Fourth of July Week

Thanks to a huge push and release at work, Brian got the whole week off for the Fourth of July. Woo hoo! Here's what we did with it:

Since my parents came down for Heather's blessing on the 30th, and Chelsea was getting induced on the 3rd, my mom decided to just stay in Utah, so she came and stayed with us Saturday and Sunday nights, and left Monday afternoon to go to Ogden and be with Chelsea. It was so nice having her here. On Monday, we decided to head to Orem to check out Colonial Days at the Provo Freedom Festival. They put on a musical show called "Cries of Freedom" that we saw. I told Brian it would last 30 minutes, one hour tops. Well, it was more like one and a half hours. It was good though, and a nice reminder of how much we are blessed in this country and what a miracle it is that this country was even started in the first place. Michael really enjoyed it and paid attention through the whole thing, despite its length:

 After the show, we were pretty hot and tired, so we did a quick walk-through of the Colonial Village and Michael got to try on some armor:

 I got put in the stalks:

 And so did Michael:

 Then, we went home, and Michael and my mom played with Michael's new bubble gun, compliments of my parents:

 We loved having her. Thanks for coming and staying with us, Mom!

On Tuesday, July 3, Chelsea had her baby Amber via somewhat emergency C-section. Amber weighed in over 10 lbs! Congrats to Chelsea and Thomas and their family! My dad also came to stay with us late Tuesday night after working, taking the Salt Lake Shuttle to Ogden, seeing his new grand-daughter, and then driving the rest of the way to my house. He had the rest of the week off and didn't want to be left out of all the excitement.

On Wednesday, July 4, I turned 27. Woo hoo, right? Brian got me a large-aperture lens for my camera and Michael got me a UV filter. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling too good, so I didn't really get to experiment with my lens, but we did use it for all of our pictures the rest of the day. Here's a shot I took of Michael and Monkey right after I hooked it into the camera, as well as a few others:

 My dad watched Michael for us so that Brian could take me out to dinner. We had Texas Roadhouse. Yum! Then, we came back and had strawberry cheesecake and lit a few mild, ground fireworks.

 

 My dad only stayed out with us for a little bit. We must have been boring.

 Michael loved the pop-its. It was so fun watching him with them.

 And Brian was our chief lighter. We didn't wait for it to get dark due to our two-year-old.

 Hooray for sparklers!

On Friday, Chelsea came home from the hospital, so we headed up to Ogden to take her kids swimming and give her a quiet house to recover in. Unfortunately, Amber had been in the NICU for this and that, and wasn't able to come home with her. Mom, Dad, Cal, Heather, Matthew, Sarah, Michael, Brian, and I swam all afternoon at a pool in Ogden, grabbed some chicken and salad on the way home, ate, and then loaded Chelsea's kids into cars and drove back to our house (Cal stayed in  Odgen, but the rest of the pool party came to our house). It was a fun trip to Ogden, but I didn't take a single picture, even though I brought my camera, and I didn't get to meet my new niece :(

My parents left late the next morning with Chelsea's kids. Amber got to come home that day. They visited for a bit with Chelsea and Thomas, and then headed back to Idaho.

We had a great week, and we were sad to have Brian go back to work on the 9th.

Heather's Baptism

On June 30, my oldest niece, Heather, was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her dad, Thomas. We were happily able to attend this important day.

 After being baptized and changing into dry clothes, Heather was confirmed by my dad.

I can hardly believe that my little Heather is 8! It seems like just yesterday I heard the news of her birth and got to hold her for the first time.

After her baptism, we had a celebration, of course. It was good spending time with family.

 Two of the best men in the world, Grandpa and Cal

Cousins Michael and Sarah. Notice that Sarah's dress matches Heather's.

Chelsea made it through the day, and started breathing a little better. Her biggest worry was that she'd go into labor in the middle of Heather's day. She didn't, but more on that later.

Joe

"The rain is Tess, the fire Joe"

"Mariah", Paint Your Wagon

When I lived in Florida and Alabama, I saw a lot of hurricane evacuation route signs. During hurricane season, we had to keep our gas tanks above half a tank, and we were allowed to watch the weather. I marveled that so many people would choose to live in a place with such a huge natural threat every year. I decided that no place is completely immune to Mother Nature, and this summer has certainly proved it.

