Back Blogging for Zeke

Zeke has always liked looking at the pictures on our blog, but lately he is really loving it. He has gone back through the whole blog (3 years and 240+ posts) several times in the past couple of weeks and told me about the pictures and watched the videos over and over and over again. I don't know what he loves about our WHS alumni performance of 'Homeland', but I think I have the song memorized better now than when we performed it thanks to repeated listenings.

It's fun for me too to see the pictures again. Most of the more recent stuff I know what the post/picture is when he tells me about it, but older than that I have to come look and reread, which I have enjoyed. After all, the reason for the pictures and blog is to share and preserve the memories.

There are some pictures he keeps looking for that just aren't there, so there might be several historical posts in our future. Here's the first.

Zeke got a birthday package from Grandma the day before his birthday (earlier this year). I saw UPS stop on our street but was really surprised when the delivery came to our house. I was racking my brain trying to remember if we had ordered anything online, but as soon as I saw the name on the address it all made sense. Zeke was super excited and opened his box as soon as he could.

Thank you Grandma for a brown Mater,

Red, a Cars plate, and some candy. Oh and some clothes, but Zeke pretty much ignored those.

Zeke was so excited. It was a great pre-birthday celebration!

Best Days of My Life

About a year ago I was driving to work and heard Bryan Adams' Summer of '69 on the radio. I wondered to myself if there was a 'best time' of my life that I wished I could relive. It only took the minute or so between exits on I-15 to mentally flip back through the 8 years I had known Aaron and come to a realization. There have been so many wonderful times and fond memories, but even the most blissful times weren't without their problems. All things considered, I would rather have the combined joys and challenges of now than any other time.

That's as true now as it was last summer. Our wedding day was seven years ago today (truly one of the very best days ever!) and life gets better all the time.

Going Home

Our 20 months in Midvale were filled with challenges. We simply endured and had faith and hope that things would get better. It's true that happiness is a matter of attitude. But it's also true that staying someplace where you are not happy is probably not worth it if you have the choice.

There were huge joys, despite the trials. Nora was born in the middle of our time there, and Aaron found his current job. We were blessed with ward members who made an effort to get to know us, invited us to playgroup, and made sure our pantry was never completely empty.

And we learned, and learned, and learned some more. We learned what was really important to us in both a home and in a community. We grew in managing our money. We discovered we would rather to be close to family than close to work. We realized we love the small mountain valley we grew up in more than we thought we did. And experience taught us that the top item on our home amenities wish list is feeling secure in our home.

It has been an amazing blessing to move to Midway and leave the challenges behind (some of them literally). Every morning as I open the blinds to let the sunlight in I am grateful for the beautiful blessing it is to live here - both in this townhouse and in this valley. We are truly happy to 'pay for' living here in longer commute times and other little costs that are more than we had before.

Aaron I look at each other all the time and say 'I love it here!' Which could be followed by 'Why didn't we do this sooner?!', but we know why - it wasn't time yet, and we wouldn't appreciate it as much if we hadn't had the challenges.

Rainbow Watching

Wednesday evening we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Loertscher's. It was an impromptu visit and we didn't expect to stay long, but it was so enjoyable to sit on the veranda and chat while watching the rain that we stayed until past bedtime.

In addition to the rain, there was one very brave, very hungry little hummingbird that was willing to come to the feeder even with 5 adults and 2 kids sitting under it. He came several times and we got a good look at his pretty coloring, his long tongue, and his tiny little feet.

We also enjoyed a bright double rainbow that appeared to be nearly a full half circle.

Zeke love the nature things too. He was very excited about the rainbow and very interested in the hummingbird. Nora just loved going playing on the veranda and going up and down the back stairs.

The sit-and-chat thing is my very favorite way to spend time with my family, and the addition of rainbows and rain and hummingbirds just made it more so. I could do without the mosquito bites, but I didn't notice them until the next day anyway.

Small-Town Fourth

Our Fourth of July started lazy, sleeping in and having our own pancake breakfast (because there was no way we would make it to the city-hosted breakfast in time). After lunch we headed down to the post office to see Grandpa Loertscher sing for the small-town Fourth celebration.

Thank goodness there were clouds, or we would have been fried. And thank goodness Grandma Loertscher had an extra umbrella, because we forgot both our umbrella and to put sunscreen on Nora.

Around dinner time we went to Grandma and Grandpa Loertscher's house to hang out with the family, build a fire, and make tinfoil dinners. Zeke and Ashlynn had nonstop fun in the backyard from the time we arrived until the fireworks started, with only short stops for food in-between.

We didn't do rockets like we usually do, so Heather brought some fireworks. Zeke had never done a do-it-yourself fireworks show before, and he thought it was cool but it was pretty obvious he's an aerial firework kind of guy. If it doesn't go high in the sky, it just doesn't count.

Brielle and Nora thought it was pretty neat though. Until we got to the popping popcorn-like fireworks, then Nora started getting nervous. The screaming was okay, popping not so much. But she got used to it pretty quickly.

As it got dark we munched on popcorn and smores and watched the neighbors on all sides launch their aerial fireworks. Then it started to rain and we realized for the second time that day that we needed and didn't have our umbrella. The fireworks were awesome, even in the rain. Aaron took these pictures (on his phone! I'm so impressed) of the fabulous show on the hill.

Zeke was in heaven. He has been talking about going to Grandma's house for fireworks off and on since last Fourth of July, and nonstop since Memorial Day. Nora was mesmerized by the fireworks, and I think she really enjoyed them until she fell fast asleep about halfway through the show.

Kids Pictures

Seems like there's always someone looking away or making a funny face when I try to get a posed picture of Zeke and Nora together. Got some cute ones though; it's life as it really is!

Family-Filled Memorial Day Weekend

It doesn't seem like a whole month since Memorial Day... It's gone by fast and we are still talking about all the fun we had when all of Aaron's siblings convened at Mom and Dad Loertscher's for the long weekend.

Nora got to meet half of her aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time, and we got to meet Reed for the first time.

We played the Wii. Zeke loved the sword-fighting games.

Despite a very cold (and snowy!) Memorial Day, we went to the Heber Day reunion for lunch and brought our foam space shuttle (Roger).

And Thomas was in town! We looked up the schedule and made several carefully timed trips to the station to watch him pull in or out.

(Unofficial) Iris Festival

While at the tulip festival two years ago, Aaron noticed all of the iris plants along the riverbank, and we decided that we needed to come back when they were in bloom. So, a couple of weeks ago, we did just that.

They were all so beautiful. It was fun to look at the iris and all of the other flowers and talk about what sorts of things we want to put in our flower garden.

They're not iris, but when I saw these pink petunias I knew Nora needed a picture with them. They match her outfit!

Zeke liked the flowers, but for sure his favorite part was the water. In particular, waterfalls.

Thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa Loertscher for reminding us it was iris season just in time, and being able to go with us on very short notice!