Beach Clean Up

Usually we get down to clean up the beach sooner than the end of May, but with all of the rainy weather we have had and the Larry Ball's funeral last weekend, this was our first chance to do some clean up. 

Chris and the girls started up by the house mowing and weed whacking. I went down to the beach and got started. Weeding is not my favorite job, but the morning was beautiful and not too hot. 

We had a lot of leaves that had fallen in the flower beds and general clean up to do.

I didn't take any before pictures but did get some after shots. We are ready to go with fire pits at the beach, the kayak and stand up paddle are out, the tables are cleaned up, and the weeds are gone for a couple of days!

We still need to remove the goose poop! Those birds are a menace!

The "Manly" Plant

Kirsten and Mark Savage came to visit after Chris returned from Texas just to show their love and support after his dad's death.

They were sweet to bring Chris a "manly" plant.

Stupid High School Kids

Some kids at Kristen's high school posted some inappropriate pictures on social media that were taken on the school grounds.

The administration sent out letters condemning the pictures and had the posts taken off of social media, but you know these kids these days, screen shots were taken.

Kristen texted me on Thursday that threats were being made at the school. She was nervous and wanted to come home. Knowing how school shootings go these days, I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry in this instance. I went and picked her so she could finish her school day online.

When I walked up to the school to get Kristen, there were kids outside "protesting". It was mostly them standing around and talking.

There were police officers posted at the entrance to the school. Apparently the kid who made the threat was identified and I'm not sure what happened with that.

Helping Jamie Pack

My friend, Jamie, is moving. She is one of the friends who came on the "Couples Cruise" with Chris and I a number of years ago.

She and her husband found some property about an hour east of Firestone. I will miss having her close by.

Kirsten (also from our Couple Cruise) is another dear friend. She and I helped Jamie pack up her kitchen.

The problem with having that kind of help is not knowing where things are packed. Already, Jamie has texted me twice asking if I remember which boxes certain items were packed in.

These ladies are both tall. They crouched to be closer to my height. Kirsten is on the left, Jamie on the right.

Seminary is Done!

I am so thrilled to have seminary be finished for this semester. It was dragging for all of us, students and teachers alike. While ZOOM online seminary this year has been a challenge, I have loved not having to drive anywhere in the early morning to get to seminary.

We had a great bunch of kids, but the stake decided to mix everyone up, so it took months for all of the kids to begin to gel together.

Next Fall, we should be back in person again. And by then, I should be ready to be back up and going again. For now, I was thrilled to turn off my 4:55 am alarm and try to sleep in. Also hoping that the dark circles under my eyes begin to disappear over the summer.

Saying goodbye to some great kids was a hard. 

The good news though? We will continue with seminary for one hour a day four days a week. I love that idea over 45 minutes for five days a week.

Fainting

Kristen had a long day of school (with lunch at 11 am) and tennis followed by voice lessons at 6 pm. She didn't get a chance to have any dinner.

As I was waiting for her during her voice lesson, her teacher's husband came out and found me in the car saying, "Kristen just fainted."

I hurried into the house and found Kristen awake but very pale and green around her nose and mouth.

She had been doing singing and breathing exercises. She mentioned to her teacher, Carli, that she wasn't feeling so great and was a little lightheaded. Kristen sat on the couch and then just fainted and didn't come to for about 30 seconds.

When she woke up, Kristen wasn't quite sure where she was and Carli was a little frantic.

Carli got Kristen a cheese stick to eat and then decided to end the lesson a little early.

This is the look of, "Mom, do you really have to take a picture?"

Grandpa's Funeral Weekend - Sunday

We attended Kevin’s ward on Sunday morning. 

Chris, Amy, Misha and I stayed in a hotel about 20 minutes from Kevin’s house. Kristen spent the night with cousins. I don’t believe she got a lot of sleep. She kept falling asleep on my shoulder throughout Sacrament meeting. 

The newly called bishop of Kevin’s ward used to live in Firestone and we enjoyed knowing his family. It was nice to see them again.  

Lori and Sam had an early flight Sunday morning, and were the first of the family to head home. 

We had a family lunch—hamburgers as they were grandpa’s favorite—and then just spent time together as the rest of the family prepared to leave. Kenny and Jenn headed out next. 

During the afternoon, Chris and I were talking. He planned to stay in Houston until Thursday to help his mom. The girls and I had a flight home early Monday morning at 6 am! We would have to be up and going around 3:30 our time. I suggested that we just go home Sunday night and he began checking to see if there were any flights. 

He found one. It left out of Hobby airport which was an hour away from Kevin’s house. Kristen wasn’t thrilled to leave her cousins early, but none of us really wanted that early morning wake up call either. 

So Becky’s family left at 5:00 with Grandma driving them to the airport. 

Chris drove us girls in Kevin’s van to Hobby International Airport at 5:30 pm. Kevin and Candace’s home was emptying fast. Since we had a hotel booked for the night and it was too late to cancel it, Chris planned to stayed at the hotel. 

