Spring Cleaning

Yesterday my cell phone kept sending me a message stating I was out of room! It had content overload! Yikes.....what does that mean??? I cleared my inbox of rec'd msgs. Then I cleared my sent msgs. Then I moved on to My Pictures. Oy! Could THIS be the overloaded content? Uh....maybe so. It's funny how you can lose track of all those pics you store on your phone. Every picture that's been sent to me, like the cute purse Ri was buying, or the wrecked truck Casey helped put back on it's 18 wheels, or the "new ride" Jerry just purchased. It struck me that as I went thru these pics that "my picture" folder on my phone was a sort of diary for my life over the last year or so. And then there were the little projects that I took pictures of to blog about and well......never got to. So, here are some of the things I wanted to share with you and never did :). I made these "enameled" tags http://www.cantstopmakingthings.com/2010/07/french-enameled-numbers.html, and had so much fun with it, I ,like the blog title says, couln't stop!! Enjoy!

Snowshoeing in the Sierras

Ever since snowshoeing in Idaho with Ri last year.....I've wanted to snowshoe with Les right here in California :) I was convinced that Les would enjoy it as much as I had. We checked into renting snowshoes from our local sporting goods here in Modesto....and after finding out it was going to cost us over $75 for a weekend, we decided we would go ahead and put that $75 toward shoes of our own instead.

I promptly began a search online and found used shoes for Les on Ebay for just slightly more than the $75 we would have spent on the rental. After a couple of failed bids on a pair for me, I finally found a pair in my price range and won the bid! Yay!! We decided these would be our Valentine's gifts to each other :)

Finally the day arrived for us to head up in the mountains and try the shoes out! A huge storm had just passed thru and we were excited to see what kind of tracks we could make :) As we headed up, there were grey skies and snow flurries.....yikes. The temp. topped out around 20 degrees, but as we drove farther, we saw blue skies.

Pinecrest Lake was our destination. After a few adjustments on the snowshoes, we were on our way for a trek around the north end of the lake. Gorgeous......just gorgeous!! I think it's one of the best Valentine dates I've ever had.

My Heart's Desire

That's an appropriate title for a February 1st post...don't you think? But, I have another reason...because today is Marie's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday Ri!!

I could not let this day pass without a bit of reminiscing of the day Margaret Marie (aka Maggie Marie, Margo, or Ri :) was born, as well as the days leading up to it, because...you see, little Marie was my heart's desire. After a very difficult pregnancy with Casey and Jerry, their premature birth and health struggles when they were toddlers.....it was a risky move to get pregnant again. But we wanted....hoped for....prayed for a little girl.

Oh yes, another healthy BOY would have been wonderful too....but a girl....well, I wouldn't let myself dream of it for fear of disappointment. I would certainly LOVE another boy, but a daughter, well, that would be a 'gift' indeed.

As my pregnancy progressed, all seemed well. I felt good despite the awful morning/all day sickness I always endured for the entire pregnancy...it wasn't quite as bad the second time.....and so when Les needed foot surgery, we didn't put it off. I would manage....7 months pregnant, two toddlers, and a hubby on crutches. No sweat :)

I had a Dr's appointment so I left the boys napping in bed, Les in his recliner, and headed off to Modesto. Just the usual pregnancy check. I sat on the examining table and had my blood pressure taken. No comment from the nurse. My Dr. entered and after greeting me, said that I needed to head right on over to the hospital. What? No!! Why??? Your blood pressure is off the charts and I'm calling you an ambulance. We'll call your husband and he can meet you there. NO!! this can't be happening again! My baby...it's only 7 months....I went thru this before....no Lord please..... I sat on that exam table and cried, and cried, and cried....literally. The Dr. came in twice to see if I was ready to leave and each time I said no. My mind was whirling...I drove here, Les can't drive, who will watch the boys? I can't go in an ambulance.....no no no. Unbelieveably, I convinced the Dr. to let me drive home. I was to be back at Modesto City Hospital in an hour. It was January 31, 1981 and my actual due date was April 1st.

I was admitted, blood tests, and amniocentesis to determine baby's actual age/size and lung developement, then steroids to make the baby's lungs grow fast....24 hrs. was all we had. The amnio could have told us the sex of our baby, but we said no......I couldn't bear knowing yet. We prepared ourselves for the worst, and hoped for the best. We trusted God KNEW....we didn't understand why we had to go thru this yet again, but still we trusted.

