Another Family Photo

Here's a photo my mom posted on facebook today of my grandfather with five of his children on a scooter. You can see the desert in the background. What a crazy photo! As my mom says, it's a wonder those tires held up.

Busy Days

I always chuckle when someone says, "Oh, the kids are at their dad's? You get to rest!" Hahahahahahahahaha. Saturday morning, I awoke at 7 am to discover that my heater was working. It's been broken for a week and it finally decided to start working overnight. I was VERY happy, but it's ironic that it started on a day when I was certainly not going to be home much. Patrick dropped Laine off at my house at 8 so she could get ready to go to the performance of her play at 9. After I took her to school, I came home and prepared to go shopping for the lunch of the cast and crew. I checked my email and discovered that I had forgotten about a baby shower taking place that afternoon. I checked my calendar and realized I had the missionaries coming for dinner. I also had to call some people first to be sure that they would be available to assist with the lunch, then headed to Costco.

I ordered 14 pizzas and obtained fruits, veggies, and dessert. I drove home quickly and cut up the citrus for lunch and went back to Costco to pick up the pizzas. At the school, I carried all the food in and set it up with the help of my able assistants. Several of the cast assured me that they would love me forever for bringing pizza. After all 50 or so people had eaten their fill, we cleaned up and I drove back home. As soon as I got home, one of Kelly's teachers contacted me with a concern, and after discussing it with her, I contacted Kelly and initiated the discussion about how to rectify the situation. After that, I put the dogs in their kennel and let the chickens out.

I then quickly wrapped gifts for the baby shower and headed over to Kirstin's house for Lupe's celebration. There I had fun socializing with great women, and was touched by Lupe's excitement for the gospel, for this new baby, and by her sad experience with losing a baby previously. I am amazed and humbled at the way our faith can strengthen and bless us through even such horrible losses as losing a baby.

During the shower, the missionaries informed me that they needed to go to an unexpected appointment and wondered if they could come at 5:45 instead of at 5. Since I had a friend coming at 6:15 to accompany me to the adult session of conference, I told them that it would have to be VERY quick! I called Keith to see if he could be my chaperone for dinner. My phone stopped working suddenly, and since it's brand new, I dropped by on the way home from the shower to see if the store could repair it. Fortunately, they were able to correct the problem, and I went straight to the grocery store.

I knew I had pilaf and rolls in the freezer, so I purchased carrots and a precooked chicken and went home. I immediately made brownies and put them in the oven while I got the rice and rolls ready for the oven, heated the water for the carrots, and set the table. I didn't have time to wash the dishes from the day or clean the boys' room before they arrived. I ran out to check on the chickens and let the dogs out. Dinner was ready a few moments before the missionaries arrived. We sat down and ate, and then Janine arrived just as we were saying a prayer before the missionaries left.

Janine and I went to the adult session of conference, and there was so much good stuff! I always enjoy the music. The men's quartet sang "Come Thou Fount" which is one of my favorite songs of all time. It's like the song of my soul...I see my own weakness, propensity to be sinful and hard-headed and inability to accomplish anything on my own, and I know I need the Savior to "bind my heart" to him and help me be better. The talks were all wonderful, and I enjoyed hanging out with Janine and eating pie afterward.

It was a busy day! By the time I got home at 9:30, I realized there were still about ten things I should have done but didn't, and I was too tired (or it was just too late) to accomplish them. I read my scriptures and fell asleep by 10:30. That's how I rest when I don't have the kids. :-)

Little Surprises

Last evening, my son Joe came to me as I was working and asked if he could tell me something. I told him, "Sure!" and gave him my full attention. He then reported to me what he was working on  for "Duty to God" and gave me an action plan for things he wanted to do to make progress on his three goals. One of those things was to do "Acts of Random Kindness" (he likes the abbreviation ARK). He decided that one of his ARKs would be to roll in the garbage cans for his brother. I then challenged him to look around and find more things to do for others. It just warms my heart to see him earnestly working on self-improvement, his relationship with God, and his relationship with others.

I'm so grateful for Joe in our lives. He is such a loving and calming spirit in our home. He expresses love to all of his siblings and to me often. He's a hugger (a trait he inherited from me) and affectionate in other ways, too. When he gets out of the car every morning for school, we have this tradition, started way back when he was small. He used to draw a heart with his two hands and then point at me, meaning, I love you, and I would do the same to him. Over the years, his version had become just one hand drawing more or less a circular shape and then pointing at me. Because I knew what it meant, I never really questioned it. Then when school started this year, Johnny asked me a few weeks into the year why Joe always drew a "circle with a dot" when he got out of the car. I busted up laughing. In previous years, I had always dropped Joe off after Johnny, so Johnny didn't really see the evolution of this ritual. I explained that it was supposed to be heart, and that it meant I love you. Now all the kids (except Kelly who is too cool) do the heart thing. I hope they never stop!

When the kids get out of the car, there's a bunch of "I love you" and "Goodbye" and "You're in my heart forever" that takes place. Johnny says these things to me, but to his sister Laine's dismay, he rarely says it to her. This morning, when he got out of the car, he answered Laine's comments and told her he loved her, and Laine just glowed. She was so happy!

