Everyone is working hard at the piano, but no one enjoys duets with Mommy quite as much as Emma!
Thursday, September 23, 2021
Year 2 in Nauvoo
What felt like a rather large task last year has become a tradition that we looked forward to this time around- our weekend getaway to Nauvoo for the Iowa City (and this time joined by St Louis) coordinating council retreat. When we first met Elder and Sister Morgan they described themselves as having an enlarged capacity, and we continue to see just how true that, especially this packed weekend!
We started in the temple on Saturday afternoon, doing endowment and sealing work with the stake presidents, temple presidency, mission presidency, area presidency and all of their fabulous wives. At one point another stake president mentioned that they were sealed in 1982, and I blurted out, 'that's the year I was born!' We were among, if not the youngest people there, and while it is fantastic and humbling to be surrounded by such wise women and men, it's also occasionally hilarious to realize just how much younger we are than some of them!
After taking group pictures we enjoyed dinner with everyone- we sat with the Iowa City and Des Moines Mt. Pisgah stake presidents and wives- and entertainment by the young performing missionaries. They were incredible!
There are over 1,500 applicants for the 30 or so spots that these volunteers hold. They are the best of the best, and they taught us how to do the Virginia Reel!
They made it looks really fun, and really hard!
But they taught us quickly and everyone had a great time dancing like pioneers. I love dancing, and Jason held his own too! What fun memories to have with some of the most prominent church leaders in the Midwest. Here are Elder and Sister Morgan as the lead couple. You can see my hair flying as we went charging down the lane in the next group over.
We stayed in the same place- the same room even- as last year, and it was just as lovely, if not quite as novel as last time. I think next year we'll at least try a different room.
Getting ready for breakfast for two- and it was much nicer than the continental breakfast that was offered before the meetings began. I know some day Jason and I will have all the getaways and uninterrupted conversation we want, but for now these moments are a real treat.
Sacrament meeting was wonderful- and very quiet with only adults present. There is nothing quite like watching a temple president bless the sacrament and having it passed to you by stake presidents. That was a sweet experience. After another presentation by Brother Bough, the BYU professor, on the early temple ceremonies (fascinating!), we split up- the men for their quarterly coordinating council meeting and the sisters for a tour of some of the locations in Nauvoo.
We visited the home of Sarah Granger Kimball,
where the work and vision for the Relief Society first formed
and the home of Lucy Mack Smith,
the mother of the Prophet Joseph- this was her bed-
And the sweetest part of the morning was spent in the Cultural Hall,
where we were treated to three vignettes by the young performing missionaries. Their music and love for the gospel brought such a strong Spirit into the room. I especially loved the young man in the middle of this picture, who had tears streaming down his face as he sang they hymns of the restoration with love and conviction.
After lunch we joined back up with our husbands and counseled altogether about the work of the church. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for the amazing Saints in Iowa! As expected, we came away from these meetings feeling inspired and excited to continue to serve the members of the Des Moines, Iowa stake.
And the kids had a good weekend, too! They stayed home this year, rather than staying with friends, and a young couple from our ward stayed with them. I think Laney did her dutiful job of barking at the strangers in the house with a vengeance, Leah did the lion's share of the work of taking care of everyone, and they all enjoyed plenty of screen time, game time, treats, and a nice relaxing weekend at home.
I got this sweet note from a sister in our ward after they went to church on Sunday-
Melanie, please let Leah know that I was very pleased, that she waved to me today in church. Yes you were missed, but your children did you proud.
It was a great weekend all around!
Wise Old Visitors
My 83-year-old Uncle Glenn and 82-year-old Aunt Lynn stopped by on their way from their home in California to visit Grandma (his sister) and Grandpa on their mission in New Hampshire. We were so excited to have visitors in Iowa! Everyone stayed home for the morning to enjoy their company and hear their wisdom.
Old people always have the best stories, and these are some of our oldest living relatives! They told us about our relation to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Donny Osmond, 
and how Grandpa Gardner fixed Uncle Glenn's brand new 1957 Ford pick up when Aunt Lynn popped the door out of the frame, how Grandma Gardner was such an involved member of the community, and most importantly, the secret of a long life and a happy marriage- they've been together for 63 years!
First Uncle Glenn said, "Well, try not to die," which the kids thought was hilarious, and then, more seriously, they said, "We grew up in an era where you didn't throw things away. You took care of things. And if something was broken, then you worked and fixed it. It's the same with marriage. You take care of each other and you don't give up on each other. You say thank you, I love you, and I'm sorry a lot."
That advice was almost as sweet as the tears that came while they said it. The Gardner men, by my childhood recollection, were a tough and tender bunch.
And then Uncle Glenn called Aunt Lynn a wimp because she doesn't walk his daily 18 holes of golf with him anymore (although it's actually because she had cancer and lost her grip on the club). But the kids thought that was hilarious too.
It was such a treat to have them visit, even just for one hour! Family is our greatest source of joy!
