Grandma and Grandpa

April 2010 Catch up!

2010-05-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

I have not been very good at blogging the last two months so this is my attempt to remember some important things and record them.

First of all, was General Conference. I loved it! Most of the talks were about family and parenthood. Sometimes I wish I had heard these talks when I was still raising my children. Maybe I would have been a better parent! On Sunday, afternoon there was a talk given that really impressed me. I was actually starting to snooze a little and I suddenly awakened with a strong feeling that I, especially, needed to hear this talk. (I have been praying for guidance in certain areas of my life and wanting to know more what I could do better!) As I opened my eyes I saw and heard this man speaking: It was Bradley D. Foster of the Seventy. I knew this talk was an answer to a prayer. I especially loved his story about the mother cows and the calves. How grateful I am for good men and leaders of this church.

Second, Easter was on General Conference Sunday. As usual we had invited all the children and grandchildren over for dinner and an Easter Egg hunt. I love when we all get together. The children love getting togethe and playing all over the house while the adults share stories, laugh and tend to little ones. We missed Jenn, Jason, Jaylee and Jenni who were in Pennsylvania and Brian, Mary, Jenna, Catie and Matthew who were away visiting relatives in Ellensburg, Washington.As good as the kids and parents were at find all the eggs we found some several weeks later. Luckily these were plastic eggs with candy and were still edible.

Third, this was also Mark and my 38th wedding anniversary. Mark took the day off work and after a morning of getting things done around the house we took a drive to the Olympic Peninsula to see the Lake Quinalut Rainforst. It was good to get away and just drive and talk. Mark may not agree since he did all the driving. We found the Lake Quinault Lodge and ate. It was very good! One might argue it was not exactly worth the price.I loved the atmosphere of the lodge and especially dining while overlooking the lake. It was cloudy and misty just as you would imagine a rainforest would be.
Then we took a drive around one of the roads in the rainforest and this is what we saw:Lots of little streams and falls!

Rainforests are amazing and beautiful! Miles of moss-covered trees!

Also in April we were invited to a little program/concert by Tommy. Cute, Cute, Cute! We love it when we get to attend grandchildren's programs, etc. The program was about the alphabet and especially the vowels. Darling songs!

Tommy was in the chorus!

We went to the Daffodil/Tulip festival near Mount Vernon. Talk about beauty! The flowers were so bright and colorful.

Like being in Holland!! Cute place named RoozenGarrde near Mount Vernon.

What a special occasion to be able to attend the open house of the Vancouver, Canada Temple.
We went with Maria, Eric, Tommy, Blake and Brody. I was so impressed with the little ones. They were so reverent through the tour of the temple. They stayed pretty close to our guide and listened to her when she spoke. Of course they sometimes moved around a lot like little boys, but always calmed right down when asked to be reverent. I noticed this even more when they were in the celestial room. I just hope they felt of the beauty and the spirit that was there.

At the end of the month I got to go with James, Jamie, Ryan, Emily and Allie to the Woodland Park Zoo to celebrate Emily's 4th birthday. It started out fairly dry, but really rained during the trek around the zoo. I was so amazed at Emily's attention to all the animals for a 4 year old. She always looked at and commented about each animal she saw. I especially enjoyed watching the zookeepers move the giraffes from one field, across the pathway, to a building for keeping dry. That close up they really looked tall...even the baby giraffe. Before we left, we found a place to eat and get out of the rain. The ride home was interesting since I sat in the seat next to Allie, who smiled and played almost all the way home. But, just at the end she was coaxing me to get her out of her seat (first politely, then a little more forcefully). She made me smile!

So you can see why it took me so long to post this. So many things to do. In fact, I was able to do it today because I have a nasty cold and stayed home from church. I must admit I have a full and blessed life!

Slowly Slipping Away

2010-03-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had my mother with me the whole day. I have had the blessing of being able to spend time with my mom on a regular basis. But, this time, I, sadly, realized that I am losing a little part of my mother each day. It was a bittersweet experience. I loved having her here so we could talk, visit my dad’s gravesite, and let her spend time with a couple of my children and some of my grandchildren. I know she loves and appreciates the visits. But, I also noticed some subtle, but sad changes in her. I am realizing that her Alzheimer's is slowly progressing and therefore, she is slowly changing. I realize that when I talk to some others they haven't really noticed a change, but I do.

I noticed that when she is away from Rose’s home she has more anxiety than usual. Rose’s home is the place that is most familiar to her and where she feels the most comfortable. At my house when I was upstairs for a little while, she got up and was anxiously looking around the house. When she saw me she was obviously relieved and said, “Oh, Jenny, I wondered where you had gone.” Her memory doesn't hold quite as long as it used to. In one hour I had to tell her many times that we were going to go the Tahoma National Cemetery to visit dad’s gravesite. On the 7 miles trip there she must have asked me 4 times where we were going. When I ran into a store to get some flowers, she preferred to stay in the car. When I got back with the flowers, she asked what they were for. Later, I mentioned that Rebecca was going to meet us there. When she saw her, she knew she should be familiar, but couldn’t remember her name and acted surprised that she came. I notice that she tells me more frequently and somewhat sadly, "See I don't remember that".

Her topics of conversation mostly revolve around dad, Rose and John. If you ask her question about other family members she draws a blank. Don't get me wrong she remembers each of her children, she just doesn't remember anything recent to talk about. She misses dad so much and wants to talk about the things she can remember about him…..his mission to West Virginia, their brief courtship, how hard he worked, their missions together and his being unable to care for himself at the end. She must have told me 50 times by now how when she knew he was going to die soon, that she told him, “Now when you get there you be sure and tell Heavenly Father not to wait too long to come and get me so that we can be missionaries together on the other side.” I think she talks about this frequently because she wants to be with him so much and that it seems like a good reason for Heavenly Father to let her go be with him.

She gets details mixed up and if her feelings get hurt, she remembers the emotions, but gets things confused. She is just sure that Rose and John do not want her there permanently (obviously not true)….and that some day she will be without a place to live. No amount of reassurance helps for very long, because she forgets the reassurance quickly (but not the perceived idea that they don’t really want her there). I’m sure I have no idea how these feelings must eat at her every day and cause her unneeded worry. Rose mentioned that mom doesn’t want to keep score anymore when they play table games (possibly due to no longer being able to do the math). Also, that she gets the games of Scrabble and Dominoes mixed up some times. (Interesting though, that she can still rattle off all 55 counties in West Virginia...a contest she won as a little girl in school).

Lately, I have noticed a sadness and fear in her eyes. I think there are two reasons for that. First, that she is so lonely without dad, and second, that she realizes that she just simply is losing her memory more and more. Rose said that it is different each day in how much she forgets. I can’t imagine being in a place that is unfamiliar to you and not knowing why you are there. Or, going to bed each night and not remembering significant events of the day. (Or even remembering throughout the day any event). It must be scary to have to have to live in the present, but only be able to remember well the past. She hasn’t forgotten me yet, but when I was out of her sight for a little bit she got worried. In the evening when we went out to eat, I noticed some anxiety in her. She stayed very close to me and insisted on sitting right next to me at the table. Maria, said that when I had taken Brody outside for a little walk, that she seemed a little disoriented. She first asked for Rose. Later, she kept asking where I was. Unfamiliarity and frequent lack of memory equals fear for her. No wonder she likes being where she remembers where she is and what room she is in.

I remember the phrase Nancy Reagan used in referring to President Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease….”it is the long good-bye”. But, it is not just a long good-bye for those who love someone with Alzheimer’s disease, but it is also a long good-bye for those who have it. They are slowly having to say good-bye to their own memories of relationships and of life experiences here on this earth. It is heartbreaking!! And that makes me want to cry!! However, I do believe with all my heart, that the mind may forget, but the spirit will always remember. I am grateful for the knowledge that in the hereafter she will have her perfect memory back.

I hope she will not have to suffer long with this disease…for her sake! I hope that she will get her greatest desire to soon be with my dad. In the meantime, I am so grateful to Rose and John for taking such good care of her and for their desire to make her life as stress-free and comfortable as possible. And I plan to continue to visit her on a regular basis because even if she eventually forgets who I am, "I remember who she is". (a quote from a story on Alzheimer's that I recently read)

Times are Changing!

2010-03-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

My how times have changed. Last Tuesday, Mark and I went to the DMV to get our enhanced driver's licenses. We had to bring birth certificates, our current driver's licenses, some pieces of current mail from a federal or offical business....i.e. home owner's insurance policy, health insurance bill, etc. to prove we are Washington residents. We knew it would be long....but not 3 hours and 45 minutes. We met another couple waiting to get theirs and they told us they were moving 3 people an hour for the enhanced DL. At that moment we had about 15 people ahead of us. I had assumed that since the Vancouver Olympics were over, there wouldn't be so many people applying.

When we finally got up to the window, it took about 5 minutes to take our application, and other documents. Next, we waited a little over 1/2 hour while they take our paperwork into another room to run it through a computerized security checkout. After that you get your picture taken where they use Biometric Metric identification where they use special digital technology to focus in on my special facial features....eye sockets, cheekbones, and sides of the mouth. The photo is reduced to digital code. This helps prevent ID theft and ID duplication. When you get your enhanced DL. it will also have a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag embedded into the license that stores certain data on it. At the border data can be retrieved from my license where they match my information with their records. The enhanced driver's license is good to cross borders with Canada, Mexico, and the Carribean by land or sea travel only....not by air.

I also learned that I would never be able to just take grandchildren with me across the Canadian or Mexican border without written consent of their parents, preferably notarized. Also, one parent can not take his or her very own child without a written consent (which one can download from the internet) from the other parent. All this to prevent child abduction by a stranger or even a parent or relative.

I remember back when you could go to Canada and return with just an ordinary driver's license that didn't even have a photo. I just can't imagine that I fit the profile of a terrorist! But, after hearing on the news about Jihad Jane, I guess they just don't trust their own profiles.

Mark and I are hoping to make it to the Vancouver Temple open house in April. We also plan to go to Niagara Falls (Canadian side) this July when we go to visit Jason's family. Maybe someday, it would be fun to go to Mexico, but after listening to the news about some Americans being targeted and shot in Mexico near the American/Mexican border, maybe we will wait until things have calmed down.

When I am just at home I don't dwell on national security and safety issues, but when I get ready to travel I am reminded that things just aren't like they used to be.

Memories of My Father

2009-11-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

My dad passed away October 30, 2009 at the age of 89. So much has been said and recorded about his life, but I want to post some of my own personal memories for my posterity.

This picture was taken when my dad was about 7 years old. It's hard to imagine your father as a child. He had a rather strict father, but a very gentle mother. When he talked about his childhood it was usually about growing up on a ranch, herding steers out to pasture or wherever they could find good places for them to graze. He would stay days at a time away from home before he would bring them back. He talked about breaking in wild horses when he was a little bit older. He loved it and was good at it. He always sang us songs about cowboys: "Poor Jack Was Just A Cowboy" and "Little Joe, the Wrangler" were a couple of them. His dream was to have a family, be a farmer or rancher and raise his children there.

He tells about how one day his father came to the family and told them he had sold the ranch, was going to buy another place and use some of the money from the sell of the ranch to send my dad on a mission. My dad had a missionary heart. He was thrilled. He was sent and spent the last year of his mission in West Virginia where he met my mom. He kept a journal of his experiences and it is evident from all his entries that he worked very hard, occasionally not having enough food, and not having too much success. That changed when he moved to the city where my mom lived with her mother and sisters. My widowed grandmother, Minnie Merrell, fed all the missionaries as often as they needed and took care of them in every way she could. He grew to love this lady and especially one of her daughters.

I remember one day while driving him to see his brother, Jerry about a year ago. Out of the blue, he asked, "Jenny, would you support mom and I on another mission?" I was a little taken back and asked him what kind of a mission was he thinking of....a ward missionary, helping support missionaries financially, or a full-time missionary. (Somehow I knew what his answer was going to be). He said, "A full time mission". He wanted to put papers in. I smiled remembering that he has always been an enthusiastic missionary for the church. I told him, I was pretty sure he would have to pass a medical examination first. My mom, or course, chimed in saying, "Arthur, we can't go on a mission, you can't walk!!" I will always remember this knowing that his heart was so willing. No one I have ever met has desired to do missionary work for the Lord more than my dad.

Farmer

Oh, how he loved farming! He worked so hard both in Chilco, Idaho and Moses Lake, Washington. To help make ends meet he also worked as a lumberjack near Kellog, Idaho. That was hard work. I remember sleeping in a tent for several days at a time while he worked cutting trees for lumber. I also remember he cut trees for Christmas and hauled them to Arizona to sell in December. He taught us how to work hard, too. I learned to disk and harrow with a team of horses when I was 8 or 9. When he thought I was old enough he taught me to drive. I was responsible from the time I was 9 until I was almost 13 to take big huge milk cans in the car trunk and fill them with water from the neighbors until we could dig a well. I actually liked helping him in the fields, although not crazy about thinning the beets. He would come in at night just exhausted and having back pain. Here is a picture of our family when we lived in Moses Lake.

Dad and Mom in the back row,
From right to left in 2nd row: Jenny, Sandee, Myron, Ed, Sharon, Jan
From left to right in 3rd row: Mark, Roseanne, Nancy Kerry, and Amy

This is where we lived in a 4 room house, built by my dad. He was planning on digging a well and building a big home after the harvest of his first crops. I can still see him in my mind's eye looking out over his crops and admiring how good they were looking, telling us how this was going to be a good year, and talked of his plans for building our new home, building a barn a little later and having all his kids learn farm work. I was always proud to drive up to our farm and see how beautiful the crops looked. Other farms had weeds growing just as big as their crops, but our didn't. Sandee and I were old enough to milk the 1 cow we had, but the others were a little too young to learn to do as much work. Unfortunately, his crops froze or for some other reason did not yield a good crop for 3 years. It breaks my heart to remember how hard he worked and how hard he tried to make living as a farmer.

I remember the day he came home and told us that Boeing (a branch in Moses Lake) had hired him, was sending back to school to the University of Washington. I was very nervous about moving to such a big city. I could tell dad was just hoping to work long enough to save enough money to come back to farming.My mom was relieved. She always worried about my dad and his back pain. So we packed up everything we owned and moved to Seattle.

