WC #7: My Twin Aunts

Bet you didn't know I had twin aunts!  Wonderful women that I love dearly!  So similar but SO unique!

Aunt Grace & DeeDee Bridesmaids
September 11, 1942

They were born April 23, 1925.  Both have brown hair and brown eyes.  That's it.  That's where the similarity ends.  Common with fraternal twins, you might think.  Well, perhaps you've heard of twins born with different fathers?  Well, not only did my aunts have different fathers, they had different mothers!

Yep!  Grace Louise was the third child born to Reinhold and Martha Zielke.  

Aunt Helen, Dad (Raymond)
& Aunt Grace

Dorothy Pearl was the only child born to Edward and Pearl Hill.

(My mother was adopted when Grandpa & Grandma didn't think they'd have children.)

Young DeeDee

My mother always found it quite entertaining that when questioning her mother and her mother-in-law about the births of their two daughters born in the same general area of northern Illinois, one woman described it as snowy and unseasonably cold while the other said it was a beautiful spring day!  One has to wonder if it had anything to do with birth number....

DeeDee never married and lived with my grandparents until each of them passed away.  Then she inherited the home she grew up in and the "425 house" and made her living through the rent received from those properties.  She was a wonderful, loving aunt who passed away in November, 1986.  While I knew DeeDee much better than I knew my Aunt Grace and could tell a multitude of stories about her, m y purpose for including her in this post is to recognize this as her birthday and my appreciation and love for her throughout my childhood and young adult years. More about her in posts to come....

Dee with Grandma circa 1964

But now I turn to Aunt Grace.  Aunt Grace is the reigning matriarch of the Zielke family; the lone survivor of the eight children born to Reinhold Zielke and, thankfully, she is going strong!  I remember that I always enjoyed it when we got to stop at her house for a visit on our way to/from Illinois when we lived in Wisconsin, since she lived in Harvard, near the state line.

Marge, Dorothy, Henry, Bertha, Raymond & George
Helen, Grandma & Grace

Aunt Grace married Austin Pope and had four beautiful daughters: Kathy, Marcia, Nan & Jeanine.  I don't know for certain, but I think Aunt Grace may have been my father's favorite sister.  At least I could see them getting into a lot of trouble together.  I seem to remember a lot of laughter whenever they were together and I do remember hearing a story about my father and a friend of his kidnapping  Aunt Grace on her wedding day...

I've had the pleasure of getting reacquainted with Aunt Grace over the past decade and have had the chance to introduce most of my kids to her and I have to say, they love her!

Me, Aunt Grace, (cousin) Marcia, Brooks with Ethan
Dylan, Uncle Austin, Andi & Sami (April, 2005)

In fact, we were VERY excited when Aunt Grace and three of her daughters came to spend a week in northern Idaho when I lived there!  It was a fabulous week!  Even though I had to work part of it, we spent what time we could together and I gave them some pointers of additional places they could go for side-trips while I was at work.  I say "we" were excited because Brandon, Barton and their wives were able to be there as well and my boys found out how much fun the Zielke family can be!

Nan & Kathy
Jeanine & Aunt Grace

Through our many adventures that week including a picnic and rounds of "Killer Bunnies" the boys decided their new-found Zielke relatives were somewhat reminiscent of "The Golden Girls" and nicknamed Kathy-Dorothy, Nan-Blanche, Jeanine-Rose and Aunt Grace-Sophia!  And they took it in stride and laughed right along!

We even all took a dinner cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene!

I really wish I had more stories to tell about my Aunt Grace.  I know she's a fabulous woman and I feel so very blessed that we still have her in our lives.  She's an early voting judge, volunteers at the local food pantry and the Bethesda Thrift Shop.  She's involved in many church activities including being the congregational secretary and she enjoys quilting. She's SOOOO cool.  Not only does she take fun vacations and keep tabs on family (wherever we all may be) but she is online and sends us emails and even MORE impressive, she's on FaceBook!  

Which is why I know she'll put to good use the birthday present the "Sloan" family would like to present to her.  Thanks to the hard work of my daughter,  Brooks, and my daughter-in-law, Emily, we proudly present to Aunt Grace on her 88th birthday, her very own blog: : "Everyone Needs a Little Grace"!!!  Now she'll be guided and inspired to put in writing all of those wonderful stories that her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces & nephews and on and on...can love and enjoy for years and generations to come!

Visit Aunt Grace's new blog here:  http://www.everyoneneedsalittlegrace.blogspot.com/

In closing, Aunt Grace, I think I speak for the whole family as I say thank you for being the solid foundation of our family. Thank you for being so much fun and thank you for sharing your love and laughter with us.  We love you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNT GRACE!!!

AND MANY, MANY MORE!!!

