Advent of Rayen Elizabeth

Amy and I left Provo at 4:30 pm (16:30), and Amy stayed back with Ethan while Betsy, Brett, and I drove up to the hospital.  Right after we got there it was snowing outside.  We were in the same room where Ethan was born. No drama as there was with Ethan--no gas leaks and threatened evacuation.  Things were pretty slow for awhile.

Things were pretty slow for a long while.  

Brett went home for a nap.  By early morning, things were heating up again.  This (below) is not Betsy's natural resting smile:

At 6:16 we texted Brett to come back.  And hurry.

Taking a tiny break before the final lap:

Dr. Bennett, who made it there even after Brett:

Rayen Elizabeth, born 6:55 a.m. Feb 17, 2011.  Weight 9 lbs 1 oz, height 21 inches.  Blond, curly hair (but the curly probably won't last, as both parents and Ethan have straight hair).  At 9 lbs she is all filled out and cute as a button.  Her skin is perfectly translucent, and it was so interesting to see her change color when she was born and as she cried, from blue to purple to white to red.  Oxygenated blood! She seems to me, at home now as the grandma downstairs, to sleep quite a lot.  She had no difficulty learning to latch on--I suppose some of that had to do with being Betsy's second.

 Hello Ellie!  Welcome to the world. 

Daddy Brett caught her on the way out, and snipped the cord, and took her for her first check-over, and helped with her bath.

 The new room was nice--in the new hospital wing, with a beautiful view.  The best view was of the ladies:

Ethan came to visit.  Of everyone involved, he will probably have the hardest adjustment.

Thank you to Brett and Betsy for letting me be there.  I am honored.  I love you all.

Johnathan

Johnathan stayed with us during the week as R&N took a Valentine's trip to Tokyo.  I'm assuming that they will soon have a report with pix on their blog here.  What a sweetie JonTon is!  And very bossy (but in a sweet way).  Rob's days off for trips like this are now TWTh, which is right when John and I work the most hours, so all of us, including Amy and Grandma Gene, took turns watching him.

We spent a lot of time riding bikes (Johnathan) and sitting in a chair in the sun (me) on Wednesday.

 

Claudio also sat in the sun.  He is a sociable being:

Music

You've got to listen to Chris' new songs, especially tracks 3 and 4.  And you should also listen to his older songs, especially tracks 5, 7, and 8.  Oh, and 2 and 9.  And the others.  Niels is taking a hiatus from performing and their post-Tucker drummer went on a mission, so Chris is doing solo recording with his early-graduation present Mac Notebook.  He needs a better mic and some new software I guess.  His effects pedal that John ordered  for Christmas still hasn't arrived.

The other day we were having one of our talks about what's good musically and listening to each other's YouTube suggestions, and he said that the truly immortal rock bands are The Clash, U2, Cold Play, The Killers (the lead singer, Brandon Flowers, was originally from Nephi and is sort of a Mormon)--ah, now I'm forgetting which ones he said are immortal and which are his favorite newer bands (also, he would probably choose different songs).  The Black Keys.  Provo's own Neon Trees (whose drummer once dated our friend Spencer).  He also had me listen to Billy Idol and Freddie Mercury for style ("nobody nowadays has it like they did in the 80's").  I showed him David Bowie and Mick Jagger (he thinks both and the Beatles are overrated.  He said he likes McCartney better than Lennon, and he doesn't much like hippie music).

Then we listened to Nina Simone (this song has been co-opted and corrupted for a WeightWatchers ad, but the original is sensational).  Chris groaned in appreciation, and laughed, when that old bluesy trombone kicked in.  Another fun one of hers is Pirate Jenny from Brecht's Threepenny Opera (so interesting the transition from Germany in the 30's to the American South in 1962), which song of course Chris had heard before.  Sometimes I think he knows all the music ever.

He says, all I ever want to do is make songs, and  I've had only 100 hits on my songs that I posted two weeks ago.  Marketing? I say.  But I don't know either.  I guess we all need a day job.

Grandma's Funeral

I think there is a fixed up version of this photo someplace, but I almost like the original snapshot.  She was 98 and her lungs were bad, but she was talking and laughing with family right up until her death.  Her life spanned a century.  At the end, she told my mom that it was hard but it was worth it.  We carry her in our hearts and in our DNA.

I have a pretty quilt made by Grandma Sylvia for my wedding.  I also have two of her rugs.

Grandma and Grandpa E were there of course, now the oldest generation.  Dad said, "I'm the next oldest in the family."

Here are the sibs and their spouses (silly Aunt Linda, too long waiting for photos) except for Uncle Mike and Lorraine, who had already left to do chores:

A few of the photographers:

My own siblings found ourselves in the same room and decided to have a photo.  Aunt Lucy said, "But you're all so old!"

At the gravesite in the Glendale Cemetery (with Uncle Ike):

 Pallbearers Boyd and J.Lynn on the left:

Cindy made the blue and yellow silk wreath.  It was good to see everyone, despite the somewhat melancholy realization that we've all moved up a generation.  I'm grandmother, mother, and daughter, but no longer granddaughter to a living person.  I was so happy to have helped Grandma Sylvia finish her personal history.  We will all miss her.