The View
I can't imagine ever getting tired of the views around our house.
From my bike ride through the arboretum,
to the early morning misty lake on the way to band,
the sunrise on a walk,
and the rainbow out the kitchen window,
or the lake across the street,
these views are incredible!
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Emma and Her Cello
One of the most exciting parts about moving to the WDM school district is the orchestra program! It's the only one in the area and we've had our eye on it for years. And now Emma is officially part of the program!
After a bit of deliberation she decided to play the cello- a wild and fun instrument for this wild and fun girl!
Emma loves writing songs for her ukulele and composing short melodies on the piano, and now she's off to a pretty amazing start on the cello, too! ;)
School Trade Off
This school year will be so different from last year. It's a return to what was once normal. Last year is starting to fade like a dream as we settle into early mornings and long days of seminary, bus schedules, math tests, spelling quizzes, band, running club, science club, leadership club, watercolor class, orchestra and field trips.
Right now the house is quiet. There is a stark distinction between the calm and the crazy.
This year I won't get steady insights into all that is happening in their online classrooms, midday hugs, small stories about specific classes and classmates.
I only get the information that they filter through and share with us at the end of the day.
But I do get these beautiful little nuggets of their hearts during the day. They come home and tell me they missed me and ask me what I did all day while they were gone (I love that they can't quite figure out what I might do without them around!), and I get to love them and feed them and fill them up for another full day.
And I know that they're having experiences that I just can't recreate at home. For better and for worse, they are finding their own places in the world.
It's bittersweet, lonely, exciting, busy, calm, wonderful and heartbreaking all at once. Just like motherhood itself.
Just Life
This sad little trickle in the backyard is slowly being transformed into more of an actual creek, and Laney is loving it!
On nice afternoons we just hang out in the treehouse.
Or in the front yard when it's raining.
A good pup snuggled makes everything better.
We're falling nicely into a back-to-school rhythm.
Although some mornings are a little rougher than others,
everyone is generally happy to get up and going every day.
Laney has finally figured out what the bus is all about, and she doesn't like it one bit.
She also doesn't like the voles that are streaking across our yard, and tries to dig them up every time she's outside.
I found the perfect "thank you from our family" card.
And we went to an I-Cubs baseball game!
Labor Day Weekend
A few months ago we decided to take a big camping trip straight north for Labor Day weekend. Seven hours "up" is Duluth, Lake Superior, and several beautiful waterfalls, hikes, and a national forest that we were excited to explore! And as the weekend got closer and the calendar got fuller and the school days got busier and Jason spent the bulk of the week out of town.... we decided to shelve the trip and spend the weekend at home. And it was an excellent choice! We had so much fun at home.
The annual family camping trip is a must, however busy we might be, so we went for year 2 of camping in our backyard.
It had been gray and drizzly for days, but this night was perfect. A big fire (there is never a shortage of yard waste that needs to be burned), all the classic camp foods (Noah was thrilled about the tinfoil dinners- "this is my favorite campfire meat!") and games, stories, and lots of laughs.
Once it was completely dark outside I dared Adam to go down the zipline. He said no way, even when Jason offered him $5, but he, Emma, and Leah all said yes when I offered them $20! (I'm not very good at auctions, I guess.) So we all headed over to the familiar but pitch black darkness of the zipline, Jason headed down the stairs and across the bridge to the other side, and turned on his flashlight but pointed it to the ground. It looked like what I imagine the Tree of Life scene to be like- plenty of darkness, fear of the unknown, but a clear path to safety right in front of you if you are only willing to hang on!
And hang on they all did! There was plenty of cheering and hooping and hollering to make it even more exciting, and Noah cried with his face buried in my side for the whole six minutes we were away from the light of the fire, but they all did it!
(And a few days later when Noah was wishing he could do something brave to earn $20, he happily rose to the challenge of staying in his own bed for a week, earning the money and a much better sleep for all of us, too!)
The night was relatively uneventful- just two rounds of Uno and into bed. I fell asleep while Jason told the tale of The Lego Ball, only to wake up in the middle of the night, once with Laney, once with Leah, and once with Jason, before rising early to take a picture of these snug little bugs and get Laney to her much needed grooming appointment.
She didn't want to leave the kids!
I brought a big surprise back with me- friends!
That made for a super fun Saturday.
Which was followed by a birthday party for Emma, a full Sunday with Elder Morgan for Jason, and two back-to-back BBQs on Monday with several families from church- all things we wouldn't have been able to say yes to if we had taken our trip north. Several times over the course of the 3 day weekend I said, "We could still be camping right now... we could still be sleeping on the ground right now... we could still be living outside right now", and we all agreed we were glad that we weren't! Overall, our Labor Day weekend was a great one- not as planned, but possibly even better!
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Kayaking
We squeeze it in as often as we can.
Sometimes as a family,
(Emma took these pictures)
sometimes on a double date,
always with an increased appreciation for this beautiful corner of the Earth!
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