A Little Drop of Rain

Arizona kids are accustomed to rain being a fleeting, warm weather experience. This winter has been wetter than any I remember in our 22 winters here, but the kids don't seem to think it needs to be summer to enjoy it. Micah, Hyrum, and two of their friends spent one Saturday afternoon outside shooting hoops, getting soaked, and laughing at the cold.

I sheltered in the garage to take the picture, because 22 winters in AZ have thinned my blood, and I can't take the cold at all.

Gus Gets a Bath

Hyrum loves to spend money. I mean, he can't hold onto a dollar for more than an afternoon without begging to go to Target or The Soda Shop or GameStop or anywhere he can go to spend it. He's very generous with his funds, willing to buy treats and surprises for friends and family on his adventures.

This generosity of spirit, however, often comes back to bite him when something big comes along. I can't remember why, but he needed $10 for something--I think it was the school carnival--or he couldn't go.

"Mom, do you have any jobs I could do to earn that money?"

"Well, Gus needs a bath. You could wash him and vacuum him out. I'd pay you $10 for that."

Before I knew it, he was back downstairs in his swimsuit, towels and rags in hand, asking me to show him how to wash the car.

For a short guy, he did a great job (it doesn't hurt that Gus is short, too). His first time cleaning the car was worth $10 to him and to me.

Don't think he loved it, though. When I asked him to do it again a few weeks later, he couldn't be enticed, no matter the fee.

I'm not worried. I'm sure he'll need funds again sometime. And Gus almost always needs a bath.

New Year, New Snow

We watched the forecast pretty closely during Christmas break to see if there would be snowfall at the cabin we could enjoy. Our best bet was New Year's Day, so after church we packed all the snow gear, a little food, and the kids, and we headed north to Pine. When we got there, only patches of snow lay hidden in the forest--the rest was muddy and brown.

We didn't give up hope, because snow was forecast to fall all night long. We went to bed with a few flakes falling, fingers crossed that it would cool off enough to blanket the ground.

As it turned out, Pine was about 100 feet below the snow line in this storm. The kids woke up to a few more slushy patches, but no real snow. After breakfast, we piled in the Suburban and headed up on the rim in search of the white stuff. We didn't have to drive far.

Four new inches of snow covered the ground and flakes fell all around us. The kids were excited. I think Eve's only enjoyed snow once or twice in her life, so this was a real treat for her.

Not many things are more thrilling to Valley of the Sun kids than snow. We never see it, so it's really a treat.

I know most of you are moaning at this right now, since your own weather has been so snowy. Sorry.

We left the cabin without bringing the sleds (or Ben's gloves). Duh. But we had fun anyway.

Hyrum is still learning how to participate in the fun without getting his feelings hurt when someone gets him back, but Micah was unfazed every time he was whitewashed or dunked in a bank.

Brad is usually the king of the mountain in these matches, but I know it's because Ben pulls back before it goes too far.

Micah shot this panorama with my camera just before we left. I know most of the world thinks of saguaro when they picture AZ, but we do have places like this.

And I'm so glad we get to visit them. For an hour. When it's 35 degrees. And quickly drive back to the cabin to warm up. Then go home to 65 degrees.

I've become such a baby about the cold!

Christmas Eve Tradition--Phoenix Zoo

Even though Christmas Eve 2016 was rainy and cold, we still took our annual trip to the zoo.

It's not so much seeing the zoo that we love--it's that no one is there and we basically have the run of the place.

With so many littles, the best way to see the animals is on the train. Usually we get a huge bag of kettle corn and share it, but Gran forgot this time.

Nobody really seemed to mind.

One of my favorite things about the zoo is that it's a different experience each time.

This morning the tiger was agitated and paced right in front of the glass. The kids loved/feared him  and squealed every time he turned the corner.

Lily decided after this trip that she wants to raise a baby tiger.

I think this will be the closest any of them ever get to one, though.

Micah is now one of the big kids, patiently indulging the younger ones. That's so weird to me.

Jonah and Annie are only three months apart, but Jonah thinks he's big enough to pull her and Tommy in the wagon.

I think he was successful for a few feet before he got sick of it and ran off.

Heidi's little boys love Micah and Hammer, as they call him. And my boys love them right back.

It's fun, because my two older boys had cousins (Spencer, Myke, Matt, and Tommy Olsen) who acted as their big brothers. Now it's my little boys' turn to be big brothers to their nephews.

It was cold that day, and the orangutans were in the enclosure, with Baby swinging from the ceiling and causing trouble while Mama tried to clean her off and calm her down.

Sounds a bit like my house most days.

Our traditional end to the zoo on Christmas Eve is the carousel.

Jonah was disappointed when the Kimodo dragon didn't have wings. This was more what he had in mind, I think.

Girls sticking together.

Ben. Need I say more?

Spending a few hours at the zoo on Christmas Eve always helps the day go faster and keeps our family together most of the day. While it makes wrapping, baking, and prepping a little stressed, it usually forces me to have most things done before we leave.

The Surprising Wisdom of a Nine Year Old

It was bedtime, and I heard Hyrum's voice from his room. "Mom, will you put this away for me?"

