Life in Vancouver

This video gives a little glimpse into McKenna and McKay's new home and neighborhood in
Vancouver, Washington. But more than that, I get to see some of my grandchildren.

Karen and Tyler were house shopping that day trying to find a home close by. (Leo was with them)
But Rich spent the day playing with his cousins Grant and Scarlett. 

I love the area, all the greenery and sunshine.


This is no ordinary story


Dennis and I set out on Monday to meet this family...


It was this thing below that kept us from our destination!

I have been following this very unique family for a long time via their blog. Carrie and her husband
Gavin were missionaries in New Guinea (not sure which religion) along with their young son Issac
when Carrie learned she was pregnant with quintuplets.

So they moved back to Dallas so Carrie could get good medical care, and to be close with family.
After all, with 5 babies they would need a little help.

They are in California right now just an hour from our house and they invited us to their Open House!
I was so excited but about half way there our car started making a horrible noise.
Turns out our dust cover underneath the car was 1/2 on and 1/2 off.

I kept saying we should call Triple A.
He kept saying he wanted to figure it out himself.

Luckily we were not far from a truck stop and Den bought a contraption he wrapped underneath the car
and then both he and I had to hold the ends of this belt so we could make it slowly back home.

We took the car to Charlie's the next morning 
and he ripped the dust cover off saying it serves no purpose!
I'm thinking, kind of like our appendix.

Back to the story….
I want to show you a picture of the goodie bags they made for the
passengers and stewardesses on the plane out to California this week.
It included their picture and story, a set of ear plugs and 2 homemade choc chip cookies!
I guess traveling with quints brings out the creativity!

So the babies are 21 months now and they are preparing to go "back home" to
New Guinea next month where they will all live another 4 years! Watch this video and you will be as
amazed as we are. This was made before the babies, but it shows the life they lived and what they are
going back to. Can you even imagine 5 toddlers living there?
This is one very brave and committed family.

Seriously, this video leaves me in awe every time I watch it.
It is all labeled and very easy to understand.The music is beautiful too.

I found their "Walmart," police station, and hospital very interesting.

If he hadn't survived, I wouldn't be here


My maternal Great Great Grandparents, Mary Keziah (Chew)  and Luman Walker LeMaster.
Mary: 1847-1927
Luman: 1842-1931

I learned from my cousin Travis today, that Luman fought in the Civil War, enlisting in July 1861. He 
was shot through the left breast. The bullet entered between the first and second ribs and lodged within 
the thorax. He spent time in the hospital in Nashville and Lousiville before being discharged with 1/2 
disability on Feb. 27, 1864.

And here's the good part. He came home and married Mary Chew and they went on to have 11 
children…..their 4th child being my Great Grandpa William Clifford LeMaster.

Mary Chew was the daughter of Dr Ezekial Cooper Chew. My cousin Travis has wondered if perhaps 
Dr. Chew was treating Luman's wounds, and that is how he met the Dr's daughter, Mary. People didn't 
have many ways to meet back then….they didn't have cars or phones or Facebook. So Travis' idea
sounds likely but I suppose we will never know.

Either which way, if Luman hadn't survived, I wouldn't be here.
I'm not sure many survived gun shot wounds back then, especially to the chest.


And just in case you are wondering, 
here is Luman and Mary's 4th child, my Great Grandpa William Clifford LeMaster.

I think he looks like my sister Peggy.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day as we remember all those who fought for us. 
We have many many people to thank in the next life.






What a really fun Mom would do

I wouldn't say my sons considered me a "fun" Mom back in the day. I think they liked me and all, but not sure "fun" would be in any of their descriptions of me (although I sort of regret that now.) 

However, having said all that, I seriously WOULD have let them 
do THIS. And I would have had the time of my life watching 
them!

Although, I do admit if I had had a new home….you know, with 
the perfect walls and all, I would not have even mentioned this 
crazy idea to them. 

As for now? I don't even think it's on the market yet, and I don't 
have any stairs. But if I did and if it was, this alone would make me such a cool Grandma Honey.

Kylie teaches us about diabetes

Last week there was an article on the front page of our paper stating that 1 out of every 3 patients in
OUR area hospital are diabetic. ONE out of every THREE. They are calling it an epidemic.

Our granddaughter Kylie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just 14 months ago.

I interviewed her but as you will see I don't quite know what I'm doing. But Kylie does.