On Thursday, June 21, Michael and I headed to Wal*Mart to pick up some things. As I was leaving our neighborhood, I was stunned to see a huge billow of smoke coming off of the mountain just northwest of us. We watched it as we drove, observed the huge red flames from the Wal*Mart parking lot (Michael telling me that when smoke goes up, he goes down, and if he catches on fire, he needs to stop, drop, and roll), and nervously kept an eye on it while we drove the rest of the way home. Honestly, I didn't think too much of it; it was pretty far from us.

Then, on Friday, June 22,  in an attempt to distract Michael from his fit over my turning off Curious George, I said, "Hey Michael, let's go check on that fire we saw yesterday." Eagerly, he headed to grab his sandals and go with me. He thinks that fires and firetrucks are cool. I grabbed my camera, buckled us both in the car, and started backing out of my driveway. I was alarmed to find that I didn't have to leave my driveway to see the fire; I could see it from my from there! We drove over to the Israel Canyon Access Road to see if we could get a good feel for what was going on. The road was closed, but a ton of my neighbors were gathered to see the progress of the fire:

 I started getting phone calls and texts from friends at this point. My friend Kim offered her apartment if we got evacuated. I was touched to find out that so many were thinking about us. I drove around for a little more, headed into Lehi, picked up Danny, and drove through a subdivision two subdivisions north of us to see how close the flames were. We saw a plane drop fire retardant right in front of our car, and I was shocked to see that the flames were SUPER close to the homes there, probably only 50-100 yards, and it was all dry weeds in the middle. I was told that neighborhood was getting evacuated, and I started to get really worried. These people were in my stake!

We went home, and I unloaded both boys. I went to the bathroom, and then I heard the doorbell ring. I FREAKED out, thinking it was the fire people telling us to leave. It was the UPS man. We ate lunch, and I turned on the news, something I rarely do, especially when Michael is up. They closed the main road comind down to my subdivision. After lunch, I laid the boys down for a nap. I decided that I should at least start packing a bag with clothes, just in case, but by 2:00, I had decided that we were probably going to be okay.  I grabbed the camera, snapped a few pictures to post on Facebook:

 (These were taken from my driveway)

 

 And while they were uploading, I saw her, a woman with a fire-type emblem on her shirt holding a roll of caution tape and walking up my sidewalk. She told me that we were being evacuated. I asked if we HAD to go. "Yes, it's mandatory. If one of these houses catch, they're all going to go."
"How much time do I have?" I asked
"Not much. Grab the the things that are important to you and your kids, and leave as soon as you can."
"Okay thank you." I watched as she wrapped the caution tape around the post on my porch.

 I called Brian and started crying. "They're making us leave," I told him. He asked if I wanted him to come home and help me, to which I responded, "There's no point. There's not enough time, and the road is closed. We'll be fine." I posted the evacuation news on Facebook and turned off the computer. I finished packing my suitcase and started looking around for what we needed to take. I unplugged our two computers with the pictures on them and loaded them in the car. Then, I got a box and loaded it with all our journals and photo albums, birth certificates, title to the car, and our mortgage papers.  My guiding principle was to grab everything that could not be replaced. It was surprising how little that was. As I filled the boxes, I prayed that the Lord would save our house. I took some deep breaths, loaded the car, and then I woke both boys from their naps. I didn't want them to be scared, so I cheerfully told them that we were headed to Lea's house. I pointed out the fire as we drove away, and snapped a few more pictures:

I even pulled over to the side of the road to get a picture of all that smoke:

We left our house at 2:30. 

We decided to stay with Lea since she was the closest (distance wise) family member. We wanted to be close to our home. Amazingly, her yard smelled more like smoke than ours did. When I got to Lea's, Brian was there. We spent the rest of the evening nervously waiting for news. We are very grateful for Lea and Shayne for taking in three refugees!

We stayed the night. About 4 a.m., I got up to use the rest room, and I decided to check my phone. My neighbor, Winnie, who did not get evacuated, had texted that she had just driven up to check on our house and that we were probably in the clear (the text had been sent around midnight). Breathing a sigh of relief, and a quick prayer of gratitude, I went back to sleep. 

