Huckleberry Hunting

Day three of our vacation: With Grandma and Grandpa Bailey, we drove up Kelly's Canyon, past the ski hill and Tablerock campground, to check on the huckleberries. Ida and Lisa came with us, so there were two cars.
We loved walking through the cool shade, but nary a berry did we find. Whether it was the late frost, or the lack of rain as the cause, there are no berries this year. The forest was pretty, but very, very dry. The dust was a couple of inches deep in the roadways which turns car windows into blackboards. The grass is still green because it is the first week of July (still very early in summer as far as the mountains are concerned), but by August it will be all brown.

The real adventure began as we headed for home. Ida led out (but afterwards said she felt a couple of times that we should have let the men lead). But we had Mildred with us and thought we knew the way home.

Now, let me point out that there are numerous forks in the road, with no signs. After a few minutes, one of us mentioned that it didn't look quite like the right road. And the other car was no longer behind us. (We found out later that they had tried to signal us but we didn't see it).

We tried using the cell phone. No reception. Do we turn around and try to find the right turns--the ones we hadn't recognized the first time? Or do we continue and see where we come out? We had water, plenty of gas, and Lisa's medications, so we finally opted for the second option and got to see new territory that I've never seen before. The road we were on came out on the Rexburg bench of dry farms, and as soon as we had cell phone reception we called the others so they wouldn't worry about us--we were just having a better adventure than we had planned on having.

The report is in...

In April, I caught a glimpse of a mole on Elizabeth's upper back that I had never seen before and warning bells went off in my head. Having had a few moles removed myself, I'm always suspicious of new ones, and this one had some traits that are not good--irregular and more than one color. I called our insurance (which was just recently changed): "Can I take her directly to the dermotologist, or do I have to go to our own doctor first?" Since she had a couple of moles already removed last year, it was okay to skip our own doctor. When can we get an appointment? In June, with removal in July! Well, part of the problem was not being in town some of those weeks. Anyway, the mole was removed right after we got back from vacation, and the pathologist report came back two days ago. It contains "atypical cells", cells that are in transition toward melanoma! They now want to go back and make a larger incision to make sure they have a clean border with no atypical cells. That is scheduled for Aug. 7th.

The nurse also said Elizabeth will now need to have a yearly full-body scan to check for further problems, as it is a little unusual for a 12-year-old to already be developing skin cancer, especially the most serious kind. I feel that we were very blessed to discover this so early--very blessed indeed!

Somebody asked...

at church today if we had moved from the ward! Well, no, not at this time. (However, that is a possibility in the future, when Kevin retires and we build our house in Idaho.)

The following photo gallery is for those family members who didn't get to go on the annual trek to Idaho. You'll find that most things are about the same. As we pulled up to the house after driving all night, I thought to myself, "Hasn't it been just a month or two since we were last here?"

By Sunday, we had recovered from the trek, and Deborah had driven up from Provo, so the girls thought that tickling Alice was the best way to spend the afternoon.

It wasn't long before one of the parents suggested a more Sabbath-like activity--playing hymns on their instruments, with Dad accompanying. Somehow, it wasn't long before some fiddle tunes started creeping in. Deborah is amazing at blending in with the tunes that Elly and Alice knew, accompanying them so they felt they were doing great. And, of course, they were. A & E both want to grow up to be fiddlers "just like Deborah!"
Grandma's flowers are gorgeous, and she makes it sound like the whole garden is not a big deal, but then she is always busy watering, weeding, or harvesting. And, she sent some bags of frozen peas home with us. Yummm!!!
I guess she did take a minute or two to sit in the swing in the orchard with Alice and Elizabeth. They sure love her!
Sam is now 19 years old, nearly blind, and moving very slowly. It is painful to watch him get up or walk across the yard. But he still wags his tail and loves petting, and loves treats from the table, like ham bones. I doubt that he'll be there next summer.

Then on Monday afternoon, after freezing our seats in the canal, there's the eternal game of Bocche--"Bailey rules", of course. By the way, it was hot--upper 90's, and Kevin asked for a hat. The quickest one I could find was mine, floppy brim and all. He didn't want me to take the picture but I wanted posterity to know that he did the right thing (protect from sunburn) even if it looked weird. Of course, the sunburn still happened, but at least it was a few more days into the vacation before it came (during the Bailey Brothers Annual Golf Outing That is Supposed to be Nine Holes But Turns Into Eighteen and Nobody Brought Sunscreen). Next up, the Huckelberry-hunting trip that came up empty, but took a long time.