Even though I've edited about half of this out, this video is not short. She talks about what it's like and
what she has learned about life. And shows us what she goes through each day.

This girl not only has courage, but she has what I call FORTITUDE. She pushes through life….just
doing what she needs to do, and wanting to help others in the process.


An accident that paid for diapers and preschool

Now that 3, soon to be all 4 of my sons and their wives, are home owners... I figure now is a good
time to go through and distribute their father's items to them.

I found this picture of Bill and Kari…the little girl we cared for, before our sons were born.


Bill is younger in this picture (26?) than any of our sons are now!
Who does he most look like?? Anyone have an opinion?

Brock, Logan, McKay, Tyler a few years ago.

What I found most interesting about my findings yesterday is this list of goals Bill typed up. It has no
date on it and I don't know what prompted him to write it, but I am very thankful for #5.

Because of goal #5, and because he didn't just think about it, but followed through, I was able to keep
our home after he died, and I didn't have to leave our sons to find employment.

In going through Bill's momentos yesterday…..I came across some pictures of when he was in the
Army. He said those were the worst 3 years of his life, and I have unhappy looking pictures to prove it.

Bill is on the right side, 3rd from the front.

Part of his duties were playing his trumpet at the White House. Bill's parents were visiting one day Bill
was performing, and got this pictureof Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and his wife….




During one of his trips to the White House, after playing his trumpet in Pres Nixon's office, Bill had an 
accident on the way out. Somehow he ran into the statue of President Lincoln and hurt his knee. An 
ambulance quickly arrived (they don't waste time for injuries at the White House) and he was
diagnosed with some sort of permanent knee injury. 

Since it happened while "on duty" he was given a 10% disability for life. 
After we were married he signed the check over to me each month and told me to use it as I needed.
That little disability paid for diapers for several years, and then preschool
….then extra things the boys needed after starting school. Thank you Mr. Lincoln.

If we only knew….

Even if you have seen this before, it's worth it to watch again. Sometimes I think I should watch this
everyday before leaving the house, or at least before visiting someone in the hospital.

 



My cousin Ron has been in the hospital since Mother's Day when he broke his femur in a ladder
accident. I've always heard that is a very painful bone to break! He has been in our thoughts and
prayers, and will continue to be.

He is holding a note from one of his granddaughters.

I'm beginning to think Mother's Day may be a dangerous day. About 10 years ago Dennis was scheduled for surgery, but it had to be rescheduled 6 months out because his surgeon fell in his empty swimming pool on Mother's Day and broke both legs. The surgeon said the blessing in all of that was, he got to really know his infant daughter since they spent many weeks, if not months on the floor together.

Why I choose Saturday morning instead

The problem with me going to the Friday night Farmer's Market here in Clovis,
is I get easily distracted, and then come home with no fruits and vegetables. 

Like last Friday night, I got completely involved talking to this woman…
And looking at her child. Her pretend child. I'd never seen anything like it.

She weighs 11 lbs and she moves and looks (at least at first) like a real baby.
The woman named her Talee…the Lee part after her.

 She wouldn't let anyone touch her because she didn't want the baby to get dirty. Her sister had her
custom made just for her. I thought it rude to ask how much her baby cost.

So today I was happy to read in the paper that the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings in the old
DMV parking lot is now continuing year round
(the original plan was to just have it during the off season) 

It's cooler in the mornings here, parking is easier, and I can just buy my vegetables and leave. 
It's not a social event like the Friday night one.

So keep that in mind if you live around here.

Speaking of the DMV…..
Den was at the newer one yesterday and this is what he saw going across the front of it.
He said they were all headed to a chain link fence. He watched the mother go through it, and then her 
babies one by one step up and go through the same opening. But the littlest one on the end couldn't
make it up there. The little guy kept struggling as his Mama and siblings were getting further ahead.
Dennis got closer to see if he could assist him but the baby duck finally made it through on his own. 
As soon as he met up with his little ducky siblings, they gathered around him like it was a big family reunion.
Like Dennis said, "They have feelings!"

Life is interesting every which way we turn.



going separate ways?

If you have followed my blog at all you will see our grand twins 
for the past 5 years mostly side by side in any pictures or videos. 
We don't pose them that way….that's just how they are.

They share activities, play, friends, food, time, and space.

So when Jonas wanted to join T-Ball and Téa had no interest in 
that….I was wondering how that would work for them.


Jonas was SO proud, and asked us to come watch him play!


