Happy Birthday to You, and You, and You, and You.....

I'm starting to become one of those occasional bloggers...how sad! :( I need a swift kick in the butt my dear friends and family! If you're still seeing the same post after a week+, I give you permission to nag me until something new shows up, and I don't mean casually comment that you haven't seen a new post in a while... I want you to full on nag me until I comply.

Okay, onward!

January may be over, but there are some pretty awesome people that celebrated birthdays this last month that I want to acknowledge. At the start of the month I was thinking that it would be fun to have one big party to celebrate everyone that had a birthday in January, but I'm glad it didn't work out that way. It's much more fun to stretch the fun a little further. Maybe I should be like an ambassador for birthdays or something. I love the opportunity to celebrate how special these people are.

Carrie kicked off the month, and I've decided that I need to add her birthday planning to my list of things to do in December. It always sneaks up on me, and I find myself scrambling at the last minute for her. She's too awesome for last-minute planning!  Regardless of the poor planning, there was still a good handful of Canfields that were able to meet up for a nice visit over lunch, and I got lucky and had some free time to visit with Carrie on her birthday.

I hate to admit to favorites, but in a big family like mine, it's not a huge secret that there are some of us that have closer ties to each other. I still love everyone to bits, but Carrie is one of my favs. Growing up I did my own thing and played with my imaginary friends and missed a great opportunity to connect with the flesh and blood playmates that were always around. It wasn't until I was ready to leave home that it dawned on me what a close bond I had Carrie. It's taken a while, but we're finally living close to each other, and it makes me so incredibly happy. Now when I hang out with her, I don't feel that panic settling in when our visits come to an end, because I know there won't be a gap of months and months that pass before I see her again. I love Carrie so much more than I can express, but I suspect she knows it's always more. ;)

My lovely friend Brandi is next in line on the birthday train. I love that she loves her birthday and goes all out to celebrate it each year. She is an amazing person who I think the world of. I'm in awe of how she juggles all that she does and in the seemingly effortless way that she does it. There should be more designated days to celebrate her. I didn't expect to get any face time with her on her birthday, but I just happened to catch her at the right time, and I enjoyed a long overdue and wonderful visit with her.

Eric's birthday was a day later, and I feel bad that in the past I haven't done more to acknowledge his or my sister Michel's birthdays. I guess in some ways I felt like maybe they didn't want another reminder of their age advancing a notch, so I kept things simple with a phone call, email, card, or text. A birthday marks another year, but I think it should be more about celebrating the person, and the longer these amazing individuals are around to celebrate, the better!

It wasn't very original, but I think it was great that a bunch of us could get together again to celebrate Eric and Michel's birthdays. Eric picked a great Mediterranean Grill that everyone enjoyed, and I'm so glad it's in my neighborhood! We all had a great visit with each other, and it's always a good feeling when so many of us can find a window in our busy schedules to come together.

As an older sibling, especially one to a bunch of young kids, Eric was responsible (in a good way) for shaping us in one way or another. I love to hear every one's different memories about each other and how greatly they vary, but I think all of us would agree that Eric is indeed a gentle giant. He is kind and so much so that I can't think of very many times that I have ever seen him angry over anything. Those Keep Calm quotes that I'm seeing around everywhere lately make me think of Eric. I think Eric's ability to be calm is a great attribute, and when I'm around him I think of how much better a person I could be if I could keep my crazy in check.

Next in line is my niece, Karissa; and nephew, Ian. Karissa is Michel's daughter and Ian is Eric's son. I think it's cool that Karissa and Ian share a birthday in between Michel and Eric's birthdays and that they both happen to be the 3rd child in each family! I may not have a very close relationship with them, but I have loved watching them develop into the people they are and enjoy hearing about what they're up to. 

Michel. What can I say about her? She's got some sort of super-human blood running through her veins. She's constantly on the move with her work and family, and if all that craziness wasn't enough..she's back in school again. Grace under pressure is what she embodies, and I'm always amazed by how much she is able to do. I'm terrified at the thought of going back to school myself, but when I look at Michel and all that she has been able to accomplish, I can't help but feel inspired and encouraged that I too can do more. She's a lovely example of a human being.