Top Ten Reasons for Visiting Guam

1. To meet Marta Caroline Bailey--our newest granddaughter! 2. To see Ryan and Jamie, and play with Emma--of course!
3. To eat new and interesting Island food. (Parrot fish, taro, crab, and a dessert ball that was similar to a donut, but without the hole--all prepared by a neighbor family to "treat the parents of Ryan and Jamie". The family is from a neighboring island, Palau.)
4. To eat some of the local produce. The tiny bananas were delicious!

5. To see palm trees and tropical plants. This one is right outside Ryan's apartment window (they live on the 3rd floor). The little playground is right there as well.
6. To snorkel and swim in the beautiful ocean... And we saw lots of beautiful fish.

7. To watch the sun set straight west, into the Philippine Sea.

8. To watch dolphins playing .

9. To see how people live in a tropical paradise...

And #10? Just because it was a place I'd never been before!

Impressions of Guam

After arriving in the middle of the night and the long traveling, we weren't very energetic our first day there. A nice drive around the southern half of the island sounded nice. Jamie had two appointments for photo sessions, so we spent the afternoon being tourists. Guam is nearly surrounded by a living reef, as shown by the two tones of blue water. The University of Guam is located across the bay (right by Kevin's back).
With the high humidity, nearly constant temperatures (high 80's in the day, low 70's at night), and frequent rains, a hut like this would be all you would need to catch the trade winds. Personally, I am really grateful for air conditioning!We waded into the water, and I was expecting a bit of refreshment from the heat (you know, like stepping into an Idaho lake or canal), but the water was warm too.

We didn't hike up to the cave where a Japanese soldier hid out after the war was over, until 1971, but that spot is certainly visited by most of the Japanese tourists! In fact, Japanese tourism is huge on Guam. When we picked up our rental car and looked at the map included, it was totally in Japanese! Street signs, etc, are in English and Japanese. It almost made me wonder, who won the war?
The bougainvillea was everywhere--and in various colors, as well as hibiscus and plumeria.
Apparently, during WWII, the island was practically devoid of plant life--it had all been bombed or burned away. So the Army brought in plants from the Philippines to reforest.

You wanted proof of our trip???

On the street of Narita City, Japan, during our 6-hour layover on the way to Guam. I guess I don't look too bad for having been awake for 24 hours! I suddenly felt like I was in Europe-- Narrow streets, lots of flower boxes, and small cars. When we arrived, we had an option: pay for a "napping" room at the airport and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep, or take the train into nearby Narita City and visit a park. We took the second option, knowing that spending time out in the sunshine helps the body adjust to the new time. We would also have the advantage of having navigated the train system in preparation for the following week when Ryan and Jamie would be with us (and two children, and luggage). This proved invaluable!
And the park was beautiful! All kinds of trees, ponds, huge gold fish, and a huge Japanese temple.
Our spirits were revived by the beauty--and we were glad we'd taken this option.

In our spare time...

When we left for Guam, I told Deborah, "if you want a project to do, take down the wallpaper border in the spare bedroom." (The room that used to be A&E's). When we came home, She had spent hours and hours, and tried every trick she knew of, including steaming, and that border was only half-way down. It was a self-adhesive border, and I'm thinking they used super glue! We worked on it a couple more days, and I finally finished it after she went back to Provo.

That glue melded with the paint and by the time we were through, it was fairly obvious we'd have to prime the wall (what with all the spots where the paint had been taken off along with the wall paper).

Then there is the problem--what color for the repainting job? Catherine suggested a warm golden color. Very nice, except it clashed with the carpet. I looked at paint samples. No clear idea came of what I wanted. Then, what do I spy? The mis-tinted shelf of half-price paint. All I had to do was go through and see if there was a color (and all the gallons had a sample on the lid) that I thought would work. And I found...

this.

It is supposed to be a deep pinkish mauve, or a deep mauve-ish pink, or a deep dusty rose, or some such thing (there was no actual name for the color), and when we opened the can, I was a little worried. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

But then we got it all mixed up and started painting, and I fell in love with it immediately!
We had thought maybe of taking out the bed and just making this a sewing/music/library room, but now that the walls match the bedspread so well, maybe it will stay. Besides, it is pretty handy for an afternoon reading session.
Or a snuggle with the dog. Of course, this took until fairly late on Saturday evening, but that was only because we took several hours off to go take part in the Sturgis Falls activities. Now I'm ready to paint something else. Maybe it is good we are heading off to Idaho this weekend, or I could do something crazy!

Alastair's Blessing--and more...

I keep checking this blog, but no one has updated it for a long time! Oh, that's MY job?

Recently, we spent 36 hours in Wisconsin--arriving late Friday night and leaving early Sunday morning. But we were there for the most important event, Alastair's blessing!

