December 21--my father's funeral

Exactly 3 months after Kevin's father was laid to rest, my own father was buried. We were fortunate that it wasn't snowing. It wasn't bitterly cold, though it was cold enough. Blankets, mittens, hats and heavy coats were put to use. Although we had known this day was coming--had known it since last March when Dad fell and broke his hip, still this was so final. Over the summer and fall, Dad had begun to lose the ability to recognize family members. His Alzheimer's was progressing. His hip didn't heal and he was confined to his bed or a reclining wheel chair. After Thanksgiving he seemed to lose his will to live. Even his beloved tapioca pudding became hated. He slept more. He awoke less. Until he wouldn't wake up even to eat or drink. And then he didn't wake up again.
The funeral was beautiful; healing; peaceful; comforting. We laughed and cried as memories of Dad were shared. He had his flaws (like not being able to complete a sentence without some kind of expletive), but it was good to focus on the good he accomplished by his life.
Like serving during World War II.
Like being a loving brother and son.
Raising two families.
Instilling a love of fishing, hunting, & camping in his children.
Living a decent life.
Oddly, I feel closer to my dad now that he has moved to the next life. He had never been out to Iowa to see where we lived, but now he can see it. I also am more accepting of who he is and the limitations he had.

The military honors were so impressive--particularly the haunting melody of Taps. It was the most beautiful bugeling I'd ever heard.

I'm so grateful for the comforting knowledge that this life is not the end, and that there is a plan for our salvation and eternal life.

And I'm so grateful for the family bonding that comes during times like these.
The pallbearers were grandsons: James, Shane, Chad, Justin, Sean, Derek, Ryan, and Jeff.

Youth Temple trip

We had a great youth temple trip recently. I made sure to take the camera along this time! And I got to experiment a bit with the lighting. The first pic is at the end of the day, as we were leaving the temple with the sun low and hazy. The youth have such great smiles!

We had such a nice session.

I had family names to do and that made it special for me.

The next pic is earlier in the day--with someone else taking the picture.
(The lighting is much harsher.)

And here, the summer colors are so vibrant. I just love the Nauvoo Temple!

We have such a nice group of youth. They get along well, and really try to live the standards.

I feel blessed to be able to associate with them.

First Day of School

It's that time of year and once again, we got the front porch-first-day-of-school photo. Both girls are off to school before 8 a.m., so my "free" time starts even earlier this year.

Alice is enjoying 7th grade--she likes the various classes and more responsibility.

Elley likes high school.

The secondary schools did a nice thing this year. On the first day of school, the only students to attend the first 3 hours were the new students (new 7th or new sophomores). They were able to get used to their locker, and finding their way to each of their classes before the rest of the students came at 11 a.m. (No older students standing around making fun of the young ones!)

They did the same thing at the high school.

That really relieved the girls and helped them adjust very quickly.

The school year is off to a good start!

Labor Day Fun?

Some of the guys in the ward decided they wanted to play softball on Labor Day. The game was at Pfeiffer park, back in our old neighborhood, so we decided to attend. The girls were going to play, except Elizabeth can't put shoes on (that toe probably is broken), and none of the other Young Women showed up, so we just watched.

I've decided this is like the annual Turkey Bowl. A bunch of guys trying to play like they were still in junior high. It seems the injury rate is pretty high.

One man, playing shortstop, bent down to catch a low hit, when it took a funny bounce and hit him full in the face. Then he skinned his knee when he fell down. Good thing he's a doctor.

At least he knew to put ice on the blackening eye.

Kevin was pitching.

And took a line drive to his shin. I can almost see the stitches of the ball in the mark on his leg, and this was at least 30 minutes after he was smacked.

All in all, a great game. At least we could all leave, smiling.
But maybe that was because we left for a time and got Elley's cell phone. After all, it was her birthday. She does have the biggest smile of all.

I had a great Friday!

Some days start out on the wrong foot, don't get any better, and by the end of the day, I lament that I hardly got anything done that I wanted (or needed) to. It was like I was stuck in slow-motion all day.

Then somedays just go well. It is almost like I have extra time, as everything goes smoothly and at the end of the day I am amazed at all that was accomplished. It couldn't have gone better even if I had a clone helping.

Friday was one of those good days.

I needed to go to the public library to finish some genealogy research --I had a question on one name that I wanted cleared up before taking them to the temple on Saturday.

