just remember

simple service opportunity

I’ve discovered Craft Hope.   And I’ve been converted.  I know I’m not the only one who gets antsy to create and make and sew – but I don’t need anything or necessarily want anymore clutter right then.  So craft for others.  You get to enjoy the creative process and bless others in need.

The latest Craft Hope post has the easiest projects to do.  Sew a pillowcase to be used as a crib sheet for an infant.  Sew (or serge) a simple cotton square hankercheif that will be pinned to a baby – it will be that baby’s burp cloth for the day.  These projects need to be done pretty quickly – by the 25th of July, I believe.  Good thing they’re easy projects.  They’re being sent to India with the Miracle Foundation to bless babies in oprhanages.

Read more about it here!

Mormon Woman

I have a post on the Mormon Woman website.  Come say hi.

July 4th

What did you do today?  We tried Daylight Donuts in Pleasant Grove (we give them 3 out of 5, and still just don’t understand how hard it is to make a decent donut around here!) on the way to the Freedom Parade in Provo.  We got there at 8:30, rained on around 9:15 (it felt so nice), the parade made it to us by 9:30, and we left early at 10.  Too hot, too crowded, and we just weren’t feeling it this year.  Weird for us – we love a good parade .  The rest of our day is being spent gardening, cleaning and packing for our Big Trip.

Grandma Berg

Nathan’s grandma died late last week, and the funeral was held yesterday.  I really enjoyed hearing the stories.  She was a serious horse-woman, and she had attitude.  Every person who spoke talked about her as strong willed, stubborn and in charge.  She passed a lot of those traits to her family (6 kids, 22 grandchildren, and 40 (so far) great-grandchildren!) She was a hard worker – she had to be especially later in life when her husband died and her youngest child was just 12.  She kept all her jobs until they’d let her go because of her age – that happened 3 different times.  She worked at Wendy’s until just a couple years ago (at age 88!) wiping tables and trays, mostly because she liked to work and she liked to be around people.

It  made me laugh to look at the picture of the casket again tonight, because one of Grandma Berg’s sons said during the funeral that she would be really mad to not have been buried in a simple pine box, but “OH WELL FOR HER! We get to do it our way now!”  Poor Grandma Berg.  Nathan and I have already made decisions about what we want for each of our funeral/burials, and this reminds me to put it in writing with a note that IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS I WILL HAUNT YOU FROM THE OTHER SIDE: JUST TRY ME.  (Also, you will eat funeral potatoes, and use MY recipe.)

After the funeral we drove over to the cemetery.  I love the Midway Cemetery – it’s on a hill overlooking a valley and it’s just beautiful.  About 2 minutes after we got there, Jacob went to inspect one of the sprinklers and ended up turning on the HEAVY blast of water – all over the tent and the people waiting to put Grandma in the grave.  Thankfully, it was a hot day and everyone laughed.  It was pretty awesome.  The mortician put $10 on the table for whomever’s kid would go for sprinkler round 2.  No takers.

After the prayer at the grave, people stood around talking for a long time that felt like a very, very long time because 1) it was hot, and 2) it was way past time to eat.  The children busied themselves by playing hide-and-seek amongst the headstones, and this is one great cemetery for hiding behind headstones.  Unless you are my children and your mother dresses you in REALLY BRIGHT SHIRTS.

The funeral was really good.  People have kept telling Nathan that they are so sorry, and that is very kind.  But he really feels so okay with everything.  She was almost 90 and enjoyed really good health until just hours before her passing.  What a blessed way to leave this earth!  Yes, it is sad that we will have no new memories with Grandma Berg, but our faith is such a comfort and brings immeasurable peace.  Grandma is happy now! She is with her husband, and with her son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter and great-granddaughter that all died before she did.  We will see her again, we are sure.

This one had a birthday Monday.  (36 )

We celebrated by both getting sick because – WOO! Best way to spend a birthday EVER!  Nathan isn’t into birthdays that much, which is kind of too bad for him because *I* AM big into celebrating just about anything, and since we have little kids – HE GETS A PARTY, SO THERE.  The children were distressed that the “party” meant having a day with the family out of the house, because how can you have NO friends come over to your house on your birthday? Is Dad crazy? (Yes, apparently.)

The morning started with me slowly getting out of bed and trying my hardest to suck it up and bake without infusing the food with leftover germs.  I had been really sick the day before. Nathan woke up Monday feeling queasy, pretty gross.  He went back to sleep from 9-12, and when he woke up, this was in the fridge:

a cake I was pretty sure no one in the house would be touching that day.  (EDIT: Cake Recipe HERE and it is EASY, I promise.  It is INSANELY good.  Out of this world.  To Die For. )  As it turned out, Nathan had a teeny slice late that night, and we did sparklers in place of candles, singing and the whole whoo-ha the next day.  Anyway, after Nathan woke up he felt tons better and we went to Boondocks.  To spend the 6 month old gift card the kids bought him from Costco for Christmas.

There was squirt boating, go-karting, kiddy coving and lots of video gaming.

Then, we decided we were feeling decent enough to take a drive, and wound up at the Kennecott Copper Mine.  My mom has been trying to get me to take the boys there since we moved here since “it’s neat!” and “you can see inside the big hole!”  I haven’t gone because “looking inside a big hole” isn’t on the top of my bucket list.  Really? A hole? Whoop.

Well, it was neat-o.  The dump trucks there are 2 1/2 stories tall.  Unbelievable.

The drivers have to climb 2 huge ladders to get into the drivers seat.  We were “lucky” to see one of their explosions, which was really quite underwhelming, most likely because it was so far away.  The pictures I took of the blast turned out pretty fun, though (first one here, then go back for the next 3).  The best thing about this little trip was the timing – my mom is on vacation right now, and when she gets back and hears we went, we’ll be on vacation for almost 2 weeks, which will give her plenty of a cushion to forget to call and gloat with the “I told you so.”

**Look, Mom! We went to the Big Hole!**

After visiting the Big Hole/Copper Mine, we slowly made our way to dinner, where the server was nice but we still had to wait 3 years for food (really, the people who ordered awhile after us were getting their to-go boxes before our food came out). Really, no amount of free fries for the kids make up for waiting that long for dinner to come out at Red Robin, but thanks anyway.

We passed the time by reuniting Ainsley with her mohawk.

Then we came home, the kids threw tantrums (hello, long day with tired kids!) and went to bed and Nathan and I Wii’d for a bit.

Good birthday?

You bet.

We’re not camping this weekend

Plans got derailed by an injured dog, so we’re day trippin’ it at home for 4 days before our big camping trip starts after the 4th.

Life is good.

Giveaway Winner!

The winner is…

(drumroll)

Julie!

e-mail me at rarelyhomemom AT gmail with your address.

(woo-hoo!)

Hey mommy!

Guess the boy:

“Hey Mommy!  I just started our burping contest!”

“I didn’t know we were having one.”

“Well, I just burped, so we are now!”

Look what I did!

Jacob brought me the little camera the other day.

“Mom! I found this in the bathroom! So while I was going to the bathroom, and after I was going to the bathroom, I took pictures.  Look!”

“Do you like them, Mom?”

“I do.  I like to see what you think is interesting.  And I love your self portraits.”

“Good.  Now I guess I should maybe wash my hands.  See ya!”

(gag…can’t drop a camera in bleach, can I?)

(and no, I don’t know why a boot, a bath toy and a (hopefully not used) swim diaper are sitting on the sink in a bathroom without a tub.)

(but don’t you l-o-v-e his self portrait on the bottom set? I do.)