The blessing was held on Saturday evening, at their home. All three of their children have been blessed at home and we have found it to be an intimate, sacred setting. And best of all, you can choose the time when the baby is at his best.

Aaron's mom, Paula Sullivan, flew in from Utah to spend the week, so she was there as well. Connor and Brenna enjoyed having TWO grandmas to entertain them. Paula teaches 6th grade now, and had to wait until the end of school to come out and help with the new baby. Catherine planned having the blessing when both sides of the family could be represented, even though it was only a couple of days after getting back from Japan.

And the rest of the time, we just enjoyed the day. Brenna can swing for hours if she can get enough people to push her. And Connor can pump himself, so he doesn't need anyone to push him. Hurray! Kevin was finishing up the book he started on the flights to Guam, etc. And still suffering with a little jet lag, he deserved the rest! (Though I think he gave some airplane rides to Brenna.)

And Kevin and I got to see all five of our grandkids within the space of 5 days. (And a few thousand airline miles, but who's counting?)

And we made it home on Sunday in time for our own ward, and for Kevin to be in a Cedar Rapids Ward for a bishopric change.

By the way, today marks the 2-year anniversary of our flooded basement! This weekend is the Sturgis Falls community celebration, and two years ago we had tons of rain and awoke on Sunday morning to wet carpet throughout the basement. Thank heavens Justin and Darcy were here (on their way out to Utah), for their extra help was so important in moving furniture, removing carpets (to dry out on the driveway) and putting things back. (Oh, and the missionaries helped, as did the Swindler family).

And guess what? We had four inches of rain on Thursday/Friday, but no flood this time! However, the tornado sirens went off twice--tornadoes were sighted by the airport. Alice was more than a little scared. Elizabeth was a Girls Camp, and they had an exciting time with the weather as well. But as Deborah says, "It wouldn't be Girls Camp without a tornado scare!"

Update on Deborah: she flew back to Provo on Wednesday, after taking care of Alice and Elizabeth very well. Except for the joke they played on us about having attended a Metallica Concert (when it was really a viola concert). They went to Adventureland, to Wisconsin, and to the various lessons the girls had. Thanks Deborah!!!

We're here!

Fortunately, we do not have pictures of our arrival on Guam, at 1:30 a.m. (which was REALLY 10:30 a.m. on my body's clock and we had been awake for 30 hours, with only a couple of hours of intermittent sleep on the plane). You wouldn't want pictures of that...

Then, we were off to Ryan's home (he met us at the airport--so he didn't get a lot of sleep either). Finally, sleep for 4 hours--till Emma woke up and the whole household got up at 7 a.m.

Pictures will soon come!

And Number 5 is finally here!

Annoucing the arrival of the new son of Catherine and Aaron, as yet unnamed. I think I'll call him A.J. (for Aaron Jr.) until something becomes official. I can't just keep saying "him"; although Deborah and Elizabeth both were unnamed for a week after their births--the hospital personnel kept hounding us for a name so they could send in the birth certificates. But names are just so important!

He was born about 1:20 pm, Saturday, May 19, 7 lbs 14 ounces, 20 inches, blondish, wavy hair--enough for the nurse to use a comb when she bathed him (a new implement as far as newborns go for the Sullivans!), and healthy--all ten toes, etc. Hopefully, pictures will soon appear here!
Catherine said labor went so quickly that he doesn't have a cone head.

I'm on my way this evening to Wisconsin to do the grandmother thing--play with Connor and Brenna, hold the baby, cook some meals, and enjoy myself immensely. I can't wait!

Disney--Days 3 and 4

Day three--Epcot. Tired feet. Hot. Grateful for any shade. Loved Soarin'. Did it twice since that is what we went to first as the park opened. Other amazing things--Mexican mariachi band; a group that played on garbage cans and lids; a playful fountain; Kevin and Deborah did the Moon mission (they said I WOULD NOT like it). And African drums; English street actors; and hundreds (it seemed) of school classes there on field trips.
Day Four--Magic Kingdom, again. But this time it was from 8 a.m. to 11 pm. We were tired after the evening fireworks, but as we noticed all the crowds leaving the park we just couldn't pass up the chance for short lines at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. We left when the park closed (knowing full well that the next day was Sunday and we could REST our fatigued bodies).
The Bailey girls--as now constituted.
Oh how hard the work is to really have fun!

Recent Reading

Reading to the girls has been one of the best things we've done (right after family home evening and family scripture reading). The list of books continues to grow. Recently we read Wilson Rawls' "Summer of the Monkeys". This is a story that Grandma Mildred Bailey always read to her 4th grade classes. Now I know why. It is funny and folksy. Then we read "Princess Academy". We enjoyed it as well, though it is about 180 degrees different from Summer of the Monkeys. But it different than I expected. It was about poor girls from a mountain region who are being tutored and trained because one of them will be chosen to wed the prince because of a prophecy by the kingdom's magicians.