Chris planned to stay with Kevin for the next week and would help clean out Grandpa’s office and make it into a guest room. 

Kevin and Candace were phenomenal in hosting family, allowing us to use their vehicles, planning and preparing meals, just to name a few. Hopefully their lives will calm a little now. 

Before everyone started leaving, Grandma brought over some of Grandpa’s jackets, hats, and shirts for the grandkids to look through. 

Misha found an extra large shirt to wear, Chris claimed one of Grandpa’s hats, and Becky’s kids took a few of Grandpa’s jackets and hats as mementos. It was fun to see them so interested. 

Misha and Ashley tried on a pair of Grandpa’s shorts.

Grandpa's Funeral Weekend - Saturday

We received news that Grandpa Larry Ball died early on Wednesday, May 12. 

From the day of his cancer diagnosis until his death was a total of 13 days. 

We know that he had been suffering with a lot of pain prior to that time, but once the diagnosis came, his health declined rapidly. 

Chris was able to visit shortly after the diagnosis and helped his mom tremendously to take care of a lot of many things that just weren’t in focus for her such as doing taxes, as well as help both her and Grandpa Ball prepare for his death. 

As Chris left on Friday the 7th, two of his sisters—Jenn and Lori—arrived to take the watch. I am not sure they realized that their task would be to help their dad die. It was a hard week for everyone, Kevin and Candace included as they had been carrying a heavy load for a long time. 

Once Grandpa passed away, plans were quickly put in motion to have the memorial service on Saturday. 

Becky had planned to fly on Thursday. Her arrival was moved to Wednesday; she was a little too late in arriving to be able to say goodbye to her dad. 

Once we decided that our family would all go to the funeral, Chris and Kristen began working on flight details. We planned to fly out together early Saturday morning so that we could attend the service in the afternoon at 3:00 pm. 

Lori’s husband, Sam, flew in. Jenn’s husband and family arrived from Georgia. Becky’s kids flew in on Thursday. 

The Memorial Service was lovely. Misha volunteered for the opening prayer, Jenn gave the eulogy, Chris spoke, Jeremy (Kevin’s son) played the piano, and Kevin and Lori had a video prepared to play. Kevin offered the closing prayer. 

Kristen's pile of kleenex.

The service was followed by a lovely family lunch provided by the Relief Society. We took some family pictures, the kids sang, and a few people shared some great memories of Grandpa. I think it offered good closure.

Family Pictures

Amy Sick

Amy wasn’t feeling so great Sunday morning while we were in Houston. 

We arrived at Kevin’s house from the hotel we were staying in, and I only had to take one look at her as we got out of Kevin’s car to see that she wasn’t feeling good. “Do you need a bathroom?” I asked. 

She nodded and headed to the bathroom where she knelt and immediately started throwing up. Not sure what caused her discomfort, but she laid on the couch for a bit and promptly fell asleep. We left her sleeping while we went to church. Becky and Jenn and family were at the house and they were kind enough to keep an eye on her.

She seemed to feel fine later in the day.

When You Have an Early Flight...

 When you have an early flight and leave home wearing flip flops and forget to pack your tennis shoes.

Fortunately, we weren't planning on doing a lot of walking during our weekend in Houston.

Pesky Birds and Animals

After Misha and I added bird netting over the area where the birds were trying to build a nest, those pesky birds promptly began building a nest above one of the deck speakers. 

I noticed it after it was fully built less than a week later. Those birds didn’t waste any time. 

Chris pulled it down (no eggs in it) and I tossed it. The animals around our house seem to becoming more “at home”. It takes constant watching to keep them at bay. 

The geese have migrated up the hill to our back yard, and Chris and I have to scare them away at least two times a day. 

I even have a rabbit that keeps burrowing in my garden under the area where I just planted my carrots.

Kristen Vaccine - Check

Just before leaving for Houston, Kristen had an appointment for her second vaccine shot.

Nice that we are all vaccinated now. Kristen was worried that she might feel some adverse effects over the weekend in Houston, but she really only had a sore arm. We may have to worry about booster shots in the future, but for now we are grateful to have had the vaccine so readily available to us.

Choir Concert

Kristen had one of her final choir concerts outside. The speaker system needed a little work, but the students did great.

Her teacher, Miss Berry, even arranged for a food truck to be at the school. Chris and I tried a few of the street tacos while we waited for Kristen to say goodbye to all of her graduating senior friends.

Two Batches of Bread

The first batch of bread I made, I forgot and added the Costco yeast that is the active dry yeast. The bread pretty much fell in the oven and was not very tasty.

So later in the afternoon, I decided that we really needed bread and that I would make another batch. I used the instant rise yeast and the loaves turned out much better.

Mother's Day 2021

 My husband truly has a gift for words. I love the kindness he posted on Facebook:

Successfully turning tiny little people into productive bigger people is an exhausting endeavor filled with peaks and valleys. It’s not for the weak, and Jolayne has done it like the best. Thank you for modeling to our girls what it means to be an exemplary mother and woman. We love you to pieces.

