Family Visit

I have not yet mentioned that my sister and her family came to visit me a couple of weeks ago.  It was the first time I had seen them since my wedding, so I was really excited to have them come.  I had been highly anticipating their visit for weeks, yet they still managed to surprise me by showing up on my doorstep a day earlier than I expected. Everyone (Keith, the neighbors, my other family members) were all in on the secret, and surprisingly no one spilled the beans.  Imagine my shock when I opened the door to see my nieces and nephews instead of the UPS man!!

Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures, but we sure had a wonderful time together.  Jennie's older three kids camped out on our living room floor, while she with Nick and the youngest slept at the neighbors' (we have great neighbors).  We ate meals around our tiny kitchen table, played games on our even tinier end table, and were generally squished, melted, and happy together in our small and hot apartment.

Their visit did fall a couple weeks shy of the official opening of summer (and most activities) in Edmonton, but we still managed to have fun.  We walked across the High Level Bridge, visited the farmers' market, enjoyed the Muttart Conservatory, walked around the West Edmonton Mall, played glow-in-the-dark miniature golf and 5-pin bowling, and just had fun.  It was great!

I love my family!!

P.S.:  We know have two blowup mattresses that fit snugly in our living room.  We LOVE visitors (hint, hint).

Dear Mom:

Thanks for believing in us, putting up with us,

and straight up loving us.

Happy Mother's Day!

Home

I was doing so well today.  I was up early, making pie and kneading dough, getting ready for our Thanksgiving feast.  I cut the ham and mixed the potatoes, candied the pecans, and tossed the salad.  I talked to my family via skype, cleaned the kitchen, and waited for the rest of the food to cook and for Keith to come home.  I was going to be just fine.

But then during dinner Keith said something about family and this place not being our HOME home.  And then he gave me a hug.  It was the hug that undid me, and I just couldn't take it any longer.  I was homesick.  Utterly and completely.

I thought that sitting down at my new digital piano (more on it later) might help to ease my heart.  I don't have much in the way of music yet, but I do have a Christmas album.  Thinking of Santa and snow, I flipped through the book and began to play.  But my fingers did not ring out the merry tunes of Yuletide.  Instead they strummed the chords of wistful longing.  Mirthless melodies were the only music that fit my melancholic mood, and Christmas is full of them.

It caused me to reflect that on this Thanksgiving, I am most grateful for HOME.  My home, Keith's home, OUR home.  I am thankful, not only for the roof above me and the walls around me, but for the feeling that home gives me, a sense of belonging and understanding.  I am such a lucky girl to have so many people to love and so many places to feel love back.

Even though I was missing home something fierce today, I still had a great Thanksgiving.  And I think I showed Keith a little more of what TRUE Thanksgiving is all about.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

For the Love of Family

We started all nice and proper,

But were told to get a little closer and a little crazy.

And then someone started pushing

Which caused Keith to go down.

But he was okay.

I blame Daniel.

Pie

My mom and I stopped at Deseret Book this evening.  Just as we were walking out of the door to head home, I caught one last whiff of their Lion House rolls.  Only partially joking, I said to my mother that I had really wanted a pie, but we were now leaving without one.  She surprised me by promptly turning around, charging right back into the store, and walking straight to the Pantry counter.  There we found a beautiful thing: we found a coconut cream pie for 50% off.  Nothing like a Lion House pie for 6 bucks! 

Later, as we were eating the pie at home, I was reminded of a slip of paper I found a few months ago.  I was digging in some old scrapping stuff my mother had and I found a poem I had written in 4th or 5th grade.  I was surprised that my mother had kept this little poem of mine for so many years, and had stowed it away with photos and other memories.  I was surprised she had kept it...but not really because, you see, my mother always knew I would one day be a writer.

Enjoy!

The Banana Cream Pie, by Jill 

(4th or 5th grade Jill)

I'm sorry I threw the pie in your face,

With bananas and cream all over the place.

With cream in your eyes and cream in your hair,

With cream in your nose you looked like a bear.

The bananas and cream looked so tempting to me

and that is why I threw the pie, you see.

If you want to, I am the one to blame.

All I was doing was playing a game.

With everyone laughing and rolling around,

It was extremely funny, is one thing I found.

I won't do it again for all the world's money,

But then, you did kind of look quite funny.