Dad worked at Boeing until he retired. He was smart, wrote manuals for the flight analyst program at Boeing, taught classes and for some reason they always kept him on even when Boeing was laying off thousands of their employees. He won many awards...here is a picture of him receiving one of them.

This is how I remember my dad the most,

Random Thoughts:
No one worked harder than my dad. I remember one time wanting a formal for a church dance - the Gold and Green Ball. I knew there was no extra money and had just decided not to go. My dad came up with some money somehow and insisted that we go out and find me a formal dress. I had mixed emotions about that. I knew we needed the money for other things, I really wanted to go to the dance, and I knew my dad would be hurt if I turned him down. I hadn't seen that soft side of him before. He was usually telling me not to be proud and to wear the best Sunday dress I had.

I remember that he always found someone who needed a ride to church. Since we had absolutely no room in our car he had the oldest children walk to church, which was a couple miles or more. I walked in heels up those steep Seattle hills. The day we got our big van was so exciting. We had room for everyone in one trip. Of course there were no seatbelt laws and half of us held a younger sibling on our laps.

I remember him playing a lot of sports with his kids. Basketball at the church, softball in any field he could find, bowling leagues and football at any picnic we had.

My dad held family home evenings before it became an offical program of the church on Monday nights. We called them Family Night. It always included a little lesson, songs, and everyone got to do a little trick or stunt...which was most often, standing on your hands, singing a song, wrestling, or our favorite was when mom and dad would box. My mom is related to Jack Dempsey and she was a boxer. She could box my dad right into a corner and took it quite seriously,. My dad usually started lauging at her, which made her box all the harder. I think it would have been kind of hard for my dad to jab her very hard in front of all his kids. We always had some kind of refreshment which was important in keeping everyone interested in the activity. I remember one particulary home evening. He had decided we were going to go around the room and tell each other one thing we really like about them. I was at an age, where I was not a very nice teen-ager. I pretty much ignored my dad at this age, and complained a lot to my mother. The part I remember the most, was when it came time for my dad to say something about me, I held my breath. I knew I did not deserve any kind comments from him. I also knew my dad would not just make something up. I remember to this day, that he said I had the prettiest smile of all the people he knew and that he loved it when I did smile. Whew! I was glad he said something good, but most of all I have never forgotten it all these years.

When I was helping to care for him in his later years, he was so appreciative and humble. He rarely complained. I remember one day the last 2 weeks of his life, he was sitting in his big chair and I noticed that he was making his leg go up and down constantly. I asked him why? He had a difficult time telling me so I asked him a lot of questions. Come to find out, his bum was sore and it hurting him a lot. There was no groaning, no loud noises, just moving his leg up and down. Once we figured it out, we moved him to his bed on his side and he whispered, "Thanks, Jenny!"

I loved how he treated my mom, especially after she started having a lot of memory problems. No matter how many times she repeated a story, he listened. If someone asked her a queston and she couldn't remember the answer, he would just quietly say the answer. Whereever they were, my mom didn't stray too far away from him. He was her security! On the other hand, she always was close by in case he needed her for anything. Their's is a marriage that grew and evolved over time to the most comfortable, trusting, and loving relationship I have ever seen.

My most fond memory of him was when he came to visit me in France while I was on my mission. He had been sent to England by Boeing and took a little side trip to France. I was serving near Paris and so it was easy to make connections. I remember seeing him at customs, and looking a little nervous that everyone was talking French. He seemed rather relieved that I was able to come nearby and translate for him. He was fun for my companion and I. He went to one of our church activities. It was fun introducing him to everyone. A lot of the youth loved trying to talk to him in English, which was nice for him. But, what I remember the most, was the father's blessing he gave me. I had been sick a lot and was discouraged. I felt a lot of peace after that and knew I was being looked after by a loving Heavenly Father.

Having been the oldest I have seen the most transformation in my dad than most of the other siblings. (I am sure that is true for most oldest children.) I remember him being strict, sometimes a little harsh, and quite rigid. But, I always knew he wanted to be a good person. He wanted to be the best father he could. I saw how the gospel softened him and guided him to be the gentle, most compassionate, most appreciative, most loving person there ever could be. Now, I have no excuse for not becoming a better person, having the perfect example of a person who showed by example how one humbles himself and changes to become the person he was meant to be.

I am grateful to have had this wonderful man as my father. He was just the father I needed even in his most imperfect moments. I love him and look forward to being with him and mom in the eternities....if I can measure up.

We are proud of you, dad!

Caring for my parents!

2009-09-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Rose has gone to Chile for 3 weeks with Martin and Andrea. John leaves to day to join her. I've have the opportunity to go help with my parents for a few days. I have even more gratitude and appreciation for all that Rose and John do for them. Mom loves having someone from the family to reminisce with. I think it is interesting that she always speaks about the positive things in her life. I don't know if that is a conscious effort on her part or if she just doesn't remember the negative things. She can be delightful if you don't mind hearing the same stories several times a day. Her eyes just light up when she tells you some of her growing up stories about her dad, mom and sisters. She can get very animated when she talks about meeting my dad for the first time.

She can be very helpful caring for dad. She's always right there when he needs something and I think she is the only one who knows how to stop his coughing when he chokes. She puts her hand somewhere on his back and rubs and voila, he stops choking - albeit just for a few minutes. You do have to watch her because she will forget and try to feed him part of her sandwich (he's on thickened pureed foods). Sometimes when dad takes an extra long time to eat you might catch her eating some of his dinner. That can be a serious problem if she eats his applesauce which has his medicine crushed into it. She is a pretty high functioning person with alzheimers, but you do have to watch her carefully.

Dad was having hard time smiling and keeping his eyes open at the same time. But after a few tries this is what we got. He is struggling. He is getting harder and harder to move. We can get him to his feet, but his knees bend a lot and he is having trouble moving his feet. I sometimes stand behind him and hold him up while mom stands him front and guides him holding his hands. During the hot weather, we discovered that if he doesn't get enough fluids, he gets very sleepy and it is hard to keep him awake even during his meals. But, he is still an angel to care for. At one point I felt prompted to tell him that when it is his time to go, we promises to take good care of mom and see that she gets the best of care. He, in his whisper of a voice, said "I appreciate that."

One of their favorite things to do is go out in the yard in their swing. They will sit, hold hands and talk for an hour or so, until dad gets uncomfortable.

They love when family drops by. Maria and Eric came to visit them on their way home from Seaside last week. Before they got here, she kept saying, "Now who is coming?". I'd explain that it was my daughter, Maria and her husband, Eric. I could tell she could not remember exactly who they were. But, after they left she could remember very well who they are.

It is a pleasure to visit and care for them. I do hope I age as sweet and appreciative as they are.

A Summer of Reunions

2009-08-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

***WARNING*** This a a very long blog. I had all these pictures on my camera with some on the card and some on internal memory. I couldn't figure out for the longest time how to get the internal memory pictures on my computer. So now you get two months worth of pictures in one blog.

LEE FAMILY REUNION
There is nothing as fun as family reunions - even with all the hard work and planning it takes to have one. This summer has been a fun one for me. First my side of the family (The Lee's) had their regular reunion at the Ensign Ranch. This was an emotional one because we wonder if my dad will ever be able to make another one. (But then again, he is stubborn and could fool us all) Here are some pictures and memories: (A lot of these pictures are from Rebecca, the family photographer. If she is around the rest of us tend not to take as many pictures. We sure keep her busy.)

Arthur and Betty Lee - Patriarch and Matriarch of this huge family.

So many activities: Organized games for the children, slip and slide, horses (to feed and ride), horseshoes for the adults, boating, and indoor pool, shuffleboard, etc. You could always find something to do. And the cousins loved just hanging out and playing with each other.

Good Food

A special family home evening, Here are my parents with all of their children. At the end of the program they sang a song they had sung in church many, many years ago - "I Stand All Amazed".

The highlight of the whole reunion was a special blessing given by my dad to all his posterity. Unable to speak it himself, Ed had spent time with my dad weeks before the reunion learning from dad that he wanted to give a blessing and what he wanted to say. My mom read it and it was hard to hold back the tears when hearing it. Thanks Ed and also for finding the recorded talk that dad gaves years ago in a Sacrament Meeting before he and my mom left for one of their missions. It was just perfect for the occasion.

STRINGHAM FAMILY REUNION
This was our first official Stringham Family Reunion. Whenever Jason and family comes into town we have gotten together. But, this time my brother, Ed let us use his beach house in Seaside Oregon to be able to just get away. It is the cutest beach housse I have ever seen. The back door leads leadss to a deck and right past that is the beach. The kids had so much fun playing in the sand, riding the waves on boogie boards, roasting marshmallows in the fire pit, playing with all their cousins, and spending wonderful time with their parents. How fun to have undivided attention for each other.

Here are some pictures from our camera and of course from Rebecca:
The beach house from the ocean.

The whole Stringham Family

Playing in the sand.

Grandpa was in charge of seeing that Brody didn't eat the sand. Whoops! But, he did get this picture.

Hanging out inside while it was raining outside.

The cousins played together so well.

Cousins bedroom. Up to 8 kids slept here with two in sleeping bags on the floor.

We had wonderful food. I ate way too much and I have no idea why the chair cushion is in the middle of the table.

The kids loved playing in the ocean as well as the guys. Tommy and Eric before they were called out of the water for a white shark sighting! Can't believe we let them go back later, but we did after we were told they were gone. How do they know for sure?

Jason Stringham on the boogie board. He ended up breaking one of them - must have been some wild waves. Jason Kidd was right behind him.

Roasting marshmallows was a favorite and I think we all agree that Ethan was the best marshmallow roaster. Notice the tent in the background, Yep, we had two families bring tents, Mendenhalls and the Kidds and they loved listening to the ocean waves at night.

Jaylee and Audrey led me to their secret "cave". They spent hours fixing it up with little places to sit. Theytold me they were digging to the other side of the world to "Australia".

The kids being buried up to their waists in the sand. Most of them loved the idea, but a couple said "no way"!

Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandkids, my favorite picture of the reunion.

Pike Place Market with Jason, Jenn, Jaylee and Jenni.

This is such a fun place to visit.

First off they bought Grandma and Grandpa a boquet of flowers. Thanks so much!

Jaylee getting a close look at a big fish. This place is famous for their fresh fish.

They have some pretty hair ribbons there.

Jenni chose the pink and Jaylee chose the multi-colored one.

Jaylee getting a picture of the "Hello, I'm a monk fish" -- pretty brave of her considering it tends to move unexpectedly.

So much easier to enjoy when you up above the crowds.

Thanks for the memories!

Health Issues

2009-07-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've hesitated doing this post hoping that after seeing a couple specialists I would have better news to report. Most of my life I have been blessed with great health. My growing up years were very healthy, missing school very rarely. Of course I had the usual childhood diseases for that generation - measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough and managed to sail through them. Four years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and a little later with high blood pressure. not too surprisingly because my mom has them But, my doctors were happy that I was very controlled and seemed very healthy. I remember my family doctor praising me and saying she wished all her patients with diabetes were as healthy and well controlled.

Thanksgiving Eve I ended up in the hospital for an appendectomy. It was a quick surgery and recovery. Imagine my surprise when Mark told me the next day that when they did the CT scan and surgery they noticed that I had cirrhsis of the liver. After quite a few tests and a biopsy it was determined that I have the kind that is a mystery to the doctors. They don't know what causes it. It is called NASH. Often people who have this have the metabolic syndrome, but not all. Usually they are overweight, but not all. After seeing a couple of specialists they have essentially told me there is no treatment or medication to cure it. The scary thing about diabetes and liver diseases is they affect every part of your body.

But, I was am in a research program through Virginia Mason Hospital and the University of Washington Hospital. Which means I will be followed every 6 months and monitored. The liver specialist from Virginia Mason did change a couple of my medications, added Vitamin E supplements and told me to exercise 45-60 minutes a day. So that is what I am doing. So far the only symptom I have is fatigue. (What is interesting about this is that because of the diabetic medication I have had my liver enzymes tested every 6 months for the last 4 years and have yet to show any abnormal levels. So if I hadn't had appendicitis I still would not know to this day that I have this disease).

The up side to this is that I have joined a fitness center and am swimming at least 45 minutes a day (well 5 days a week). I love swimming - always have and now I have an excuse to do it every day. I am also working with a trainer in weight training. He is very nice and very encouraging.

For Father's Day, I got Mark the Wii game and his children chipped in and got the Wii Fitness so we are both enjoying that. So I am now exercising a lot more than I ever have and I actually enjoy it.

The fitness center is part of a hospital and the time of day I go they have lots of elderly people in the exercise rooms and the swimming pool. I have seen women with canes and a man with a walker come in and get in the pool on a regular basis. One elderly man I swim with is a good swimmer. He uses a paddle board and can swim faster than I just using his legs that I can using arms and legs. They inspire me and I hope I can be just as active and cheerful when I need a cane and walker.

My goal is to gradually lose weight (even though a new medication I am on causes weight gain), and to increase my endurance and muscles strength and try to slow down damage to the liver. I want to postpone a liver transplant as long as I can.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am on a diet that decreases saturated fats, but increases protein which I have been doing-sort of-but now I am more strict. So I eat a lot of chicken, fish, cottage cheese and low fat string cheese for protein.

So that is my health news. I won't continually dwell on it or bore you with a lot of detail. But, I think it is worth mentioning from time to time for my posterity who unfortunately may inherit some of these diseases.

I am not feeling sorry for myself yet. Maybe when I deteriorate to the point where I am helpless. But for now I plan to just move forward, listen to my doctors and change my lifestyle to a more healthy one and trust the Lord knows what is best for me.

Wish me luck!

Welcome to grandchild #13, little Allie

2009-05-31T10:00:00.001-07:00

Here she is, Alexandria Stringham, or Allie as she is called. She was born May 29, 2009 around 3:30 pm, Renton, Washington. She weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz and was 19.5 inches long. Of James and Jamie's 3 kids she looks the most like the Stringham side. The other two have strong Argo genes - which are beautiful, by the way. Unfortunately, I was at home sick and unable to babysit the other two or help in any way. Jamie updated her Twitter account (which transferred to her facebook account) before, during and after the birth. How wonderful of her! I sat by my laptop morning and afternoon.

Isn't she beautiful!