As I got there, the Book Nook was open--not its usual time.

They had a sale on fantasy/sci-fi books. 5 for a $1. Even the hardcovers. There were lots of David Eddings, a Timothy Zahn, and before I knew it, I had 20 books! If you know of any authors you like, I could go Monday and look for them.

Then I went to do research. You see, at the public library, you can get Ancestry.com for free.

For the next 3 hours, I searched and re-searched censuses from 1870 to 1930.

In the "old days", that would have required YEARS of ordering microfilms from SLC.

And I found some great things,

like the sister of my great-great-grandmother, Anna Moran.

She came from Ireland, with 5 siblings, but we only knew the names of 3 of the others.

Two were missing.

I found one of them, Ellen Moran.

And I found more children in some of the families.

It was exhilarating!

But wait, there's more!

Kevin got the washing machine fixed that evening, so we could catch up on the laundry.

I was able to mow the lawn (the rain had stopped)

and we went to a wedding reception at the church.

Yes, it was a very good day!

Extreme water sports

"Running the canal" is high on our list of favorite Idaho activities.

The water is numbingly cold, but with the hot sunshine--after the initial shock as you sit in your tube--it becomes a very refreshing ride. The body parts in the water stay cool for an hour or so after the 45-minute float is over. Participants like to show how their hands are almost too numb to tighten into a fist.

That's because the hands are in the water. A lot. For steering.

You see, this canal isn't a tame one.

The current is fast.

With curves to negotiate.

Low branches that can flip a tube and trap the floater.

Low bridges.

And, best of all, a monster-sized "check"--a semi-dam that causes huge rapids.

This year, the check dumped several of us out of our tubes. Kind of scary!

We are so grateful to Grandpa for providing the inner tubes and giving us a ride up to the head of the canal. There are people stashed in every possible spot in the pickup for the ride.
One day, this was the group that went. I had offered to stay with the little kids so their moms could go. A few minutes after the group left, the sky suddenly darkened.Then we heard thunder. Close by. The temperature dropped from 88 degrees to the 70's. And rain began. Those poor canal-runners!
What would they do?
On the canal at the first check, two of them were flipped and lost their tubes. After finally getting them and mounting again, the rain began pelting. Hard. Was there hail mixed in with it? And they began seeing the lightning, with the thunder coming less than 5 seconds later. The moms worried about not being there to raise their kids.
Everyone was SCARED! And COLD!
They got out at one point, said a prayer, and then figured the fastest way home was on the canal. Afterall, its level is lower than the surrounding land. The lightning SHOULD hit some tall point, like a tree or a building. But everyone paddled like crazy to make the trip as short as possible. Everyone had a warm shower and hot chocolate to warm up. With a few prayers of gratitude for making it safely.

Extreme water sports: Kids' style:
Future canal-runners!

When the cat's away...

I had planned to get up bright and early this morning to get a whole host of things done, after all, tomorrow is the first day of school. But that was before I stayed up 'til midnight reading a good novel. It seems that always happens the first night my husband is away on a business trip.

Like I don't have self-control enough to go to bed at a decent time.

Tonight will be different!

Vacations in Idaho seem to always involve water. River water, canal water, irrigation water. It doesn't matter. We know how to have fun with them all! This year brought a new experience. Grandpa Bailey rented a 9-person raft. We spent a day at Warm River (which is called warm only because it doesn't freeze in the winter), and floated the river twice--different crews each time. This was the first crew: Deborah, Adam, Catherine, Grandpa, Nicole, Elizabeth, Alice, Connor, Brenna, and Emma. I really wonder what Grandpa is explaining here. Look at everyone's faces!
Loaded up and ready to launch.

And away they go. The float lasted almost two hours, down to the Ashton boat docks just after the big bridge. There were a few rapids, some wildlife and a very interesting ride.

We decided we want to do this next year too!

We always enjoy going to Nauvoo and helping with the pageant. They call it "security", but that really just means that we help people cross the road from the parking area. Of course, Kevin got to have a two-way radio, and a hand-held stop sign. And we had those cool flash lights with the long orange cone. Official!We got to be located at the spot where the "friendlies" stand and pass out their anti-Mormon tracts. Our job? To not let them impede traffic. To not engage in gospel discussions with them. To keep the pageant-goers from getting too involved.