Tell about proud moments as a grandmother; Part 2

Cari & I on the Ferry; June 2012

I always hated my name. Oh, I was okay with HOW I got my name; it was pretty cool.  But, you see, I always had this irrational jealousy of my older brothers because I didn't have a nickname!  William became Bill; Allen became Al.  What do you do with Carol?  And then when you put it together with my middle name, it became a lesson in alliteration! Go ahead. Say it together. Fast! Carol Ellen.  It's like the "l's" never stop!  Anyway, I always wished that my name had been Carolyn or Caroline (like President Kennedy's daughter).  My kids all know the story....

So, imagine my surprise one day when Meg was home on a college break and informed me that when she had a daughter, her name would be Carollen.  I was honored.  I was thrilled.  I was impressed (that her daughter would be able to have a nickname).  And so it happened!

Our own Ghanian Princess
Carollen Kete Nana Aboagye

Ten years ago today, April 22, 2003, my second granddaughter was born to Meg and her husband Samuel.  I guess I should explain the above caption a little more for anyone who doesn't know the story... You see, my son-in-law is from Ghana (West Africa) and was born the son of his tribe's chief, making Samuel, in essence, a prince, so yes, Cari is a princess.  Kete is for her paternal grandmother and Nana is a statement of her status as tribal royalty.  And as you can tell, she has a nickname, even though it's not of her choosing.  (I guess she could change her nickname anytime she wants.  She has so many options! She can be Carollen, Cari, Carol, Kete or even Leni!)  Much to my dismay, she hates her name!  Oh well....

Due to work demands at the time, I was unable to go to Virginia (where Meg lived) when Cari was born and I first met her when she was about five weeks old when they came to Utah for Aunt Brooks' wedding!

My two oldest grandbabies!
Cari-5 weeks & Andi-5 months

I probably have the closest relationship with Cari of all my grandchildren, because I've spent more time with her than any of the others.When she was about six months old, Meg & Sam moved to Butte, Montana by me for a year.  We built a pretty close relationship in that year and it's stayed strong.

2-year-old Cari

Now's probably when I need to mention Cari's relationship with her mother.  Now don't get me wrong. Meg loves Cari.  Very much.  But do you remember me talking about the curse of the child that's just like you on my April 12th post, about Sami?  Well... Cari is Meg's Meg.  So many calls or texts I've gotten over the years from Meg wondering how I kept from killing her or slapping her silly!  Now, I'm not going to try to say that Meg was the easiest child for a mother to raise, but I can honestly say she didn't frustrate me.  Well, at least not the way Cari frustrates her mother!  Both of them like to be right.  Both of them like to state their case. And why on earth would anyone have an opinion other than theirs?  Wait.  I take that back.  Meg recognizes other's opinions and you're welcome to them, as long as you don't try to convince her that your opinion should be hers.  Anyway... a bit of tension there and I must admit, I laugh.  Maybe not out loud.  I recognize the frustrations with the child just like you, but it's hilarious when Cari tries to put her mother through the same challenges Meg put me through.  All I can say is that the teen years should be an adventure!

Meg & Cari
Summer, 2012

Also, like Meg, Cari is the oldest child and experiences the same frustrations with younger siblings.  She feels responsible for them and tries to mother hen them while finding them annoying and irritating.  I frequently receive texts from her saying things like "Nana, they're driving me nuts!" or "I wish I was an only child!"  And again, I laugh, 'cause I know she loves them...deep down ...somewhere....

Sarai, Jonas & Cari
July, 2009

I was VERY blessed last summer to have Cari and Andi (granddaughter #1) come to spend three weeks with me in Seattle.  We had a fabulous time and it was nice for them to have some time to get to know one another better considering the only times they've ever even seen each other in their lives were for weddings, holiday celebrations or a summer reunion.  It was kind of like having Meg & Sami in the house again; although they were a bit more polite to one another since there was the unknown factor...

Dancing to Sidewalk Musicians
Space Needle 2012

Sporting Rain Ponchos in
The Hoh Rainforest

So, we've established that Cari is just like her mother, but oddly enough, in many ways she's a lot like me too.  I never would have thought it possible since I've always thought of Meg as my alter-ego, but it's true.  I've been told many times by Meg & Aunt Emily (Bart's wife) that Cari claims that I'm the only one who understands her.  While I hate to think of any of my kids or grandkids having any hard times or that no one understands them, at the same time I'm thrilled and honored that Cari feels that I DO understand her and that she knows that I'm here for her.

What else can I say about Cari?  She likes to be in charge. She's very intelligent, like me. :-)  She's a bookworm, like me.  She's sensitive, like me. She's artistic and creative, not like me!  She was in heaven near the ocean and she can swim like a fish. She likes to entertain, likes to be in charge and can be quite outspoken (especially if she sees what she perceives to be an injustice).  She has a look (just like her mother) that can stop stupidity in its tracks.  She's fiercely loyal and loving and worries about people when they're away from her. She likes to sing and dance and did I mention that she likes to be in charge?   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARI-GIRL!

