Best Friends Forever

My family moved to New Mexico when I was in 7th grade.  It was not an easy transition for our family, and certainly not for me.  It was hard to make friends, especially friends that shared anything close to my values.  There were a few girls in my ward that were my age, and while we were friendly on Sundays, I can't say we were really friends.  But that changed when I was about 16.  I started working at Subway, and so did Amanda Pyne.  She was one of the girls in my ward, but we didn't move in the same social circles.  Until we realized that we were destined to be best friends!  Starting with the job at Subway, and all the way through our freshman year of collage, we were inseparable.  We had a fair amount of our classes together, we worked together, we went to the gym together, we went to church together...we did everything together!  Somehow, though, life got the better of us.  I stayed at BYU after our freshman year, and Amanda went back to New Mexico to attend UNM.  We stayed in touch pretty well, up until I got married and then she got married.  Then life just got busy.  But recently we found that we can stay in really great touch by texting throughout the day.  That led to us realizing that the 8 years between visits had been WAY too long!  And as it would turn out, Amanda's husband Jerry is a genealogy buff and really wanted to travel to Utah to check out the Family History Center.   It didn't take long before plans were made, and Jerry, Amanda, and Mikey were on their way to Utah!

They got to our house on Sunday evening, and Danny had a special dinner planned.  He had brined and smoked a beautiful pork roast, and it was amazing!  We enjoyed dinner and visiting.  It was the first time that I had met Amanda's son Mikey, and it was the first time she had met either of our boys.  I had met Jerry once when they were dating when they were in Provo visiting Amanda's older brother, and she had met both Danny and the girls.  But this was our first chance to really get to know each others' families.  And even though years had passed, we didn't miss a bet.  We laughed and looked through my blog books, and let the kids wreak havoc.

On Monday, we just let the kids play and we hung out.  Jerry and Amanda got the crappiest rental car in the history of ever, so he spend a good portion of the day trying to get that straightened out.  Around lunch time, they took Mikey back to the hotel with the hopes of a nap, while I got Luke down for a nap at home.  We were planning on heading into Salt Lake when Danny got home, and we wanted the kids rested.  Jerry wanted to check out the Family History Center, and get a feel for the parking situation and all so he could come back on Tuesday and get some research done.  We spent only a few minutes in the library.  It closes early on Mondays for FHE, and the environs weren't really conducive to all the small children present. :)  We walked through Temple Square, taking in the sights and letting the kids roam.  We then made our way to City Creek, since Amanda and Jerry had never been.  The fountains are always a big hit with the kids.

We shopped around some of the stores, and just enjoyed the evening.  We eventually made our way to Kneaders for dinner.  A lot of the girls in Amanda's ward in New Mexico are Utah transplants, and they are always going on and on about how much they missed Kneaders.  Amanda couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, so we had to go there for dinner.  She gets it now.  Totally and completely gets it.  Kneaders is a beautiful thing. :)

I didn't realize how much I missed my friend until I was able to spend so much time with her again!  We both know that we were meant to be friends.  The Lord has blessed us each so much by our association with one another.  

It's crazy to think that at one point we were teenage girls, feeling for all the world like we were grown ups.  We weren't!  But somewhere along the line we did grow up...and now we're surrounded by a whole passel of kids!  Crazy!

It didn't take too long for the kids to start to get tired.  So we made our way back to the cars.  On our way back through Temple Square, we decided to take a quick look in the Assembly Hall that is just south of the Tabernacle.  I've never been in there before, and it was beautiful!  Some sweet sister missionaries took our picture for us...

  We had parked over by the Family History Center, which is also next to the Church History Museum.  Claire really wanted to take a look, so the families split up at that point.  Poor Mikey hadn't been getting all the rest he usually gets, and he was ready for bed! 

I have never been through the Church History Museum, and it's amazing!  And it was so neat to watch Danny take the opportunity to teach our children about the Joseph Smith and the Restoration.  I married such an incredible man.

While Danny was teaching the kids, I wandered a bit.  I came across the death masks for Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  They were incredible.  I had no idea they used death masks then!  But I'm so glad they did.  I have read accounts that say that Joseph was a handsome man, but in the paintings we use in the Church...I really don't see it.  But I could in the masks.  And I could see the resemblance between these two brothers.  I could have stayed and stared at those masks all night.  It made those two great mean real to me, possibly for the first time.  It was amazing.

But the children weren't nearly as willing to stand in one place, so we continued to walk around the museum.  A sister missionary told us to be sure to take the kids upstairs to the children's section before we left.  It was so neat!  The girls got to translate some golden plates...

...and Johnny fished off Nephi's boat!