Small packages can pack some pretty big punches, and that's exactly what my young friend Emma does. She is a riot and I love the mess of adjectives that only begin to describe her personality...sassy, spunky, sly, sweet. I'm fascinated by her, and how full of life she is. She brings so much joy to those around her, and I know she will be thoroughly entertaining to watch as she grows up!

Finishing up the January birthdays is James. He's in a good place in Idaho, but I wish I got to see him more often! His easygoing and fun personality is a joy to be around. His comic relief on our hike this past summer was a huge motivation for me to keep going when I wanted to stop. James is such a fun and positive person, and you can't help but smile when you're around him.

These lovely people make a cold, long month so much nicer! Cheers to each of them and all the things that make them special and for the happiness they bring to others. I have probably said this before, but I'll say it again... they are a lovely way to start off a new year!

What are you grateful for?

On the days leading up to and following Thanksgiving, our daily photo challenge topic each day was something we are thankful for. After Thanksgiving I also came across a lovely tradition that I'd like to begin next year. It may be a little past Thanksgiving already, but there's no time like the present to actually get started.

For those of you that read this post and would like to join me, please feel free to leave a comment (or even send me a photo you would allow me to post) to express what you're thankful for.

My list is endless of the things I am grateful for, but I'd like to take the opportunity to elaborate on my family and share a little something about each of them that I love and appreciate.

Grandma Ruth - She is as sweet as they come, and I love that every time I leave her house I can always find her at the door or in the window waving to me as I pull away. The sight of her waving goodbye makes my heart swell.

Dad - I think Dad is almost as excited as I am that we finally have a garden to plant in the Spring. His green thumb is one of the things I'm so happy to have picked up from him. Before we left to come home Thanksgiving evening, he told me he had some flower bulbs for us on his workbench. I love and appreciate the little thoughtful things he does.

Mom - Her generous spirit is a blessing, and from her I have learned the tremendous satisfaction to be gained by doing for others. I think like her, I am truly happiest when I am able to help anyone in any capacity.

Michel - She pays it forward. She knows the struggles of being a SAHM, and she has shared some of her experiences and challenges with me. She knows how it feels to be need, and in return she has graciously given to my family when we've been in need ourselves.

Eric - I love his calm. He is gentle with his words and his children. I am louder and more abrasive. He's a quiet reminder to me that I don't need to raise my voice to get my point across.

Clair - He is courageous in the ways he is able to be vulnerable. I love his ability to let his guard down and share with others his struggles and triumphs. He has been sharing his personal affirmations for a year now on his blog Canffirmations. Although his affirmations are personal to him, I can often find ways to apply them to my own life.

Connie - I feel really loved when she gives me a hug. I think my family members all give great hugs, but Connie's radiate a warmth that is extra special. Maybe it's more noticeable to me considering we weren't always very kind to each other in our youth. I'm grateful that we can express our love for each other now.

Carrie - She is thoughtful and always remembers the little things. I like to think she has an excellent Rolodex in her head of important dates and events. Carrie will be the one that always remembers to call and send her best wishes for whatever the occasion may be.

Joy - Her strength and resilience inspire me. Her inner strength is much like a boxer. She takes her blows amazingly well and comes up swinging like Mickey O'Neil.

James - His fun-loving and easy-going nature is contagious. His humor and relaxed attitude is refreshing to be around.

Darius - He is such a hardworking man, and as hard as he works, he's so pleasant to be around when I am fortunate to have time with him. Regardless of his schedule or how tired he may be, he helps me around the house and acknowledges the work I do with the boys at home.

Ben - I love his willingness to help me around the house and his independent spirit. It sometimes breaks my heart just a little when he refuses my help, but at the same time I love that he wants to do things for himself and the satisfaction it brings to him.

Zach - He is social and will talk to anyone about anything. I love that he pulls me into his conversations with others that I probably would not talk with otherwise. He's a great reminder that there's no reason we can't connect with the people we come across each day.

And to each of you....the rest of my family and friends, there are so many wonderful qualities about each of you that I love and admire. I'm truly grateful for each of you and the strength and inspiration I am able to take away from all of you. Part of the reason I am me is due to the positive influences of the amazing people I am surrounded by. I hope to be more mindful of each of you and to take the opportunity to express my gratitude more often.

