Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho - Off To Work We Go

Lexi had a blast helping Allen with the tractor.

Everytime Allen would step down to do something, Lexi made her move...

She was sooo proud of herself.

Now you see it...

Now you don't.

Allen took off about 4 inches of dirt over the whole lawn area. We ordered good compost to put down and it's now ready to be tilled in. We still have to trench and put in the sprinkler lines, but lawn is just 3 weekends away!

Oh, the Romance

So, how does a couple who's been married for 6 years celebrate?

We tried to find a babysitter to watch Lexi Saturday night hoping to celebrate our anniversary. But, there were no babysitters to be had so we decided to work really hard in the backyard and go out after mid-October (that is the earliest day we have off for an evening out). Allen worked past dark last night trying to get everything done so he wouldn't have to work on Sunday. In his attempt to be super productive, he overshot the pipe with the claw and busted the water line. We, however, had no way of knowing because the part that broke was 30 feet downstream from where he was working. This morning we were trying to get ready for church only to find that we had no water pressure in the house. Allen unearthed all of the pipe in the back and found he had pushed a T-joint out of place and it needed to be completely replaced. We headed out to church and Allen has been outside working since we got home. Thankfully, we still had the tractor and Allen wasn't stuck trenching by hand. The pipe has since been repaired and all seems well.

Now, a bucket full of tools may not seem romantic to many, but for Mr. Allen Riddle, this screams I love you.

Happy Anniversary Allen!

Has it really been 6 years?

I couldn't resist throwing this one in. I love Allen's expression!

Today is our 6 year anniversary. Sometimes, it seems like so much has happened, it has to have been longer than 6 years. Other times, it seems like everything has happened so quickly that we're in some sort of time warp and there is no way it's been a whole 6 years. Either way, we've been married 6 years.

Allen and I were talking this morning about the last year of our marriage and how this year should be different. This is a summary of the last year: September 2007 - Miscarriage. October 2007 - Buy a new house. November 2007 - Buy a horse (this is not such a big deal to me; a huge deal to Allen). December 2007 - Move into new house; the following week have surgery for miscarriage. January 2008 - Traci ends up in hospital because of horse accident. February 2008 - fairly quiet, recovering from accident. March 2008 - Pregnant again. WOAH! That's a pretty busy year. For me, it felt like coming up for air while drowning only to be smacked in the face by the next obstacle and pushed right back down. I kept hoping for just a little recovery time before the next trial.

This year, if all goes sort of according to what we think may happen, should be pretty great. (Everything's great in 2008, right guys.) We're closing in on our goals for the house which will finally afford us some family time. We have a new baby on the way. Lexi is thriving. Allen and I, somehow, managed to grow closer through all of those trials and feel more united than ever. The refiners' fire is never a comfy place, but sometimes, is the only way to get where we need to be in our lives. Even though the last year was tough in lots of ways, we learned a lot about each other and when faced with our next challenge will be able to draw on those lessons to help us get through them with a little more grace (hopefully).

Now, Allen doesn't contribute to this blog so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he still thinks he married the right person all these years later. I can say for myself that I know I married the person I was supposed to in this life. I knew that before we had even started dating. A friend asked me about my dating right before I had been re-introduced to Allen. She asked if I was going to start dating, who, when, what was I hoping for etc. My response, "You know, I'm banking on Allen Riddle." I just had a feeling. That feeling, which has become a sure knowledge, has helped me to keep on track when things start to feel like too much to bear. I know that I could probably be happy or successful or whatever with someone else. But, I would not have the same level of happiness, joy, successes, opportunities for growth, or eternal potential that I have with Allen. And with no one else on this earth, could I have the family I'm intended to have - and that is eternal. For that knowledge, I am grateful. To know that is a priceless blessing and a brings me much joy, even when life throws me a curve ball.

Here's to the last 6 years, the good and the bad, and the hope of many more years to come.

Kids say...

I picked Lexi up and said, "You're getting big!" She said, "I'm not big, I'm heavy."

Allen asked her if she wanted a cookie and she said, "No, I'm not a cookie monster."