There were costumes to try on, and ethnic dances being taught by video.  I got an awesome video of Danny dancing a traditional Mexican dance.  Priceless!  Luke didn't get to do much of any of this, so before we left, we let him take a ride in a firetruck with his brother and sisters...and a giant iguana. :)

Needless to say, we got the kids home WAY passed bedtime.  And they were exhausted!  But it was such an awesome night, and totally worth it.  The next morning, I picked up Amanda and Mikey for some shopping while the kids were in school, and Jerry made his way back to the Family History Center.  I was dying to take Amanda to Tai Pan, and she had charged us with finding something to go on her amazing mantle.  We shopped, and conquered. :)  I love shopping with someone else's money!  It was so fun to shop and talk together, and Mikey and Luke enjoyed some mini male bonding.

Then we had an amazing lunch at home.  But it needs some back story.  New Mexico has a few things that I miss terribly.  First, and obviously, is Amanda.  Then, tied for second, is amazing green chile on EVERYTHING and a little place called Dion's.  I can't even number how many times I ate at Dion's.  It's kind of the go-to place in Rio Rancho/Albuquerque.  They serve pizza, salads, and sandwiches.  And everything is amazing!  It's been way too long since I've had me some Dion's.  And Amanda knew this.  So what does a best friend do?  Buys some Dion's pizza dough, keeps in cold in a cooler packed with ice for a two day drive, and gives it to her friend for memory's sake!  Isn't she awesome?  We picked up some pizza fixings and some root beer, and made lunch at home.  It. Was. Amazing!  One of the most beautiful and tasty pizzas ever to come out of my oven. :)

The kids decided the special occasion deserved a toast.  I'm sure the root beer in glass bottles had absolutely nothing to do with it. :)

After lunch, we let the kids play and we just sat.  Mostly because Luke needed a nap and would only sleep on my lap.  We enjoyed some "Studio C", and even Mikey ended up closing his eyes for a bit.  Tuesday night was our last night together, so we were determined to go out with a bang.  Which for me and mine means more food. :)  We introduced Amanda and Jerry to the wonders of Kneaders, but they had yet to know the joy of Cafe Rio.  So that was dinner!  And it was predictably delicious.  Since we provided the idea for dinner, Amanda provided the idea for entertainment.  They were staying at a hotel after all, so it was kind of obvious.  Swimming!

I don't have a single picture.  Hard to do when everyone was wet.  Usually, I stay out of the pool and take pictures for progeny's sake.  It has nothing to do with how I feel in a bathing suit. :)  But this was a special occasion, because we were going to let Luke get his feet wet in the pool!  So I was on Luke-duty on the steps while Danny swam with the older kids.  Again, it was awesome to sit in the pool with my best friend and watch our babies swim.  The only bad part was the inevitable "goodbye" hanging over our heads.  Time didn't seem to care how much fun we were having, or how much I had needed this time with my friend.  We had to say goodbye...

But this time, it won't be for 8 years!  We'll get together again as soon as we can.  And now we know, when you're really best friends, time can't separate you completely.  The Lord has been so good to me in bringing such precious friends into my life.  And I'm so grateful that Amanda and her family used their precious time and resources to come visit us.  We love you guys!

Unfinished Projects and Premature Aging

When we bought our house, the first thing we did...before we even moved our stuff in...was repaint the boys' bedroom.  But we overestimated how much time it would take, and we weren't able to finish before we had to just get moved in.  Danny and I promised ourselves and each other it wouldn't take years to finish.  We would finish in soon.  We really would this time!  We didn't. :)  February 1st was a Saturday, I thought we should do a project.  So we decided to finally put the chair rail up in the boys' room!  We called Papa to see if he could help us, and he was more than happy to.  These Call boys love a good project. 

Luke couldn't help, but he was happy to supervise. :)

It turned out fantastic!  And we swore up and down that we'd get that rail, closet doors, and bedroom doors painted the next weekend.  It didn't happen. :)  Stay tuned for the finished product in somewhere between 10-19 months! :)

Yesterday marked 100 days of school for Claire.  The first graders were all asked to dress like they were 100 years old, and Claire looked great for 100!  We went shopping at the DI for something for her to wear, and came across this delightful muumuu, that has now become a favorite nightgown.  The baby powdered hair in curlers and overdone makeup (complete with eyeliner wrinkles) were the perfect accessories to her outfit!  She looked fantastic!

iJanuary

There are so many moments that we capture with our iPhones.  It's so fun to look back and see these daily memories.  When you put them all together, along with the big memories that all have their own posts, I can really see our life in its entirety.  And I love it!  Even though nothing major happened in January besides Luke's radiation and the family influenza outbreak of 2014, there were a lot of fun moments in the month!

The kids started out the new year with some fun at Grandma and Papa's house.  There's nothing like the giant fort. :)

The best part of Luke's 10 days of radiation was the certificate saying he was done!  Way to go, Luke!