(I didn't take this photo, FYI)

The next morning, we decided to go check on our house. The evacuations hadn't been lifted, but we knew that one of the entrances wasn't blocked, so we headed out, taking Michael and Danny with us. It was comforting and incredibly amazing to not see much smoke coming from that mountain! Here's that same spot one more time: 

Even though we couldn't see flames on our side, the fire-fighters were still hard at work:

 

 Here's our black mountain:

These pictures are hard to see, but they still make me cry. We drove up to where the houses end and the dry, dry fields began, and we saw firetrucks posted between those hoses and the fields, ready in the event those flames came too close, protecting our homes. And even though the flames and smoke were mostly gone from view, they were still there, keeping silent vigil. I wish that I could have taken a better picture.

 With a heart full of gratitude, we headed back to Lea's, a little jealous of Danny in the back:

 We spent a few more hours at Lea's, and then decided to go home. I can't even express how grateful I was--and still am!--to be in my house again. I laughingly hugged the walls. It seems a little false to say that we almost lost everything since the things that really mattered were never in danger, but there are just so many things in our home--including the house--that matter so much to us, and we were so grateful that we didn't have to start over!

We only had sacrament on Sunday, but it was wonderful to gather together again. We all felt this special bond to our neighbors. Our hearts were tender, and full of gratitude that we were all spared the tragedy of losing our homes. One neighbor said, "My husband asked if I wanted to stay home since I'm so tired from all the packing and unpacking, but I said, 'No! I have to go and thank the Lord!'" I couldn't agree more!

The fire, officially named "The Dump Fire" started June 21 by target shooters. The dry, dry grasses and winds combined for disaster. Authorities estimate that 5,507 acres burned. On Friday, after we were evacuated, we heard that the fire was 0% contained. The wind never stops blowing out here, and with all the dry foliage, it is a MIRACLE that no homes were burned. By Monday, June 25, authorities reported that the fire was 100% contained.

 We've seen and read some of the coverage from the other fires that were in our state, as well as the monster one in Colorado, and we marvel that not one home was lost here, and let me tell you, it got REALLY close. They may have been slightly overly cautious, but really only slightly. I am so grateful for all the men and women who fought this fire.

 (I didn't take these pictures; they were posted online by neighbors)

We made banners for them. They posted flags around the command station in Neptune Park.  Some made cookies and cards. But, it just some how isn't enough. Thank you to all the crews who worked our fire, to all those who came from out of state, to all those who slept on the pavement, to all those who sustained injuries as a result. We owe you SO much. Thank you for being an instrument for the Lord to work a miracle. 

Mariah

"Oh way out here, they got a name for rain and wind and fire.

The rain is Tess, the fire Joe, and they call the wind Mariah."

From "Mariah", Paint Your Wagon 

Very wet summer last year + Very dry summer this year + lots of wind =

 Our neighbor Julie has been telling us for a year that this would happen, that the tumble weed would get so packed in there that we couldn't get out the front door. Now, I believe her. Between school and everything else, I felt a little overwhelmed , rundown, and a little sick, so I decided that this pile of weeds would just have to hang out until Brian or I got to it, which could be days. Taking a break from homework, I loaded Michael into the car to run a quick errand. When I came back, this is what I found:

 Yes, my amazing neighbors tried to surprise me by cleaning it all up. They were a little bummed I came back before they could finish. These girls were lifesavers!

 They took care of all those weeds out front, and when Brian got home, seeing the front clean gave him the needed boost to take care of the back ones. And a week later, they were back--not as bad in the front, but just as high in the back. We're both a little tired of tumbleweeds, and we are now welcoming the new homes being built in the hopes that they'll catch the tumbleweeds, and not us!

School

Back in January, I applied to grad school at the University of Utah. By the end of February/beginning of March, I still hadn't heard back from them, and I was starting to feel apprehensive about attending. Grad school meant a huge time commitment, an 80 mile commute round trip, and a not a lot of flexibility. I also got to looking at the some of the core classes that I had to take, namely economics and city law. That didn't sound like fun at all, especially since I almost broke down sobbing during my undergrad econ final.

