Angela – Page 236 – Letters from Home

Mr. Wonderful

Richard at Provo River

Dear Richard,

I just thought I’d thank you for driving us up to Utah (and by this, I mean, Utah Valley as opposed to St George, which as you know, I don’t consider part of Utah proper). Truly, this was a really great trip for our family, and well, Me.

Thank you for buying us tanks to blow up. It really is like throwing cash right into the fire, isn’t it? You were a good sport about that.

Thank you for waiting in the van while I ran into Wal-Mart not one, but two different times within a day so the kids could watch their movie in the van and Daniel and I could have clean shirts for the reunion.

Richard playing ping pong

Thank you for taking lots of pictures for me to share with my parents on the blog. I hope you won that ping pong game, or that you held back from creaming my brother, throwing the game for the sake of family relations. Either way, I’m happy.

Thanks for gently reminding me that we decided 800 pixels, not 600 pixel width for our blog photos. You are right. The pictures look better BIG.

Richard and Mark

And thanks for being such a nice dad, giving rides on the mower, buying lots of chicken nuggets and fries, and dropping us off at the parade and then walking a mile, carrying doughnuts and pop tarts for us to eat at the parade. You were a good sport when we discovered that we didn’t have enough folding chairs for you to have a seat. If Richard II hadn’t noticed your plight, I bet you would have stood there the whole parade without complaining.

And I love you for it. Man, you look good in red.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO,

Danish Delight

Nielson

Soren and Serena Nielson

Nielson reunion 7-4-09

and a FEW of their descendants on the 4th of July. Note all the blonde hair. Go Denmark!

I wish we’d all taken some more time and arranged ourselves near our children (and allowed Richard and me to sit in those two empty chairs.) I think most were just in a hurry to get out of the sun, as evidenced by the group yell of, “Melanoma” to the camera to make our group unite in smile. (Those Danes!) Daniel and Timothy are on the far left and Paige is holding Mark in the middle. Richard and I are in the far right, kneeling just behind the kids.

Eric and Camille Nielson hosted the reunion in their lovely home in Holladay. Look at that awesome treehouse behind us. The boys spent the whole time exploring in the trees in the back yard.

Spring Lake ramblings

Round House

I’ve allowed myself to slip into a deep summer reverie; I’m working (yes, it takes work for me) to enjoy every minute of summertime. I work too hard and enjoy too little most of the time. Silly me.

Our stay at Spring Lake was so brief, but very special.

Sunday was our last day at the Round House. After church, the kids enjoyed a quiet afternoon at the frog pond. Richard read a book; I walked around the property, taking photos. I wanted to remember the feelings of the day and I hoped pictures would help. Aunt Susan was in my thoughts all day. I looked down the road where she grew up and took time to think of her as a young girl, running around this little town.

Secret Garden

The Secret Garden, always such a special place, with its places to sit and rest and bits of interest like the Thinking Rock, tiger lilies, yellow brick pathway, money bushes, and more remains true to its name.

Pathway

I love a good, rustic pathway and the rustle of leaves as I move down the lane.

New Oak trees

New oaks at my feet and a canopy of tall oaks over my head taught me new life lessons simple and profound and not easily expressed.

2009-07-05 4th of July 166

I studied the tiles for an extra long time, smiling at the thought of a young Aunt Susan not being able to resist taking a pretty tile home many years ago.

restful spot

On the deck, the usual restful spot awaited me, bathed in green light filtered through the trees. I found a plaster of paris mold that Dad made in 1961 of a seahorse sitting on a table there. I smiled, picturing Dad just a little older than Daniel.

Enchantment at the Frog Pond

Echoing through the property was the sound of my children laughing and splashing together at the frog pond, enjoying the details so carefully created by Dad. This may be one of his most powerful lessons: children need rocks, dirt, and water to be happy.

Explorer

And here, these things are in abundance.

Ross children

The kids sought me out and asked me to take a picture of them on Grandma’s swing. Pow! I felt so much gratitude for them…

Timpanogos

My wanderings took me up the road, to the spot that was burned last summer. The foreground still looks marred, but the view had the same effect that it always has on me. I had the usual sharp intake of breath as I tried to comprehend it all. I’ve never felt this powerfully about any other place. And again the view taught me quiet and powerful lessons impossible to describe.

And there was healing in the thoughts of family, home, heritage, and a loving Creator.

And then I walked down the hill and we drove away from my own personal Walden Pond, resolved to live with more simplicity, more faith, and greater effort to find joy.

Tanks Ablaze

The competitors

As a warm-up for July 4th the next day, Paul and Care invited us to Tank Wars at their house. After dinner, Paul shared his fireworks and we doctored up some tanks so they had some real power. Here, the competitors assembled for the carnage…

Timothy and Mark's tanks

They proudly displayed their arsenals.

Paige and Mom's arsenal

Paige and I even prepared some Barbie Carnage Tanks.

Timothy reacts

It was dearly entertaining to watch the reactions of the kids…

Mark reacts

This was Mark’s first experience with fireworks. He was mesmerized.