Ryan and Emily seem pretty excited about having a baby sister. When I called James yesterday he put me on speaker phone so I could talk to them. Ryan said she was little, but when I tried to talk to Emily about her, she started talking about fruit rollups. Made me chuckle! They were excited for us to see Allie, leading us right to her, showing us her blankie and bottle nipples.

We got to take James and the kids out to Red Robin for dinner which is always a treat for Gma and Gpa. Jamie's mom "Grammy" stayed with Jamie and Allie and we brought Jamie back dinner.

We're feeling very blessed!

Hello, Again

2009-05-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

It's spring and our little birdies are back!

This year we were prepared. Mark bought me a little bird house for her little nest and to protect our hanging plants. Here they would be safe from my constant watering and necessary disturbing of their nest. Last year the plant didn't do so well and I accidentally knocked it over and two eggs fell out while I trying to water around the bird nest. Those two little birdies never made it.

Mother's Day gift from my children! If you were a bird which home would you choose?

Hello, again!

So we hope these will help keep the roots watered and lessen my moving the leaves, etc. to get it watered thoroughly. Hopefully, this year the plant and the birdies can live together.

Monthly Visits

2009-05-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

This week I made my usual visits to see Jerry and Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, I could not take mom and dad to see Jerry because they have an infection among some the the residents that dad doesn't need to catch. So this is how Jerry was when I first entered Rocky Bay. He had just had some physical therapy to keep him limber and strong enough to help with his own mobilization. He continues to have some silent strokes and it has changed him a lot. He no longer winks, blows kisses, talks or stands alone. He hardly responded when I talked to him. After a few minutes of talking, I asked if he ever thought about his mom and dad. That got him to open his eyes and look at me. After that, a little puppy they bring in for the residents caught his eye and and he followed him with his eyes. A couple of the staff talked to me and said how much they miss the old Jerry. He was such a flirt and they all loved that about him along with his friendliness, cooperative nature and joy in all the activities they have. One of the ladies got a little emotional. The lady sitting near him and holding his hand is Marianne. She is one of the residents there and she and Jerry have become great friends. She is a sweetheart and as you can see loves necklaces and hairbands. I asked her if he ever talks to her and she says, "yes, in the mornings, a little".

Rose has hired a caregiver to come in and help with mom and dad. Her name is Adeline and mom and dad seem very comfortable with her. Carrie Ann helped find her for Rose. It is no longer safe to leave them alone even for a short time. Besides helping to feed dad, help him to the bathroom, she does little physical therapy things with him. Dad seemed easier to move this week. Mom seems to have adopted a couple of "anxiety" areas. One of those is the checkbook and the other is the medication. It's typical of Alzheimer's patients to tend to focus and worry about certain things the more it progresses. Mom will always ask me to sit and play some piano duets with her. This time I noticed that she forgot her part often. She would tell me that she is used to playing the other part. But when we switched she couldn't play it at all. It's sad for me to see her lose her ability to do some of the things she loves. She was also proud of the cards she got for Mother's Day.

I remember Nancy Reagan sayng about President Reagan that Alzheimer's is a "long good-bye". They slowly change into someone you don't know. That makes me sad. So for the time being, I plan to enjoy what she is now and deal with the rest later.

Pennsylvania

2009-04-20T11:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Jason and Jenn's generous Mother's Day gift we were able to go to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to vist with their family for a week. We got to spend the week just being with and doing what they do on a day-to-day basis. This is the best for us, but I think we wore out Jenn. They were so sweet to us and those two girls made Grandpa and I feel very loved. Here are some photos of what we got to do with them.

Jenni being a little princess. She has several of these dresses and a few dance outfits that she wanted to wear every day.

Jaylee being a little tomboy. She found a little birds nest with some eggs in it and we all had to come and see it.

Jenni stayed close to Grandpa most of the time and here they are waiting for the hayride to begin.

Here we are on the hay wagon. The hayride took us out to a bunny field where they had hidden Easter eggs amongst a cute little bunny garden. We had two more Easter egg hunts so they were not hurting for candy. One of the egg hunts, though, was for money. Jenni made a real haul and Jaylee didn't do so bad either. Talk about generous neighbors!

Coloring the eggs!

Ready for church! Darling matching outfits!

We were invited to the Liounis' home (Jenn's parents) for Easter Dinner. Here are the grandparents with grandchildren they share! (Well, except for Morgan who is so cute we would claim her if we could)

Socializing after dinner. It seems we have many common political views and enjoy our discussions. We got together with them one more time for ice cream social.

We spent a day at the Philadelphia Zoo which was lots of fun. Here are Jenni and Jaylee posing for Grandpa.

In the middle of the zoo they have a children's area which consists of lots of climbable objects. There is a treehouse which you can climb (via little paths), which is fun, but easy to lose a child in there. Here they are sitting inside a flower petal.

Petting zoo - Jaylee feeding a goat.

Jenni brushing a goat.

The week before we came was Grandparent's Day at school, so Jenn arranged for Mark and I to go and eat lunch with Jaylee at school. So cute and Jaylee was bubbily and pleased! They sure can make us feel loved!

We were able to attend their gymnastics (and Jenni's dance) classes. That was so fun and a couple of times I was off my seat cheering, when they accomplished certain difficult moves. Jenni doing the splits.

Jaylee doing a combination of jump, sit, stand and move into a cartwheel onto the next mat. She is good!

So as usual, our visits were fun, busy, and the best memories grandparents could ask for. Jason and Jenn know how to make us feel at home and have done a great job raising two lively, beautiful, kind and loving girls! Thanks to you both!!

Fun with Grandkids!

2009-03-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday Mark and I watched Ryan, Emily, Jenna and Catie while Brian, Mary, James and Jamie went on a double date. It was fun, but we sometimes wonder how we raised 5 kids.

Jenna and Ryan are just learning how to play checkers.

First on the agenda was a trip to McDonald's playland to feed them and wear them out a little!

But since they still had lots of energy we took them to Garrison Creek Park. Here Emily was too frightened to cross the swinging bridge on her own. Catie offered her a hand!

Voila! And that's what friends are for!

Ryan giving Jenna some advice on how to hit a birdie over the net! Jenna never quite got the hang of it!

Follow the leader!

I wanted to get a group picture mainly so we could gather them all together just before getting them in the car! It was a bigger job than I thought so I bribed them with jelly beans!

But, as soon as the photo was over they scattered and Mark took off after them. He grabbed Jenna and Emily first since they were the leaders of this little escapade!

When we got home we had 4 very tired little tykes and two exhausted grandparents, but most important some fun memories!

Busy Weekend!

2009-03-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening we were invited to my brother Ed and sister-in-law Barb's place for a family dinner. I had not seen their new condo overlooking the Puget Sound near the Edmonds/Kingstons ferry. I had heard a lot about it and I was not disappointed! The view is exquisite! She had invited brothers and sisters and parents for dinner. Here are some pictures of the event:

Their beautiful home!

Ed getting everyone's attention~

My parents!

Ed being the entertainment for the evening!

Me, Amy, Linda, Patty, Jan, Mark, Barb, Robert and Ed

Daytime view from their windows!

Sunday I went to Olympia to care for my parents while Rose and John were out of town on a business trip. It's always a big job and a big pleasure to be there with them. Mom pretty much knows how to care for my dad and just needs a few reminders once in awhile and of course a lot of help mobilizing him. Mom loves to talk about the past and about all her kids do for them.

Mom feeding dad his "yummy" soft foods!

We all chuckled that my mom has 13 children, 68 grandchildren, and 88 great-grandchildren, yet she has more pictures of President Bush in their room than any other person. She worked for the Republican Party in Bonney Lake for many years and headed up a lot of caucuses. So they continue send her lots of mail which often includes a picture of Bush, Bush and his wife, Bush and Cheney and Bush and John McCain - and of course each manila envelope contains a donation slip. She is proud of her service there and enjoyed it very much!

Several years ago my dad told his Bishop that he needed his own personal parking spot at the church. So one Christmas Bishop Wagner got dad this sign and hung it above Dad's carport. When they moved in with Rose and John they brought it with them and now it has a special spot right above the toilet in their master bath. I thought about taking a picture of him there, but decided he needs to be able to retain some dignity in his later years.

It was fun to be there with them. Amy came down and spent time with us. We took a trip out to Rocky Bay to see Jerry. Jerry didn't really respond verbally to us at first. When Amy asked him if she could give him a big kiss on his cheek, he opened his eyes wide and gave a half a smile. It is getting harder for him to process what we say to him and then it takes a long time for him to respond. He did say "good-bye" to us which touched our hearts. It was lots of fun chatting with Kristina and her husband, LeGrand and with Megan. What fun girls! And Amy was an angel keeping Lyla (Kristina and LeGrand's beautiful little baby girl) happy and content.

It was a fun weekend, but I was happy to come home to Mark, but sad to see that he was sick with all the crud going around.

I've been tagged!

2009-03-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Mary. Thanks, I needed something to blog about!

"Go to your Pictures folder, go to the 6th folder, choose the 6th picture and then tag 6 people."

Okay, I have a lot clipart in my Picture folders so I also modified the search a little and opened my Kodak pictures folder and went from there.

Maria and Tommy had come over to vist. I think she came over to show me her new hairstyle! I took her picture in my newly decorated bedroom -- a big thanks to all my children. You can see the date on the picture because I hadn't learned how to remove that function from the camera, yet.

I tag Jenn, Maria, Becca, Nana Mendenhall, Bonnie Cox, and Lili Grover. Sorry if some of you have already been tagged!

Jerry

2009-02-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Just as an update! Jerry hasn't bounced back totally since his hospitalization in mid-December. A couple of times when Mom, Dad and I visited him he was totally drowsy. He couldn't focus on dominoes at all. They wondered if maybe he was in pain and gave him pain meds which helped some. He has failed his last two swallow studies. I went with him to a GI specialists who has recommended a J-peg feeding to the abdomen. Dad and I agreed to have this done, since he has been losing some weight and hasn't been focusing on eating either (very unusual for Jerry). We haven't heard when that will be done, yet. Probably soon. He also fell while doing PT therapy at a table. He was putting clothes pins on a board. One fell on the floor and he reached down to get it and fell, breaking his collar bone. So he is on Vicodin for that, has his right arm in a sling to restrict movement and surprisingly he was a lot more alert and focused when I visited him at his doctor's appointment. He got a little flirty, so I'm guessing he's feeling pretty good on the Vicodin, but still unfocused. He has another appointment the end of this month for a neurological checkup to see if there is anything going on there. They continue to take him out in the community for activities which he really enjoys. He loves getting cards in the mail.

Grandpa and Grandma Lee and Tweety

2009-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

It's not a mockingbird, but I don't know any song about parakeets. And this is one of the many songs my mom used to sing to us.

Rose and John bought mom and dad a parakeet for Christmas. His name is Tweety and he has become fast friends with mom. He chirps at her a lot, especially, if she leaves the room or falls asleep.

When she goes over to the cage, he cocks his head to one side, is very calm and acts like he's listening to every word she is saying. Mom sometimes will whistle to him and he will sing/chirp right back to her. I think they are the best of friends!

Now, when Rose goes over there he starts flapping his wings and flying around the cage in a panic. She thinks Tweety must hate her. But, maybe he is partial to white hair. He was nice to me when I was playing around with him. (P.S. - I don't know what the little circle is on the side of Rose's head - must have been something on my camera lense)

My mom still takes good care of my dad. She insits on ironing his clothes before he gets dressed, even if he never leaves the house. I thought the pants were fine - I wouldn't have even put them through the touch up cycle on my dryer.

And when I was going to take his picture, she insisted that she comb his hair first. (I tried just running my hands through his hair, just to straighten it a little, but she was right behind me with a comb.)

Mom told dad to smile. The Parkinson's gives him the "mask-like" affect, but if you look carefully you can see a hint of a smile. Dad is so much stronger now. He is easier to get up and around and seems to have his appetite back. I wasn't so sure he was going to bounce back this well when I last saw him in the hospital! I'm sure we can thank Rose for her great care and mom for being his best friend, nurturing him and giving him a good reason for wanting to stay on this earth!

Lemonade Award

2009-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!"

A big thanks to Jaime for my very first blogging award! I think most people who read my blog know her since only family members read my blog and she is family. So everyone knows that she is the most consistent blog commenter around and it is always positive, encouraging and much appreciated. Now answering this award has caused my old brain to learn new things - like putting in links to other blogs. This is was a real challenge and I give thanks to Becca for showing me how to do it and of course Jaime for giving me the opportunity.

First of all here are the rules for this award:

1. put the logo on your blog or post

2. nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude or gratitude

3. be sure to link your nominees with your post

4. let them know they received the award by leaving a comment on their most
recent post

5. share the love and link this post to the person that gave you the award.

Now it is my turn to pass this award on to others. I only chose six people to honor (because a lot of others I thought of have already been given this award). I wish I were as talented as others at expressing myself in writing, but here goes:

1. Amy - she is my youngest sister. I honor her for something about which she never blogs. Nearly 2/1/2 years ago she helped me find an assisted living place for my Aunt Judy, near Judy's children in Arizona, so they could be more involved in her life. It took a lot of work, but she did it quickly and efficiently. But, that is not all. She continues to be Judy's health/financial/social advocate. She takes her to medical appointments when needed, pays her bills, and takes her to visit relatives when able and buys her clothes and personal items. Judy has Alzheimer's, diabetes, and other health complications. Whenever I apologize that she ended up having all these responsibilities (instead of Judy's children) she brushes it off and tells me it is good for her to help others. And when I get negative she sees the positive. So a big thanks to Amy for handling all this quietly and with grace.

2. Pauline - she is my daughters' (Maria) mother-in-law. I appreciate her the most for the many times she has flown here from Salt Lake City to visit, but mostly to help Maria during her 3 miserable pregnancies. When she was here she worked her fingers to the bone, keeping the family life going smoothly. She would go shopping and fill the cupboards with lots of food, do mounds and mounds of laundry, play with the kids, and did everything she could think of to help find ways to encourage Maria to keep food down (none of which worked well). Maria, truly, could not move without gagging, much less cook dinner and care for her kids and the house. After each were born she was back again to help. I so enjoyed the times we both got together with the kids. It was fun and we were the goofiest grandma's around. This she did while she has her own medical issues and is still dealing with them at this moment. Thanks Pauline for all this!

