Geoff's Birthday!

I flew in from Colorado on Friday, September 18th, Geoff's birthday. After a special birthday breakfast made by his mom he and the girls picked me up at the airport and we drove to the Bay Area. We visited Berkeley for an hour or so and then met up with our great friends, the Christensens, to do some serious birthday celebrating. They had invited some old friends, the Carters, to have dinner with us. Josh Carter was out of town on business, but we got to hang out with adorable Jen, and meet their very cute kids. We hadn't seen them since we left Cambridge in 2001.

After dinner the Christensen's and we went to an Oakland A's baseball game. The kids kept themselves busy on the row in front of us and we adults caught up with little interruption. After the game the fans were allowed down on the field for a fireworks show, but before the fireworks we pulled out some party hats and blowers, a cake, and gathered the surrounding fans to sing Happy Birthday to Geoff. It was a Big Bang celebration.

Kennedy, Addie and the girls at the game

Geoff getting ready for the song...

While waiting to go down on the field we stood next to the fans to the right and they had the most unbelievably penetrating (and annoyingly) loud voices. When they sat down next to us I knew everyone on the field would hear it...and they did. Many joined in.

Watching the firework show...the grand finale to a great birthday

A week away

A few weeks ago I flew to Colorado at the last minute to help my dad and his wife Babs pack up their home in preparation to move. We made a lot of progress, and fit in some good card games during breaks. In addition, my dad started his radiation treatment and I drove him to and from the hospital every day. He termed it "Rads". He'd say, "I'm going in for Rads today." Or, "I'm a Rad man." Eventually we got him on a Rads diet to maximize his bodies response to the radiation. It is a huge blessing to have the flexibility to help them out during this crazy time in their lives. I came home for the Birthday Weekend and then Geoff flew to Colorado on Monday and will be there through this next week.

Here is my dad feasting after his first day on his "Rads dinner". His optimism and humor continue to inspire me.

While I was in Colorado Geoff took over Z School full-time. He got a taste of it's demands, and the girls had a blast with his easy-going, flexible approach.

Old Town Sacramento

A visit to the old schoolhouse



Geoff's mom, "Mormor", treated to a horse-carriage ride

...and a trip to the candy shop


...and provided a yummy picnic. Great field trip!

During the week Mormor took the girls to the nail salon

Dad, the so very stern teacher...

...who managed well in teaching and doing fun things everyday

The Haircut

With Geoff's uncle Gary in chemotherapy and radiation treatment right now, and my dad going into it next week, Geoff shaved his head in a gesture of solidarity to those he loves.

He decided to allow Ceci free reign on cutting his hair...afterall, it was all getting shaved off. She had the time of her life, falling right into character as a hair designer telling all sorts of stories and using appropriate hand gestures. And Geoff, he's lucky to still have both ears! He wins the "BEST DAD" award for sure.

Ceci wore the cape as a gown

He wore it this way for a day. It looked like he had a bad ringworm disease.

Ceci the fabulous designer...she provided good entertainment and laughs

Transition

We’re in transition. We’re no longer in France having a unique experience while healing, and we’re not back to a normal life with our own home and job and life. We’re somewhere in between. For those who have ever been “in between” you would probably agree that is isn’t a terribly comfortable place. However, we are really hopeful. We feel that something is brewing for us…it just isn’t quite time. So we’re waiting. Waiting isn’t terribly comfortable, either. But being uncomfortable isn’t always a bad thing.

Transition. The very word brings me back to the final stage of birthing before the baby is pushed out and delivered. Is that what is happening to us? Are we in the process of being delivered? The scriptures are of full of this female symbolism. Moses was 40 years in the desert before the Children of Israel were delivered. Noah had a 40 day deluge before the earth was delivered from its unclean state. Psalms says that the “wicked are estranged from the womb”, the place of spiritual preparation before being spiritually delivered. We are told to be “reborn”; delivered from sin. Even the Savior himself shed blood and water as he delivered us from our personal hell. Is our own transition right now a part of our deliverance? I hope so. Maybe it won’t be a complete deliverance, but at least a deliverance from some of our perceptions, habits and characteristics that keep us from becoming more Godlike. This past year has been wonderful and hard. Strange how those can go together, but they can. In retrospect we can see some great personal and family growth. And now there is a new test…in between and waiting. So if this transition isn’t easy it is ok, just like in delivering a baby…the outcome is well worth the effort!

Slider & Pumpkin

Geoff's mom has a unique ability to nurture the excitement of childhood. She is always putting on tea parties, or creating fairy villages in the woods, or throwing together campfire dinners for a regular weekday night. Our girls are lucky to have her constant influence while we are here. She thought a pet would be a good addition to Z School so she took the girls down to the pet store and came home with a turtle they named Slider. Mesha and the girls spent hours creating a perfect habitat in a kiddie pool, and there was no shortage of willingness to cut little bits of carrot or apple or lettuce.

But after a day Slider still hadn't eaten anything. So they did a little research online and found that the pet store worker had been a little optimistic on how easy these kinds of turtles are to take care of. In fact, they are one of the "most laborious reptiles..." to own. After some difficult realities were discussed (and many sad tears shed by Ceci) Slider went back to the pet store and a fish named Pumpkin came home. He is the same kind of fish as Adele's fish in France. I think they'll keep this one.

The car is parked

One year ago today we flew off to France. What an experience. And now, after four months of living out of a suitcase, 2,000 miles of driving and "camping" on our Tour de France, and 6,000 miles of driving once back on our Tour de Family we are ready to park our car. It has been strange to not be able to go "home". Thankfully, Geoff's parents have the room and willingness of heart to let a family of FIVE share their living space. This past week we've been sifting through the suitcases trying to figure out what we want out and what we want to keep packed, carving out spaces to set up our life, setting up Z School in an upstairs bedroom, creating a "pantry", and settling in for an undetermined amount of time.

Geoff continues to improve. While he isn't 100% he is doing well. He plans to do some consulting to ease his way back into the world of working.

I'm doing well. I have to admit that I had hoped to be a little more organized if I ever home schooled again but I see that I'm going to start while in the middle of several other projects and messes in progress. We found a great sign at Sundance that says "C'est la Vie" and I try to look at it often to remind myself again that life isn't meant to be nice and tidy!

Now that the summer hoopla has simmered down the girls are actually really excited for Z School. I think it is safe to say that they are happy the car is parked, too. We're now on a quest for some friends their age...

So, here's to new beginnings!

The girls caught dozens of tadpoles in the pond and are housing them in the kiddie pool.

Back to School Feast

Inspired by a blog I read we had a Back to School Feast last night. We had mentioned that we would be wearing crowns so the girls called it the "Royal Feast" and came as fancied up as they could. Everyone had a secret job: Tennie created the menu, Adele chose and made the dessert, and Ceci decorated the crowns. Our dinner discussion centered on Zion since Z School starts on Wednesday. Our theme this year, not surprisingly, is One Heart, One Mind. We also talked about each of us being a child of God, and therefore we really are royalty! After dinner Geoff gave each of the girls a beautiful father's blessing. It was a great night.

Tennie chose the menu and created a printed menu for each guest

You can't really tell but Adele has lipstick in her eyebrows. Notice how they wear dangling earrings...hooked up over the top of their ears. She also had the Indian dot on her forehead. Very fancy.