So, I started looking more into UVU's graphic design program. I met with the head of the program, and it seemed like the perfect fit for me. I've always had a passion for graphic design, and it never occurred to me that a person could major in it until I was almost finished with my undergrad. After swallowing some pride (let's face it, grad school at the U is more prestigious and glamorous than getting a second bachelor's at UVU), I applied at Utah Valley University, and within a few days, I was accepted.

About that time, I got my acceptance letter from the University of Utah. I was so honored, and I started reconsidering and second-guessing my decision. After a long conversation with my mom, who is really good at seeing through my excuses and getting right to the core of matters, I decided that I had already worked hard in my undergrad, and going back to school should be fun, especially if I'm going right now. This is supposed to be an outlet, something therapeutics and not stressful. So, with a heavy, somewhat regretful heart, I turned down grad school at the U, and started preparing for classes at the UVU.

I just finished my first class, Photography 1, and I'm in the middle of a computer applications class that teaches the basics for Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. The photography class met four days a week on the campus in Orem. Lea was so good to watch Michael for me all those mornings. I couldn't have done it without her.

One of the Photos I took for my class

Part of the push to go to school came because we had funding from Utah's IDA program, a program we got into about two years ago that matches our funds 3 to 1 to go towards a down payment on a first home, education, or starting a business. We were originally going to use half of it for a down payment, but we ended up closing before our year mark, so we decided to use it for education instead. The program paid for Brian's last semester of grad school, which was awesome. We have to use our funds by October of this year, which is why I decided to take classes again. 

The IDA program pays for tuition, as well as anything required on the syllabus, and since my photography class required a digital SLR camera, they paid for our new Canon T3i Rebel, as well as a memory card and external hard drive. The camera was a pain to get, since we had to order it through a college bookstore, and no college bookstore carries digital cameras. Thankfully, BYU Bookstore was able to order one for us, but due to issues with Canon, we didn't get our camera until the class was half-over! Thankfully, Lea was there, once again, to save the day, and let me borrow hers until mine came in.

Many people have asked me, "So, how do you like your class?" To answer that, I have to say that I really enjoyed learning about photography. I liked learning a new skill. I loved that my homework for the class involved doing things with Michael. But, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I didn't enjoy being back in the undergrad scene. I would get annoyed that people weren't paying attention during lectures, I was annoyed that I had to see a counselor before I could register for classes, I didn't like writing a paper or taking a test. I also had a hard time being graded based on opinion, which is probably the biggest reason that I shied away from art back in college. I guess I really am a math person at heart.  


Mostly though, I had a hard time leaving Michael every morning.I felt really bad one morning when we went over to Lea's to help her make some Roman Shades, and Michael said to me as I was unbuckling him, "Don't go to class." I felt so bad, even though I know he loved spending all that time with Danny. I felt bad about the extra burden that Lea took on as well. 


The biggest lesson I learned this semester had little to do with photography. I learned that I really do want to be a stay-at-home mom. On occasion, I've had a hard time letting go of career ambitions, or feeling like I was losing a part of me by staying home to raise my kids. I've experienced all the guilt from all ends of the spectrum that most moms have faced at some point. And I realized that, even though being with Michael all the time is not always glamorous, and sometimes doesn't seem to require much brain power or intellect, this is EXACTLY where I want to be, and I'm so grateful that Brian has a job that allows me to stay home. I know so many moms who don't have that option, and I know I'm really blessed. I love the idea of being an amazing graphic designer, or receiving accolades on homes I've helped design. I love the idea of holding a masters' degree, or even a BFA in graphic design. But, when it comes down to it, I would rather be here, at the forefront of our Heavenly Father's plan, raising my son, teaching him, laughing with him, and eating pretend chocolates with him, than any of those things.  It finally hit me once again; I'm a mom, and this is where I want to be.