This is not an unusual request around here, as you can imagine. The object Hyrum snuggled under his chin also was not unusual. I looked down at my still little nine-year-old son.

"Where do you want me to put your blanket, Buddy? Does it need to be washed or something?"

His chocolate eyes were somber and holding back tears.

"Mom, I need you to put my blanket away somewhere before it gets totally ruined."

My mom makes each of her grandkids special quilts when they are born and when they are baptized. The blanket he gently extended to me was his baby quilt--the one that's been on his bed since he was a baby. The one with the red stop signs in the border and the plaid trucks in each block. The one he's taken on every road trip we've ever been on--that blanket has been coast to coast, north to south, covering my growing boy's body as long as he's been alive. It's frayed in many places now, with the stuffing poking through the worn spots on the edges and where the trucks have torn away.

It broke my heart to see the pain in his face as he voluntarily parted with his beloved. I tried to change his mind.

"Are you sure? I mean, we could just put it somewhere in your room for when you need it."

That's when one tear escaped. "No, Mom. I don't want it to be ruined." He shoved it into my hands and quickly went into his room.

I was surprised at his vision in that moment. Instead of loving it until it completely disintegrates, he needs me to save it for him. How could my little Hyrum be so wise? I followed him into his room, still holding his treasure.

"I have a good idea. Why don't I wash it tonight and then I'll put it somewhere safe tomorrow? Or do you want to snuggle with it one last night?" My heart ached to see his pain.

"No." He turned and looked at the wall to hide his tears.

I tenderly turned his face and wiped away his tears. Moms are lucky that way--one of my most treasured jobs is wiping away tears. "Rum. Grandma made your baptism quilt so that it would be almost the same as your baby quilt. Maybe you can start snuggling up with that one?" While the baptism quilt has been in his room for almost two years now, his loyalty has never made the transfer from the smaller quilt. I pulled the big, almost new quilt out of the pile of unmade bedclothes and pointed out some of the similarities. He took it from my hand and wrapped himself in its warmth, but I could see it just wasn't the same.

After putting the baby quilt in the wash on the delicate cycle (it is that frayed and that fragile), I returned to my frantic search for a missing notebook. Before the wash cycle even completed, Hyrum was back in my room, doubting his decision already "Mom, have you washed my blanket yet?" When I told him it was still wet in the washer, he good naturedly returned to his bed and his not-new-but-unfamiliar quilt. He was long asleep by the time I turned on the dryer.

I had already removed his blanket from the dryer this morning, folding it and placing it on my window seat before deciding where I should store such a precious childhood memory. Hyrum appeared in the early morning light, shirtless and wrapped in his baptism quilt. "Mom, where is my blanket? Is it dry?"

I directed him to my window, and even in the very pale light, he recognized his friend. Dropping the big quilt to the floor, he ran to the tattered blanket, and snuggled it close to his bare chest. "Just one more snuggle before you put it away. Ok?" I sat next to him and drew his small head close to me.

"Of course, Buddy."

Much more quickly than I thought, he handed me back his treasure without a backward glance, snatched up the big quilt from the floor, wrapped himself snugly inside, and wandered off down the hall.

Quick Snaps

The holidays with the Brubakers have gone much too quickly.

There have been a few bumps in the road--kids arguing, things breaking, running out of milk at the most inopportune moments (when fresh cookies come out of the oven, am I right?). But the worst was the vomit.

First Nathan on Christmas Day. We really thought it was too much junk until . . .

. . . Jonah threw up last night. But he always shoves huge bites in his mouth, and it didn't smell like he was sick, so we didn't think he was sick until . . .

 . . . Heidi dashed from the couch to the wood floor holding baby Thomas's head in Sam's shirt to catch the throw up.

Hmmm. Probably sick, but they're acting ok. Until . . .

. . . Ellie threw up twice in the night, and Jonah added to the count a few times himself.

And Tucker woke up feeling kinda crappy, too.

All the barf foiled our plans for the day, to be sure. And I think they're headed home Saturday instead of Monday now. Sometimes, you just need to get home. I get that.

So, despite the barfing kids, we all got dressed to take a quick family picture today. I hadn't planned clothes or a location or anything, but we got cleaned up and stood together in front of the camera for a few shots. I'm thrilled with them.

The Brubakers

 All four holding still--not all looking at the camera, but we'll take what we can get.

The Dentons with new baby Eli

Annie loves that brother of hers. Can you tell?

And each of my kiddos still at home.

Ben

 He's leaving for BYU next week, and I don't know if I can stand that thought.

Lily

 My girl is getting so beautiful. Before I know it, she'll be gone, too.

Hey! Who said Micah could grow up?

Rum. This kid's chocolate eyes melt my heart.

And my baby girl

You can't see in this photo, but she lost her front tooth two days ago. I hate when that happens, because they suddenly aren't little any more.

Here's the whole clan--all seventeen of us.

When I started my blog eight years ago, this is what the kids looked like on Christmas Eve:

Where has the time gone?

At least we haven't lost our crazy.

Goodbye, 2016. It's been an adventure.

Love,

Denton Sanatorium