3. Maria - she is my daughter (and I probably shouldn't brag about my own kids) and has had many trials with her pregnancies and newborn babies. (All her babies had/have severe colic and allergies. Through it all she manages to keep a sense of humor and can makes us all laugh about her problems. Many of us would have become bitter and a hermit. I can't honor Maria without mentioning Eric. He is the best at taking over a lot of home responsibilites during the hard times. Yesterday, when for some reason we were talking about how hard it would be for her if something happened to Eric, she said she would totally lose it. "I can't even handle it well when he gets home late for work", was her reply. So Maria, I don't know if your sense of humor helps you much, but it sure makes life more pleasant for the rest of us.

4. Jamie - she is my daughter-in-law (I told you most of my blogging friends are family). Her blog makes me chuckle. She is not into a lot of "fluff", but tells it like it is. She has a dry sense of humor and that fits in well with our family. Her husband, James (our son), has OCD and some social anxiety which often can be very stressful, for him and for her. But I appreciate her seeing the positive in him, too and picking up the slack in other areas. James may keep the house unusually neat, tidy and organized, but she has a steadying influence on him and is his anchor. Jamie, we don't say it often enough but, you are much appreciated!

5. Debbie Till - she is a very good friend, but does not blog. In fact she does not actually have a computer, but uses her son's whenever she has a need. Debbie is one of those people who has a knack at nurturing others. She worries about me, tells me to slow down, and really listens to me. We can share our real feelings (positve and negative) and never feel embarrassed. Our relationship doesn't require a lot of tip-toeing around or walking on eggshells with each other. She and her husband are the most frugal people around. If you want to learn how to stay out of debt, she is your example. Thanks for being there for me Debbie! Now I will have to go over to her house and get her on this website to show her this award.

6. Melissa - I met Melissa first through Becca who is her neighbor. Then we became blogging friends. She has the most upbeat, humorous and positive blog. I love her perspective about things that would normally throw someone else for a loop. I also love all her comments to others and my blog. She can put into words just exactly what I feel, but she does it in such a clever and more interesting way. Her comments are always accepting and understanding. I love that my grandkids have her kids for friends. And next time I have to plan an fun party, I'm enlisting her help. Her party ideas are always most unique. Thanks Melissa, and I consider you family!!!

Update on Great Grandpa Lee

2009-01-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

It turns out he did not have pneumonia. Instead he had a condition (atelectasis) where the aveoli in his lungs (which exchange carbon dixode for oxygen) had collapsed. This can be caused because he is not as ambulatory as before. The Parkinson's makes it harder for him to breathe in deeply as before. So they sent him home with a spirometer (to blow the ball up to a designated spot). We're hoping they will give him some PT to help his stiff muscles, a nutrtionist to give ideas of altered foods that he will not choke on, and hopefully an increase in his Parkinson's medication.

When I talked to Rose on the phone I could hear mom in the background and she was very excited - talking and laughing!

Rose really has her hands full, but she is still cheerful as ever.

A Little Bit of a Scare!

2009-01-05T21:19:00.000-08:00

Dad was admitted to the hospital early Monday morning for weakness, nausea and pneumonia. Mom came later in the day and that made him happy.

Granddaughter, Jenny, came to visit with a froggy balloon! That perked him up.

Myron and Sue came to vist with an autographed copy of their son (Arthurs') first published book. ("Partners Again") Myron read the first few pages and had mom laughing out loud. It is a book geared to 10-12 year old boys.

Both catching a little catnap! He's was stable when I left this evening. They won't release him until his oxygen levels are normal and his vomiting/aspiration his resolved. A big thanks to Myron and Sue. Ed, Mary Jane and Carrie Anne who have offered to stay with him for a periods of time so Rose could take a much needed break!

It's always scary when someone his age gets pneumonia, but with Parkinsons' disease it makes it even more worrisome. It's hard to see him become more and more dependent on others to care for him. This is the man who always took care of us and worked such long days, and for a greater part of his life he probably averaged only about 4-5 hours of sleep a night to be able to accomplish that.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is only a snippet of our nativity. There is nothing sweeter than children performing it. Trust me when I say it only gets sweeter with the shepherds, angels and wise men. but the whole video was too big to upload. I chuckle at all the promptings from the audience. I hope Becca posts some of her pictures from the nativity so you can see the whole cast.

Our Christmas Eve was wonderful. Brian, Becca, Maria and James and their families all came over for our usual buffet of yummy food and goodies, lots of conversation, kids playing all over the house, our nativity and of course the opening of presents from family members. I got a little nervous during the day when it started snowing again, but all my kids braved the snow and icy roads (worst in my neighborhood) and came anyway. We missed Jason, Jenn, Jaylee and Jeni, but loved talking to them all for awhile on the phone. Hope all of you had a great Christmas, too!

**Edited: To see more pictures of our cute nativity with the grandkids, check out Becca's Blog.

6 Hours in the ER!

2008-12-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

Photo: Jerry and I just before he moved to Rocky Bay nearly 5 years ago.

Mid morning on Wednesday, I got a call from Rocky Bay to say they were sending Jerry to St. Joseph's hospital via ambulance for increased weakness, lethargy and not wanting to eat. He has had an ongoing problem with this for a month at least. But, he had gotten the flu early on and they attributed his symptoms to that. After the flu, he didn't get any better! Finally, Wednesday morning it had worsened so they sent him to the hospital.

When I had gotten there, it was the busiest I had ever seen at an ER. I could hear them over the intercom announcing more ambulances on their way -- a couple with persons unable to breath unassisted. I counted at least 7 people in beds in the hallways. So I knew it was going to be awhile before I heard news about Jerry.

Jerry was not in immediate danger, but I noticed that he was very sleepy. The nurse said that after Linda, from Rocky Bay, who had accompanied him there had left, his blood pressure went up. After I got there, he did smile at me, but did not even attempt to open his mouth and talk to me. But, his blood pressure did come down again. I'm sure he was scared. He has never liked hospitals (they mean death to him) and being somewhere strange, not being able to talk or ask for help, or ask questions and not even being able to get out of bed without assistance, has to be the most helpless feeling ever. He looked like he had aged a lot since the last time I had seen him - just a couple of weeks ago.

To make a long story short, they could not find anything acutely wrong with him. All his blood tests came back "within normal limits" and his CT scan showed nothing alarming. It did show, however, that he has been having ongoing mini strokes and will continue to have them according the the doctor. Her comment to me was "he is slowly deteriorating" related to causes of old age. Because he was already receiving treatment to reduce strokes, their recommendation was to send him back to Rocky Bay, which I am sure pleased Jerry! He really likes it there! Besides, by then he had perked up a little bit and blew me a kiss.

As I contemplate Jerry's life, I wonder what his mission on earth is! Surely, he didn't need the same tests in life that most of us need. But, life has not been easy for him, either. He has struggled his whole life trying to learn and wanting to belong. His mom died when he was 14 and sometime after his dad remarried. Later in his life, he lived with one family or another being shifted around to whomever wanted him for awhile. I remember Jerry going to school with me when he was younger and the unkindness of other children because he could not learn very quickly. He learned to memorize some of the beginning readers - the Dick and Jane series. He loved to "read" them to anyone who would listen and he would always start to cry while reading. The one area where he excelled was math and to this day when I want to check his orientation, memory or verbal skills. I ask him how much 8+7 or another math type question. He gets very serious and he will try to give me the answer. His verbal skills decreased after his last big stroke. He loves to reminisce about our life in Chilco, Idaho. He smiles and nods his head. If I talk about his mom, his eyes swell with tears. I think Jerry's biggest dream is to be married and have a family!

One day when I was updating my brother Ed on Jerry's life he said, "No one really knows who Jerry is." So true! What kind of a spirit was he in the pre-existence and what would he have been if he had not been mentally challenged! I wonder that if we had even the smallest clue what kind of a person he really is would we treat him with more respect, kindness and love than he has received thus far in his life. I sure there are only a handful of people who even remember him in their prayers.

Here's what I am grateful for:
That Jerry is at Rocky Bay where he is happy!
That the staff at Rocky Bay like him and tease him a lot.
That Carrie Ann found this place and suggested it for him.
That Carrie Ann checks in on him from time to time.
That my parents, who thought they were just keeping him for the summer, gave him a home, and tried to give him the best they could.
That his sister, Selma, writes to him on occasion and remembers him at Christmas and on his birthday.
That Selma sends money to us to see that Jerry, when the time comes, will be able to be buried in a cemetary in Safford, AZ between his parents and two sisters who died as small children.
That Jerry is in my life and has taught me patience, kindness, perserverance, humility and unconditional love.

Brrrrrr!

2008-12-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Our home!

This road in front of our house is now pure white ice! The tire tracks are black ice!

Like everyone else in the northwest, we got snow. It was just enough to cover the roads and lawns. It was beautiful watching it fall from the sky, especially around our street lights. I like looking out my window and seeing the neighborhood all white and bright. I was sure that Sunday morning we would have church canceled because it is so cold and nothing could possibly melt! But, since we have the 1:00 pm schedule everyone figured it would be safe by then. Mark went to church first for clerk stuff and called me telling me the main roads were OK but, not the roads in our neighborhood or the neighborhood where our church is located. Our choir was singing in church and wanted a practice before. I have never been thrilled about driving in snowy, icy weather. I don't like turning my steering wheel to the right and having my car go straight ahead while my back wheels are spinning around. So I left in plenty of time -- knowing it would be a slow drive. I slipped around a little. I think I only breathed once. Our neighborhood roads were so icy and I could barely get any traction. But, I got there safely and back home safely! Now I am a little nervous because I absolutely need to do some errands tomorrow and it is not going to be any better!

Ouchie!

2008-11-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

After a few days of pain in my abdomen, my doctor sent me for a CT scan Wednesday afternoon. They discovered that I had an inflamed appendix. The radiologists called my doctor and she said to "get it out" that night. When I got over to the ER the surgeon said well, we could just treat it with antibiotics and watch it or take it out now. Now, my doctor had said to get it out and she is usually pretty aggressive in my treatments. So, I spent Thanksgiving Eve and the better part of Thanksgiving Day in the hospital. It turns out it was a good thing they took it out when they did. So I am thankful for my doctor, my husband who went home that night and made the dressing for the turkey, and hospital personnel who made the stay special for every one who had to be in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day. The nurses were very cheerful, sweet and attentive even though they had to work on the holiday. They also had a husband and wife who had brought in their "therapy" dog for all the patients. He was a very sweet poodle. However he was very distracted by my tuna sandwich. The owners said he had been trained using tuna for a reward. I would have shared it with him, since I had no appetite, but of course the owners said "no". I'm thankful Mary and Brian cooked the turkey and good part of the dinner and had Thanksgiving dinner at their house and sent home leftovers that are so yummy. Thanks to Percocet I am feeling quite well!

Liquid Laundry Detergent

2008-11-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

Many of you may already know this. I had heard of it, but did not have the recipe.

At our last Enrichment Night, we learned how to make our own laundry detergent. It only costs a few pennies a load (depending how much you use). It is supposed to clean well and make your laundry really soft. You need not use liquid fabric softener or fabric softener sheets. I guess a lot of people make their own for various reasons -- cheaper, hypoallerginic, and because the fabric softener sheets have oils in them which clog up your dryer vents and can cause I fire. (I did not know that!)

Others dilute it a little and put some in a spray bottle and use it as a spray and wash stain remover for clothes, carpets, etc. (Carpets stains need to be rinsed with a clean white wet wash cloth and then dabbed with a dry cloth to remove moisture.)

I've decided to try it and will let you know if I find it worthy! But, since opinions are subjective I thought I would share this for all who are looking for ways to save money!

Here are the instructions we received: (Makes 3 gallons)

Liquid Laundry Soap (use 1/4 cup per load)
1 bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated. (makes 2 cups),
1 1/2 cups Washing soda,
1 1/2 cups Borax. (These ingredients may be found at Market Place, Winco and Fred Meyer)

Boil 1/2 gal hot water, add grated soap, and dissolve.
Keep stirring add other soaps and dissolve.
Take off of stove and keep stirring.
Add 1/2 gal cool water and stir. This stirring process will keep it emulsified.
Add 1 gal cool water and stir about every 15 minutes with a mixer or stick blender. At this point you have 2 gal of water.

(If needed transfer to 5 gal bucket and add the last 1 gal cool water - 3 gals total).
Keep stirring with a long handle spoon.
As soon as it will not separate put in containers. (i.e. 1 gal milk jugs)(Someone I know goes to the dollar store and buys cheap 1 gal plastic containers)
1/4 cup per load.
This is safe for front load washers.
Before use give it a hard shake.

My friend, Alberta, says she buys 4 of the Fels-Naptha bars and 1 box each of the powdered detergents and she has her years supply of laundry detergent for her family of 5.

Birth Day, Birth Day -- Coming to Earth Day

2008-10-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine what is like for these new spirits to make their entrance on earth. It seems like such a hectic day for them! I wonder if at first they wish they could go back to the peace. But, for all of us already here it is such a BEAUTIFUL experience. Welcome to Brody Jack Mendenhall.

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary!

2008-10-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past Monday was my parents 65th wedding anniversary. Here is the most recent close up picture I have of them that is nice with not a lot of background distraction. Since both their birthdays and their wedding anniversary are in October, we invited them over for a little celebration. Like my kids said, "We got to have them all to ourselves!" It was a lot of fun for us and they seemed to really enjoy themselves. Some of us worried that they might be a little overwhelmed, but that was not the case at all. Mom was in her glory and even though dad could not say a lot at one time, he was able to carry on short conversations with his grandkids.

Some of the great-grandkids who got there early got to have "one-on-one" with their great-grandparents. Jenna took right to them and wanted to play. Catie was tentative, but did get on my mom's lap for a short moment. Most of the grandkids got to talk to them and hug them. Some of great-grandkids were a little concerned watching how hard it is for my dad to walk, eat and talk.

We put my dad on the sofa downstairs in the rec room, where he pretty much stayed. It was the most comfortable place. Before everyone came over, they watched a Doris Day movie. Dad watched it in between little catnaps. Just the getting ready and getting here from Olympia kind of wore him out. Mom, on the other hand, was laughing at the movie and kept saying how fun it was to be there. They both love a good day out and about. Mom, with all her energy, helped me out immensely making a salad, frosting cupcakes and preparing the table for dinner. We had a very casual and easy dinner -- Little Caesar's pizza ! It was delicious and simple.