Your NaNa loves you!

PS This song is a combo gift for you AND your mom!

Tell about proud moments as a grandmother Part 6!

So what do you think?

Peyton Brian Carter

Is it Dad?

Or is it Mom?

When Peyton was first born, I could have sworn he looked EXACTLY like his mother!  I had her 4-month picture to prove it, but the older he gets, the more I have to wonder.....

Without a doubt, he has his dad's grin.  And Sami learned long ago why Cameron's mother had a hard time disciplining him.  I mean, how could a little boy with such a sweet grin and innocent expression possibly be the instigator of anything untoward?  Even with that gleam in his eyes?

Peyton Brian Carter was born April 19, 2006 in Fallon, NV; the third child in his family; my sixth grandchild, officially making 50% of my grandchildren Carters!

Sami with Andi, Dylan & baby Peyton!

Peyton got his name from Peyton Manning, the great quarterback.  Apparently Sam & Cam had been having a hard time coming up with a boy's name they both liked.  They were watching a football game on TV and inspiration struck!  "Brian" is after Cameron's father.  I don't see much of Brian in Peyton, but Peyton is definitely a fitting name for this young man!

Of all of my grandchildren, Peyton is the athlete.  He has a natural coordination and agility that is not really a prevalent familial trait.  (In fact the only people in my family who I have seen in action to compare to his athletic abilities would be my brother Al and my mother.)  He has a great arm with a football or a baseball in hand!  I thought that was the limit of his athleticism until I saw him with the play "Brave" bow and arrow set I gave his little sister Soni for her last birthday.  While she seemed to have lost interest in it, Peyton was perfecting his skill and amazed us all when he was able to shoot three arrows in a row from the living room up to the second floor opening to the family room!  No one taught him how to do it.  Heck, no one else could do it; but he made it look easy!

Looks like a Dallas Cowboys Fan!

(But not if his Dad can help it!)

So, watching Peyton, I had to wonder what he would be when he grows up.  From early on, I always asked my kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. Meg is the only one who has really ended up with her original profession, but I feel like it never hurts to ask a kid and get them thinking about who they are and what they want to be when they're little.  It helps them begin to think about lifetime goals and achievements.  So, I asked Sami what she thinks he'll be when he grows up.  She thought about it for a minute and said, "I don't know for sure what he wants to be, but I can easily see him being some kind of public servant; policeman, fireman, someone in a uniform..."

A little later that day (while Peyton was chasing arrows around the living room) I asked him:

  "So Peyton, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

  "Huh?"  (I'm thinking "Oh great... he's never even thought about it and here I am....")

  "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

  "Oh.  A soldier."

  "What?"

  "A soldier."

  "You want to be a soldier?"

  "Yep."

I looked at Sami who just shrugged her shoulders and said, "See what I mean?"

I must say... those were never words I heard from any man of any age in my life before, but I     have no doubt that if that's the direction his life really does take him, he'll be a good one!

What else do I know about Peyton?  Like most of my grandchildren, I don't know him extremely well.  He's lived most of his life in Texas; a looooong way away from Montana, Idaho and Washington.  But let's give it a try:

We've worried about his hearing, since Cam is partially deaf and Peyton has a bit of a speech impediment and schoolwork doesn't seem to come as easily to him as it does to his older siblings, but boy-oh-boy does this young man have heart!

Little Scarecrow

He has a marvelous sense of humor and loves to tease.  (You can see that gleam in his eye and know he's up to something, but you just can't help wanting to see what it is!)  He's enthusiastic and when he does something he's going to give it his all. 100%.

Giddy-up, Cowboy!

(A real Texan!)

Oh! And he has the greatest southern accent!  It's not too strong; just enough to notice that it's there, more pronounced on some words.

And did I mention that he has heart?  He's loving and he's kind.  He's considerate and he tries to be polite.  He has a temper and can become quite vexed with his siblings, but he can also be annoying when he wants to vex them.  But all-in-all, he's a wonderful young man and I can't wait to see what he does with his life, because it will be 100% heart and soul, all Peyton!

Sami & Peyton: April Babies!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEYTON!!!

I love you!

  

ML #9: Tell about the birth of your second child!

I always had an irrational fear that I would die when my second child was born.  My mother had a near death experience when she had my brother, Al, her second child.  She remembered being told that it was her choice, but there were people who still needed her.  My fears compounded when my mother-in-law told me of her near death experience when she had Randy, also her second child.  Logically, I told myself that just because of their experiences didn't mean anything would go wrong with my second childbirth.  Sometimes, the psychology wins out....