Ruby and Timothy react

It was loud, but most of the kids watched from the edge of the curb, which is as close as we would let them sit.

Solomon reacts

Cutie Solomon was amazed.

Paige and Ruby

Ruby and Paige were less impressed, but found some things to chat about.

Isaac "likes smoke"

Isaac confessed, “I like smoke!” as he chased it down the street.

Ammon reacts

Ammon was just happy to be there.

Charlotte reacts

Charlotte blew patriotic bubbles since she was too young to make a tank.

Tank Carnage

Tank Wars Day 1 was a fiery success. Tank Wars Day 2 took place at the Round House with even more competitors with a larger army of tanks. Installing that hornet rocket on my Big Mama Tank was definitely against my better judgment a great idea!

Hip, hip, Parade!

Parade 1

We drove 14 hours to attend Provo’s July 4th parade with cousins and family. You can’t beat a really good parade. Mom always loved the parade more than the kids. I’m finally getting it and I’m pretty sure I loved it more this year than I ever did before. Why?

Daniel in tree

…Because the parade gave Daniel a chance to climb a tree;

4th of July 013

I got to sit with my siblings and their families at the old TPM homestead on University Avenue, in a place so traditional that even Mayor Billings searched the crowd, mouthing the word, “Sanchez” to his daughters trying to find us from the convertible in which he sat for the parade.

4th of July Tank

We saw a tank in action. Now when do you ever get to see a tank rumbling down the road?

4th of July Missionary standing ovation

There was the standing ovation for the LDS Missionary float. I lifted Mark on my shoulders and he caught the excitement and waved to the missionaries with all his might.

Henry

Our nephew, Henry was in a band in the parade. So was his sister, Katie.

Why do I love a parade more than ever? Well, it’s all about beautiful things; it celebrates youth, honors old age, and makes me feel patriotic and reminds me of my childhood. That’s something to get excited about.

The Circle of Life

2008-09-13 Madera Canyon

Mark, worried about the idea that his mama might someday be a grandma instead said,

“I wish we could have some magic to turn grandmas back into mamas and grandpas back into daddies.”

(6/27/09)

II.

In a related conversation about the course of life, Mark asked,

“When I grow up what will I do?”

I said, “You will be a Cub Scout.”

“And play baseball?”

I replied, “Yes, if you want to. And you’ll be a missionary and then get married and be a daddy…”

At this point in the sentence, Mark wisely continued the thought, “And pay for all the stuff at the store…”

(4/16/09)

Who smokes?

2008-08-26 Aug 003

Using some less than admirable slang, I said, “Holy smokes!”

To which Mark replied, “Who smokes?”

This same exchange happened no fewer than 3 times on June 26, 2009.

Wondershirts

4th of July shirts 003

So, I have this embroidery machine that really makes me happy and Michael’s had t-shirts on sale for $2.50 so it was determined that we will have Embroidered Wondershirts for the 4th of July parade. (The parade, by the way, that we are driving 14 hours to see…and it had better just be “partly cloudy” as forecasted.)

4th of July shirts 007

Luckily, Michael’s also had the essential Pop Rocks available, too. Ahh, the simple pleasures of July 4th traditions!

Sarah Sees Sahuarita

Bryan and Sarah at the lake

Yesterday, Sarah and Bryan had a Sahuarita experience. We took them sight-seeing at the lake.

water lily blossom

We showed them “our” pond where a water lily was in bloom for the occasion.

tortoise ride

Daniel and Mark showed off the tortoises.

Mark runs free

And Mark enjoyed some freedom.

Daniel and Timothy puppeteers

In the evening after a meal of fajitas and watermelon, we embarked on adventures in entertainment. Audience admission was a slot to perform in our talent show. Richard played piano, Paige danced (on film), Daniel played piano, Timothy produced, directed, and acted in a Potato Head Puppet Show, Sarah sang an awesome solo, and I played the guitar and as we all sang together.

Bryan on the harmonica

Bryan gifted us with his debut harmonica performance. Nicely done, man!

We like to Move It

Mark’s talent was all about dance, running, and a basketball. He then got us all moving to one of his favorite songs, I Like To Move It…

We Moved It some More

And then we were all on our feet, dancing despite the storm outside…

Defying Gravity

And suddenly my hair defied gravity and for this and many other reasons, I call the day a success.

Newlyweds

Thanks for giving us a reason to celebrate, you two.

We love Sue

Susan

We are praying for you, Susan. We love you! Get well soon.

(Photo from Sanchez blog)

The joie de vivre that personifies Susan is affecting. Her attention to such details as specially wrapped chocolates on a sick bed or blue corn tortilla chips over more commonplace varieties makes us feel special. Her fashions, whimsical and elegant, so willingly shared with me during my teenage years made me feel like an heiress; her laugh, engaging and full, has invited us to join in her enchantment for just a minute as we have laughed along with her.

Susan embraces all things lovely and makes them seem more lovely by her attention. And God who knows and loves her best is watching over her in her illness while we pray for the recovery of her heath and spirits.

I feel blessed to have a very special Great-Aunt Susan, who is much greater than this terrible cancer.