5 Things

1. I attended a cooking class with Megan the other night.  We learned how to make gnocchi.  Now, not only  am I a gnocchi-making fiend, I can finally cross off the first item on my life list for 2012 ("Take some random and ridiculous class").  Nothing is as random as gnocchi.
2. My dad had the hiccups the other day.  This is significant for 2 reasons.  First, in all my 28 years, I don't think I had ever heard my father hiccup (my mother, who has been married to him for almost 33 years, acknowledge the same fact).  And second, I now know where I inherited my very loud and often uncontrollable hiccuping.
3. Last night I saw the Hunger Games with my friends Jill and Crystal.  I thought the movie very well done and it was so fun to go with my girls!  I did shed a tear or two when Rue died, but it was much better controlled then the buckets I cried when I read the scene in the book.
4. Friday night I attended my mission reunion.  I only went because Sister Yang, my second to last mission companion and my trainee from Taiwan, was going to be there and I haven't seen her for 5 years.  It was great to see her and nice to get a hug from President and Sister Nielson, even though I didn't know anyone else there, couldn't find a parking spot within a block of the church, and was falling asleep during the devotional. 
5. As April is National Poetry Month and as I feel like I should show my blog some love, I've decided to sign up for Nablopomo again.  Do you know what that means?  That means that not only do I get to blog every day for the month, I also get to write some poems.  Lucky you. 

A Letter of Apology

Dear Family,

We had fun together this past weekend, didn't we?  We had parties, ate good food, told jokes and stories, and generally had a good time. 

I would like to apologize, however, if any of you soon fall ill.  Remember how two summers ago I wrote this post about the time I was six and was blamed for the neighborhood epidemic of chicken pox?  At the time of writing, I thought I had strep and had been spreading my germs all Memorial Day weekend.  Luckily for you, it turned out to be only mono.  Unlucky for me, it turned out to be only mono...

Anyway, yesterday I came down with a sore throat.  And this morning my tonsils broke out into spots.  And this afternoon I was told I was positive for strep.  So, if you get sick, it's probably because I was spreading my germs all Thanksgiving Day weekend.  Sorry.  I seem to have a thing for infections and holidays. 

Lucky for you, I will be out out town for Christmas.  So feel free to party without me, healthy and happy.  However, don't come around for New Year's: we are notorious for our New Year's Day stomach bugs.

With love and regret,

Jill

Breakfast

This morning the whole family gathered at the McLeans' house for breakfast. I love this family, all of them: brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, uncles, and grandparents. I am so glad that they've always been so welcoming and loving and have basically adopted me.

And don't know any other set of people who make such yummy crepes. :)

Memorium

We had a great memorial service for Dean tonight. It was amazing to see how many people came to honor and remember him. What an awesome kid to have touched so many lives! We sure will miss him. We love you, Dean!

Saintly Tribute

Keith's brother Dean passed away yesterday.  I have only met Dean a couple of times, but it is hard seeing him go.  He is a bright and funny kid, always ready with his quick wit and handsome smile.

I feel that there is something a little significant and beautiful about Dean passing away on November 1.  November 1 is All Saints Day--a day not celebrated in my religion, but a special day, nonetheless.  It is a day to remember the known and unknown saints of the world, and I think it should be broadened to include the saints in our own lives, whether great or small.  Dean had had a difficult life at times, but he had fought hard and was able to overcome his troubles.  He is an inspiration--a saint--to many. 

I am thankful for the knowledge I have of my Savior and the sacrifices He has made so that we can all can live again.  Through His death and His life, we can be made whole and perfect and eternal.  I know that Keith will get to be with his brother again, that his mother will see her son, and that Dean is just waiting on the other side. 

We will miss you, Dean!!!

Pictures From Yellowstone

So...about a month ago the whole family went to Yellowstone. 

It was awesome.  Here are some pictures.

Jamison next to some stinky hole

 

Gibbons Falls



Another stinky hole

Coleman and William at Norris Geyser Valley

A Buffalo!!!

A big rock

Colette, Vera and Jamison at the 45th Parallel

The Petrified Tree

There is a moose in there...somewhere

Something crazy happened here a really long time ago

Tower Falls

A milky, stinky hole

 

Valley of the Stinky Holes



Old Faithful

Fire Hole Lake

Mom and Dad at Upper Falls

Coleman, Daniel, William, Maggie, and Megan (and some dude's backside) at Upper Falls

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

We had fun.  You should come next time.

P.S.  My apologies to any family members who were not featured in this long list of pictures.

P.P.S.  Where am I, you may ask? 

Honestly, I had a giant zit on my face the whole trip. 

No need to document that.

Always Absorbent

Last night I took Jennie's kids for a drive in my new RED car!!!  The drive was going great until Jamison pointed out that Vera had a bloody nose.  Well, not wanting the inside of my car to be the same color as the outside, I pulled over to help the girl out. 