It's moments like these that remind me to be grateful for the joy and peace I am privileged to have in my life now. The first time I realized that my life was missing it was January (2005?) after Patrick and I split up the second time. I woke up a bit late and went running down the hall to be sure the kids were up and getting ready for school. I happened to be in socks and when I tried to stop, I slid partway down the hallway, and I laughed out loud. Before you know it, all of us were running and sliding down the hall in our socks. I realized it had been a long time since I felt happy enough to laugh out loud. I resolved at that moment that I needed to have more joy in my life, and be even more grateful for the blessing of the children in my life. I'm so blessed.

My Grandmother's & Grandfather's Family

I just felt like sharing this old photo of my grandparents with their six children. I spent the afternoon at the Pop Laval Gallery and enjoyed it so much! It got me thinking back to the old photos I have of my family, and I wanted to share it with all of you!

:(

I admit it, I'm a little down today. I found out one of my very best friends, who already has moved away from us to Washington state several years ago, will be moving to Hawaii. While I'm happy for her family to have this adventure, visiting her in Washington was already hard enough, and now I fear I will never be able to visit her again. Her kids and mine were very close in age, and I love her with all my heart, even though most of our contact is electronic these days. When we see each other, it's as if we've never been apart.

They moved around the same time that three other families I loved relocated. While I still have good friends here in Fresno, I miss my friends a ton. It seems to be a habit that God has, to relocate families I love. I know it "forces" me to broaden my circle and find new people to become friends with. Yet it's hard for me too...I should have been born in an earlier century, when people stayed close and seldom relocated. I like having people I love close about me. Since I don't have any family in this area, my friends' families are my surrogates.

I'm holding out hope. Maybe my friends won't move to Hawaii...maybe it's a joke! If not, though, I wish them well.

Late Nights, Sleepy Eyes

Laine has been rehearsing for "Once Upon a Mattress," the middle school play she's participating in. It's an adaptation of the Princess and the Pea. This poor child is in school from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., then at practice until 10 p.m. this week. I let her sleep in an hour past her usual 6:30 and drive her to school instead of making her take the bus.

Her performances next week are all day time performances for the school. Then beginning on the weekend of the 29th, she will begin public performances. In one version, she plays the "bird" and in the other, she is a lady of the court. She's excited, nervous, and sleepy.

This is Fun! (And Scary!)

It's my first day on the Fresno State Campus for classes this spring. Man, it's been a long time since I've been in college. I was by far the oldest person in my class today, by at least 14 years. The professor is about the same age as Erin. Geez, talk about feeling old!

The kids were all encouraging me this morning, excited that I had a backpack full of books and my laptop and the lunch I packed. They said they were proud of me for doing this. Heck, I'm proud of me for doing this! I have to admit, though...it's terrifying at the same time. Shhhh....don't tell anyone.

Yet when I sat down in the desk, syllabus in hand, and began to listen to the professor rattle on, I realized I was having fun. Even when he announced that we had to do a 2000 word term paper, I wasn't phased. My brain immediately converted that to about ten pages (thanks to my publishing background), and I thought, okay. I can do that. At least I know that technical writing is one of my strengths.

I only have three classes. One of them is a 5 unit class though, so it will be a tough one. I am taking California's Earth Systems, Psychological Research Methods, and Abnormal Psychology. I also have an advocacy class, but it's essentially spending one day at the capitol advocating for a human welfare cause and is only one unit.

I know the timing is right for me to do this. I've tried to get back to school for almost two years, but the timing just wasn't working out. I've prayed about it and I feel very confident that this is what the Lord wants me to do. I'm just not sure how I'm going to feed my family and pay the bills at the same time. I'm just putting my faith in him that he will bring the right opportunities. I hope the Lord blesses my efforts!!

((Yawn))

Kitchen cleaned, floors swept, living room tidied, two loads of laundry folded, another one in the washing machine and a fourth in the dryer. It's 12:30 and I have to be up in 5 hours. Can I sleep now?

My Creative and Wacky Daughter

Life is never dull at the Cavanaugh home. Kelly came up with this lovely piece of creativity and posted it on facebook. The guy in the mask looks scary!

The Urge to Purge!

In the car today, the kids and I were talking about money and houses. Joe wanted to know if some homeless people liked being homeless. I told him about a story I read in a newspaper about a man who absolutely preferred being homeless. He slept in his tent wherever he could, worked a little day job, had very few possessions. For some of us, that would be a nightmare.

I started thinking out loud about it...no rent/mortgage, no utilities, no home maintenance, no car, no gas, insurance or maintenance...If I cut those things out of my life, I could live on a lot less money! The kids were concerned that I was suggesting that we start living on the streets. As if. While I at times dreamed of a nomadic lifestyle, it never crossed my mind once I had children.

Still, I reminded the kids that money is just green pieces of paper with dead presidents on it, and while we need it, we need to keep our perspective about money and things we buy with money. Our basic needs of food, water, shelter and love can be met without a lot of expense. It's when we add all that other stuff in there that our budget begins to inflate. I need internet service...I need a new car...I need a computer...I need enough clothing to clothe a small nation (or for some women, shoes). Baaahhh! I say, Minimize! Economize! Don't buy unless it's a real need. And if it's a need, maybe you can trade something you have but don't need for something you don't have but do need!

I'm in a phase of purging and simplifying. I'm not done yet...not even close. But the "noise" of all the things around me and the "stress" of keeping them orderly drowns all the creativity and energy out of me. I want it back!!