I have taken time this week to work on odd jobs around the house. I have painted, worked in the garden, weeded, installed wire for grape vines and berries, tided up, and spent some time working on the Scout.

Yesterday I rebuilt the power steering pump on the Scout. In the process, I broke the mounting bracket that holds the pump to the engine. The pump is currently installed but secured by two instead of three bolts. Hopefully my father-in-law will be able to find me a replacement bracket off an old vehicle in one of his salvage yards. The good news is that the rebuilt pump doesn’t make any noise (like it used to) and it doesn’t leak- I think... There is still that possibility, but so far so good.

The Scout is a unique vehicle. It has somewhat of a mystical quality for me. It belonged to my paternal grandfather. He bought it new in 1974. As a child, my brother and I would go camping with my grandparents in the Scout. I have many fond memories playing in the Sierra Nevada mountains with the Scout always present in the background. Mama has identified it as a project car. For me it is something of a family heirloom. I could never sell it.

Funny Stories

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with neighbors and a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. The company was wonderful, and the cake was too rich. We are grateful for the choice we made to marry and to be together.

After our anniversary, the boys and I drove with a neighbor to Utah. We started early in the morning. The boys traveled beautifully. We made good time considering we needed to stop and nurse the baby every once in a while. It took us about 16 hours including stops with breakfast, lunch, fuel, and a park visit. There is a great park in the center of Beaver.

On Saturday, L4 replaced the exterior door in the garage. Not the garage door but a normal door. The rain has damaged the old door, and the wood was rotting away. While L4 replaced the door, the boys and I attended Boy Scout breakfast, weeded the flower beds at our wonderful family’s home to catch up with them, and went to the county fair. After the fair, we drove to my parents’ home.

Funny stories of the week:

Underfoot decided to make his own cup of chocolate milk. He got a cup and filled it 3/4 full with Hershey’s chocolate sauce. He then brought the glass into me and asked for me to put in some milk. I returned the chocolate sauce and filled the glass with milk. We’re glad he is a thinker.

L4 woke up one morning and found Underfoot in the kitchen eating ice cream in his pajamas on the floor. He had pulled out the ice cream and was eating it with his fingers. He is pretty funny.

L4 asked me to make him chocolate upside down cake. (His Mom made it for him when he lived at home.) He had a tough day at work so Underfoot helped me make it for him. I forgot to put in enough flour so it turned into hot fudge. I needed to prove I could make it and made it again the next day with the appropriate amount of flour. L4 liked both.

K2 had his 2 month well baby check-up. He got his immunizations and measurements (height 64 cm (97%), weight 12 lbs 3 oz (75%), head circumference 38 cm (15%)). He has a long body and a small head. He might be the tall, skinny one in the family.

How many composters does it take?

K2 smiled at L4 today (Sunday) for the first time as he was getting K2 ready for a bath. K2 also had a growth spurt or just has been hungrier this week. He gets lots of love from his brother. Underfoot wants to play ball with him and takes the big bouncing ball and throws it to him. K2 just gets this very stunned look when he actually gets bonked in the head by Underfoot’s direct hit.



Underfoot had his first swimming lesson on Tuesday. He was very excited to go until we arrived at the swimming pool. He didn’t want to go swimming after we arrived. He cried for the first fifteen minutes of the lesson and then started to have fun. He did a great job! He would kick, blow bubbles, and work on getting out of the pool. We only took 1 lesson. He will need more eventually. Underfoot has also learned how to use Mama’s camera. When he takes movies, he’s like a drunken sailor. It’s hard to watch them because of the erratic movement.


On Friday, we went to the Mesa Temple. Afterwards we went to H. & A. Clark’s home. We enjoyed afternoon swimming and a bar-b-que with them. We left their home around 9 and Underfoot promptly fell asleep. We arrived home late that night.

Today (Sunday) we enjoyed one of the musk melons we grew in our garden. It was better than the first- it was more ripe this time. On Saturday we spent some time cleaning up the yard. L4 put in several T posts in preparation for the grape vines. The heat has been a killer this last month. It is possible to work early in the morning, or late in the day, but not mid-day. Otherwise, the sun saps your energy. It is difficult to explain until you’ve experienced the Arizona sun.

We also got our third composter this week. Composter number one was simply an old garbage can turned upside down with a few holes drilled in it. Composter number two was an automatic composter, complete with automatic mixer and heating element. Number three is a plastic 55 gallon water barrel, turned on it side with a bar down the center- so you can spin it. L4 promptly added some drip irrigation to it to help the decomposition process along.

On Thursday I made a delicious apple strudel. L4 said it was one of the best I’ve ever made. The secret is in the cream and lemon- mmmm lots of cream! Lance got to play Settlers of Catan on Wednesday. L4 loves this game. We’ve begun preparations for the 2009 Pie Party. You are invited to attend. It will be on Saturday, November 21st from 5-8 p.m.

P.S.- L4 says A game of Settlers will likely follow!