The Pernicious Effects of Pop Culture on the Young

When Chris was little I wondered why he kept falling off the backyard swingset - until I looked out one day and saw him standing on the cross-bar, arms outstretched. "To infinity, and beyond!"

So We Went to This Really Cool Resort

...in So California, run by this couple (above) and their cute kids (below).

Huh. It's actually my sister Tena, who is the new boss of this plant where they make cool stuff including dog toys.

Here she is in her office, interviewing a potential underling (John). He wasn't hired.

Here she is in her safety glasses and steel-toe shoes before going onto the floor. She has a little motto on her desk top that we should all remember: Women are angels, and when someone clips our wings, we simply continue to fly on a broomstick. We're flexible that way.

We flew to Orange County/ John Wayne/ Santa Ana (SNA) airport—the airport with the most names ever—because the nearby Ontario flights were full, but today it looked like the standby seats were holding steady, and we made it on to come home. Tena was a little worried about the weekend I-15 traffic in from Las Vegas if she had to drive to SNA this afternoon (although she said she could figure alternatives), but their house is a sweet 20 minutes away from Ontario.

Their home is perfect for them—four bedrooms, an open floor plan, indoor/outdoor with tiled floors, austerely furnished (by Tena)—a lovely place to live and a beautiful and restful place to visit. It’s probably a little smaller than our house if you count Grandma Gene’s place, but every inch counts. I am returning for sure, probably in March--fair warning, guys! It is a private family resort, all the advantages of vacation travel but with their own showers, kitchen, and beds. Aisake gave up his room for us and slept on the couch downstairs.

But the biggest treat of all is their backyard, which is a cross between an upscale resort, an Italian bistro, and a jungle camp site, with the palm trees, spa and pool, bar and barbeque, tables on the terrace behind wrought iron, fire pit seating, waterfall, citrus and banana orchard and taro garden. The orchard and garden are small,

but there’s an orange and a lemon growing. It would be fun to go to the beach sometime, but why travel when there’s perfection in your backyard?

Hummingbirds came to the bird-of-paradise plants at the back of the yard:

The land slopes steeply to the north, and the builders made a terrace behind a wrought iron fence (I didn't get a good photo of the winding staircase up to it). Tena has put bistro tables and chairs up there, and said they picnic in dry safety there while Aisake splashes in the pool below.

We gave up on heating the pool after awhile. John and Aisake braved the 65 degree pool water but not for long (John was in and out too quickly for me to get a photo).

The sweetest, absolutely best thing was the spa. With as much body mass as I have, I do one initial warm-up, and then spend most of the rest of the evening wandering wetly around in the breeze waiting to cool down again. John was more pop in and out of the spa-pool-spa-pool, then go indoors and have another nap on the sofa. It really made me decide that we need a hot tub ourselves. Not until we get back from London and I built up my income again, but then heck yeah. We’re all set up for one, it’s just buying it and putting it in.

John is steamed!

The pool and spa lights change colors. Here we look like we're cooking in a witch's brew:

We dried off and warmed up around the fire:

Tena and Teane came to pick us up at Orange County and we didn't get in until about 11:30 pm Friday and Pesi cooked waffles and scrambled eggs for us before we went to bed. Tena and Teane fed us Greek yummy-ness on Saturday. We missed the big BBQ they had planned because everybody was too full until too late. One more reason to return. Below, Aisake and John are silly in the kitchen:

Tena and Teane stayed home from church to take us back to the airport, but Pesi and Aisake were dressed in their Sunday finery. As you can see, Aisake is already out-growing his new suit:

Here we are at the mini-resort. I'm going back for sure! Thanks Tena, Pesi, Teane, and Aisake, for a great and relaxing weekend.

Betsy and Ellie's Baby Shower

So Betsy's having a baby, in case you didn't know. Due February 13, and named Rayen Elizabeth. Big brother Ethan is excited, although it's hard to imagine what he actually envisions the baby to be, in mama's tummy. He calls the doctor's office the "baby Ellie store."

The shower was fun--a brunch with sweet fruity whipped cream and powdered sugar crepes and savory egg, pepper, mushroom and onion crepes, hot chocolate, tea, and oj (we accidentally left the yogurt sitting in the cold garage on top of the freezer).

Ethan, Betsy, (baby Ellie), and Grandma Gene were there (above), as were Rachel, Barbara, Susie, and Samantha:

Liz and Karma Sue (not sure what Karma Sue is thinking):

Amy, Rachel (again) on Mary Ann's lap, and Grandma E:

The guys (besides Ethan) came too--Alan (and Rachel--she's gets in all the photos--good thing she's so photogenic:

Grandpa declined to come into the party room, preferring to read his Kindle in peace and quiet. Notice that he did have a crepe:

Ellie got a lot of practical girl things. Amy stayed up all night finishing her a lovely crocheted receiving blanket in rose, blue, coral, yellow, and soft green. Is there a chance at all that this baby will be anything but a princess? Although Betsy was never content with the princess role--Amy could be the princess, but she was the QUEEN.

I promised Betsy I'd take a week off work and go stay at their house when Ellie comes. I've been warning my patients that we will miss a session. Hooray for granddaughters!