Today, we were looking at flowers. If she asks what color an object is, I ask her right back giving her the chance to name the correct color. Today, she asked me right back. When I responded, "That's a pink flower." She said, "That's right! Good job."

There is Beauty All Around

Even though we have zero offical landscaping, we do have some beauty in our poor yard. The neighbors planted a really pretty vine that grows on the fence between our two homes. It's taken off in the last few weeks and has the prettiest blue and lavendar flowers. They close at night and open during the warm part of the day. Hopefully, they'll grow all along the fence and be a really nice touch to our yard.

Lawn?

Lawn? We don't need no stinkin' lawn!

We got mud!

Suck-sess

We did it! Or should I say, Allen did it. He tinkered with the pump we were given to get it working and it actually pumped the septic tank out. Using a jack hammer and sledge, he knocked in the lid and the sides about 18 inches down. There was wire mesh running throughout the concrete so it was really slow and hard work. We're using the extra dirt in the yard and some of the crappy cement work that we've broken out to fill it all in. Next week, we'll have a big tractor again to level and grade the yard. Rather than fight the mesh and push it all in by hand, Allen's going to wrap up next weekend. Thankfully, this step in our efforts to put in lawn was fairly uneventful and a huge success. Yeah!!

Ewww!

Lexi would cover her "ears" and say "LOUD!" when Allen used the jackhammer.
She's taken to laying in the dirt lately. She tells us that she's going to lay down and then pops up and says, "I wak'd up!"

State Fair

Last night we went to the State Fair. I have a client showing there and went to help school and then groom for today's show. We were given exhibitor passes from my client so we got in for free. Allen met Lexi and I there and we got to see some of the sights before I got to work.

Lexi loved all things animal. We went through the goat/lamb barn. We saw lots of horses, but the novelty has completely worn off there. The local FFA chapters have a small sampling of lots of different baby animals and we saw goats, piglets, puppies, kittens, miniature horses, bunnies and pheasants.





Lexi and I shared a caramel apple too. It was her first ever and she loved it, of course. Allen wrangled her while I helped my client and they took off about 8:00. I got home just before 11 p.m. after schooling and grooming. We had a good time, good weather, and got to hang out with our good friends. Not a bad night, all in all.

Nice Form

We were back at it this morning. Allen decided to take today off from work because the forecast calls for severe rain/thunderstorms all week. It was a kind of "now or never" moment for cement.

He was up before 7 and finished the forms. When I got Lexi up, I asked him if I could be of any help. What a mistake! I loaded up Lexi and went to get 3/4 of a yard of cement. He unloaded that and I went back for another yard. When I got home, we realized that we had way too much cement for just one man. I stuck Lexi in the house with our lovely babysitter, Toshiba, donned my work gear and went back out to help Allen. I smoothed out the edges and knocked the frames while he kept doing other finish work. I will say squatting to work on cement with another person living inside your body isn't the most comfortable thing to do. While getting the mixer to the far side of the yard, he got the truck stuck up to the rims in the really deep sand. He asked me to get it out so stuck it in 4 wheel drive, backed up just enough to get on the high side of things, put it low and floored it. Sand and smoke were everywhere, but we made it out. I then finished the sidewalk and my side of the mow strip. I ran in, checked on Lexi and returned the cement mixer to the rental yard. When I got home, it was already after noon and getting pretty hot. Allen released me from my duties outside so I ran in and checked on Lexi. She was doing just fine. I made her lunch, got Allen water, and got me some water. Lexi and I chilled out for a few minutes and she went down for quiet time. Allen had a bit of a struggle with the last few feet as it had gotten a little too hard while he was trying to juggle all of the different places to work. However, he got it just in the nick of time and it all looks great.

The End of an Era

Lexi has outgrown her afternoon nap. I should have seen it coming as she's been napping regularly, but her bedtime has been getting later and later. Yesterday, we put her down for quiet time, but she didn't fall asleep. She maintained a good attitude all day, but mentioned she was tired starting at 7 p.m. Last night, she went to bed promptly at 8 and fell asleep rather quickly. I heard her up playing around 4 a.m. but she didn't wake up until close to 9 this morning. Trading sleep in the afternoons for the mornings is what it's looking like so far. Since I'm a total night owl, later mornings are just fine for me. I'm a little bummed because I really enjoyed her naps, but we'll have quiet time each day and I'll just have to learn to get my sanity back in an hour's time. I'm sure it will be nice for some things as we won't feel so bound by nap time. This is a big step for our little girl (and for me!).