I keep thinking about what a friend and former boss of mine used to say a lot: "Don't get married young. Women change so much in between 20 and 30." (We both married at age 23, and had our first baby right away). I realized that she's right, but I don't think it was necessarily the age that did it to her, or to me. We changed because we became wives and then, shortly thereafter, became mothers--two huge life adjustments, no matter what age they come at. She's felt the need a lot to figure out who she is, and I have as well. But, from taking this class, I don't know, it just finally hit me that I really am doing what I want to be doing. I hope this makes some sense. I never feel like I'm any good at expressing myself through writing. I really do want to be a stay at home mom, full-time housekeeper, and designer extraordinaire for my family. Nothing has brought me greater satisfaction, and I'm finally going to just embrace that and run with it. Yes, I've changed since I was 20,  but I'm finally starting to figure out what I've changed to. And, I'm finally loving it. I'm sure I'll still feel those frustrated days, those guilty days, those "I'm a mind-less fool" days, but, for now, I'm glad to have yet another reminder about what I really want. 


So, long story short, I've really enjoyed learning about photography and the Adobe's creative suite, but I most likely will not be taking classes again anytime soon. Instead, I'm going to paint some more furniture, sew some shades/valances for my windows, eat some pretend chocolate with Michael, and get back into a housekeeping routine!

Afton, Wyoming

As many of you know, in the past, the Chadwick Clan has gotten together for a camping trip during July. Well, Chelsea is due with her fourth baby on the same weekend that we typically go on our camping adventure. So, back around Christmas, I proposed moving our trip to Memorial Day weekend, and since that is always a HORRIBLE weekend for camping, especially in Idaho, I suggested that we rent a cabin instead. Long story short, on May 5, we all headed to the Reunion Ranch in Afton, Wyoming for the annual Chadwick get-together. We had a birthday party for Ethan (and technically Chelsea and Grandpa), 

 talked alot, played pool and air-hockey, and played lots of board games, party games, and card games. We stayed up too late every night, but it was so worth it.

Even though it rained most of the time, we didn't mind because the cabin had plenty of room and was nice and warm and dry. 

 And the best part? Everyone was able to come, except Ethan, of course.  

On Saturday, we went on a hike to one of four known Periodic Springs in the world. It was a beautiful hike, despite the drizzle and eventual hail. 

 Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the Periodic Spring due to high spring run-off. But it was still a great hike. Thanks, Thomas, for finding it! Here we all are next to the spring at the top of the hike:

 Cal and Jess were the only ones smart enough to bring ponchos with them, and they were good enough to share with the little ones. Here's Brian, Michael, Jess, and Sarah.

 Chelsea, Mom, and Me 

 Taryn, Chelsea, Mom, Jess, Me, Emily, and Jackson

 Half-way back down, it started really raining, and hailing. We looked like drowned rats by the time we reached the cars.

 Taryn, David, and Michael

 Brian and Me after finally making it to the car. 

When we got back from the hike, we threw our wet clothes in the dryer (awesome! Can't do that camping!),  ate some yummy, hot food, and relaxed in the cozy cabin. Someone gave Michael and Sarah a bath, and later, we heard giggling and screaming from the master bedroom. And what did we find?

 Grandpa tickling and playing with Michael and Sarah. It was so cute. He'd hide under the blankets and then pop out and they'd laugh. And then, they'd hide under the blanket and then pop out and he'd tickle them. They loved spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.

All too soon, it was time to go. We left Monday morning. All we had to do was wash and put away the dishes, take out the trash, and throw our used bedding and towels in the laundry room. So nice. It looks like we might be doing cabin trips for our get-togethers from now on.

The Fathers in My Life

Back in April, 2008, while Brian and I were still dating, we were watching General Conference together in his apartment. President Monson said something in his closing remarks that I hope to never forget. After admonishing the brethren to treat their wives with respect and dignity, he said, "Sisters, honor your husbands. They need to hear a good word. They need a friendly smile. They need a warm expression of true love." (From the address, "Abundantly Blessed.")  Since I loved Brian, I tried from then on out to give him "a good word" every now and then. This post is a much needed "Good Word" to the five most influential fathers in my life. 

First, to my dad, who never misses an opportunity to brag on me to any stranger or acquaintance who will listen, who wore out his copy of The Best Two Years while Cal and I were serving our missions (as well as the rug in the airport while he waited for my plane to land after my mission), and who walked the 50 yard line of the football field during every one of my 1600 meter races that he was able to attend. I admire you so much. You have conquered and bettered yourself against incredible odds. Thank you for being one of my biggest fans.

