Singing in the rain

Boy have we had a drizzly spring, and it is keeping on into summer! We've been pretty cooped up all week so we were happy to go to Tennie's singing recital this morning. Her little band of singers had a very informal performance of the songs they have been practicing. She loves to sing, and this has been a fun outlet for her.

Tooth fairy plea

Tennie left a note for the tooth fairy tonight that was too good not to share...

It continues on the back...

Snow White and the dwarf

This week the girls put on a play for us. Not their usual make-things-up-as-you-go plays...this was the real deal. They had been spending a lot of time in the garage on some of our recent cool and drizzly days, so that is the lovely backdrop of the play. Thankfully Geoff's mom had her camera and captured some of it. Tennie was the narrator (and director) and basically told the story, with occasional lines by Ceci and Adele. It was 20 minutes long.

Snow White and the Dwarf

The queen welcomes a beautiful baby girl (but then the queen dies).

The new stepmother has her work so hard.

The stepmother is always asking her mirror "Who is the fairest?"

Angry at the mirror's response that the fairest is Snow White the stepmother sends Snow White into the forest (notice the branch) with a hunter (the stick with a furry cloth).

Snow White is happy in the forest with her new animal friends.

She finds a little cottage and looks through the windows.

A dwarf is scared to find a girl in his bed!

But they soon become friends.

The stepmother learns that Snow White is still in the forest. She turns herself into a witch and plans to find Snow White and give her a poisonous apple.

Even after warnings from the dwarf, Snow White is kind to the stranger and takes a bite of the apple.

The dwarf lays her on a bed in the forest and mourns.

A handsome prince hears about the beautiful, sleeping girl, and gives her a kiss. They lived happily ever after.

We didn't get a picture of the final bow because it happened so quickly. There was so much excitement when it was over, and they all ran to give us the refreshments they had prepared (cut up fruit spread out on a plate...although they ate all of it as they offered it to us) and to pass around the tip jar. Geoff's dad gave them each $5! Oh the exultation!

I'm sure a new play will be brewing soon...

They've found Geoff out!

This morning as the girls were finishing breakfast I began to puree some fruit to make Popsicles. Tennie asked if she could work the food processor and I said yes. After Tennie took over, a priceless conversation took place:

Somewhat triumphantly Adele informs the others, "Dad said I make the best puree."

A very brief moment of silence.

Ceci says confused, "Dad told me I made the best puree."

Another brief moment of silence.

Tennie, still at the food processor, said with a dawning smile, "Dad told me I made the best puree."

I laughed out loud. Tennie was filled with even more admiration for her dad who has the ability to make all of them feel like they are the best. Adele was crushed and kept trying to restate exactly what it was that Geoff told her ("Well he said mine was the best he had ever tasted."), and Ceci, after a moment of confusion and then disappointment, was over it. I was filled with wonder at when Geoff did so much one on one pureeing!

Just a little hike

We went on a short hike this morning.

There were so many beautiful flowers. Have you ever heard of the children's book Miss Rumphius? It is about a woman who makes the world a more beautiful place by planting lupines everywhere. These purple lupines were all over the hills today.

We stopped to observe a huge ant colony. Geoff put a little stick down the hole to see what the ants would do; within seconds they had it out and were dragging it away! They are always amusing to watch...that is when they aren't in your kitchen!

Adele and I were a little ahead when Geoff told Tennie and Ceci to "RUN!", which they did in pure terror. Turns out they had seen a very large rattlesnake on the side of the path. It was minding its own business, but Geoff was getting the girls away to be safe.

We all sharpened our visual senses after that, and while the long lizard we met next might have been interesting on another day, it scared the girls and they kept begging, "Can we just get to the car and go!"

Getting them on that trail again might take a little arm twisting...

So long Milkshake

The time has come for the bunnies to be spayed and neutered; we have an appointment at the beginning of June. Males cost $30 and females $40. It was a requirement in buying the bunnies from the beginning. Adele's bunny honeymoon had ended and she unemotionally said she wanted to give Star away. Tennie wouldn't have it. Star and Perfect are siblings, and share a cage, and "keep each other company". So Tennie took over Star, and has been saving like a mad dog to fix them both.

Ceci decided that it was a lot of work and money to keep Milkshake and decided to give her away too. Meanwhile Milkshake is making a little nest with hay and her own fur, a sure sign she is pregnant, or at least she thinks she is. She and Tennie's bunny were on the tramp together for just a few minutes about a month ago...but it doesn't take long for a bunny to get pregnant. To our welcome relief a young couple at church said they would take her. They love animals. Ceci can come visit whenever she wants. Whew.

Handing over Milkshake

Ceci cried for about 10 minutes after she said goodbye to Milkshake, but she hasn't said a word since. Now we just have to separate Tennie's bunnies...

Not my will but Thine

Our lives have never really been our own. Each step of the way, each big decision, has been directly guided by a Father in Heaven who, we believe, sat down with us before we came and taught us how to carry out the purposes he had for us. In retrospect His hand in our lives is very clear. Even these last years have proven to be a tremendous blessing to us, and we are overwhelmingly grateful for all that we have learned and become. We never expected to be where we are right now. We thought that by the end of last summer we would be starting on a new professional/life adventure. Geoff had received a powerful priesthood blessing at the end of our year in France that led us to believe all would come together very soon. But God’s thoughts and ways are not our ways, and we have learned to be patient and submissive to God’s will. We felt very strongly to “set up camp” here at Geoff’s parents. We weren’t sure why since this seemed the least likely place to provide the social interaction the girls lacked in France, but God is all-knowing, and he has provided us many experiences that have changed our course in one way or another. What an unpredictable and thrilling ride life is!

Sitting still and “waiting” isn’t something that comes easily for Geoff and me. We are both doers. But the clear revelation that has continued to come these past many months has been: sit tight and wait. We have asked ourselves, “How long?”, and we have wondered, “For what?” At times it has felt that the heavens were relatively silent. Fabulous opportunities have come and gone without feeling right, and we have waited. Some have asked what we are waiting for. Shouldn’t we just “get a job”? We have asked that question, too. Again the answers come: sit tight and wait. So here we are.

Let me clarify, though. We aren’t just sitting around. Oh how I wish we were some days! Geoff has been busy writing his thoughts on healing. He is on the boards (and doing a lot of advising) of some really awesome socially responsible start-up companies. He is reconnecting with his network. His mind is always going and has ideas for starting a few companies of his own. He just returned this past week from a conference in Tanzania Africa. His days are full and busy. He still isn’t 100% with his health, but he is close. We continue to fine tune our lifestyle so we can have the energy to carry out all that we hope to do.

My days are equally full of all that I will eventually get around to writing about. Busy busy days, weeks and months.

When will this chapter of our lives be over, and the next one begin? We could become impatient, we could complain, we could even speculate (admittedly, I have done all of these on occasion), but we are choosing to put our faith in what we have felt to do: sit tight and wait.