Plenty of Time for Thinking

Darren is on a week-long "boys" training for work in Sun Valley this week, so I am a temporary widow or single again. Not sure. I always look forward to this week at the beginning of the summer. Although it is work, and they are in session most of the day, it's a chance to do a little guy bonding without wives in the way. The Church is very inclusive with wives and families, as they often tell us they don't just hire the men, they hire the wives as well. Some days, it really feels like another calling, but my husband most every day, loves to go to work. What a blessing to me to know he is happy in his chosen profession.

While Darren is gone I get a chance to really miss him. I get a lot of chores done that I have wanted to do. I also get a lot, a lot of thinking time. We've been married for over 11 years now and I am so grateful to be in a place in our relationship that we can truly be who we are, and truly "see" each other. It's nice to know another person so well, that often these days we are seconds behind each other in saying or feeling or doing the exact same thing. I appreciate anew someone who can handle themselves on their own, and yet, when we are together we make a terrific team.

Our lives are all about families. In the end, it's thing we care about and worry about most. Hopefully we feel that at the beginning too. And in the middle when everything seems to be going right and there isn't much "new" to expect. I like the middle. I like appreciating all Darren is and does, anew. We are born into our families of origin, and then we marry and are creators of our own families, and on and on. I realized that I am one person away from being alone in my family of creation. That truly increased my gratitude for this person I've chosen to be with for so long. I love you, Darren. To the size of Oliver and to the amount of driving we do, to the power of infinity.

This is us at Seminary graduation....obviously just before we were finished for the night. My poor hair was behaving like a 2 year old and I was a tired girl. But it was a very fun night. I love Seminary graduation.

Yes, another grass update.....sorry. The first mowing of our grass of the season. It has only been a year that this yard has been finished. Doesn't it look great?? Compare the before and after pictures. Seriously.....I can't believe I thought it would be so easy to put a yard in. We are now professionals. Here Darren is pictured with our mammoth tomatoes, but you can see there isn't a spot of grass anywhere outside the garden. I was careful to try and capture the best parts of our yard, not the frightening ones.

And this is our yard today.....I LOVE seeing green!Thank you, spring, for ever coming......everDarren and I were outside sitting on our Adirondack chairs enjoying the evening when he looked in this box my brother made for me and told me there was a new cat inside. Mind you, the few cats we get at our house, are so unbelievably wild they would not hang out to have Darren poking his head inside the box. I told him I saw all of them scatter when we came outside, but he swore up and down there was someone in there. As he started to gently put his hand in there, I nearly had a heart attack! "Darren, are you nuts??? You could get rabies, or cat leukemia, or infection, or your hand entirely chewed off....." so he ran to get the flashlight. As we very cautiously shine the light in, we see fur. Black fur with a spot of orange fur. Then we see movement. Then we see 2, no 3, no 5 legs?!?! What?!?!! We had 4 little kittens.....brand new, little kittens inside sleeping. I guess the 2 moms brought their kittens to our house to be safer. So CUTE!