We actually had some nice, brief chats with them.

Friendly. About the weather, or "where are you from?"-type chats.

And the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Cool. Some sunshine. Low humidity.

I LOVED it!

And, just a bonus:

a shot of how my corn stands up now. No matter which way the wind is blowing. And tassles are coming out on top. Despite being laid down flat THREE times this season, despite having the lower leaves shredded with hail, it just might make us some ears of corn!

Maybe.

Lillies and more

For Mother's Day 2008, Catherine sent me some lilly bulbs. I planted them. They started growing. The rabbits promptly ate them.

For 2009, I put cages around the sprouts--no rabbits this time!

The lillies bloomed.

The bigger, peach-colored bloom was fragrant as well.

When we put in the fence in 2007, I had purchased 3 day lillies at a garden shop (Stein's) while visiting Catherine in West Bend. I planted them; they started growing last year and the rabbits promptly ate them all off.

2009--better protection, and this is my reward!
It has been so exciting to see the colors, because I had forgotten what I had purchased.

The yellow and the peach ones have ruffly edges.I can already envision these spreading and being able to split them and plant some in other parts of the yard.

As long as I can keep the rabbits at bay.

And one bonus--my tall phlox is doing well this year.

One of my favorite flowers!

Philmont, Part II

Maybe you noticed that I didn't include Elizabeth's favorite part in the previous post. I guess I'd have to say that the hike probably wasn't the favorite part... Nor was hanging out with the family...

Ah, here it is--hanging out with all the friends she made there!
Here, a group of the youth with President and Sister Beck
(General YM President).

In a breakfast with just the 14-and older youth, Elley got a special bolo tie as a reward--she had the furthest distance to travel to a temple and had been in the past year.

Yes, indeed, this was her favorite part!

Memories of Philmont, 2009

Alice's favorite part? The trail ride. She spent half of the week trying to finagle a way to go on a second ride. Here, the horses were being moved to a pasture. It's always fun to watch horses running.

Kevin's favorite parts? The excellent training, the rubbing shoulders with other great people, and making new friends. He enjoyed chatting with Pres. Ochoa of the General YM Presidency, who also went to Benemerito school in Mexico City, about the same time that Kevin went there.

My favorite parts? The beautiful scenery would have to be a major one. I think that the experiences in our youth really do imprint us--I feel much more serenity and joy in the mountains, especially if there are also pine trees and some form of water, either a lake, a river, or a creek.
I also enjoyed getting to know people from around the United States. Every meal at the cafeteria was an opportunity to sit by another family and chat with them.
And I really enjoyed getting to serve. Kevin and I were called as music chairmen, so we got to find or provide music for firesides and other meetings. That brought a lot of opportunities to either play the piano or be chorister. It was fun!


Another favorite part was the "looking for the perfect souvenir" at the museum's shop, or at the Boy Scout general store. Alice came away with a ring and a t-shirt. Elley got a fleece jacket. I got a t-shirt, and Kevin got a really cool hat. Like Indiana Bailey.

Aftermath

Twin tomatoes.

Planted the same time and in the same potting soil (containing time-released fertilizer). The difference? One was in a protected spot when the hail storm came.

And of course, the irises were unprotected.
I've spent the last week going through the yard and cutting down all the damaged plants. And surprisingly, most everything is making a comeback.

The pumpkins have resumed growing.

The corn is standing up (with help).

The rhubarb has new stalks coming up.

It really is amazing how nature recovers from a setback!

Flight of the Trampoline

When it got light, (before we knew about the puddling corners), I looked out the kitchen window and noticed a big blank spot where the trampoline is supposed to be.

It has never moved before in a storm--now it was gone.

It took a few minutes to find it--about 100 yards away, in the storm-water retention pit! The place where we go sledding in the winter.

(I'm standing at the top of the sledding hill for this picture).

The amazing thing is, it seemed to have fallen from the sky, landing in the soft mud and ankle-deep water; the cattails around it were not damaged. It probably picked up and flew like a UFO over the tree tops.


It must have done a somersault somewhere along the way because grass is shoved into the top of one of the poles, but it landed upright. A number of springs were lost, but it is in reasonable shape. We had just written it off, having viewed a couple of other trampolines rolled into an unrecognizable shape in our neighborhood.

