The very best good bye

A great good bye is hard to come by, and yet so incredibly important. I can think of a few awesome ones in Berkeley but after that little kids and dozens of details to attend to were getting in the way of a formal sendoff. This one caught me off guard, but couldn't have been better. Heather came over at the crack of dawn to get the Infinity and Winnie to drive to San Antonio ( bless her soul !) As I waved them off - and Winston had a Fabulous startled look on his face like "mom,M O M ..aren't you coming too ?!" I realized there went my last major "have to." The early morning sky which had been threatening rain, decided to let go a bit. I decided to swim..one last time. After family all living so close together ( except for Dalboy who was flying solo out in Salt Lake ) my next Very Favorite thing about Phoenix was - without question - our pool. It took me 52 years to get one, and I was Not disappointed !! I have Always wanted one. And this one was So awesome. Maybe not the look as it was a pretty generic rectangular shape. But the view as we backed right up to a desert preserve and the most Beautiful mountain was perfect. It was The reason I chose the house. As I pulled up with the relator, I seriously gasped. Who cares about the layout, let's buy a desert mountain. It came with scorpions and a rattle snakes. But also rabbits galore that came in our yard all the time, swooping hawks and jaw-dropping sunsets. Every move has the give and take. Back to the pool. Yes, the view was gorgeous..but even better than that really was the fact that it was Ours. I never have the water all to myself - this was new and it was W O N D E R F U L. Talk about Zen, meditation an attitude of gratitude ..this was it all rolled up in one cannonball. And the best of the best..Kerriann taught me how to float on my back. Never could do it. What have I been doing all these years ?! I went swimming almost daily, sometimes more than once. Couldn't reach me the past two years..this is why. Am I making my point clear enough over how much I loved being in my water ?! So I get in by myself for this last swim. It starts to rain. It feels delicious. If I were to get hit by lightning I reason that it would be the best way possible for me to ever go. I stay in and float with the rain tickling my face. I open my eyes to see a beautiful coyote standing on a rock. He is in hunting mode and either doesn't see me or doesn't care. A Hollywood director couldn't have placed a character better. I remain in floating mode so as not to scare him off. This is so incredible..and then 3 other coyotes come right up to our fence. It was the desert saying good bye to me. I started crying. It was truly a gift from God. I like those kind.

Boot Camp Moving

  Oh Yay..I'm pumped.

Back in the Tukee and packing.

Leaving the little Bowen family and our Foothills ward is going to be tough. Real tough.  So that is Not what I am pumped about.

It is the cleaning out, the purging, the eve of a new adventure.

Hello, my name is Deb ( not Debbie..but chances are you will call me that anyway..ha) and I am a
      MOVING JUNKIE.

Good thing, eh ?!  As I am married to a man obessed with taking new jobs and moving his family all over the place.   Ha Ha Ha....there are those who know better :)

But I am here to rhapsodize about packing up a house. I should have done it for a living.  I still could. Call me if you need it done.

Aforementioned husband left for texas to set up a new life. He left all our boys in utah.  Kerriann is with me, but she is working and oddly taking on overtime shifts at work. hmmmm.

They all know me.  THIS is a workout and don't get in my way. It isn't meant for corporate executives or teenage boys .  This is business.

And that it is not that I am mean, grumpy or witchy.  Quite the opposite..I am Pure energy !!


       I turn off the air to Really get the sweat flowing.
       No caffeine needed or wanted. ( refer to PURE )
       I am relentless. DI rolls out the red carpet for me.
       And when I go down to DI or Home Depot ( because That is where us mover types hang ) I drive
      in Denvers old white truck - again with no air, but the windows down and the music jamming.
      I haven't gone to country yet..yet..but I feel it coming on.

The non-sentimental issue needs to be addressed as I go into hyper-drive purging.
It feels Awesome.

Oh, the cat and dogs have gone into hiding as I just might, you know, pull a Sue and drive by a animal shelter !!  Bahahah.   C'mon, y'all I am kidding about that. I let them ride in the back of the truck and bark at unsuspecting joggers we pass. " Sissy"  I yell out at them, " you want a Real workout..come help me move !!!"

I should add that we have movers coming but I am going to be SO DANG READY that professional movers will talk about me for Years to come .  Ha

I should probably go turn the AC back on..turning a wee bit loopy !!  ha

a memory that isn't quite mine

Went to Brianna's singles ward yesterday. It is in a cool old neighborhood, and as we pulled up I thought, what a lovely building. I have been swept off my feet with Salt Lake this visit.  I love it.  The city is charming and green - it has a definite soul. Her chapel somehow caught the Whole feeling.

It was built years and years ago. Long enough that it is now nestled among great trees.  The trees are marvelous.  When you live in the desert you Must have great big shade giving trees.

The musty smell that enters your nostrils immediately upon entering starts the memory that isn't quite mine.  But I will take it anyway.  I don't even know if I would call it renovated ,but it is clean and well maintained.  That part doesn't matter though because it is simply brimming with charm.

Why have the modern day buildings stopped putting in windows ?!  Not just a few, but banks of them. When you walk down the halls one side is completely glass and they all look out into a courtyard, a grassy courtyard with yet another big , old tree. Oh, and this particular site had a neat brick barbeque/fire pit built into the wall. If I was  a Beehive leader here I would hold all our activities outside here in this space.  Classes too.  I would even say sacrament meeting ..but then I walked into the chapel.