My water broke around 8:00 AM on Sunday, April 12, 1981 and when labor hadn't begun yet at 11:00, I was getting quite nervous.  In Illinois, when my water broke with #1, they insisted I get to the hospital right away or infection could set in.  In Utah, with a different doctor and hospitals that are VERY practiced in childbirth, I was told to "relax" at home until I had regular contractions.  The longer it took for them to begin, the longer I had to worry; the longer I had to worry, the longer my blood pressure had to rise.  By the time I was admitted to the hospital, I was well on my way to a good case of hyper-tension and before the evening was over, the doctor had given Randy a choice between me or the baby.

Fortunately, no one told me about how close I had come to death until I was well on the road to recovery the next day and I thought I had a healthy baby girl.  I don't really remember too much about my labor or her birth other than the fact that when I first looked at her, I remember looking at her and saying to Randy, "There's something different. Something very special about her."  And then I screamed for them to take her as the doctor tugged on my attached placenta and I began to hemorrhage.

The next day, my family doctor came in to tell me that he was turning the baby over to a pediatrician because they had detected a heart murmur.  Nothing to worry about they said.  Lots of children are born with heart murmurs and only 1 out of ___ turns out to be anything serious.  At that point we should have taken some bets on her, because every time in her life when a doctor gave us unlikely odds in relation to her health, she was ALWAYS the "1."  As she was going to have some preliminary tests right away, it was suggested that she have a blessing beforehand.  That was great, except she didn't have a name! Yeah.  We were planning on a boy and we were going to name him Bart, after the missionary who taught us the discussions before we became Latter Day Saints.

So, what were we going to call her?  Randy finally came up with a good solution.  Since we obviously couldn't name her Bart, he suggested we name her after Bart's father, Sam.  Sam Chournos already had a daughter, Sami, named after him and I wasn't exactly sold on my baby having the same name, so Randy suggested Samantha and time would tell if Sami became a nickname or not. (Turned out that Sami was only one of her many nicknames, including but not limited to Sambo, Simbo & Bimbo!  Surely you can see the natural progression there!)  Then he suggested something that REALLY amazed me.  He suggested the middle name of Rae, after my father, Raymond.  Randy really could be sweet, kind and sentimental when he wanted to and thus our second daughter was given a name and a blessing in my hospital room in Bountiful, Utah: Samantha Rae Sloan.

Samantha Rae Sloan
4 months

Considering Samantha's health, it is quite odd that she was the largest of my five children, weighing in at 8 lb. 10 oz!  Her initial exam and chest x-ray indicated that her heart murmur was more than even the pediatrician wanted to handle on his own and we were referred to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City for a heart catheterization by the time she was 6 weeks old. It  is quite traumatic to see your newborn baby in a drug-induced state of paralysis, necessary to keep her still during the procedure.  Again we were told that only 1 in ___ is truly a serious heart defect that affects the quality of life.  

Roll the dice... we win!!! Samantha was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with dextra-cardia and a corrected transposition and the Sloan family came to learn a great deal about cardiac medicine!  The "Tet" meant that Samantha had 4 major defects of the heart including pulmonary stenosis and an absence of the wall between her ventricles.  It also included a "transposition of the great vessels" which meant that her aorta and pulmonary artery were switched.  Normally, a child born with that has to have immediate surgery or they die.  The fact that she had a "corrected" transposition meant that somehow, by the grace of God, these two arteries had corrected their processes in utero, basically doing one another's job and she worked!  To add to those "minor" problems, her heart was also on the wrong side (hence the dextra-cardia) and her heart was twisted, somewhat like someone took a washcloth and twisted it.

The dextra-cardia actually lent itself to a little bit of fun in her life.  When she was starting school, I taught her to put her left hand over her heart to say the pledge and Sam and I have a special joke about every time someone new puts the leads on her chest for an EKG.  No matter how many times you try to tell them that the leads need to go on backwards, they always tell us "I know how to do my job." And we invariably say "Okay."  And then we get to giggle as we see them sheepishly return to the room to redo the EKG, reattaching the leads....

While we've had some fun with her heart, it's also caused it's share of trauma.  She ended up with a brain abscess shortly after her second birthday, which had NOTHING to do with the DPT shot she received a few weeks before, even though the bacteria found in her system was a staph infection referred to as the "golden staph" and was connected to a whooping cough epidemic and the DPT shot injected live pertussis vaccine into her little body that allowed dirty blood to mix with clean blood in the ventricular chambers and be distributed to various parts of her body.  (If you think there may be some sarcasm involved here, you may be right.)  That brain abscess was another 1 in ___ chance and then all of the infections that took over her body afterwards because her immune system shut down were a 1 in _____________ chance!