On Saturday afternoon, Alice reported she saw someone jumping on it! We had thought we’d have to bring it back in pieces, and I was planning on how to landscape the bare spot it had lived on, but it is still useable. The boys were happy to help us carry it up the steep hill and across the meadow to our house. They had enjoyed jumping on it down amongst the cattails--they had made a pathway to it, then smashed down the cattails underneath it, found as many springs as possible and played for about 3 hours. They were 8th graders, so strong enough to truly be of help. And now it is back in its spot.

A stormy summer

A humdinger of a storm came through early Friday morning, (the 10th), awakening us at 3:30 a.m. with strobe-light lightening and nearly continuous thunder.

At first we thought it was just going to be another storm and an hour of lost-sleep. The heavy rain began,--almost a soothing sound as it drums on the sturdy roof (the roof that was replaced just over a year ago because of hail damage). Then came the first ping…ping, ping…pingpingpingping of hail. Oh. This was going to an above-average storm.

Then the hail sounded like it was smashing into the house from all directions at once and the wind was going like crazy. Since I couldn’t sleep, I got up to watch the storm--and noticed that the power wasn’t on. There was a noticeable absence of little glowing lights from different appliances around the house.

Then thoughts turned to the sump pump. Which runs on electricity. At first we thought, “Cedar Falls power is never out for more than 20 minutes, so we’ll be okay.” Only, the power didn’t come back on. Not until 7 pm that evening. (The Fagerstens didn’t get power until Sunday morning).

Here’s the point in the story where we were missing two vital pieces of information.

1) The storm had produced a “macroburst” of wind, probably of about 135 mph, and trees were down all over the city--indeed, all over the valley. 40% of Cedar Falls’ streets were impassable. And with all those trees, a lot of power lines came down.

2) When the sump pump well fills to the brim, although it flows over into the floor drain, it also means that all the gravel under the foundation is totally saturated, and the water will start seeking cracks and seams to relieve the pressure. If we had known this, we would have acted to get a generator, even if it meant waking people up. When the water starting pouring into the drain from the sump well, we thought we were okay.

Then we noticed a puddle of water on the opposite side of the floor. Bad news! We began checking the corners of other rooms. Same thing.

We moved furniture and pulled up the edges of carpet, and started using towels to soak up the water. All in almost-dark. How I wished for light! We used flashlights and a kerosene lamp. Still it was so gloomy. Later in the day, the sun came out which helped a great deal. As we kept reassessing, it became evident that at least the padding would need to be taken out.

By about 9 a.m., a neighbor had a generator going and allowed us to plug in our sump pump. (It took all of our outdoor extension cords to stretch across two other yards, and we had about 1 foot of cord to spare). It didn’t take long for the sump well to go down and the water draining into it from the foundation sounded like a water fall.

No more water tried to come in on the floors. Although we had to remove carpeting, they weren’t totally soaked, and so were much lighter to carry and easier to handle.

So, not only were we working in gloomy low light, the day was the hottest of the week and very humid.

No air conditioning.

No fans to start drying things out.

But we did have running water, even hot water (gas heater), so we could wash up and even shower. That made it much more bearable!

We went to bed so bone-weary, and with scrapes and bruises--those always come with that amount of furniture moving, walking on slippery cement floors and having uncovered tack strips. And it was best to work in bare feet.

I don’t know how many times I stepped back and landed on a tack strip.

Too many.

About mid-day, we found out it could be 1-4 days before the power came back on. So we borrowed a generator from the Harpers in the Waterloo ward. Finally! Fans and limited power.

By Saturday afternoon, we had taken all the padding and all the carpeting for all four rooms outside to dry in the bright sunshine.

I don’t know how many times we moved furniture back and forth from room to room to clear the way to get the carpeting out. And how many trips carrying things upstairs. (I know my calf muscles got quite a work out because by Sunday morning, it hurt to walk!)

Ward members stopped by to bring fans, or invite us to a cooked dinner, and helped carry the heaviest things. We were grateful!!

And the storm came through

At the end of a previous storm, the clouds were spectacular as they moved off to the east. And yesterday afternoon, here came another storm. First came the heavy dark, blue/green clouds, then the wind arrived.
The top of this pine tree gave way. I wonder what this tree will look like as it grows?

And a big branch broke in the cottonwoods.

But the most unusual sight was in our garden...

I'm going to go out this morning to see if I can help the corn stand up again.