How Darling ( yes, that is the word I am going to choose ) is this main room ?! Large windows flank the one side , letting in light and even air if they wanted. ( I wish they had wanted.) The choir seats were at an angle , and filling out the corner in a triangular fashion.  They were not directly behind the podium. In fact,  the bishopric was seated far to the right because when they needed an overflow they opened up the metal curtain to the side not in the back.  It was a small chapel and this was just a singles ward, so I am sure it gets opened all the rest of the time. The wall decorations went along with this sliding theme. They were wooden slats put into geometric patterns, with an occasional atomic blue square thrown in. Which gave the suggestion of perhaps it was renovated at some point.

From my vantage point I couldn't help but visually wander off to the foyer. Huge floor to ceiling windows with mid century turquoise drapes that infused the whole room ( 9 am ) with a Wonderful light !  I would have loved to take a picture..but I doubt it truly could have been caught , and I Was in church ( tacky.)

Happened to be the ward conference and the bishop,patriarch and stake president were talking...and there was a lovely spirit to just cap off this experience. I was definitely in the right place at the right time

The closing hymn was "come,come,ye saints"...in an old chapel , in the tree lined streets of Salt Lake..perfect or what ? ( ok, sure it is July so the chances were pretty good this was going to be sung..but still..I'll take it. And make my own memory :)

a very merry christmas..

                                               Laie, Hawaii 2012

   
           LaVell Edwards stadium...there's no place like home

               turning Chelsie onto sea glass shelling

                

  

 

                                             and a great new year..

   Professional runners like Sue have their perfected running playlists.  Then there are those whose running  is so pure that they only need the slap of their footprint to keep them going.  Beautiful.

  But me ?  Each time I run I have to find my rhythm  for that day.  Some day it just clicks immediately. Mostly I have to go through many songs to get in my groove.  Ahhhh, but when I do find it..I am in heaven.

 It doesn't come as any surprise that my whole life runs on this practice. Except that the "days it clicks immediately" are Very rare.

 My sweet Dallin asked me to write down my conversion story. That he had  heard bits and pieces all his life , but never really the whole experience. Well - I thought , I have born my testimony enough times to easily crank this out on paper. And heaven knows I retell stories often enough..ha ( had to say that before you thought it !) Should be simple.

  I put on my music - because I always need a playlist going in my head. I put pen to paper and it started to flow. But I couldn't stop it, and I couldn't stop the tears. And it still kept coming, and the music selections were excellent. I told Dallin that it wasn't a pretty story because it had to include everything..but it was nirvana to me. It was cathartic to me.  Thank-you for asking Dallin, you always keep me on the right playlist :)

october 31st

                                   Jane could not have been more darling as Tinkerbell !!

                         Harrison kept the odd Haycock tradition of collecting as MUCH candy as possible. Went out with a huge group of deacons and beehives. Only "snowboarder" in the gang..we aren't in utah anymore !

                         Made our traditional spaghetti and eyeballs for dinner..somehow though, these look "friendly"...kind of like Elmo with blood shot eyes.  Still tasty :)

            Love this picture of peter pan ( NOT robin hood..as some mistakenly thought.)

              Poppy and Cooper dressed alike for daytime activities.   Happy guys these two.

            Kerriann went as kitty purry.  she even posed as a sleeping cat for me. a Good halloween !

Desmond makes our house a home :)

Painting the house "tahoe blue".  Well, I 'm not..we hired someone.  I'm excited.

Harrison is going to have thousands of " I had an old mum " stories.  This is the latest one.  The bear had to get braces..again.  Had them back in first grade, but knew there was going to be a second part.  I ask other (younger) mothers in the ward what orthodontist they go to. Whoa !!  There is an opener if you are ever at a loss at what to say in a conversation.  People Love to talk about their experiences with their childrens orthodontist.  Thats good, let them do the investigating.  I mean really ,What exactly do you ask a dentist during an "interview"....are you good ?   do you use mouthwash before you see a patient ?  are you creepy ?  These are just things you find out in your own good time.   So we went to one that everyone raved about.

"TEAM   ORTHODONTICS"...yeah, the name says it all.  Now I am not questioning the mans knowledge or ability,  he seems more than capable.  And the staff is quite friendly.  But the office personifies the name, and the whole idea of "TEAM" went into hyper drive. The attitude and mood is beyond ( way beyond ) cheerful, positive and spunky.  Saturday Night Live could easily create a sketch  on this place.   Don't get me wrong, braces serve their purpose and I am grateful that this orthodontist can pull off this service for Harrisons little mouth.  But people, dental work is Not cool, hip and happening.  It is not the happiest place on earth.  By the end of an hour long tour and sales pitch, I could no longer contain my snarky side.  I could see the fear in Harrisons eyes..Resist mom please !! The  word "team" had been said  - easily several dozen times during this hour.  

       " Tell me, do you all start the morning off with a team cheer ?!" 

She didn't laugh ( oh, we weren't with the doctor , we were with the team coordinator of course.) I looked around at the other moms who were being lead on their own tours with their own gawky young teen....and I do believe they were buying into this stepford practice.  It is going to be a  long 18 months for both Harrison and I !!