We tried not to wear them out, but dad fell asleep in the car just a couple of blocks from our house. He had leaned his head on my mom's shoulder and we had to actually shake him to wake him up when we got to Rose's home. On the other hand, mom was wide awake telling me how much they had enjoyed everything. When in the car one of my favorite things with her now is to turn on CD music that she knows and listen to her sing along with her still beautiful alto voice. That night she sang with Anne Murray, Celine Dion and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Being the oldest of the children, I think I have seen their marriage and relationship evolve over the years more than anyone. Their greatest strengths are their strong determination, their ability to work hard, their being content with very little material things, their humility, their affection for one another, and living the gospel the best they know how! Even now, I hope I can be like them in my aged years. They are an inspiration to me!

The Dash

2008-10-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Mark's sister, Ilene sent us this and I think it is sweet.

"The Dash -----

In July 2006, a short 3-minute movie was launched on the
Internet called The Dash. Since then, over 40 million people
from around
the world have watched it; and over 20,000 a day
continue to watch it as a
result of people passing it along .

The movie has been more
successful than anyone could have ever
imagined. More importantly, however,
it has inspired many,
many people to reflect on their lives and ask that all
important question, 'Are my priorities where they should be?'

I
hope you enjoy this movie and share it with those who are
close to you."

Click This Link to View: http://www.dashpoemmovie.com/

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is me on my first birthday!

I had a G-R-E-A-T birthday thanks to Mark and my children and my mom and dad. Thanks to Becca for inviting Mark and I over for dinner and inviting everyone over for birthday pie (Chocolate). It was very nice. And Rebecca, also, makes the best cheese, ham and potatoe soup!

I got cards, a gift certificate, bubble lights (for Christmas) and my very own laptop. I feel so blessed!

When I was visiting Jason and Jenn in Pennsylvania, Jenn and I did some shopping around and I saw these bubble lights that I have always wanted. They remind me of my childhood. They were popular back in that day. I never could bring myself to buy them, because I already had so many other lights. But, Jenn -- in her very observant and thoughtful way noticed that I really liked them and sent me some for my birthday! Thanks so very much! And I got to talk to them all on the phone -- I love Jaylee and Jenni's cute conversations! Those little calls usually keeps me cheerful for quite awhile!

Oh, I am so excited!!! Over the past year I have mentioned how nice it would be to have my very own laptop. I am so looking forward to sitting downstairs on my nice comfy couch and doing family history stuff on the new family search website! Mark said he did a lot of research (so like him) and found one on sale, but when he went to get it, I guess it was such a good deal that they were already out. They told him to come back on Sunday they would have more on sale. When he went back early on Monday, they were already sold out, again!! So he went to Circuit City and found this one which was nearly as good a deal after a rebate. He has been so busy at work that I was surprised he found the time to hunt down the perfect computer for me. He then was up until 1:00 AM getting it set up for me. I'm someone illiterate in these things! I'm still getting used to it!

My mom and dad called me on my birthday and sang happy birthday to me. Well, mom sang. She kept trying to get dad to sing -- but I think she forgets that he can't get phrases out very easily (because of his decreased lung capacity), much less sustain a melody. But, in my minds eye, I could see him trying. I'm pretty sure his mouth was open. It made me smile!

On Saturday I got to attend one of Jenna's soccer games which is such a treat for me. Here she is (in the blue/purple uniform) actually taking the ball away from the other team! The first few games she (and most of the other players) wasn't quite sure where her team's goal post was, but she sure learned fast. She has short little legs, but she works her hardest at keeping up with all the others.

It was a super weekend!! And I still get to go sometime this week and use my gift card!

The Economy -- Yikes!

2008-10-06T14:23:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have had a few sleepness nights because of the economy. We are old enough to have been able to put away a food supply, pay off our house and other debts and Mark probably won't lose his job! However our retirement is surely being affected! And this isn't a good time in our life for that!

THE NEW DOLLAR BILL
A friend sent this to me!

I got this from Becca.

I think they say it all!

Editor's Note:
(To Comments)
Oh yes, General Conference was so good and so hopeful! I guess I was just lamenting that our retirement years may not be as comfortable as we had saved and planned for -- but you are all correct -- why worry -- since we are promised we will have whatever we really need to do our part.

This was not a breeze, I barely did it!

2008-10-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

I named 50 US states in 10 minutes

I saw this on Jamie's blog and finally tried it. I waited a long time because in school I was always terrible in history and geography! I remembered Wisconsin just in time! And I had the hardest time spelling Louisiana. I had to share because I was so excited to be able to get them all!

Peaches and Pears

2008-09-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is what usually keeps me busy in August. This year I was only able to can a couple batches of peaches and three batches of pears. Home canned fruits are so flavorful! It's hard to go back to commercially canned fruits. And you do get a little more for your money. Mark and I don't eat as much as we used to. So I wonder why I keep canning. I think, mostly out of habit, and I can use as little sugar as I like and no preservatives. Besides, I like having my cupboards full, and we have several grandkids, VT/HT families and neighbors who love them so we give some away!

Memories!

2008-09-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

This past week we were in Idaho Falls for the funeral of Mark's mom! It was a beautiful funeral and a great tribute to the loving person she was!! She had a grandchild from each of her childrens' family speak! They each honored her in their own special way and we all wept or laughed and sometimes both! Jason represented our family and did a beautiful job. For those who know him, his talk is posted on his blog. Just click on the link on my side panel for Jason and Jenn.

Mark laying his boutonniere on his mom's casket!

Here are all of her children and grandchildren (except Jason Besendorfer who was at the MTC in Provo) under the same tree where we had our last Stringham photo 17 years ago at Grandpa Stringham's funeral! A lot of the cousins we hadn't seen in many years. Some of my kids hadn't seen one or two of their cousins since Grandpa's funeral! We are the family that lives far away!

Grandma Stringham's children: Nadene Reich, Mark, Ilene Franck and Lila Besendorfer! I've noticed that all four of them have the same gentle, kind, and loving demeanor just like both their mom and dad!

These are the fields that Mark grew up with! He planted, changed sprinklers, and harvested along with his mom and dad! They grew a little of everyting, but a lot potatoes. That farm paid for all of their childrens' way through college and two of them on missions! I guess they had some not so good years, but mostly good years as far as crops were concerned. Some of you may not know, but Ashton, Idaho is the potato seed capital of the world! So even if your potatoes say they're from somewhere else they may have gotten their start right here in Ashton, Idaho as seed potatoes!

Rebecca loves to capture the old fashioned things in her pictures! These are the run-down farm machinery that his dad used. There were no air-conditioned cabs on the tractors like you see now! They hand carried the sprinklers -- no sprinklers on wheels! I think their generation could teach us a thing or two about hard work!

Our children spent many hours riding three wheelers, or walking down the little roads on the farm!

Mark and I spent many hours watching our kids play at this little canal -- they loved throwing rocks, trying to watch as the dried leaves or weeds they had thrown in went from one side to the other side, or hanging their feet in the water. I even seem to remember some of them accidentally slipping into the water! This is one of their absolutely favorite memories of the farm! It proves to me that the things that bring us the greatest joy and the greatest memories are not fancy things!

This little farm brought so many happy memories into my children's lifes that they all get emotional at the thought of it being sold! This was our little corner of the world and our safe haven! But, of the course, Grandpa and Grandma Stringham are what made it all so special!

God Be With You ......

2008-08-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Mildred Hannah Hillam Stringham
July 13, 1915 - August 31, 2008

She's our Queen! Ours hearts are full and heavy and we will miss her more than words can say! She was more than a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and mother-in-law. She was our friend! Thanks for your loving and Christlike influence! ..... 'Til We Meet Again!

Empty nester, again!!

2008-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

When we got home from our vacation last week the first thing I did was check on the little birdies. I was shocked to see they had already left the nest!! They grew up and left home in 2 weeks! I was so hoping to see them a little more grown up and was so disappointed they were already gone! I wanted to watch the mommy bird teach them to fly! (I was right that only 3 of the 4 little eggs hatched!)

So now what do I do with my life? Hmmmmm! Look below at a link I found on a friends blog?

This is interesting! It just tells you what you have an interest in and the temperament for. Too bad I went into nursing. I could have been on the Supreme Court! (I see myself as logical, but never thought of myself as driven or ruthless!) So, should I go back to school? I don't think so! I'm pretty sure you have to have a good memory!

You Should Get a JD (Juris Doctor)

You're logical, driven, and ruthless.

You'd make a mighty fine lawyer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

In The Winter of Her Life!

2008-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

We're back from our trip. We love going to Idaho Falls, because this is where Mark and I started out our lives together. We were married in this temple 36 years ago. It is beautiful! I hope Becca posts some of her and Jason's photos of this temple, because they were spectacular.

But, our main reason for visiting was to spend some time with Mark's mom who is now 93 years old and living in an assisted living home. She gave us a scare a couple of weeks ago, so Mark and I, Maria and her family and Becca and her family drove down to see her. Here she is with Becca. When she gives you a hug hello or good-bye she holds on for a long time!

Here are Becca and Maria reminiscing with her about old times and telling her all about their children. She holds on to every word and wants to know everything! She was also able to talk to Jason, Brian and James on the phone. (She unfortunately, was not having a good afternoon the time she talked to Jason and we intended to call him back later in the week when Maria and Becca and their families had left. But, she was having bad days, was breathless, and not wanting to sit up so we didn't get to phone him back) Maybe we just plain wore her out!

Doesn't she look lonely? But, I was told she was just the last one finished at her table! She just doesn't like to eat these days! It was sad for me to see this because one of our favorite memories is her big farm-cooked meals, cooked from scratch and most everything came from her garden and/or the farm! We would all crowd around her table!

Each time we would go visit, she would be sleeping in the bed or in her wheelchair! Her most frequent complaint was that she was just soooo tired. She repeated several times that she is so ready to go to the other side and be with grandpa. She said, "I just can't figure out how to go!" And we always say, "There must be something left for you to accomplish!". Her response: "Well, I wish someone would tell me what it is so I can be doing it."

She is well taken care of in this place. It is a modern, clean, friendly, active center and best of all it is near her daughter, Ilene, who looks after her with so much care!

Mark having a "heart to heart" with his mom! But, she made him a little emotional when she said, "You are our only son, and you have fulfilled all our dreams." He replied, "Well, I had a good mom and dad!'" She kept telling us how wonderful we were and when we started feeling undeserving of all of her praises, I said, "Well, we're not perfect, yet." Her response: "I know you're not, but you'll manage." I told her that sometimes we get a little discouraged and she said, "Everyone gets discouraged, but everything will come out in the wash. You just keep washing."

Saying goodbye is always hard. When we gave her the last hug (mind you, I was bawling by then), I reminded her that she has never made it easy for us to leave and go home from our vacations with her. I told her that each time we left, our whole family driving out of her driveway, was teary-eyed, had a lumps in our throats and said very little until we were halfway to Pocatello! She chuckled, but still didn't make easy for us!

Becca and Maria said it well, when they said she is so beloved by us all because she has such a genuine interest and love for each individual!

We are all honored to have her in our lives!!

A Sunday Afternoon!

2008-08-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's Jenna just before church! Earlier she was asking me about Audrey's church and something about the "water pool". I realized that she meant the time we all went to Ethan's baptism. I said, "Oh you mean the church where Ethan was baptized in the water?" That's what she meant, because a little later she said, "Grandma, when does Jenna be 'watersized'"? Wouldn't you love to be in the mind of a 3 year old. I think church to her means a long boring meeting, followed by fun primary class, a building where sometimes you have to be quiet and other times you can run and play in the recreation hall, and on special days you get to be dunked in a good-sized pool of water in front of a crowd of people!

Jenna always likes to help me get Sunday dinner ready for grandpa who stays later at church! Later we had James, Jamie, Ryan and Emily come visit and play. and after that Brian, Mary, Catie came over. It was just a nice relaxed evening. Sorry, no pictures. I forget the camera when everyone is here!

Here are the little birdies, with a lot more feathers and down. They weren't very awake when I looked at them. In fact, I had to shake the planter a little to get them to wake up, then of course, they woke up with their beaks open. I'm not sure, but I think there may be only 3 birdies out of the four eggs. It's hard to tell since they are all snuggled together.

I'm curious what they will look like 10 days from now when we return from vacation!

Hatched!

2008-07-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

The babies must have hatched yesterday some time after noon or early this morning. I can't tell if they have all hatched or not. They don't even have their down growing yet. And they are all snuggled together and laying on top of each other. They also seem to be laying face down because I don't see any open beaks.

This is mommy bird keeping a close eye on me. She flew around me making her clicking noises. She's quite tiny! Anyone know what kind of a sparrow this is? I've never heard her sing, just "click" at me.

Scary!!

2008-07-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

I was driving down 212th Street, in the valley, behind a truck that was carrying a load of stuff. I couldn't tell what it was exactly. Suddenly as he was going over the railroad tracks, something flew off the back of his truck and landed not too far in front of me. I was able to stop! It was way too big to drive over it. I got out and saw that it was a thick board with a very heavy metal pipe on top of it. Several cars were honking at me to "go", but stopped when they saw me carrying the big board to the center island. Then I got a thumbs up from the driver right behind me.

I also noticed that the driver of the truck carrying the load of loose materials had turned around and came back for his board. I think in the future he will be a lot more careful about his load and it reminded me of how important it is to pay attention to these kind of things!

Guess I'll have something to be very grateful for in my prayers tonight!

Mark Has Skin Surgery, Again!!!

2008-07-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

The last two days Mark has been having some pre-cancerous skin cells removed from his eyelid. They did it in two sittings. The first doctor removed the questionable skin cells, and the second doctor stitched him up. They had a different doctor stitch him up because he is an aesthetic skin surgeon. After the first surgery, they bandaged him up pretty good so as to keep mild pressure on the eyelid. Looks impressive, huh?

They only removed about 1/2 inch from the eylid so the stitches didn't take very long. He was under anesthesia so no pain during the surgery, but he is experiencing some mild pain now! He has been dealing with skin cancer for 30+ years now. He is very conscientious about having his skin checked regularly. So over the years he has had around 50+ surgeries! (I'd guesstimate!)

Birds and Babysitting Grandkids

2008-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Remember the bird nest and the 4 little eggs? While watering it (carefully, I thought) I accidentally knocked it over and two of the eggs fell out. I couldn't find them, but Mark did and scooped them up with a spoon and put them back into the nest. One of the eggs was a little cracked! The mama bird was going crazy at first, then just perched on bush and waited!