Much love to each of you.

October This & That

The first couple weeks of October kept us all busy. We had several weeks left in our apartment, but decided to move into the house right away and get settled. It was an easy move, and we quickly unpacked and got ourselves organized. We had beautiful weather and took advantage of the warm days to pull up the remnants of the garden left by the last tenants, and get it ready to be planted in the Spring. 

The middle of the month is a blur. I'm certain there was plenty going on to keep us busy. Towards the end of the month I enjoyed a lovely birthday with lots of my favorite people. Darius and the boys took me out to breakfast at the Park Cafe. It was our first visit there, and we all loved it. Afterwards we hit a few thrift/antique stores, and I found an awesome coat tree and a few other knick knacks. My dear friend Brandi came over for a visit with her son Jonas, and then my sister Carrie organized an aerial yoga party for me. Joining us were Kylee, Joy, Connie, Clair and Michel. I wasn't too sure about what we would be doing, but it turned out to be so much fun! I'm all about doing it again. It was a great day...just wish I had taken photos!

Halloween wrapped up the month, and I was happy to get that holiday out of the way. The boys got a little crazy leading up to it, and I was happy to be done with all their pre Halloween sass. Carrie brought the most adorable little dino over for a quick visit, and then we Trick-or-Treated in Joy's neighborhood which turned out to be great, nice and laid back. 

The Original March Birthday

More than half of the original Canfields were able to get together to celebrate Joy's last day in her twenties. Today marks her official third decade in life, but lucky for Joy and her slowing-aging skin type, (a little fact I learned over our meal) she can easily claim she's still in her mid-twenties.

Michel, Clair, Connie, and I all met ahead of time at Ruth's Diner to surprise Joy. When Carrie pulled up with her, the look on her face was priceless.

Our speed-demon bro took advantage of the gorgeous day and Immigration turned out to be his first canyon ride on his bike.

There was a long wait for a table, but the mild weather made our wait outside enjoyable. We serenaded Joy with a mish mash of birthday songs.

During the week I helped Joy edit a paper for one of her classes. The assignment was for her to describe herself and who she is. I like to think that I know Joy pretty well, but there's always something new to learn about someone, especially when you're reading about them in their own words. While we worked on her paper we discussed the ways people evolve and change over their lifetime, how we have the ability to reinvent ourselves, and how our childhoods play a key role in the development of our personalities. I got the sense that Joy is at a point in her life where she has a clear idea of the direction she's headed. She's excited for what's to come and all the possibilities available to her.

Joy, Carrie, and I have commented before about being black sheep in the family, but Joy will take it a bit further and claim she's more like a purple spotted goat. She lives her life openly and doesn't edit herself. Some may find it abrasive, but I find it refreshing. I've always admired her ability to put herself out there.

My sly sister Carrie helped me plan the little surprise for Joy. I was so happy for facetime with her and the rest of my siblings.

What a trip to grow up with seven siblings and watch over time the different paths we have taken. As distinct as we all are, I love that we are learning to be more open and transparent with each other, more willing to ask for help and support. It's a challenge to find the time to get together with everyone, but the payoff is worth the effort.

Happy Birthday Joy! Thanks for an awesome reason to gather. I'm looking forward to your next decade in life and all the awesomeness it's sure to hold. Cheers to you!

Birthdays & Banana Peel

It's January and that means lots of birthdays! I love it! Carrie kicked off the month and enjoyed a quiet day at home with her new little guy. I would have gladly spent the entire day with her, but my gross little boys were still off limits from Archer...and I totally get it now why little kids shouldn't have much contact with babies. For example, as I sit here and write this, Ben is next to me on the couch with his big toes (yes, both of them) in his mouth. The list of other gross things they do is long....they lick things which have no business being licked, they chew their toenails, stick their hands down their pants and then sniff/and or lick them, dig around in their noses and lick their boogers or wipe them on things. Little boys are gross!

The following week was full of birthdays...five of them! Celebrating were my siblings Eric and Michel; niece and nephew, Karissa and Ian; and my very dear friend, Brandi. I had plans to make Brandi a cake and thought she would be busy most of the day, so I was only planning on a quick visit to drop it off to her. I was happy that I got a little more than a quick visit.