Thy Well Be Done

Finally! It's taken 7 weeks and an extra $500, but it's a fully functioning well. We get 35 gallons per minute so we can fill a 5 gallon bucket in about 8 seconds. That should be just fine for our sprinkler system. We feel like we can actually move forward now since the well was halting quite a bit of our work.

Allen's still been struggling with the septic solution. The good rental place says their pump won't be back for a month and Home Depot swears if theirs comes back smelling like anything but roses, we have to buy the whole thing outright. Allen was chit chatting with our neighbor and the subject came up. Kreig busts out this pump and tells Allen to take it. He hasn't used it and we can do what we want with it! Awesome. Hopefully, it will work and we'll get this dumb septic tank filled in and covered a.s.a.p.

In the mean time, Allen started painting Lexi's room. We're shopping for furniture and planning on having her in a big girl bed mid October. That gives us only 2 short months before the second coming, but it's gonna have to do.

Friday we had another ultrasound and everything looks good. Our little alien is coming along nicely. After that, Lexi and I went to Target. We refer to Target and Walmart as "the great and spacious buildings" in our family. They represent the world in so many ways...so many cute ways. I had to get a few shower gifts and ended up getting Lexi this little Rose Petal Cottage house. It stores easily, has a little oven, and you can get other appliances to go in there. It has a door that really works, too. I got some fake food and pots and pans to go with it. This whole thing was supposed to be Lexi's big Christmas present, but I had a huge moment of weakness. She loves it! She's been cooking hot dogs, french fries and potatoes since we put it up. She brings over the pots and pans with the lids on, presents them to me, and then proudly pulls the lids off with a loud "gasp!" to show me the wonders inside. Today's speciality is cucumbers and hot dogs. Once her bedroom is painted, we'll put it in there and it will house all things pretend. I'm hoping she'll have lots of fun with it. I really hope in a year or so, she and her sister may start doing some playing together. Lexi is desperate for a friend. The other day she asked her pink blanket to play with her. That, to me, is the height of desperation.

All in all, it's been a banner weekend. I even had some time to go to a baby shower and be sociable.

Deep Thoughts by Traci Riddle

If your bra's under wire breaks through the fabric, a heavy duty band aid will corral the pokey beast until you're able to make a permanent fix (mine has been this way for 3 weeks - just remove band aid at washing and re-apply a fresh one after drying).

Does anyone else who uses blogger hate the way it formats your spaces all cookey like?

The more I want Lexi to be independent, the more I find it bothersome when she is independent. For example, I want her to be comfortable in her friend's homes and run off to play. But, when she waves and says "Bye Mommy" so easily I get a little sad.

You can substitute evaporated milk for half and half. It's a one to one ratio.

I keep wondering why it feels like I always have a foot in my throat. I then realize I DO have someone's foot in my throat.

Is it a reflection of my true state of mind when a German friend jokingly calls me a Nazi and I want to reply, "Yeah, you're one to talk."?

In our house, the theme song for a woman using a breast pump is: "IIIII looookeedd out the window and what did I see?" Hand gestures must be used to their fullest effect.

I think your marriage may be in trouble when your husband spoons the dog more than he spoons you.

I hate it when people say, "You always think you're right." Well, duh. Would I keep doing what I'm doing if I thought it was the wrong way?

From The Zen of Sarcasm:

If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

And lastly:

Do not write a check with your mouth that your actions cannot cash. - Neal A. Maxwell

What's On My Plate?

Sometimes, events take place that put things into perspective and do it in a hurry. When we got home from the zoo, I had a voice mail from my mom. Her mom, my Grandma George, had been hit by a car. She had a broken arm, was in surgery, had lacerations on her head and lots of bruises. How in the heck does a 75 year old person get hit by a car?