The next day when I looked there were only two left. At first I thought she had disposed of the two eggs that had fallen out. Not so ... after a few days Mark and noticed that she had not been around for a few days. I took the nest out and noticed that it was the cracked egg and one other that was left. I'm guessing she must have moved the other two eggs somewhere else. But, I'm not sure! I'm tryng to figure out how such a tiny bird could transport two eggs to another location!

Then Mark noticed that there was a bird flying in and out of another planter I had hanging on the back deck! I looked today and sure enough there is another nest and four new little bird eggs! The birds surely like the flowers!

However, this time they are safe. You see, the flowers are plastic and silk. (I usually put them out in the winter just for color). Hopefully, we will see little birdies soon.

Now on to the grandkids. I'm always amazed how busy little ones can be. Here are Emily and Ryan! In less than 30 minutes they had played with playdough, created some art projects with glue and scissors, had a snack, jumped on the trampoline and played in the sandbox. Then they started all over again! These two are very good at keeping themselves entertained and only needed help once in awhile. Therefore, I was able to do a lot of laundry. And, by the way, so far I love my new washer/dryer.

Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Lady!

2008-07-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Mildred Hannah Hillam Stringham turned 93 on July 13th!

She has been such an influence on our family! Our children had just as much fun visiting her, grandpa and the farm as they did at Disneyland! She's just the kind of grandma every child should have. And I have a long ways to go to be as good, patient, and loving of a mother-in-law as she. She has yet to meet three of her great grandchildren, Jennibelle, Catie and Emily! She has met Brian's wife, Mary, but SADLY I have no photos of the occasion!

I remember her as the hardest working woman I know! She was always cooking, cleaning the house, canning from her garden, working on the farm or doing church work! I always appreciate the story about her when she and grandpa were wanting to buy their farm. She would only eat 1 meal a day to help save money! She always told the men folk that she would eat later! They were able to pay cash for their farm! Now that is a lesson in staying out of debt! Now we know where Mark was so well trained in matters of money!

Amy's Visit With Mom, Dad and Rose!!

2008-07-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Just a short review in pictures of our visit with my sister, Amy! She accompanied her husband on a business trip here. We're at Rose's in Olympia. It was a delightful day!

Hanging Planters and Laundry

2008-07-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Every year I buy a hanging planter for my front door. I love flowers and plants and there are some beautiful hanging planters to be found in this area. I work at keeping the plant watered, fed and looking nice.

Every year, I see a few of the flowers starting to die. This year when I spotted the first wilted, brown leaves and dried up flowers I knew exactly what was happening!

When the birds build their nest, the roots right under the nest do not get water and soon dry up. So, I need to water it more carefully, trying not to disturb the nest, yet get water as close to the roots under nest as I can. I hope I can revive the damaged plant and keep it looking nice. While I am doing this the mother bird is going crazy, flying around me and making clicking noises! This is her home, her babies and she does not want me near it. Maybe next year I should just buy a cute bird nest and hang it there.

The Decision Has Been Made

Okay, after one week of doing my laundry at a laundromat, we have chosen our next washer and dryer. It was a hard decision -- well mostly for Mark because he is more careful about his purchases. We tried to find the best quality, the best deal, best energy saver, but, it really came down to what would fit in our laundry room. We only have so much room between the wall and the door. We have ordered it and depending on which warehouse it is in we should get it within a couple of weeks. Thanks to all for your suggestions. It helped to know what features are the most important!

The plus side of the laundromat -- four loads of laundry done in 70 minutes. You also meet all kinds of people there and I like to people watch. I had complete strangers helping me take the laundry from the car to the laundromat and from the laundromat back to the car. Do I look that old or are there just some really nice people around this neighborhood?

Need Advice!

2008-06-30T10:45:00.001-07:00

Last week our washing machine died. We have had the washer and dryer for close to 25 years and have spent very little maintaining them. Now washers and dryers have changed a lot over the years. We would like to get one of the front loading washers that are energy efficient. Does anyone have a set they like or know which kind we should or should not buy? This is very exciting for me! If this set last 25 years this may possibly be the last washer and dryer we ever buy!

232 Years Old

2008-06-29T16:46:00.001-07:00

After he became President of the Church, President Woodruff declared that “those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington and all the men who labored for the purpose were inspired of the Lord.” (Conference Report, April 1898, p. 89.)

Yes, I thank God for the sacrifices and efforts made by these Founding Fathers, whose efforts have brought us the blessings of political liberty and economic prosperity we have today. Their lives should be reminders that we are the blessed beneficiaries of a liberty earned by great sacrifices of property, reputation, and life.
--President Ezra Taft Benson

Happy Birthday, Jason!!

2008-06-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jason, Wish you lived closer!

You can't really appreciate our musical talents until after you pause my regular music on the blog!

Hmmm! The way Jason K. is shuffling and lowering his head you would think he was embarrased or something!

Happy, Happy birthday!

Visiting Jerry

2008-06-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

This is what happens on our monthly visits to see Jerry at Rocky Bay. It's pretty much the same each month. Nothing really changes. (Except this time I had my camera with me.) But, they love it and look forward to it so much. When I get to their home they are always ready to go, and just waiting for me to drive up. Dad is in a wheelchair now, which makes it easier for all of us.

When we get into the car the first thing we do is call mom's sister, Judy so they can talk. The conversation goes something like this. "It is so good to hear your voice. How are you? We are going to visit Jerry. What do you do all day long. I can't hear you! We always remember you in our prayers". (Now this is repeated many times..at least 10-11 times) I guess it doesn't matter to them since they both have short-term memory problems. One time when she said, "We always remember you in our prayers", I guess Judy didn't understand and I heard mom say, "No, not in my purse, in my prayers! My mom is usually upbeat, laughing, and very cheerful. I know it must be nice for her sister to get calls from her.

Here we are playing our usual game of dominoes in the staff kitchen! Since we have done this everytime we visit (over 4 1/2 years now), the staff always have his dominoes ready for when we arrive.

Mom is helping dad with his hand. He's pretty slow getting his dominoes up and ready and not quite as quick at figuring out which dominoe he should play. Pretty nice of my mom to help him since she has always been soooo competitive when she plays any games. And dad won today!

Our next stop is a restaurant. Here we are at KFC. Dad chose it because he says he doesn't like to pay gratuity. But, I think he likes it because it is mostly fingerfoods which are easier for him to eat.

Riding home they always fall asleep in the back seat, holding hands. I usually put on CD's that I know they enjoy.

Just before the exit to their home, I suddenly heard the outside traffic. I thought dad had rolled down the window. I quickly learned though, that he had opened the door. I yelled to mom, "Mom, dad just opened his door!" She quickly scolded him and told him to give her his hand. I heard her say, "No, Arthur, the other hand"! He quickly obeyed and we were soon off the freeway where we could pull over. I kidded him and said, "Dad what am I going to do with you so you don't open the car door while we are on the freeway? Maybe I will have to put you in the trunk!" He chuckled about that! I thought our doors were kidproof after they were locked. Guess not! So now, I need to get out our car manual and see what I need to do.

Now, my dad is obsessive about playing each "C" piano key whenever he passes the piano and it is opened. It is next to impossible to get him to move past the piano until he has completed his "task". So if I am in a hurry, I'll need to remember to close it.

So it goes each month! It is a joy to do it for them because they are always so appreciative and means so much to them!

Forgetful!

2008-06-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I spent some time at my parent's Bonnie Lake house going through a lot of their papers. This Saturday, some of the siblings and friends will be helping them dump and give things away. It is amazing what neat stories/histories can be found in all that they have saved over the years. Well, I came across this little poem in some of my mom's things and it made me smile!

From One Friend To Another

Just a line to say I'm living
That I'm not among the dead
Tho' I'm getting more forgetful
And more mixed up in the head.

At times I can't remember
When standing by the stairs
If I must go up for something
Or have just come down from there.

And before the fridge so often
My mind is filled with doubt...
Have I just put food away ... or
Have I come to take some out.

And there are times when it is dark outside
With my nightie on the bed
I don't know if I'm retiring
Or just getting out of bed.

So if it's my turn to write you
There's no need of getting sore
I may think that I have written
And don't want to be a bore.

So ... Remember I do love you
And I wish that you were here
Now it is nearly mail time ... so
I must say goodbye, I fear.

So here I stand beside the mailbox
With my face so very red
Instead of MAILING you my letter
I have opened it instead!
--Anonymous

A Ray of Sunshine

2008-06-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks goodness for busy, mostly happy, and talkative little 3 year olds! Jenna really enjoyed her art projects, using real scissors and gel glue. I tried to talk her into tearing the colored papers to make her art, but she was determined to cut with the scissors. She actually made 3 more art projects later with Tommy and gave some away.

We also met Maria, Tommy and Blake for lunch at McDonald's. (To give grandma a rest!) Then they came back to our place for more art, trampoline, and camper activities. Tommy went with me to Jenna's to see her new swing set and played on the finished part. Brian was taking advantage of the break in the rain today and was busy putting more of it together. It is going to be very nice.

I got to spend some time with Catie who was being very friendly and playful with grandma! We got good news about Catie's hip -- it is starting to grow, develop and seems to be progressing very well on it's own -- so there is no need for surgery at this time! I got a cool ball-sprinkler from Mary. So now I am very tired, but content! So there, rainy, cold and cloudy weather! You can't get me down for long!!!

P.S. And to top it all off, Maria told me about the funniest thing that happened to her going to church, Sunday! I hope she will post about it. I'm still chuckling!!

Weather!!

2008-06-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

It's pretty boring for you all when the only thing to comment on in my life is the weather. But, I think I missed ALL of spring here when I was on vacation to Pennsylvania! We usually have spring throughout April and May! Now, Memorial Day was OK, but not what I would call spring!! I was little depressed when I looked at the extended forecast and saw rain/showers for the next 7 days. Mark snuck home yesterday and quickly mowed the lawn in between sprinkles. I have been sick for the past 3 days and forgot to cover my little sandbox and it is filled with 1/4 sand and 3/4 rain. Ok now, I apologize for my trivial complaints. Well, I plan to babysit Jenna tomorrow while Mary and Brian take Catie for an orthopedic check up and she always brings sunshine to my heart.

Oh, I almost forgot! We now have new energy efficient double pane windows throughout the house. They look great and most importantly, they look so nice and clean. (Our old aluminum double pane storm windows from 20 years ago had managed to get moisture in between the windows which left water drip marks -- impossible to clean the picture window in the front, which also had a large crack in it, and the sliding glass door in the back) Our old sliding glass door to the deck has been impossible (except for the strong) to open for nearly 10 years, because the handle had broken and we had to grab the up-and-down lock to pull it open. It's wonderful to be able to open it now without bracing myself! And since Mark is a "pay-as-you-go" person, we have waited patiently for them! I absolutely love them!

See how helpful blogging is -- I started out complainy and ended up feeling very grateful!

Well, hopefully next time I will have something more exciting than windows and weather to talk about!!

What a great day!

2008-05-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

First of all, we give thanks to all those who gave their lives serving our country and preserving our freedoms!

We had our usual Stringham Family Memorial Day picnic at our house. The weather really cooperated and it was just right -- not too hot and no rain!

The picnic

The trampoline is always a hit!

Davie loved Ernie and took it on the trampoline with him. This Ernie plays the guitar and sings when you push a certain button! Catie looking on!

Bubbles are always fun and they especially like it when they get to pour the solution themselves into smaller and more manageable containers.

Now this is interesting! Audrey lies on the trampoline, then Jason jumps really hard which makes Audrey bounce high and then he catches her!

And the littles ones love the sandbox!

Brian, Rebecca, Maria and James and all their family were able to attend! And we also had Jean and Neal Kidd (Jason Kidd's parents) celebrate with us. Jean and I managed to hide a few minutes in the trailer and just talk. Missed you J's!

Towards the end of the day, the older children talked me into playing a modified game of treasure hunt. I would hide an object (red ball) and then give clues until they could find it. For some reason they really love this simple game. Unfortunately, we were having so much fun, that we once left the backyard gate open and Jenna, Emily and Davie escaped and were found by some neighbors walking down our street in the middle of the road! Horrors! I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about that one. I think there were busy guardian angels at out house yesterday!

All in all it was a great day!

Memorial Day

2008-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I got this off the internet:

"Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country. "

"To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

I am embarassed to say that I had not heard of this resolution until yesterday!

Back from Pennsylvania

2008-05-18T18:53:00.001-07:00

Well, we are back from our trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see Jason, Jenn, Jaylee and Jenni. We went with Jamie, Ryan and Emily, and James came later for his business trip. I love this part of our country. It has a lot of American history. The countryside has lots of Amish farms, rolling green hills, and a peacefulness about it. And we see lots of quaint little shops, Amish buggies, and antique stores. One of these times I may break down and buy one of the Amish quilts. They are exquisite, but very expensive!

We saw Amish farmers doing their field work with horses!

You see the Amish buggies frequently going down the roads and highways.

We had a wonderful time just being around the grandkids!

Ryan learned not to be afraid of dogs from Uncle Jason when he let Ryan feed Boop! After that Ryan was frequently looking for Boop just to play. When Boop wants a rest from all the activities he hides under a bed.

The cousins all became good friends! Jaylee's a natural at playing with and caring for younger children. I could always count on her to help me out when little ones got fussy traveling in the car.

Here's Jason cooking our Mother's Day dinner. The steaks were just perfect! All the guys cooked the dinner and cleaned up after. That alone made it special! But to top if off they had also cooked us breakfast! And to even top that off we all went to church together!

Our Mother's Day dinner. Notice the fine china? Well, it sure made for fast clean up!

Jenni and Ryan decorating our dessert.

Jason and Jenn's backyard is a mini playground and the kids had lots to do!

Jason teaching Ryan how to shoot a BB gun.

Ryan very proud of his shot!

Jaylee is getting very good at target practice!

No matter what we did, the favorite time of the day was when the dads came home from work!

We went to the Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania. What a fun place! The kids especially liked the little tour of how chocolate is made. The singing cows were a hit! We took that tour three times!

Doesn't this make your mouth water? We had way too much chocolate!!