There weren't any napkins in the glove compartment (remember, it is a new car), and digging around my purse yielded zero kleenex or tissue. 

So, I did what I could:  I gave the girl a maxi pad.

Poor Vera.  Eventually the nose bleed stopped, all was well, and my car escaped unscathed.

It was pretty funny, though, to look in my rear view mirror and see Stayfree slapped to her face.

It Runs in the Family

Some people (read 'Keith') think I have an obsession with shopping.  It isn't true.  Yes, shopping is fun, and I do it often, and spending money can make one feel better, but I hardly think I have an addiction.  I can quit anytime I want.

Anyway, last week we had these Kohl's coupons (remember Dumpster Diving?).  Well, when we went to use our coupons, if we spent more than $20 at check out, the machine would print out an additional $10 savings for this week.  What a deal!!

So tonight my mom and I headed back to Kohl's to use our bonus $10 coupons.  As we walked toward the store entrance, my brother-in-law walked out.  As we stepped inside, there were my sister and two of her kids.  And as we progressed through the store, we bumped into one more sister and one more brother-in-law.  All of us at the store on a Thursday evening.  All of us using our extra $10 savings. 

What can I say?  It must be in the genes.

Success

 This is my niece, Maggie.

 Maggie is really hard to capture in photos because she is in constant motion.
A few weeks ago, however, she actually stopped and posed for me.

She's pretty darn cute.

Dumpster Diving Divas

My family went to the zoo once.  I don't remember how old I was, probably 9 or 10, but I remember the day itself fairly well.  The day was hot and the asphalt was sticky.  It was crowded, it was smelly, it was summer.

I think what made the day so memorable was that my mom, who was and still is very interested in saving money, kept fishing Kodak film packages out of the numerous garbage cans around the park.  Apparently there was a big refund for the UPCs, and my mom was taking advantage of the free supply.  I was so embarrassed!  My mom was digging through the garbage at the zoo!  And she compiled quite the collection, too, as she dodge ketchup splats and chewing gum.  We laugh about the experience now, but at the time I was mortified.  And disgusted--that garbage was gross.

Today, I noticed that the newspaper had a Kohl's coupon attached to the front of it.  $10 off of $20 is hard to pass up.  I swiped my ID card and retrieved my free papers.  I pulled off the coupons and went to throw the unneeded papers in the adjacent garbage-can-sized recycle bin.  As I opened the lid, I paused.  There on top was a stack of Salt Lake Tribunes, all new, all unread, and all with a coupon.  Holding up the large lid with one hand, I bent my top half into the big bin and used my free hand to snag the coupons and dig deeper for other hidden treasures. With my bum in the air and most of me in a giant green bin, I must have been quite the sight.

In all, I acquired 10 Kohl's coupons, most of which I gained from the waste paper basket.  It was a good, but not great effort.  You see, this wasn't my first time with my head first in the bin...  But with 10 coupons in hand, I'm going to have some great shopping.  All thanks to digging through the trash.

Like mother, like daughter, I guess.

(I may seem crazy, but at least my garbage was clean.  And recyclable.)

I Have Blogger's Block

I also have really cute twinner nephews.

Yeah, one pretty much looks like the other--even from the back.

For the Love of Family

I had a blast hanging out with all of Keith's extended family this past weekend.  I have met all of them before, (except for Grandma and Grandpa, who I met for the first time after they drove all the way out from Saskatchewan for the wedding), but I had never been with both sides of the family at once.  I had a great time and they are all such great people.  They are friendly and nice, and they just make me laugh.

However, I think what I like best about being with Keith's family is that they all seem to help boost my self esteem.

You see, every time we get together, they give me hugs and tell me how much they like me.  And then they go on to say that if Keith screws it up, they are going to disown him and adopt me.

They make me feel so loved.

But then, they do like to make fun of me.  For example, Keith's aunt was mocking me for using my fork to cut a crepe...  Apparently, cutting food with a fork is an "American" thing to do. 

Bribery Works Wonders

I offered them $5 each...

But they talked me down to $1.

And they had a blast while doing it.

Thanks, Colette, Jamison, and Vera, for a sparkling clean bathroom.

I am the best aunt ever!

Multitasking

Last night I tried playing Mancala with Colette while playing Battleship with Jamison, all at the same time.

It didn't work.

So we scrapped both games and pulled out Candyland.

Those kids cheat.

Missionary Madness

This is Ryan:

Today we took him to the MTC

Where he will prepare to preach the Gospel

In Brazil.

Adeus, Elder Hinckley!

See you in 2 years!