The girls after Sami's brain abscess
Summer, 1983

Her brain abscess required emergency brain surgery and resulted in her new introductory line when she met new people. "I'm Sami and I have a broken heart and a hole in my head."

She's had two open heart surgeries, the first one when she was eleven and got her "zipper" and a human valve from a 21-year-old woman who had passed away. The second was in March of 2009 and Samantha remembers "Wilbur" and wishes him a happy anniversary every year since. Yes, she now has pig parts.  The odds have worked out well here.  When she received her first transplant we were told that they were hoping the valve would last 8-12 years, but she actually got almost 17 years! Woot! Woot!  We're hoping for another 17 on Wilbur's parts.  Sam has an excellent cardiologist who monitors her closely and takes good care of her.

But enough of all that medical stuff, 'cause Sami is sooo much more!

You know... most mothers wish a child "just like you" on their children.  Well, my mother never wished a me on me, but I got one anyway!  Yep.  Sami is my clone.  She looks like me.  (I actually freaked myself out when I looked at her senior pictures.  For a minute I thought I was looking at a picture of myself when I was younger 'til I realized the hair was too dark and there was a dimple in the cheek!)  She has my sense of humor.  (She was always the one who would laugh at my lame jokes at the dinner table when all the other kids were moaning; I likewise laughed at hers.)  My oldest brother only met her once, as a teenager.  Bill saw her and said "You look just like your mother."  I don't remember her comment to him, but his reply was "And you're a smart aleck like your mother too...."

I've decided that it's a two-way difficult street with the kid who's just like you.  It's hard on the parent just because it's always hard being around someone with your flaws; you see them more.  But it has to be real torture being the one just like your parent.  I mean, can you get away with anything??? They've already got your number.  They know what you're up to and what you're thinking before you even know it yourself! (Sorry Andi Beth!  You might as well give up now.  Your mother AND your grandmother have your number!)  Consequently, Sami Rae was the only one of my kids I had REAL problems with as a teenager.  She was constantly getting an attitude with me over my rules and how I ran the household after Randy and I got divorced. Many the nights went by that Samantha was told to pack her bags.  I'd be sending her to live with her dad in the morning if she thought it was so terrible living with me....

Teenage Sami
December, 1995

But... we survived the teenage years.  During that time, I had serious concerns over whether or not she'd be able to have children because of her heart.  Finally, when she was 16, I decided to talk to her cardiologist, Dr. Herb (Ruttenberg), about it.  He was going to retire soon and she'd probably never see him again and somehow I just didn't trust the opinion of other doctors.  Dr. Herb had always given it to us straight.  So I asked him.  
    And he said "What?"  
    And I asked, "Will she be able to have children?"
    "Well, why not?"
    "Well, because of her heart."
    "What's her heart got to do with it?  The rest of her works just fine."
Thanks for making me feel like an idiot Dr. Herb!

But... he was soooooo right!  Sami Rae has a fabulous, goofy, loving, supportive husband and they have 4 beautiful children: Andreia Elisabeth (Andi), Dylan Kent, Peyton Brian and Addison Samera (Soni).

The Carters
Sam and Cameron with
Dylan, Soni, Peyton & Andi

Sami was my goofy one that would do just about anything too.  When we were staying in a hotel in Ohio for a month before we could move into our house, the cleaning lady accidentally threw out the lid to our kitchen trash can. What 5-year-old was willing to go dumpster diving to retrieve it?  Sami  What pre-teen was willing to help me clean out the turkey roaster that was left in the garage with last year's turkey in it? Sami   Which kid was willing to pop out of a garbage can, dressed like Oscar,  and lead the Grouch Anthem from "Follow that Bird" for a church "cheap night out" talent show? Sami.  Who got lost trying to tell a mom how to bring her home after babysitting, relentlessly took her turn going to knock on doors to sell Girl Scout cookies, learned how to cross-stitch, always wanted puzzles for Christmas, sang her heart out to "I'm Bringin' Home a Baby Bumble Bee" at kindergarten graduation and annually entertained the family wearing the Christmas tree skirt while dancing the hula to "Christmas Island?" Sami!
Many people would be embarrassed to be reminded of such things by family members, but another one of Sam's good qualities is that she's able to laugh right along with them.  Because, in spite of her temper (which she did NOT get from me), she loves people. She especially loves her siblings and she knows they just tease her about it all because they know they can and she'll laugh too.