My doctor came in and explained I would need to be transported to Sacramento and a larger hospital where they could handle "at risk" deliveries......like mine would be......my baby. Would my baby live...would I? Trust...that 's all we could do. God KNOWS...He knows....

February 1, 1981 @ 7am the petosin drip is started to induce labor. It's grueling labor...HARD...from the first contraction to the last. It shouldn't be happening this way. I'm utterly exhausted from 12 hrs. labor. My doctor decides "nothing's happening soon" and heads home for dinner. His intern takes watch over me. She is kind and tells me her parents are Drs in Ripon. Ripon? How can that be? They were missionaries before....I know them! Are you a believer? she asks. I nod, as I can't work up the energy to speak. She asks if she can pray with me then.....I'm crying again. Yes! yes please. I can't remember what she said, but it comforted me. Three contractions later, this intern, who I'm sure God placed in my room, delivered our sweet Marie. "It's a girl!!" Really? really really really? Are you sure??? And then I saw her. It was true! We have a girl..... a girl. I can't believe it.

This was our family now, and we had our girl. There wouldn't be any more babies....

We named her after one of the finest women I've ever known.....Les' grandma, Maggie Haveman. Maggie was strong, kind, and sweet, though not sickeningly so. She was practical and had a ready smile and sharp wit. She was a good cook too, and liked to knit. All but for the knitting part :) I believe Marie lives up to her namesake quite remarkably. We are proud to call her daughter, and on that day 30 years ago, I thank God that He saw fit to bless me with "my heart's desire". Love you Ri!

Fall Color Tour

Our Campsite

Bishop Creek Canyon

Bishop Creek

Conway Summit at the base of Virginia Lakes

This is the way we roll!

For the last 30 years or so, or as long as Les was driving truck on the west coast, he's taken me on a "Fall Color Tour". Every year, about now, he would come home and say "it's time for your fall color tour hon' !" I knew just what that meant....he was beginning to see the trees along the way north turn their fall colors in earnest. I'd pack my bag, and the next trip north, I was along for the ride! He knew all the BEST spots.....and as we rode along would tell me to look left or right for that spot, or even a particular tree he had seen, that was a brilliant red or orange. We'd talk till we were both hoarse......about anything and everything. Lots of goals and plans for our life and family were made on those fall color tours. Five years ago, when Les quit driving, so did our fall color tours. Not on purpose mind you, but simply a part of the changing times of our lives....weddings, grandchildren, and now I get to see Les EVERYDAY! So this year, my sweetheart came in the house one day and said "Hon' it's time for your fall color tour". He'd been checking online to see just when the optimum time would be to see COLOR on the east side of the Sierras. He said he had a few vacation days left....com'on...let's GO! So we did.....and were not disappointed.

We camped at Virginia Lakes, 9600ft. evevation in a gorgeous spot. These pics are from the campsite and in and around the general area...say a 50 mile radius. The picture with Les and Mickey in it with all the beautiful trees is taken in Bishop Creek Canyon. Gorgeous!

Trip to Chicagoland

All summer we'd looked forward to our trip to Chicago and visiting Jerry, Bernice, James and Lucas. We weren't disappointed! What fun we had. Les and Jerry did their favorite MAN activity...getting grease under the nails and searching the countryside and city for just the right bolt. Oh yeah, they complained and acted frustrated...but we know the truth! They enjoy the challenge and the hunt for the right part and then finding it and finishing the project!! Another highlight was, of course, Jame's 3rd birthday. If you read Bernice's blog, then you know it was a Thomas the Train theme. After going to the children's museum in Naperville, we stopped for dinner at a train themed diner. It was REALLY cute! The train entered the kitchen on one side and then came out the other laden with all our yummy eats. The next time around it brought out our ice cream dessert....topped with a birthday candle for James. A good day indeed.

We also whiled our time away with shopping at an outlet mall, a really fantastic one, in Aurora, antiquing in Crown Point, Indiana, visiting with friends, and going for walks in the neighborhood. Going for walks was one of my favorite things to do...all the houses in Jerry and Bernice's neighborhood are just plain lovely to look at. White with painted shutters, or wrap around porches decked out in inviting wicker seating and the most humongous lush hanging ferns I've ever seen in my life!! Just like the picture on a magazine cover. If only I could transform MY house to one of those.....sigh.

It IS good to be home again though we miss our dear ones in Illinois....perhaps, someday we can all live a bit closer together....tis a dream ..................................but you never know ;-)