The boys and I met up with Brandi and her three men at Jump Around a/k/a the Banana Peel which is where her oldest, Ian, works. When I told the boys where we were going, Ben kept asking me when we were headed to the Banana Peel. It took us a while to get it out of him, but apparently Ben calls it that because there's a huge jumping pillow there that he thinks is slippery like a banana peel.

Brandi and I enjoyed a little birthday breakfast and a nice visit while the boys had fun being boys! I loved the opportunity to spend part of her day with her. There was a time several years back when we had lost touch with each other, and it feels wonderful to have her back in my life! She's a wonderful friend, and is such a positive influence in my life.

There are more birthdays coming up...my brother James celebrates this month as well as a delightful little girl who will be turning one. The boys and I are excited to be heading out to Florida next week to celebrate Emma's first birthday with her family and friends.

To each of you with a birthday this month, Happy Birthday! What better way to kick off a new year each year than with so many beautiful individuals starting a new year themselves! Love and best wishes to each of you for a wonderful year, and many more happy and healthy returns!

Utah

We've now been in Utah just shy of 3 weeks, and it's been a very busy 3 weeks! Darius started working at the SL airport on the 1st, just a couple days after we arrived. I spent the same day looking around the SL area for a new place for us to call home (which luckily I did) with Joy and Carrie in tow. A day later I flew to Louisiana and back again to pick up Ben and Zach from Nini and Papaw...thanks again for watching them for us Margaret & Alfred!

While waiting to move into our apartment, we were fortunate to be able to stay with my sister Michel's family in our parent's room (Thanks again for opening your home to us!). The boys thoroughly enjoyed their cousins and their cousin's toys! We made dinner for everyone a few nights, and the boys and I went with Michel and her family on a beautiful hike and enjoyed some beautiful colors in the foliage.

 

 

This is the first year we've really experienced a traditional Autumn with the boys. Even when we lived in Alaska, there wasn't that distinct change in season. When we visited Joy's place last week, the boys were curious about the leaves in the driveway, and I was caught a little off guard when I tried to explain Autumn to them.

After a week of staying with family, we moved into our apartment in North Salt Lake last week. We're really happy with our apartment, but the one downfall is that it's on the third floor. I had come down with a cold from the trip out to get the boys, and Darius loaded up the rental truck the morning of our move by himself. Once it came time to haul everything up three flights of stairs, we were both already dreading it. Lucky for us we had Joy to help us out and two extremely nice neighbors that pitched in to help us. All the extra hands easily cut our time in half.

The days following the move were full of unpacking and getting settled into our new place mixed with getting ready for my sister Carrie's baby shower this past weekend...another post.

This week started out with a visit to Black Island Farms. My sister-in-law Stacey invited the boys and I along on a field trip her daughter Hope's preschool class was having there. It was a massive farm with corn mazes, fields of pumpkins, farm animals, tractor rids, and lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. We had a great time, and the boys were very sad when it came time to leave.

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to all the help Joy's given us with the move-in and unpacking, she's also been over to hang out a lot. She's my workout buddy, company at night when Darius is at work, and is now my cooking/baking student. I'm no expert in the kitchen, but she wants to learn, so I'm game to teach her what I know. Yesterday was pie 101. We made 3 apple pies here, 2 for our helpful neighbors and 1 to keep. We then moved on to Clair & Stacey's where we made 4 more, 2 apple and 2 banana cream. She did most of the work, and her pies came out beautiful and super tasty! Awesome work Joy!

If you would have asked me a couple of years ago if I'd ever live in Utah again, I would have firmly said no. When I first moved away over 10 years ago, I thought that there were better options out there. It wasn't until marriage and kids entered the picture that I began to realize the importance that family plays when raising kids. Knowing this I still had my reservations about living in Utah until this past Spring/Summer. After the trips I took with family this year to some of the national/state parks, I realized that Utah has so much more to offer than I ever thought it did. It's sad I grew up here and never appreciated all the great stuff to see and do here. I'm glad that I have the opportunity now to rediscover this state with my own family.