Sami in Kindergarten

One more thing Sam and I have in common is a love for the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. She's the only one of my girls that really embraced the books and the movies enough to actually go to the midnight showings like her mother.  For a couple of the movies, we texted back and forth while we were waiting in line; except she always got to send me pictures of herself in the theater while I was still out in the cold due to time differences.  Anyway, because we had Twilight in common and the second film (New Moon) came out on DVD the week after her heart surgery, I loaded her up in a wheelchair at the local Walmart and we went to buy the midnight release!  Here we are in line with all these teeny-boppers: Samantha in her pajama pants, sitting in a wheelchair with her slippers and "Arf Arf" (the stuffed-toy dog who was with her for every surgery since her first heart cath) clutched to her chest.  We got so many strange looks!  I just didn't understand it...  

Anyway, while we were in line waiting for midnight so we could buy the DVD, I commented to her that it was too bad that we couldn't go to any of the theater releases together and inspiration struck!  "Sam, I think that when the last movie comes out, we should go together!"
So, this past November, I headed to Texas, along with extra daughter Jana (Stokes) Newell and we went to the Twilight Saga MARATHON!  That morning we headed to the theater early and waited in line until they opened the doors for all the crazy ladies who were there to watch all five movies, one after the other!  And it was a fabulous!  I know everyone probably thinks we're insane, but it was a fabulous memory that will last forever!

At the "Twilight Saga" Marathon
November, 2012

So, how do I wrap this up?  How do I let a daughter know how much I love her, how proud I am of her and how much I appreciate having someone to laugh with me when no one else will?  Hopefully, this song will say it all!  I love you Bim!

Tennessee Birdwalk

Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!

LN #1: Tell about your life now

"Here Come the Brides" was a favorite TV show in the late '60s

It wasn't just Seattle that provided some good "scenery!"

Other than hearing all about the Space Needle and the monorail that were built here in 1962 for the Seattle World's Fair causing me to believe that Seattle was truly a city of the future (a place "The Jetsons" could live), my first "exposure" to this great city was through the TV show "Here Come the Brides."  This show about the Bolt brothers, who owned a logging mountain, had gone back east and recruited 100 brides to make their loggers happy and persuade them to stay in the lonely wilderness town.

Maybe I was easily influenced, but when I first came to Seattle on a short vacation in 2009, I had no doubt that "the bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle" or that "the hills the greenest green in Seattle" would be true!  Now mind you, I never had any real desire to ever even visit Seattle.  NEVER. EVER.  Never even crossed my mind to visit Seattle!  Until one day Jana (my extra daughter, best friend to Brookie) and I decided to venture to the coast to check out Forks, WA and all this Twilight excitement.  On the way back home, we stopped in Seattle and spent the night.  We toured on the Ducks, visited the Space Needle and shopped at Pike Place Market and when I headed home, I felt like I was leaving a part of me behind.  I felt like I was leaving home. I was destined to live here.  It was just a matter of time.

Space Needle: 50 years old last year!
Did I say the skies are blue?

Now, I know all that most people think of when they think of Seattle is rain and gray skies.  And it's true, yet somehow I've never seen it through those eyes.  Maybe I was pre-programmed by Perry Como's song about this great city and am truly brainwashed.  I only recently got an inkling of perhaps what other people see.  I was reading a book and one of the characters was talking about his depression: "I thought about the fact that there seemed to be no color in the world to me... none. Everything was some lifeless gray fog to me.  The sky, the grass, flowers-- nothing had color when I looked at it." Marcia Lynn McClure

It hit me then.  Was this what others see and think of when they think of Seattle?  Because this is NOTHING like what I see.  I see beautiful green; not just in the trees but in all the moss that is so alive this time of year.  And all the flowers that are coming to life, seem to be the most vibrant ones I've ever seen in my life. Bright yellow daffodils and rhododendrons and azaleas of all colors everywhere!  And the sky truly is a beautiful shade of blue! (Now Lanie, I can't say that it's any bluer than the skies you see in Cor-na-coe-pya, but it IS beautiful!)  Maybe I just appreciate it so much more because we don't see it often... But it seems to me that more often than not, it rains at night, is rainy when I go to work in the morning and, most days, when I leave work I leave looking at blue skies with just some white, fluffy clouds overhead.

Hoh Rainforest

I guess it doesn't hurt that I've always loved rain and I really hate ice, which, fortunately, we really don't get here.  It doesn't really get hot in the summer and it really doesn't get cold in the winter.  I mean, I could probably count the number of mornings I've had to scrape my windshield in the two years I've lived here!

And how did I come to live in this beautiful place?  Work.  Well, work and destiny.  There were so many times that I could have given up on my Walmart career, but I knew I could never go back to teaching, although I still love teaching.  Most of my adult life has been spent in management and retail, though.  It's what I was thrown into and it's what I know.  For ten years, I coveted an opportunity to work in Talent Development and finally, after nineteen long years and nearly losing my job twice due to restructuring, I landed my dream job in Wally World!  I finally have the opportunity to combine about twenty-nine years of life experience with my degree and love of teaching and work for one of the best bosses I've ever had (who repeatedly says she should have had me on her team years ago) with a team of people I love, to influence young people just starting out in the careers!  It's fabulous!  