Claire is such an artist.  She is constantly at the kid's art table making one creation or another.  But I think her Daddy was most proud of this one. :)  

Even with the radiation, Luke was just doing so awesome.  He was growing up before our eyes!  He loved the horse that Santa gave him, and loved the independence that it afforded him.  

We spent a lot of time home as a family during January, and it was wonderful.  We found different ways to past the time together, though I think that the girls' beauty salon was one of my favorites. :)

Having a baby that was sick for so long, you really appreciate all the little things.  Like an 18 month-old sitting on the floor with his fruit snacks and bottle, watching his favorite cartoon.  Priceless.

And then the influenza hit.  I haven't been so sick in as long as I can remember!  It's not a flattering picture at all, but this sums up about 10 days out of January.  Not pretty, people.  Not pretty.

The oils really did save us.  They took care of Danny's nasty cough in 24 hours, and Luke's as well.  They helped to relieve the awful pain in my neck and back, and I really do think they helped us get over it quicker.  Thank goodness for doTerra!

And we ended the month on a high note.  Luke graduated into being a naughty little boy...just like he should be!  I love the horse, but I didn't take into account how much freedom it would actually give Luke.  Until I found him wrapped up in toilet paper and wet from playing in the toilet.  Gag.  I'm SO glad it had been flushed.  But my skin still crawls thinking of my little cancer patient playing in the toilet!  Ugh...

So there you have it.  Our month by iPhone.  I love it. :)

Where Did January Go?

I can sum January up in two words: Influenza and Radiation.  Between those two things, not much else happened!  Luke started the first of 10 doses of radiation for the tumor on his shoulder on January 2nd.  For two and a half weeks, Luke had to go without breakfast and be up to Huntsman Cancer Hospital by 7:30 am or so.  The details of this grand adventure will be in Luke's blog.  But suffice it to say, radiation pretty much dominated our days for that two and a half weeks.

It wasn't more than a few days into our first full week of radiation that influenza came to visit our house.  We all got our flu mists, with the exceptions of Luke, so we thought we were safe.  Danny was the first one to get sick.  He came home from taking Luke one morning, and just laid down on the couch.  His fever was pretty high, and he was miserable.  Luke started to show symptoms that night.  And it was the next day that I started to feel pretty sick.  Danny and I haven't both been sick at the same time for 6 years!  It was awful.  Luckily for us, our mothers came to the rescue.  Grandma Call took the older three kids for a couple of days so that Danny and I could rest, and Grandma Candy brought much needed groceries, dinner, and medicine.  I don't know how we would have survived without them!  After a few days, both Danny and I started to feel like we were on the mend, and then Claire and Johnny started to be sick.  We went a couple of nights with little to no sleep with the kids being sick.  I think it was due to the lack of sleep that I started feeling not so well again.  It only took one night before I was into the doctor.  I was in so much pain!  My fever was high again, and my neck and back hurt so terribly.  The doctor was worried about the potential of the flu virus crossing the blood-brain barrier and becoming viral meningitis.  He told us that if I got any worse at all, I was to go directly to the ER.  Fun.  So, Danny and I spent a day or so always wondering if I should go in.  Luckily, I started to turn the corner.  A few days after that, and I was back to my normal, tired self. :)  By this point, the other kids all seemed to be feeling better, and Luke was done with radiation and over the flu himself....and it was basically the end of January! :)

We did have a fun evening on Saturday, January 25th.  We celebrated Grandma and Papa's birthdays with a yummy dinner.  Papa requested Surf and Turf, so Danny smoked some salmon and we grilled up some marinated steaks.  It was an amazingly delicious meal!  And it was fun to all be together after a month of seclusion. :)

We found some fun gifts for Grandma and Papa this year.  For Grandma, we found a gorgeous preserved lavender wreath.  It was so doTerra-ey!  She loved it, and promptly put it on the door leading to the basement.  It looks beautiful!  And for Papa, Danny ordered a BYU oval "Y" hitch cover for Papa's new truck.  It was just what Papa wanted!  And it pretty much looks amazing on the truck.  We were happy to find such perfect gifts for two perfect parents and grandparents. :)

With January in the books, Danny and I aren't sure what to think about 2014!  Last year turned out to be the most difficult year of our lives...and at the end of 2012 I said the same thing!  If January is any indication, we're in for a trip! :)  I suppose we wouldn't have it any other way...

The Newest Sunbeam

That's right!  Johnny entered Primary with the new year, and became our newest Sunbeam!  Johnny has loved his time in Nursery, and I wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to the change.  But he loved it!  And he loves his new teachers.  But I think his favorite part is being with Claire and Sophie in Primary. :) I can't believe my handsome little man is growing up so fast!  I'm excited to watch his love for the gospel grow as he learns the precious truths taught in Primary.