Happy Birthday x7

Birthdays are good for you.

Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

~Larry Lorenzoni

January has always been a big birthday month in my family. Half of my siblings celebrate a birthday as well as a niece, nephew, and a good friend of mine. I love birthdays, and I'm excited to actually be around this month to celebrate a few of them. Happiest of birthday wishes to 7 beautiful people: Michel, Eric, Carrie, James, Karissa, Ian, and Brandi! I wish you all wonderful things in your next year of life.

Green Thumb

Dad is in the final stretch! His last day of work is this coming Thursday, and I'm so happy for him! Tonight we put together a little surprise retirement party for him. I made a garden themed cake for him which I absolutely loved doing!

Growing up we always had a garden, and since he's been in Cordova it's been one of the things I think Dad has missed the most. Since we all couldn't be together at the party, I asked my siblings to take a few minutes and write something to Dad about his retirement or past memories about Dad and gardening. Here are some of the things they wrote:

Michel: I remember hauling the little red wagon around the neighborhood to sell the extra fruits and vegetables from the garden. We would pile it high with corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and I can't remember what else. I was always so mortified to knock on the neighbors doors, although I loved the money that we earned. Years later I had someone from the old neighborhood tell me how much they had loved it when we brought the little wagon around to their house!

Eric: We had rows upon rows of corn growing in the neighbor’s backyard. One day he sent me over to fertilize the corn. He gave me a bucket of granular nitrogen and told me to go to it. I was clueless as to how this was to be done, so I just started tossing it up onto the tall corn leaves. The next thing I can recall was that Dad was scrambling and to water all the corn so the nitrogen didn’t burn the leaves. From this valuable lesson I learned that plants get their nutrients from the ground.

Clair: One job that was never done was picking up the constant supply of the many rocks found in the soil. This was one of the least favorite of the gardening chores so Dad would use it as a punishment for when we got out of line or started fighting with one another. Fortunately for him he had a small army of naughty kids that were constantly getting in trouble. I in particular created a rock pile at least as tall as I was and 50 times my own weight over the years.

Connie: I remember getting up on Saturday morning and wanting to spend the day reading and playing but you would insist on two rows of weeding before we could do anything else. I may not of appreciated it at the time but through your example I have learned the value of work.

Carrie: What I really loved about Dad and his love of gardening was that twinkle he would get in his eye when it was harvest time. He would grab a salt shaker from the kitchen and head outside towards that garden. I would always follow because I knew something good was about to happen.

What an unbelievably hard working man my father is! He has worked so hard all his life. He taught us all what a good work ethic truly is. He has made sacrifices all his life for the good of his family.

The gardens we had year in and year out are the perfect metaphor for our family. There was always such a diversity of vegetables in our garden, just like the personalities in our family. And just like all the plants needed different things to grow to their full potential, so did we. We were all responsible for helping in the garden, but it was always Dad that worked the hardest. All that time he worked in the garden over the years he was helping us to lay the groundwork in our lives to be good, hardworking people. People with qualities like Dad.

Dad, we all love and appreciate you so much! We're grateful for how hard you worked all these years to provide us with a comfortable and loving home. Happy retirement and happy gardening Dad!

90 Years

I've spent the last several hours editing a draft of my Grandmother's history. My mom and sister Michel have been working on it, trying to get it ready in time to give to her at her party next weekend. I've had a lot of mixed emotions as I've been going over it, and I've only just reached the part about her wedding.

90 years....that's a whole lot of memories and little stories, to say the very least. How many people leave us before we take the opportunity to sit down with them and just ask them to recall their life? How well do we really know our parents, our grandparents? What was life like for them when they were our age? I don't have those answers, and I'm ashamed to admit it.

Thank you Mom. Thank you Michel. I can't think of a better gift to give someone.

Grandma is a sharp tack, and I'm sure she can recall what's in the pages being put together right now, but there may be a day when she can't. How priceless to have her memories preserved somewhere safe, and not only for her but for all her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on down the line.

She is an amazing woman. I often don't feel very deserving in sharing her name, but I am very proud to have it. I'm quite sure I'll never measure up to the woman she is, but I figure if my kids and grandchildren love me as much as grandma's love her, I'll be good with that.