And to top it all off, I have found close friends through church.  The only time I've ever felt so close to people at church was when we lived in Ashland, Ohio.  The people in that small branch became family to us.  They helped raise my kids and I like to think that I may have had a hand in helping to raise some of theirs.  But here, I've been accepted and befriended by more women than I ever would have thought possible.  I work directly with three wonderful women.  I attend a singles' family home evening most Monday nights and I work in the temple every Saturday.  That's another dream come true!

Seattle LDS Temple
Did I say the skies are blue?

Meg says she's never seen me so happy any place I've ever lived.  In a big way she's right.  Yes,  it would be better if even one of my kids lived nearby with some of my grandkids. Yes, it would be better if I had my eternal companion to share my life, but I probably wouldn't have those things anywhere else that I had a job either.  So, until I decide to retire or step down to a people greeter position, I'll just be....

"Like a beautiful child, growing up, free and wild; full of hopes and full of fears; full of laughter, full of tears; full of dreams to last the years... in Seattle!"

Lesley Gore singing "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows"

LN #6: Tell about proud moments as a grandmother; Part 12

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARTON GRAHAM SLOAN!

(aka Gray!)

Gray with the Batmobile I sent him!

So, today is Gray's third birthday!  Barton Graham, named for his beloved Uncle Barton, is the twelfth in my growing line of grandchildren.

Brandon & his boys on BYU-Idaho Graduation Day

Gray was born April 3, 2010, mere DAYS before his dad (Brandon) earned his Bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University - Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho as you can see in the picture above!  What an eventful weekend that created!

First, Gray was born, so Grandma Fuhriman came to stay, then I came to stay, then we had graduation and then it was Easter!

Brandon & Krew died Easter Eggs!

But even with all the other excitement, Gray was still the center of attention and Krew was excited to have a little brother!

Krew loves his little brother!

Unfortunately, Gray is another one of my grandchildren I don't know very well.  Two reasons: 1) He's still a bit too young to really know too much about who he is and what his real interests are and 2) For most of his young life, he's lived in Mississippi while I've been living in Seattle; so visits have been too few and far between!

So, what do I know about Gray? First of all, I know he's adorable and he's smart. (That's not prejudice.  That's just simple truth.)  I know he's into Super Heroes.  (A little disappointed, perhaps, that he prefers Thor to Iron Man...)  I know he's a good big brother to Bennett.  I suspect it won't be too many years before he outgrows his big brother.  It's a little too early to know for sure, but I believe he'll be the one most like his dad.  I know he likes to sing and I know he follows his dad around like a little puppy.  I know his Uncle Bart is thrilled to have a namesake, and insists on calling him "Little Bart" even though Diedre insisted he have a nickname so the family could differentiate between the two Bartons.

But, the name of this blog entry isn't "Tell about when Gray was born" or "Tell what you know about Gray," is it?  Nope.  It's "Tell about proud moments as a grandmother; part 12."  So, what can I say there is about Gray that makes me proud?  I mean, like I said before, he's still young and I'm still figuring out who he is, but odd as it may sound, there is one very special thing that Gray and I have in common; something that really shouts "He's Grandma's Boy!"  My little Gray loves hot dogs!!!  According to his dad, he would eat them three meals a day and whenever he's given his choice for what he wants to eat, his request is hot dogs.  Gray, other people may not understand.  Other people may think you're nuts.  Some may even be so crazy as to try to convince you that they don't taste good or that they're not good for you!  But Gray, don't you listen to them!  I get it and I've got your back!  

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!  I love you!

WC #6: I Like Kids (or Kids Say, and Do, the Darnedest Things!)

I like kids.  I always have.  I probably always will.  The first "kid" I remember liking was my "little" cousin, Timmy.  I was probably all of about 8 or 9, when I learned to appreciate funny little things he'd say or do and loved it when he'd come sit on my lap.  Granted I was probably only about five years older than him, but I FELT like the big kid!

My love for kids only grew as I began having nieces and nephews.  I was only twelve when my oldest nephew was born and I was so proud when I got to walk him around the block in his baby buggy.  Dan and his little sister Gail lived downstairs from us and they were an integral part of my life all through my teenage years and every Saturday morning I could count on them begging "Dew-o" to make them French Toast while their mom slept in.  And everyday after I got home from school, I could count on them running up the stairs, jumping on the couch and hollering "DooDooDoo" and "Bah, Bah, Bah" which translated into "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Tracy," their two favorite 45 rpm records.