One day we took a train ride on the worlds oldest short-line railroad in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It's a great tourist attraction! The train is a beautifully restored, actual coal-burning locomotive! We got off at a picnic area for a short time, where we ate lunch and the kids got to play on old-fashioned merry-go-round, swings and teeter-totters!

The Liounis family (Jenn's family) are connoisseurs of fine food and know the best restaurants around. Here we are at Carrabbas Italian Grill in Lancaster. Emily especially enjoyed her spaghetti dinner!

We got to celebrate Jenni's 3rd birthday. She was so excited and revels in the attention. What a cutie! She's fun to watch. They kids got to hit a pinata. Ryan, although relectant at first, was the one to break it.

Our time there passed too quickly! We hated to leave, but we had one more stop to look forward to. We got to visit the Mall of America in Minneapolis during a 4 hour layover. It was huge! We only had time to visit the world's largest underground aquarium. It is fascinating! Emily loved it and kept looking for and asking for Nemo. Ryan, on the other hand, was a little nervous about the sharks, sting rays and other creatures swimming all around us and above us. He did, though, enjoy the the treasure playground.

All in all it was a great trip! We really appreciated Jason and Jenn's hospitality! They sure know how to make us feel welcome! We were very tired when we got home, but have the most wonderful memories!

P.S. Family members will probably see triplicates of this vacation since Jenn and Jamie may blog about it also!!

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

2008-05-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

I heard this poem quoted on Music and the Spoken Word this morning. I'm always wishing I had a copy of what they said. So I found the poem on the internet and wanted to share with you all!

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

Mary Rita Schilke Korzan

God's Hall of Fame

2008-05-03T14:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to Mom!!

(Betty Jane Merrell Lee)

My mom as a baby

Mom singing with her sisters,

(L to R) Judy, Mom, Jessie and Nancy

(They were asked to sing at lots of events)

And as a great-grandmother

"Being a king, emperor, or president is mighty small potatoes compared to being a mother. Commanding an army is little more than sweeping a street compared with training a boy or girl. The mother of Moses did more for the world than all the kings that Egypt ever had. Oh, you wait until you reach the mountains of eternity, then read the mothers' names in
God's Hall of Fame"

Billy Sunday, American Athlete and Christian Evangelist

One of my favorite memories of my mom is her singing. She has a beautiful alto voice! When we were little, she would sing while we were traveling in the car. I think she started singing when the fighting and quarreling began. It helped calm us down. She knew so many songs and singing made the time pass quickly!! I can still remember many of those songs. In fact the other day I sang one of those songs, "Playmates, Come Out And Play With Me" , to my granddaughter, Jenna. She ask me to sing it to her about 5 times. (And usually she doesn't like me to sing!)

Catching up on Tags!

2008-04-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am way behind on the tags, so here goes the first one!

10 YEARS AGO:

I was working as an RN at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma.
James was a senior in high school.
All the other kids had left the nest.
We had no grandkids, yet.
I was Relief Society President.

5 THINGS ON MY TO-D0 LIST:
1, Buy Audrey and Emily birthday presents.
2. Get a haircut
3. Return items to Walmart
4. Save to DVD my recorded "French In Action" recordings.
5. Cook dinner

5 SNACKS I ENJOY:
1. Popcorn
2. Snickers
3. Cheez-Its
4. Fishy Crackers
5. Fudge Bars

IF I WERE SUDDENLY A BILLIONAIRE I WOULD:
1. Move
2. Take children and grandchildren on a cruise.
3. Buy an RV (If the gas prices ever come down!)
4. Travel to Europe with Mark
5.Donate to Cancer, Diabetes, Ahzheimers and Parkinson's foundations.
6. Give my children a million dollars each.
7. Put enough in savings to pay for Mark and I to live in a nice Assisted Living place if the need arises.

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. Phoenix, Arizona (also where I was born)
2. Chilco, Idaho (near Coeur d'Alene)
3. Moses Lake, Washington
4. Orem, Utah (while at BYU)
5. Kent, Washington

3 BAD HABITS: (SO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM)
1, Losing things (keys, PDA, purse, glasses, etc.).
2. Falling asleep watching the news.
3. Not finishing projects.

5 JOBS I HAVE HAD:
1. Carhop/Fountain Girl at Burgermaster Drive-In in the University District in Seattle.
2. File clerk for the UW Biology Department.
3. Bank Teller at Lincoln Savings and Loan in Seattle.
4. Keypuncher at the BYU Alumni House and later Assistant to President over gifts and donations. (Keypuncher is an old fashioned data entry where years ago you hole-punched, by machine, info onto cards which were later fed into a computer).
5. RN at Harborview, Mary Bridge, Pediatric Home Care.

5 THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME: (I think my kids know these)
1. I was robbed when working as a bank teller.
2. I loved gymnastics, acrobatics when I was younger and got got pretty good at it. (My dad used to complain that when he sent me out to thin beets he would look out the window and see my feet up in the air) .
3. When I was 8 years old I disked and harrowed our fields with a team of horses.
4. I majored at BYU in Sociology and then later in life changed to Nursing when I realized how little sociologists and social workers make.
5. While serving a mission in France, I was pick-pocketed while visiting the Eiffel Tower.

King County Presidential Convention

2008-04-15T07:36:00.001-07:00

1. There were 4,274 delegates nominated to be at the convention. Only about a 1,000 showed up.

2. Most of them (I'd guestimate 75%) were empty-nester age. A few younger couples, one of which I saw brought their children for the experience and the rest young college students.

3. I like the band who played before the convention because their music was geared towards us older folks.

4. After I signed in outside the gymnasium of Green River College, I went through the door and they pointed me to a room for credentialing!! What was that? (Iworried that I needed to have credentials of some sort) It is a fancy word for taking roll. We sign in again and get our official delegate tag. We don't want any one from the other parties crashing our convention and messing things up! So here is my tag after it sat in my pocket for a couple of days.

5. The Pledge of Allegiance was said and I might say it was done loud and proud. No need to vote on whether to say it or not.

6. We got to hear from all the candidates who want to win Senate, governor's, Lt. Governor's, House seats, and etc. in the next election. I actually enjoyed what they said and there was a lot of whistling, applause and standing up in support of each candidate.

7. It must have taken over an hour to tally up the delegates and alternate delegates so we could not do any official business until that was done and presented and accepted.

8. First of order of business -- will we accept the late arrivals even though the rules says no. I was surprise that we would consider it -- since it is a rule and there is a time later on that you can officially change the rules. But they were accepted.

9. The platform was presented. New officers were nominated and chosen.

10. Changes to the rules and regulations were beginning to be presented and challenged. That was an intersting procedure. Only two microphones were going so if I wanted to say anything I would have needed to run down the bleachers to a microphone quickly. Remember we are all older folks. I was sitting next to an older gentlemen who needed help getting up and down for the standing votes. Also, often they did not speak into the microphone closely and we could not hear. So those districts sitting on the floor next to the microphones had the advantage.

11. We started to do a delegate vote. First, you do a verbal yea and nay. If it is not clear who won, then you do a stand up count and if that is not clear the chairman of each legislative district must make a count in his district.

12. Since this is a long procedure they started to dismiss by districts those who wanted to get lunch. What? How do you hear the presentations and challenges of rules and policy changes? And how do you vote if you're out of the room getting lunch? Oh well!

13 Somewhere around 1:00pm someone challenged whether we had a quorum to legitimize any votes or changes? What? (A quorum is 20% of the nominated delegates (4,274). So 854 delegates are needed.) So a rather lengthy count was done and there was not enough -- only 700+ was left. Many people leaving for lunch never came back.

14. So we dismissed not being able to change any of the

rules and policies. I've decided I have a lot to learn about these caucuses and conventions. I got some terminology to learn. Mostly, I'd like to nominate James to be on the organizing committee of these conventions. It was a little unorganized and often I couldn't hear what was being said because of all the buzzing and talking going on. Some of the officers were unclear of the rules and were talking among themselves to get it right. It's hard to vote when you didn't quite get it. So here I was saying, "What are we voting on? And what did they say?

I guess I'll have to wait 4 more years to try again.

Sowing the Seeds of Compassion

2008-04-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

As I was driving to the temple Friday, the radio was announcing the arrival of the Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual and political leader of Tibet. He was here in Seattle for a "Seeds of Compassion" conference. The goal was to discover and share ways to teach children how to be more compassionate as a way of changing the increasing violence throughout the world. They had many people from the medical, scientific and religious fields giving us the results of their many studies. Now, I'm so grateful to all spiritual, political , social, scientific and religious leaders that are honestly trying to encourage less violence in today's world. But.........

I am always saddened when there is no mention of the one source of all truth, pure love, total compassion and worldwide peace or of His teachings!

They did conclude at this conference that children learn compassion from seeing others and imitating their behaviors.

I was blessed to see so many compassionate actions and works just the last two weeks:

Tommy consoling Blake after Blake tried to take his game away and we told Blake he needed to wait until Tommy was finished, then he would have his turn. Blake broke into tears. Tommy gave him big hug and then let him play with him. Blake, or course, not knowing how to play messed everything up and Tommy resigned to just let Blake play the game himself.

Mary bringing not just one meal over to Maria (who is experiencing a lot of nausea from her pregnancy - which increases when she cooks or even moves), but also bringing over many frozen meals that Maria could store and use whenever. How compassionate!! And I know she is fighting back pain each day!

Little Jenna going to church with Grandma and Grandpa and impressing her teachers when a little girl from her Sunbeam class broke into tears because she wanted her mom. I was told that Jenna immediately got off her chair and walked over to little Ellie and gave her a big hug and sat down beside her. To everyone's surprise, Ellie stopped crying and she and Jenna became friends.

There is no greater place of peace and compassion than the temple. Here is Kristina with her husband, LeGrand Fry. I was most impressed with LeGrand watching how he treated his father, who suffers brain damage related to a bad car accident when the other driver suffering seizures, lost control and crashed his car into the car of LeGrand's father. LeGrand, both on his wedding day and the week before at the temple with his family, was very attentive to his dad. He frequently found his dad, talked to him, patted his shoulder, worried about whether he was getting tired, and generally looked out for him. I was really touched! Great guy, Kristina!!

My mom, never leaving my father's side, and lovingly worrying about if he was too tired, needing to use the restrooms, was hungry, needed a tissue and always noticed when he was trying to say or ask for something.

The Dalai Lama was right, children do learn and are influenced in a positive or negative way by what they see and experience -- from parents, leaders, teachers and from other children.

"...By small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." Alma 37:6

Visiting My Parents With Uncle Jerry

2008-03-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I picked up Uncle Jerry to go see my dad (his brother) for a visit. Jerry lived with my parents for many years until they could no longer care for him. He has been mentally challenged since he was at least 2 years old. His mother died when he was 14 years old and he moved from one relatives home to another's home several times and earlier in his life, he even spent time in an institution (and not a very good one, either) until he moved in with my mom and dad. It was a very hard decision for my dad to have to find another place for Jerry when it became evident that they no longer could care for him. But, Jerry is in an excellent place with a staff that really seems to like Jerry because he is polite, quiet, very neat and a little bit of a flirt. They have nurses, recreational therapists, and special aides that keep him quite busy. They take them out to a lot of community events. He is also signed up for summer day camp.

Whenever Jerry and my dad see each other, Jerry gets quite emotional -- it starts out kind of as a laugh and then he starts to cry. One of the activities mom, dad and Jerry used to do every evening, when they all lived together, was play a game of Dominoes and have a bowl of ice cream. So whenever they are together, they always play a game. Jerry, despite his mental challenges, seems to do very well with math and numbers. So he is very serious about the game.

Here we all are playing a game of Dominoes at Rose's house. My sister, Sharon, her daughter, Amber and granddaughter, Madison were up from Nevada for a visit and that made it more fun.

My mother won the game with Jerry close behind in second place. Jerry looks a little perturbed that he didn't win and he has won a lot of the games in the past! No kidding!! (Then again, he just might have been a little annoyed that I kept yelling, "Jerry, smile"!)

A quick lunch with the gang, thanks to Rose! See cute little Madison! She kept us all entertained! P.S. Her mommy is expecting another in October. As you can see, dad and Jerry take their meals very seriously! Because dad has Parkinson's and Jerry has had a couple of strokes it takes them both quite awhile to finish their meals.

It is at least a 200 mile trip for me to either pick up Jerry in Gig Harbor and take him to Olympia and back or to pick up my parents and take them to Gig Harbor and back. However, I have enjoyed the experiences. When in the car, Jerry likes to reminisce about the "good old days" in northern Idaho. My parents like the leisurely drive to Gig Harbor and are constantly telling me over and over and over what wonderful kids they have and how they all take care of them so well (Mostly, Rose)!! But they give all 13 of their children credit!! My brother Ed, also takes time to visit them regularly and they love it. Several who live far away do call -- which my mom doesn't always remember (but at the moment it thrills them). My dad counts on me to take care of Jerry now, and when he passes away. Jerry is 16 1/2 years younger than my dad so he could live easily at least another 20 years.

So that is what I did last Tuesday -- or was it last Wednesday? Heck, I'm getting old and can't remember!

Easter Highlights

2008-03-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mary for this picture! I was so busy that Saturday, that I only got a couple of pictures and sadly, mostly of our yard and weeds.

Here are some of our highlights:

1. A fun Easter Egg Hunt at our house, even with the cold and wind.

2. A treasure hunt. Mostly for the older children. However, they had discovered the treasure before I got it hidden. But, I hid it anyway and they had to find it before they could play with it. The hunt itself was the most exciting for the older children and the Elefun was the most exciting for the younger ones.

3. Keeping tabs on David, who at one point was locked in our coat closet and was yelling "Gamma" before we had missed him.

4. Playing "forward rolls" on mat with David, Catie, and Jenna.

5. Trying to beat Blake to the ball before he kicked it away. Man, that kid is fast and determined.

6. Playing Score Four and Hungry, Hungry Hippos with Ethan and Tommy. I never won one game of the Hippos.

7. Watching Jenna try to get the butterflies first in the Elefun game. She's competitive and a little impatient.

8. Seeing Ryan knock the big exercise ball away from Ethan and Tommy. He's getting more competitive all the time.

9. Watching Emily seeing the Easter Eggs across the lawn while missing the ones right under her nose.

10. Catie refusing to go inside to warm up because she loves the outdoors.

11. Sitting in church next to Brian, Mary, Jenna and Catie. Smiling at Jenna when she cried because she wanted, but wasn't invited, to sing a special music number with the other children (who were the older ones).