Second, to my Grandpa Linville, whose quiet example has taught me the value of hard work and dedication. He is one of the best men I know. He doesn't say much, but when he does, you bet I listen. I'm so grateful that I got to grow up with him being just around the corner from us. 

Third, to my wonderful husband. I could write a novel about the things I admire about him. He is my best friend, and I have loved having a front-row seat to watch him growing past his fear of holding babies to being the most protective, loving father in the world. I loved Brian before, but his fatherhood has taken that love to a whole new level. I love all the inside jokes that we have together as a result of raising Michael. I'm so grateful that he is the father of my child and the children who will hopefully come sometime. 

Fourth, to my father-in-law, who threatened Brian to "not mess this one up" after he met me, who remains the only person I will willingly share a birthday party with, who has loved me like his own daughter, and who has the sweetest smiles and embraces of pretty much everyone I know. I've said it a thousand times, but I really feel like I won the lottery when I married Brian. I'm so grateful for how he raised such a wonderful son. 


Last, but not least, I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to let me struggle sometimes and always sends help, who gives me joys beyond my own expectations, and to whom I owe absolutely everything. 


Happy Fathers' Day. 

Michael's Song

I'm not really sure how to introduce this, besides that Michael really loves singing, especially now that he has his "pinano" to play on at the same time.  The other day I was working away at the computer, Devri was off somewhere, and Michael sat down and played and sang a little song for me.  I wish I had started sooner since there was much more to the song, but this is parts of what he came up with on the fly.  I was trying not to distract him while I was cracking up and writing it down...

The wheels go round on the green car in the garage.
When the grey car in the garage...
when Nela's (Lea's) coming for me, and Danny's coming for me, and Danny's taking a nap, and I'm take a naaaaaapppp.
In the grey car when Shayne coming.... (he smashed the bottom keys here)
the kitty cat in the grass...kitty cat's come..  .. ...   Chelsea's house? (Definitely a good question)
And not to get in Chelsea's house. No more get in Chelsea's house. And Matthew and Heather and Sarah, they're going to come and ask me.
And Chelsea and Thomas and Mommy are going to come get me, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Amen!

My Happy Place

I just read something on a relation of a friend's blog that sums up something that has been on my mind for awhile:

"A few years ago I read this line in a book by Nate Berkus:

'The idea of living well has always been important to me. It’s the best investment you can make in your well-being….your home is the place to invest your money and energy.'

"Those two sentences changed it all for me. I can’t afford to decorate my home and go to Europe yet so for now, I choose to spend the pennies I have on the place where I spend 365 days a year while my passport sits still new and unstamped in my desk. Europe isn’t going anywhere." from http://deepthoughtsbycynthia.blogspot.com 

One of my favorite things to do in the world is beautify and improve my home, and I have loved having such a lovely home to work on for the past year. I love creating things; I feel like it is my best talent.  I love that I can take my time about things here. I love that I can put a hole in the wall and hang up a picture (or 2 dozen pictures since I LOVE collage walls) without having to get approval from my landlord. I love going to fabric stores and dreaming of Roman shades, pillows, Duvet covers, table runners, seat covers, and whatever else! I love looking at paint at Lowes and old furniture at DI. (Brian gets a little worried and nervous when he hears the endless projects I'm proposing! Just this morning, I told him about two.) I love being surrounded by things that I love on the walls and the people I love sitting next to me in a stable, secure place.

I love traveling and seeing new places, but after a week, I'm ready to come home and be done traveling for a few months. Like Cynthia said, "I choose to spend the pennies I have on the place where I spend 365 days a year [my passport still has my maiden name and has never been used]...Europe isn't going anywhere."

Some would say that I'm "living in a box", doing the same thing as everyone else--a husband with an 8-5 job, a mortgage, and dancing to the sound of little feet pitter-pattering everywhere. Maybe they'll say that I have no imagination and/or no ambition.  Personally, I feel like my home has been the best place to use my creativity, The ambitious, career or "see the world"  life that society thinks I should have is NOT the life I want. I'm living the life I want. And dreaming of the beautiful Roman Shades I want to hang in my windows!