And then there was Todd, my nephew from Bill's family, who was much more solemn than Dan or Gail, but very intelligent.  He picked out my beagle mix puppy for me and initially named her Shoes.  And he liked "Hanrahan" Lincoln (aka Abraham) and went "I-night" and only liked macaroni and cheese without the cheese. And then his adorable little sister, Kirsten, who loved to hear stories about Babar the elephant and loved "babitz" (babies).

Nothing is greater than kids.  It's why I wanted to become a teacher.  Well, that and then I could write on the chalkboard whenever I wanted AND I could use a red pen and write on everyone's homework.  And then eventually I had my own kids and spent as much time as I possibly could with them and now I have grandkids!!!! And they're the greatest kids of all!

So what brought about this post?  Just some observations in church yesterday.  A young mother was sitting in the row in front of me with her three young children.  Her husband is in our bishopric, so he was sitting on the stand.  At the beginning of our Easter service, the oldest boy in this family was called upon to go to the front and sing a special Easter duet with another little boy.  What an awesome job they did!  Stumbled on a few words along the way; not always on key, but what troopers!  They reminded me of my kids and what troopers they always were at singing in church or school programs.

Sorry.  I digress.  Anyway, after the song, the little boy got to sit with his dad on the stand through the rest of the service, leaving "mom" with the little girl and little brother.  Shortly, I saw the little girl get out a small bottle of hand sanitizer.  She kept shaking the bottle and squirting and shaking and squirting and then she had to try to close the bottle with the nasty goop all over her hands. (Yes, I said nasty goop.  I can't stand lotion or sanitizer.  Nasty stuff on my hands!)  So, I'm watching her rub... and rub... and rub... and there's still excess goop.  Suddenly I see "mom's" nose twitch, and get a foul look on her face and then she looked over at her daughter and realized there was goop all over her daughter's arms.  Sorry.  I couldn't help but laugh.

So, mom eventually gets all the goop used up, after rubbing some of the excess on herself and little brother.  Then, she decided little brother had had enough snacks for one hour and let him get out his matchbox car, which he decides to drive all over his mother.  I don't know if I had as much patience as this marvelous, young mother but I did recognize the "he's being quiet and not bothering anyone else so I'm gonna let this one slide" approach.  Until, he decided it was a good idea for the car to go through a "tunnel," down the back of his mother's jumper!  

What a hoot!  She couldn't reach it, it fell down too far too fast.  She certainly didn't want him reaching down her dress for it.  She tried reaching around from her lower back and was doing a good job of pushing it back up until she had to get a different angle on her reach and it fell back down further than it was to begin with.  Of course the three women who were sitting by me were no help... we all just sat there and giggled; recognizing her dilemma; knowing the easiest thing to do would be to just stand up and let it fall the rest of the way, but unable to do so without creating a scene while her husband sat on the stand and tried to figure out why she was wiggling and "junior" was giggling (along with all the women in the pew behind her!).  Finally, one of my friends who was sitting closer to her did reach forward and work the delinquent car up until it worked it's way out the armhole!

So, why am I relating all of this on my blog?  Just because watching this little family reminded me of how much joy I have always received from my own children's antics over the years (and the older they all get, the more amazed I am at all the "antics" I missed out on and they managed to keep secret from me!).  But even better, is watching them try to parent their children as I see them do the things that I'm allowed to laugh at as a grandma.  And the things I laugh at the most aren't necessarily funny.  It's just that some of my grandchildren are just like their parent and I love watching my kids squirm as they figure out how to deal with it, now that the shoe is on the other foot.  Megan has Cari, who is just like her.  Sami has Andi, who is just like her (which is even more scary, since Sami is just like me).  Brooks has Sloan.  Brandon's and Barton's children are still a little young to pick out who might be most like them, although I do rather suspect Gray is going to be most like his dad.  You always hear stories of mothers wishing a child just like them on their children.  I never wished it on any of them, but I do rather enjoy watching the results.

But probably the best "kid story" I heard yesterday, Easter Sunday, came from Brandon who reported to me that Saturday night before bed, he read the story of the empty tomb to the kids in preparation for Easter morning.  I was so proud of him, putting the emphasis on the Savior instead of the Easter Bunny.  And then Brandon told me his oldest son, Krew's reaction to the story of Christ's resurrection:

   "So Dad; does that mean Jesus is a zombie?"
I was amazed!  "So how did you keep a straight face?"
   "Well, Diedre kinda had to hit me to get me not to laugh."
   "Ah. And how does Krew know about zombies?"
   "Well, I like zombies so he knows about them."
   "Uh huh. Well, lessons our children learn from us aren't always the lessons we want them to learn, are they????"

So, what do I love about kids?  They're entertaining.  They're innocent.  They keep us young and keep us on our toes. They make us want to become better people.  And most of all, they keep us humble.