12. Being embarrassed that our cell phone rang during the Sacrament Meeting.

13. Jenna telling everybody that she got Easter Candy, colored a Jesus picture and went potty as her highlights of her primary class.

14. Audrey being sweet and wanting me to play with her and then being patient when I got interrupted by littles ones needing me elsewhere.

15. The beautiful talks at church.

16. Singing with the choir, "Because He Lives". Two phrases that mean a lot to me from this song are, "My heart is filled with peace amid a world of fear", and "Because He lives I can bear whatever burden may be mine."

17. When around my grandchildren I feel the Spirit so strongly.

Politics and Caucuses

2008-03-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

This Saturday morning I had the exciting privilege of being a delegate for our precinct at the legislative district caucus. It was exciting to see how it works. I have attended a caucus only once before and it was such a small precinct that it was held in a home. I never got any further than that caucus. Now being a chosen delegate I get to see so much more of the workings. Our job was to select delegates that will represent us at the state convention in Spokane in May. The goal of the state convention is to eventually narrow the state delegates down to 40 (I think!)that will represent the State of Washington in September at the National Convention.

I am grateful for a country that allows us to choose. However, I am a little concerned that at this caucus we had to choose from a list of people we knew nothing about and would not recognize them if they stood in front of us. Many were nominated before the caucus and their names were just on a list. They were not allowed to even give us 15-30 second introduction of themselves, who they would vote for and what they stood for. Those nominated at the caucus at the last minute were able to do so. You would think that there is the only one presidential candidate being represented and that this caucus is all just a formality. But, not so! Several former presidential candidates have some pretty loyal supporters here and therefore they all plan to vote for their favorite candidate at all the future caucuses right up to and including the national convention. So here I was at this table of 6, asking people who and what they knew about the nominees on the list. Pretty scary way to nominate someone to represent my values for the most powerful governmental job in the world!!

But, I get to be a delegate at the King County Convention where these rules and policies can be addressed and possibly changed.

Great experience!! And I love this country!!

Thanks!

2008-03-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Becca who helps me with my background each month! As soon as I feel better and have time, I plan to have her give me some lessons. I'm always impressed with the different layouts and backgrounds I see when I visit all your blogs!

Grandpa Stringham Growing Up

2008-03-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

Mark is the second child and only boy in his family. He was born in Idaho Falls, ID on March 9, 1947 and lived in Ashton on his parents farm his whole childhood life. His parents are James Edward Stringham and Mildred Hannah Hillam Stringham who are the hardest working people, kind, generous and fun to be around.

One of the favorite things for our kids to do when we visited them was to play in the water when Mark's dad flooded the lawn to water it. It was a big shallow swimming pool. Here is Mark and his sisters enjoying the same.

I think he needed to grow more to enjoy his trike.

Mark, his mom,(holding Ilene), Nadene and Lila ready for church. His dad was Bishop for many years and so his mom had to handle all the kids in church herself.

His dad was farmer so Mark knew tractors well. His dad grew a lot of potatoes for seed.

Mark and his sisters would help raise orphaned lambs. They would feed them with a bottle until they were old enough to eat on their own

Mark in his junior high years.

Mark and I at our wedding luncheon with his parents on the left and mine on the right. My kids have only seen my dark brown hair in pictures!

I think Mark's dad would have liked him to grow up and take over the farm, but here is Mark (with his two sisters on the left and me on the right), graduating from BYU with his degree in Computer Science. After graduating, he got a job with Boeing and has worked there for 35 years now.

And that is a brief summary of his life up until we moved to the Seattle area. We lived with my parents in Seattle for two weeks, before we found an apartment just above Southcenter. Shortly, after Brian was born we moved to a small rambler in Renton/Issaquah area where Rebecca, Jason and Maria were born. When Maria was 8 months old we moved to Kent in our current house where James was born. And we have lived here ever since despite my frequent attempts to get him to move.

He is quiet, has a dry sense of humor that our kids really appreciate, and really enjoys when his grandkids want to talk or play with him. He doesn't like to tell me "no" verbally, so he frowns instead and I usually get the message (luckily he doesn't frown often). He can cry very easily at touching stories and when our children were at church with us they would always look over at him to see if he would cry at whatever sad story was being told -- and he always was and still does. He can be very self-disciplined about things that are important to him. And there you have a little synopsis of this great husband of mine.

If you want to know more you will have to ready his life history.

"Happy Birthday" Dear Grandpa!

2008-03-10T21:55:00.001-07:00

Tonight we celebratred Mark's birthday. Yesterday was his actual birthday, but one would never know. I think I wished him a "Happy Birthday" once. We ate popcorn and watched BYU TV. He was excited when Maria called him in the morning, but she only asked what time it was (because of daylight savings), then immediately hung up when she realized she was an hour late for church. But, we made up for it tonight. A lot of the family was able to come over for a simple dinner and birthday celebration. 3 year old Jenna was here most of the day and was so excited for grandpa's party so we could all wear party hats. I hadn't bought any, so what was a grandma to do? I immediately went out and bought some.

Jenna was my helper in baking and decorating the cupcakes.

Singing "Happy Birthday" to grandpa.

It can be pretty hectic with so many of the kids and grandkids here at once, and we are always tired when it is over, but these are great memories! We missed Jamie, Ryan and Emily who stayed home because Ryan was sick. And we always miss Jason, Jenn, Jaylee and Jenni who live so far away in Pennsylvania!

Tagged Again!

2008-03-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's taken me awhile to respond to this tag. Sorry about that. So here goes.

Donuts or bagels? Donuts, But I only eat them for a special treat these days. Diabetes.
Rice or noodles? Depends on the dish! Probably noodles.
Soup or salad? Love salad.
Mexican or Italian? Mexican
Purse or shoes? Shoes
Morning or night? Used to be morning. Now it is night - just relaxing.
Summer or winter? Definitely summer!
Candy or chocolate? Chocolate - it's hard for me to stop once I get started.
Going out or staying in? Love to get out and about.
Laundry or dishes? Dishes.
Skirt or dress? Skirt, I don't have many dresses.
Flip flops or tennis shoes? Actually, I like barefoot the best but between the two, flip flops.
Hot chocolate or chocolate milk? Chocolate milk.
Water or juice? Juice, but I'm trying to train myself to drink more water.
TV shows or movies? Movies. Especially old movies.
Cats or dogs? Definitely dogs - it started when I was a child - my only pets were dogs and horses.
Diet or regular soda? I only drink diet.
Cake or pie? I loves pies the best -- almost any kind.
Hair up or down? With short hair it has to be down.
Mountains or beach? I love to take scenic drives through the mountains but, play on the beach.
Pink or blue? Blue
Drama or comedy? Comedy
Hamburger or hotdog? Mostly hamburgers, unless it is Costco's polish dog.
McDonald's or Burger King? McDonald's - small one with less meat.
Football or baseball? Baseball when it is the Mariners playing.
Epidural or natural? I'm a wimp - epidural.
Carebears or my little ponies? My Little Ponies - have no idea why.
CD or radio? CD - ones that I burn with all my favorites I have purchased. I play them on my computer during the day and in my car while running around.
Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Cinderella

Goodness! When I look over these answers, I realize what a boring person I am!

I have been going through all my old pictures, scanning them into my computer and it brought back lots of memories. Was feeling a little melancholy. Also, feeling very blessed! Hence, the slide show below.

Our Children - A Short Trip Down Memory Lane

2008-03-08T13:10:00.001-08:00

Memories That Make Us Smile

2008-02-28T09:59:00.001-08:00

Anger

2008-02-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

I wish I had such exciting lives as you all seem to have. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not unhappy, (In fact I'm pretty content), I just realize when it comes to blogging that I don't have too much to say.

But, here is a quote I came across yesterday that I thought was sweet. I think most of you have heard it before, but it deserves repeating:

"The story is told that reporters were interviewing a man on his birthday. He had reached an advanced age. They asked him how he had done it.

He replied,'When my wife and I were married we determined that if we ever got in a quarrel one of us would leave the house. I attribute my longevity to the fact that I have breathed good fresh air throughout my married life.'"

Just wondering how much healthier and skinnier I would be today if I had done that anytime I was angry instead of slamming cupboard doors!
Hopefully, I will have something fun to post next time!

Grandpa Lee

2008-02-13T21:26:00.001-08:00

Last week I took my father in for eye surgery. He is 87 and has Parkinson's. The Parkinson's has disabled him to the point that he walks very slowly with a walker and I'm always afraid that he is going to fall (because he has a history of it). It takes him an hour or longer to eat a meal and also has taken a toll on how quickly he can respond to a question. At the Eye Surgery Center was a sweet young nurse there that seemed to adore Dad. She would ask questions and then give him plenty of time to answer. She teased him and he would smile and give a pretty good tease back. While she was waiting for him to respond, she would say, "I can tell you're really thinking about a good comeback". Dad would grin and after a minute or two he would say something funny. After awhile, they gave him a medication to relax him and make him feel really good just before they took him in for the surgery. He said to me, "Jenny, tell Eric (Maria's husband) that I need to talk to him." "About the house?", I asked. (Eric and Ed are trying to subdivide their property and sell it. ) "What do you want to know", I asked. Dad answered, "Well, Betty and I want to move back home." That shocked me for a quick moment, then I remembered the medication he was on. I told him that he still can't walk without lots of help, neither of them can drive, and they'd be stuck there with no help. "Betty helps me and I help her", he replied. Mom was starting to get a little upset with him and telling him, "We can't do that". Then I looked at him and said, "Dad, I think that medication is really making you feel good, isn't it". He chuckled for a moment and then said, "Yes, it sure is." He never mentioned moving back home again. My mother always stays close by him when he goes to the hospital for anything. I think she is so worried about losing him. She has Alzheimer's and he has been her memory for quite some time. But, the Parkinson's is taking a toll on his memory too.

A few hours after we got my dad home, he needed more pain medication. Rose gave it to him as prescribed. She tried giving him his second dose just before bedtime. He seemed a little sleepy, but it was late. She finally got it in his mouth. But, soon after that she called me and said that Dad was becoming unresponsive and she didn't think he had swallowed his pill. I told her to get the pill out of his mouth, call 24 hour nurse and 911. She couldn't get it out. But, mom immediately took over and she was yelling, "Arthur, Arthur, open your mouth. Give me that pill!" I could hear her quite well on my end of the phone. After what seemed like an eternity to me, Rose told me mom had pryed his mouth open and pulled out the pill. When the ambulance arrived they, of course, took him immediately to St. Petersburg Hospital in Olympia where they gave him Narcan to reverse the effects. They didn't get home until 4:30 AM and Rose teaches early morning Seminary. So her husband, John, took the class. I went to Olympia the next morning so Rose could study for and take some exams. She is also taking 3 classes at the community college there. She amazes me! And she is reluctant to ask for much help, so I almost have to almost force my help on her.

For the most part, my parents are very agreeable and appreciative in their aging years. My sister Rose, handles them great. She can be firm and yet jokes around with them a lot. I'm very appreciative of all she does for them.

Tagged!

2008-01-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is my first time at this. Sorry if it is a little plain. I'll need someone's help to learn to make this blog attractive.

Here goes:

1. How long have you been married? 35 1/2 years.

2. How long did you date? Our first date was in November and we were married the next April. (What can I say -- when it is right, it is right!)

3. How old is he? 61 years old in March.

4. Who eats more? I can probably eat more at one time. But overall, I think we eat about the same. Hence, we weigh close to the same.

5. Who said, "I Love You", first? I really can't remember, but I'm guessing he did since he is more romantic than I! (i.e. flowers, love notes, candy, etc.)

6. Who is taller? Mark, by about 5 inches.

7. Who sings better? I do! I think I was the first to tell him he sings off key, and he was really surprised. However, he does sing with gusto! And that makes me smile.

8. Who is smarter? Depends! He is in politics, history, computer and math. I ask him as many questions about these subjects as I google. He may disagree, but I am better at test-taking, medical stuff, science, teaching and cultural things. We are about the same in gospel knowledge, but in different ways.

9. Who does the laundry? Over the years, I have definitely done more laundry. However, he helped enormously when I was getting my nursing degree and still doesn't hesitate to put in a load, when needed. And he never complains! I just find a load in the dryer the next day! And if I am folding them in his presence, he helps.

10. Who does the dishes? In the evening, he generally helps. And again, he helps other times when needed. And he always helps with the dishes when we have a big family dinner at our house.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? It depends! Mark usually tries to take the middle of the bed.

12. Who pays the bills? Me!

13. Who mows the lawn? It was mostly me or our children for a long time. Now, he generally does, but when he is working a lot, I do it. Actually, I like mowing the lawn! And Mark has to deal with hay fever.

14. Who cooks dinner? Mostly, me. However, he is good at getting dinner, when needed. (mostly, soup, chili or PB sandwich)

15. Who is more stubborn? That is an easy one! He wins in the stubborn department, but luckily, not about very many things. I'm the pouty one!

16. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first, I thought he would be too shy, so I just waited. However, it didn't take him that long to get around to it.

17. Who asked who out? Our first date was a blind date. I worked with his roommate, Bill. I had just broken up with another guy and had nothing to do that weekend. Bill (who was dating a friend of mine) asked if I wanted to go with him and one of his roommates. Bill and I talked the whole time at the game and Mark was quiet and polite. We did talk after we dropped Bill off at the apartment. I immediately liked him and it was getting close to Preference Ball at BYU, so I preferred him.

18. Who proposed? Mark! I was totally surprised that he did it so soon. I knew I would marry him and I thought that, he being shy, would take a long time to get around to it. I was hoping maybe some time around June, when he graduated. However, he asked me in February. He immediately wanted to call my dad and ask for my hand, so imagine his surprise when I told him I had not even mentioned him to my parents. He was brave, but it was a very uncomfortable moment when he talked to my dad! My dad, said something to the effect that he trusted my judgement, but that they would like to meet him.

19. Who has more friends? I do. But, everyone who really knows Mark likes him. I can't say the same for me.

20. Who has more siblings? I do. He has 3 sisters. I have 7 brothers and 5 sisters.

21. Who am I tagging? Jenn. I think everyone else whose blogs I read have been tagged and have responded. If not, I tag those who haven't yet been tagged.