Chris to Texas

Chris left for Texas on Sunday, May 2 and stayed through Friday, May 7. It was a hard week for his parents and he went to help and give moral support. While he was there he cleaned bathrooms, helped get taxes taken care of, cleaned cars, made appointments for cars to be serviced...basically helped to get things done that just weren't on Larry and Linda's radar as they dealt with Larry's diagnosis.

He was also a great sounding board for his mom and dad, helping them focus on the moment yet also look to the future.

We were glad to have him come back home, but know that it was important for him to be there.

As Chris left, two of his sisters flew in for a few more days. They are grateful to be surrounded by family at this time.

Kristen's First Date

Kristen went on her first date last night. She was even the one to ask the guy out.

She double dated with her friends Kylie and Porter. Kristen's date was Hayden B.

Since none of them are able to legally drive yet, Chris and I drove the couples to Boondocks where they were able to play mini golf, ride go carts, and play laser tag.

Kylie's parents picked them up and brought them home.

They also walked a couple of miles to IHOP to eat. Kristen had a fabulous time. I am proud that she had the courage to ask someone out.

Volunteering at the Race

We volunteered as a family at the Firestone Run for Autism.

The girls and I set up and manned a water station in downtown Frederick while Chris was about a mile away directing traffic as runners raced across intersections.

We were grateful for a warm Saturday morning as we have experienced colder days in previous years.

There were lots of speedy racers and some who simply walked.

The girls handed out the water and I stood a little further down the block with a garbage bag for the racers to throw their used cups in.

We laughed as we watched an older man drive by a couple of times in his hearse, complete with a skeleton in the front seat. 

The girls wanted pictures taken in front of a dinosaur statue across the street. They thought it was funny that the lady who took their picture asked if they were triplets. Well, they were all dressed the same!

Pesky Birds

The birds around our house are always scavenging areas to build nests. They make a huge mess with twigs and grass and stuff that falls out of the nest as they are making it. And they poop all over our deck if left to build wherever.

We have a spot where someday we might install a light or ceiling fan outside where the birds really love to build. We have had to put rocks in the spot to keep them from building a nest, but somehow they figured out a small spot to build a new nest.

Misha and I worked together to try and cover the area with bird netting, and still they have found a way to work some of their building material into their little spot. Crazy birds.

Tennis Season 2021

Tennis has begun again for Kristen. Last year she was able to participate in the pre-season training and then one match. We joke that she won her first game and then had an undefeated season. Everything shut down with Covid.

Tennis for Spring 2021 began a little later. Not sure why but the school said it was due to Covid. The girls had a short pre-season time for workouts, but probably half of the workouts were cancelled due to weather.

The season is in full swing now and Kristen enjoys playing.

Currently there is the Varsity team and the Junior Varsity. Kristen is #1 on the Junior Varsity team and has won all of her matches for the season thus far.

I watched as she played today and she and her partner had to guide the other team as to where to stand, how to keep score, and when to call a ball out. The other team was pretty green. But the experience is good for everybody.

National Honor Society

Kristen was inducted into the National Honor Society at her school. They held the ceremony at the school in the football stands to allow for optimum distancing.

Kristen had been at a tennis match in Greeley and ended up having to play a second match because the Greeley team had so many extra players.

She caught a ride back to the school with another player and her mom and was texting me throughout the ride home hoping that she would be able to make it in time.

She missed a large portion of the ceremony but was able to arrive just in time for each of the 77 inductees to receive their certificate. 

Grandpa Ball

A couple of weeks ago, Grandma and Grandpa Ball were sitting all day long in the waiting room of the ER waiting for Grandpa to be seen. They thought he might have pneumonia. When he was finally seen in the ER, they weren't quite sure what was wrong but got him set up on some IV fluids and nutrition.

It was only a matter of days before they bad news seemed to roll over them. 

Larry was diagnosed with aggressive renal lymphoma cancer. After meeting with the oncologist last week, the prognosis is guarded. The life expectancy at this point is somewhere between 3 and 12 weeks. 

The question right now is "Could he tolerate chemo?" I think there is the thought to try and hope for more life to live, but suffer a lot through it, or simply live a heartfelt final weeks with some comfort from hospice care.

It is a hard decision to make, but somehow this is the plan for him right now. Our prayers are that he can be comfortable and enjoy time with family.

Photography Challenge April

April Photography Challenge

Week 14 Connection

Week 15 Unusual Perspective

Week 16 Negative Space

Ranunculus

Beyond being a fun word to say, I planted some ranunculus in my yard this summer. I love the many layers of petals.

Protecting the Peonies

The stupid rabbits that love my yard loved to eat my peony plants last Spring. I wasn't having that this summer as they are such an awesome flower. I wrapped each of the cages that provide support for the heavy blooms in mesh fabric that is designed to keep birds out of the garden.

I see so many of them growing—rabbit free—and I am excited.

I even planted eight more plants in some pots and a flower bed in the back yard.