For our book club, we read "A String in the Harp", a Newbery honor book. I related to it right away as a family relocates to Wales from the U.S. and the unexpected trials they encountered. Ancient Welsh myths enter in, so it combined fantasy as well. It was a good read!

I love a good book!

Bird Hotel Update

They hatched about 2 weeks ago, and now the nest is almost full with growing little babies--four of them. When they are asleep it is hard to tell what is what. And now the robins have rebuilt their nest in the nanking cherry tree--right at eye level and there are two blue eggs in it. I love it!

Happy Birthday!

I don't do birthday parties anymore. But sometimes, we come close. I found a cute pinata at the store, and had leftover Halloween, Valentine, and miscellaneous candy to put in it (it wasn't full, believe me!) The safest place to locate a blindfolded person with a wooden stick was out on the end of the swingset. Alice got first go at it. Everyone had a turn. And then another turn. And then Elizabeth knocked the tab out of the top so it couldn't hang from the rope anymore. That pinata just would not break! So we set it on the wooden beam, and allowed hits without being blindfolded. Finally, one end of the rainbow broke open!
Finding wrapped candy in all that bark and mulch took some doing. Alice had one friend from school, Kelly Olsen, and we also invited the Davidson girls (Ruth is 6 and also had her birthday the same day, and Grace is 3--they live a block away and their mom is my visiting teaching companion).

But that wasn't the end of the day! Alice chose to go to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday dinner. Because you get to sit on the saddle. The food is also good, but secondary.
Later that night, after Elle and I got back from Mutual, we had her strawberry-glazed angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yummm!

Day Two--MGM Studios

I've waited a year to post these pictures... but not on purposed. I just never got around to it!

On day two were were at the gate 30 minutes before opening and practiacally first in line. This was our modus operendi every day--it added to the fun when you are first in the park and can choose whichever ride you want and there is NO line! Star Tours was fun, but so was the car chase show, and the Rockin' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith.

But the ultimate thrill was the Hollywood Tower. (I think this was taken the second time we went to MGM--on our last day, since all our clothes are different). I even got the shot with the elevator door open up on the tower. Riders are in the elevator and get to experience free fall. I only did it once. While Deborah and Kevin went on it several times, the girls and I enjoyed ice cream cones or saw a stage production of Beauty and the Beast.

By the end of day two, our feet were beginning to get tired. But wait! Epcot Center is tomorrow!

A Year ago today...

Can it already be a year? The day after Alice's birthday last year, we flew to Orlando, and by 5 pm we were standing in line for Splash Mountain! The people at the hotel (where we bought our 6-day pass) thought we were crazy to head to the park with only 5 hours left of the day. Weren't we tired from traveling? They just didn't know about the Bailey family--we can pack more activities in one day than just about anyone! (Just ask anyone who has been with us on one of our cross-country driving trips!)

Having Deborah with us made the whole trip even more fun--she's game to try just about anything if there might be even an iota of fun in it somewhere. Ah, the obligatory picture of the Magic Kingdom castle--just to prove we really were there.
In a year or two, it would be fun to take the extended family, grandkids and all! This grandma won't mind sitting out with a stroller while everyone else rocks out on the Aerosmith roller coaster.

Deborah and Brushfire

Deborah sent us the following links, so you can see her in action on Youtube! "It's not really the best sound recording, but it's all right. Just from somebody's little camera. Oh, Susanna Around the World is from our show in the Madsen Recital hall in March." The show with B minor is from Long Beach, California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBoGajHLiLw B minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MsOMfKQnow Oh, Susanna

Elle and the NIJO concert

For the past semester, Elle has been attending 2-hour NIJO rehearsals every Friday evening. (Boy, does that hamper what we can do on a weekend!) They recently had a 1-day tour (and got out of school to do it, yippee!), and a final concert.

What, you might ask, is "NIJO"? It is the Northern Iowa Junior Orchestra, with 6th-8th graders (and some extra-talented 5th graders), representing 14 different schools, with entrance by audition. Typically, the students are in Suzuki Book 4 or above, so they are pretty proficient. And they have a GREAT conductor. Mr. Schilke has a wonderful sense of humor, works well with these kids, and loves music. You would think they would HATE giving up their Friday evenings for four months, but they actually look forward to it! That's the difference a good leader can make.
Elle is the first chair violist. Who knows where her music will take her? She does have some yearnings to go to BYU and play the fiddle in a folk group--I wonder where she ever got that idea?!?