His Mom was on 2nd base, helping the kids run the right direction.

Jonas knows to stand and how to pay attention.


That's more than I can say for most on "his team."
The little guy on the left is barely 3, 
and hasn't a clue what he's doing there. 


I yelled out as loud as I could, "Jonas the Bonus!"…...
 After shouting that a few times I suddenly told Dennis…
"Oh no, I don't want to be one of those Grandmas 
who embarrass the grandkids!"

Den said right back to me, "I don't think so. Remember, he still 
insists his name is Jonas Logan Daddy Heasley." 
Embarrassment may not be on his radar screen yet.


But then it happened. I came close to him  
and he said, "Where's Téa?"

"Where's my sister?"

"She's around here somewhere Jonas. 
I think she's with Chandler. She's okay."



I went out and about and finally found his little sister with Chandler. All was well so….


I went back to report that Téa was just fine.

So he was then able to go out and play ball again.

GO Jonas Logan Daddy Heasley!!!
You can do it, Jonas the Bonus!

about Dennis

I can't help myself…I have to share this….

Whenever our kids are going through anything, good or bad, Den 
tends to get obsessed in it all. He's not pesty (right??)…I don't 
mean that….but he's been known to buy and read text books they 
are reading. Or look up maps to where they are moving. 
He even tapes these maps to his office wall. 
Not to mention that he continually talks about them. 
But that's a good thing to me.

His kids, my kids. It doesn't matter.

Well guess what? His obsessions extend to animals apparently.

One morning last week he announced that he found a stray dog in 
our front yard. I wanted to say, "So? Just ignore it." 
But I didn't. Out of respect to him, not the dog.

He was continually going out to check on 
this little bitty dog…..like every 15 minutes.

He was looking in the fridge and asking me at the same time, 
"What can I give him to eat?" Like I would know. 
"Nothing. We keep no dog food in the fridge."

So off he goes to the store and comes back with a meal for his new 
his little stray. Then he calls our daughter in law, Erin, for dog 
advice. She suggested he check Craig's List for missing dogs. 
He does this and ends up making several 
phone calls in response to ads. No luck.

Meanwhile I go off running errands, 
but when I returned this is what I see:


As soon as I saw this I said to myself, 
"oh brother!…Now what is he trying to do?"

He said he wanted to keep the dog safe until he could find his owner.


Then he calls SPCA but said they were short of help 
so they sent the police. Who am I, 
but shouldn't that be the other way around??


Soon after the dog left, Den said he was going to the airport to pick 
up our friend Jo a half hour before she requested. 

"Why are you leaving so soon? 
Remember, she said to just pick her up out front?" 

And of course this was his response, "But she likes me to 
come inside and get her and I don't want her to have to wait any."
Jo only uses a wheel chair in airports, btw.
Of course. Because that's Dennis.
(And should you think he just doesn't have enough to do, 
he still manages to work a 40+ hour week.)

I think Logan said it well at Den's 65th birthday a few months ago:

Challenges and Joys


Yes, that's Austin back with us.
He needed to come home from his mission this week 
so he could get medical treatment.


See that look of shock over Austin's face?
I just so happened to have my camera on him 
when he noticed our remodeled kitchen for the first time. 
I guess it looked pretty bad when he left.


We had stake conference today and so we kept our tradition 
of having lunch afterwards. 
Chicken salad sandwiches, fluffy fruit, strawberries, Lime chips, baked beans, Chinese Chicken Salad, Mom's fruit punch
(just putting it here so when I'm asking myself: Now what did I serve last time?)



While I was cleaning the kitchen today after lunch our sweet 
Violet wrapped her arms around my legs 
and said, "I want to hug you Grandma Honey."

  Things got a little crazy around here after we all ate. 
But that's okay….



That's what cousins are suppose to do when they get together.

However, just as I was coming out of the kitchen I noticed 
everyone was leaving….like all of a sudden. 
So I said, "Hey, uh, you're all leaving now??" 

I just thought it odd since they don't usually leave in unison. 

That's when Amy said, "We were kicked out."
I thought, no way, and said,  "No you weren't. By who?
"By Dad. He told us all to go home."
"I'm sure he didn't mean that….what did he say?"
"He waved his arms towards the door and said, "Okay, time to go!"

This was so out of character for Dennis that it made me laugh!

A few minutes later Grandma Honey and Grandpa were fast asleep.  :)



Look what happened last night

  Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy.... Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college. It was not ...