Phone Love

Good thing I'm not really much of a technology person.

And good thing I have the free phone.

Since it happens to be my baby's favorite toy at the moment...

A goose for lunch

We went to look at the spring bunnies and chicks today.

It's an Easter tradition.  And there were some new additions this year, baby geese.

 After some time admiring the two day old geese, an employee asked if Kathryn wanted to hold one.

She did.  And she did a good job too.  I couldn't have done that.  

Probably suppressed memories of my four year old self being chased around the backyard by a goose, biting at my feet.  Just a thought.  Or maybe a fearful uncertainty of animals in general.

And then the employee asked if we wanted a picture of the baby geese by Maxwell.
Something to remember his first Easter by.
And he surprised me.  Which now, surprises me that I was so surprised.  I should have seen it coming.
He reached up and petted the soft, yellow fur of one goose.

And then, reached for the neck of of the other goose.

With his grip of death, he grabbed that baby gosling around the neck.

And proceeded to pull the goose to his mouth.  

I'm not sure if it made it in his mouth or not, because by that point I had screamed and shut my eyes.

It was the only way I knew how to respond.  Luckily, the employee reacted quickly.

She could not stop laughing, and I could not stop telling her how sorry I was.

Sorry that our son almost ate their brand new baby goose for lunch.

As we drove home, I continued to talk about the incident.

Finally Michael said, "Jen, it's not a big deal.  Don't you remember the African babies (from the movie Babies)?  They were eating dirt.  He's going to be okay."

I wasn't really concerned about the germs, but rather that my son almost ate a live animal.
And that all I could do was scream and shut me eyes.  Fight or flight response...I guess I'm a flight-er.

But, serves that goose right for chasing me around the yard and biting my feet.  Payback maybe?

A Treasured Letter

Recently, Michael's parents brought over an old suitcase and some boxes stuffed full of his belongings.

Well in that suitcase, there were all sorts of treasures.  Clothes, yearbooks, trophies and boy scout badges.

But best of all, was a box filled with letter's he'd been sent while serving his mission in Germany.

They were from his parents, siblings, friends from home and friends from areas he had served in.

He spent yesterday looking through and rereading those letters, deciding which to save for his posterity.

And he gave a great sigh of relief when he found one of his most treasured letters of all.

It was written on yellow legal paper by his Grandpa Hiatt in North Carolina.

At the time that he wrote this letter, he was living in a nursing home and suffering from dementia.

His mother sent a picture of him writing the letter and a translation, as it was very difficult for him to write:

March 29, 2003

Dear Michael
Glad to hear from you from your mom.
Play it cool!  Play it easy and don't raise any trouble at all.
(Your) Mom is going to be in N.C. for two (2) weeks.
Take it easy and I am sure things will go well.  Our prayers will go with you'all.
Hope the war will be over soon.
Well our best wishes to you and great success.
March Madness is in full sway and summer will soon be around the corner.
Best of wishes to you and your buddies.

Love and best wishes,

V. Talmage Hiatt

Dear Mike-

Here's the letter from Grandpa that I emailed you about yesterday.  It's just short, but he put a lot of effort into it, and it sounds so much like his old self!  He even mentioned March Madness, which just blew us away!  Please save this, okay!  It could easily be his last letter-writing effort because the next day he hardly said anything that made sense all day.  He was so worried about not knowing where he was supposed to be attending meetings and what his assignments were, and we had a really hard time keeping him calm.  It's so frustrating for him to be confused and so heartbreaking for us to witness.  That's all the more reason to treasure this letter as evidence of Grandfather's great love for his grandson.  Because of his concern for you he was able to fight through his mental "fog" and express some of his advice and love.

X's and O's,

Mom

It was his last letter-writing effort.  And almost four months later he passed away (July 27, 2003).

Michael, along with his brothers who couldn't be there, were listed as honorary pallbearers on the program.

And here is part of another letter his mother sent following Grandpa Hiatt's funeral:

It was a very difficult experience to watch my poor dad slowly deteriorate.  As a family we kept vigil at his bedside night and day, thinking each breath could be the last.  We spent a lot of time singing the hymns to him and telling him how much he is loved.  Most of us were with him on the Sunday afternoon that he finally was freed from his weakened body.  It was a sad time because despite the circumstances it was hard to say goodbye, but it was also a time for rejoicing because in that instant that he quit breathing he was no longer constrained by the limitations of his sick and aged body, but his mind was strong again, sharp and intelligent. It's so comforting to think that he is really himself again and he can raise his voice once more and receive a new assignment in the Lord's service.  I am so thankful for the plan of salvation.  I am so grateful for our Savior.  I am so glad we are sealed together as a family forever.  I was so blessed to have such a wonderful man as my earthly father, and I hope I can remember all he tried to teach me and try to follow his great example of a life well-lived.

We are so grateful to have these letters as a reminder of a loving and caring Grandfather.

And we will treasure them.

Rainy Day Cupcakes

This rainy day called for cupcakes.  She even got to decorate them herself.

Her only request was that we light the "candlesticks" and pretend it was her birthday.

While on the phone...

This morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table feeding Maxwell and talking to a friend on the phone.

Maxwell was in his Bumbo on the table, attempting to eat cream of wheat and pears.

Kathryn was standing at the sink making her famous apple cider (water and apple scented soap).

Maxwell was quickly disinterested in his food, so I gave him the spoon to play with instead.

Within seconds, he had food all over face, hands and clothes.

And Kathryn worked her way up to the counter and was washing the bar.

I didn't have my glasses on, but I described the scene to my friend as best as I could.

She said to me, "You are such a good mom."

To which I replied, "No, I'm not a good mom. I'm just on the phone and not reacting quite the way I might if I weren't on the phone."

But still, I was interested to see what Kathryn would do.  Plus my counters needed washing anyway.

So I let her spread water and soap all over the bar and counter, adding more and more soap as she went.

And I let Maxwell continue to splatter food all over himself, while I talked to my dear, sweet friend who lives across the country.

Suddenly, water was dumped all over the counter, which quickly gushed onto the tile floor.

And Kathryn, stripping as she went, stood up on the wet, soapy counter in her underwear, only to find herself slipping.

So I rushed over to her, leaving Maxwell sitting in his Bumbo on the kitchen table, to catch my slipping daughter.  All the while, turning my head to keep a careful eye on my tiny, little son on the table. 

Luckily, she caught herself, and Maxwell sat very still in his seat.

I told my friend goodbye.  And then, I informed Kathryn that she needed to wipe up all the water.

By this point, she was jumping on the couch cushions, which were on the living floor, in the nude.

And she told me No. She was not going to wipe up all the water.

I told her to go to sit on her chair in her bedroom for a time-out if she wouldn't wipe up the water.  

She happily obliged.  So I decided to change my mind, and told her she didn't have a choice in the matter.  

She needed to be responsible and clean up her mess.

And that is how both of my children ended up clothes-less.  

Maxwell because he had food all over his clothes and Kathryn because she was soaking wet.

I did need my counters and floors cleaned after all, so it ended up just fine in the end.

My Kids

Kathryn and Maxwell were snuggling on the couch this morning.

And Kathryn requested that I take a picture of them together.

 So I took a quick moment to snap a picture.  And I'm so very glad that I did.

Because they are so adorable.  And they are growing up right before my eyes.

Grieving

There was a little bit of grieving at our house on Sunday afternoon.

We had Michael's parents over to watch the UNC basketball game and eat dinner with us.

Unfortunately, they lost to Kansas.  Michael and his mother were especially sad.

Because they have Carolina blue running through their veins.