My Grandma has advanced Alzheimer's/Dementia. She doesn't know my mom, me, Marti, or even my Grandpa anymore. She has lost lots of weight and often wears clothing from one season with clothing from another. She carries toothpaste and other random items in her purse. My Grandpa has been trying to care for her on his own, insisting she is getting better. The dementia my Grandma experiences manifests itself through violent and combative outbursts. We've been dealing with these outbursts for about 12 years. One of the ways she expresses frustration, anxiety, or fear is to runaway.

She asked my Grandpa to take her to Oakland (she grew up in CA and spent many, many years in the Bay Area before they moved to Idaho). Grandpa told her he couldn't take her then. While he was sleeping, she took off. She ended up on the highway and was clipped by a car at an intersection. Thankfully, her injuries are relatively minor.

This is the 3rd time in the last 6 months she has had an incident in the public. The police know who she is and her situation. My mom and uncle have tried to convince Grandpa to get help, seek out support and if necessary, find a safe setting for Grandma. But, he has stubbornly resisted their efforts. I'm sure it is scary for him, too. He's losing his wife. He's trying to support her, redeem for his sins as a husband by caring for her, and maintain his independence all while drowning in the process.

Needless to say, this will be the final straw. My Grandma has been assigned a case worker and has 24 hour monitoring in the hospital. You're probably wondering how it got to this point. Why didn't the family do something earlier? Because of her type of dementia, she will not allow a strange person in her home to help. I know my family has been reluctant to get help because she will assault any person who is in her home that she does not feel good about. She will also become combative with my Grandpa if he tries to restrain her. Now, my Grandma is a tough lady and will kick your butt. She has lived a hard life and will come out like a rabid raccoon if you push her. Knowing this, my Grandpa has refused help in the home - for the safety of the caregiver. And, of course, he doesn't want to put her in a facility. However, with this latest incident, I'm sure for every one's safety, a facility is the best place for Grandma.

My mom's life will change dramatically as she assumes a more active role as guardian and caregiver during this process. Her relationship with my Grandpa will be at risk as the protection of my Grandma takes precedence over his need to provide. Her work my suffer. And lastly, the reality that her mom is no longer here for her has set in - in the most final of ways. Even though my Grandma's body is here, my mom is losing her mom. Whether over the course of 10 years or 10 days, losing your parent is a club no one wants to belong to.

Suddenly, a down well and lawn by October seem insignificant. It's a normal progression to watch your loved ones enter, live and leave this earth. However, all of the things you thought were important are suddenly blurs in the background when something like this comes into full focus. So, the timing of machine rentals to get the landscaping done, the importance of riding lessons, not having the money to buy a new washing machine, the air conditioning in my car that only comes out the defrost vents, the stains on the carpet, the peed on sheets, etc., etc., are really just small blips on a much bigger screen. It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day activities and allow them to define your life. Ultimately, though, these moments, eternal moments, are what define us as people. The passing of souls through the veil, either into this earth or from it, are earthquakes on our personal Richter scales. This is the big stuff that really matters in the eternal picture of life. I hope it won't take these types of events to help me remember that. Every time our little peanut makes herself known by kicking my ribs, each time Lexi says, "I love you Momma" or sings a new Primary hymn, when I talk to my loved ones, and when I pray to my Heavenly Father, I hope I'll feel the small tremors on my personal Richter scale and know I've just experienced something eternal.

We Do Know How To Have Fun!

After a long weekend of hard work in the yard, we decided to spend the morning at the zoo. Lexi had a great time. We love the zoo here because you can see almost all of the animals in just a couple of hours if you want to. Lexi stayed awake during the drive home and took a good nap this afternoon. Allen took a nap too and I enjoyed a few hours of complete quiet. Allen did go back outside and work for about 4 hours, but the beginning of the day was pretty relaxed.

Go Cougs!

Lexi had a great time feeding the Lorikeets.

They have a place where you can feed the Giraffes, too. Look at that long, funky purple tongue!

The zoo has this cool play area for the kids with some water fountains they can run in. Lexi was not too excited about them, but Allen convinced her otherwise by pushing her into the stream. You can see by her hands that it wasn't her idea...

She did get nice and cooled off though!