Talked to Ryan last night

So the boy called late last night. He's doing ok. He said it was a really hard day...apparently in level 2 you are already supposed to know a lot of Chinese Characters (they're expected to be able to write sentences not using the alphabet, which he knows, but characters), and the teacher at Renaissance didn't really teach these. So he has big plans to go up to the school when he gets home to let her know that she should be adding this to her curriculum!
This camp is going to be a life changing experience for him. He told me that he is so grateful for the way his brain works...he's realizing that he is very blessed. He did have to study for about an hour last night, but in that time was able to commit everything he was behind on to memory and is now caught up. There are a couple of other kids in the same situation who are really struggling apparently. The counselor over his dorm checked their homework last night and told Ryan that he'd never seen such perfect work. He was laughing that after only 2 days at BYU in this environment, he's already thinking in Chinese...he went to the Creamery and was really struggling to converse with the clerk in English! Hee. He's afraid that he's going to be a freak by the time he gets home : )
So the answer is, yep, we have a scary prodigy on our hands. But thanks to this experience, a humble one who knows the value of hard work! What more could a parent ask?

He's off to Chinese Camp

This is a picture from Meg's wedding, because I didn't take the camera to BYU this morning when I dropped him off...he'd have died! He's gone for a 3 1/2 week Mandarin Chinese camp. I cried half of the way home....partly 'cause I'm going to miss his face and partly 'cause I've never been away from him for this long and partly 'cause I had a TINY taste of what the MTC experience will be like. How do you ladies do it? Oh man. My boy. This boy has a special place in my heart. I love and admire him so much. He was excited to be going to this camp, but was a little freaked out too, which made it all the harder to leave him there.
But he just called me. He's been gone for 8 hours now. He just finished studying the first lesson and has already memorized the stuff he needs to for class tomorrow. Remember this is the boy with the photographic memory. School has always been so easy for him...I told Andrew tonight that this experience is going to be the true test of his abilities; if he has to work at it, then good! he's a normal genius. If he slides through and aces it; OH MY HECK WHAT KIND OF PRODIGY DO WE HAVE ON OUR HANDS!!?? I'll let you know how it goes;) They have every minute packed with classes and lessons and crafts and cooking...AND they just announced that they've figured out how to get high school credit for this, so that ROCKS! He'll earn a whole year of language credit in 3 weeks.
I reminded him what President Hinckley always said about "get all the education you can" and "learn as much as you can" and "BE SMART!"...yeah yeah yeah he says. I'm so proud of him : ) But I'll be praying very hard tonight that he doesn't get too homesick, and that he'll continue to have fun. It wouldn't hurt if any of you wanted to mention him while you're on your knees as well!

Backyard Camping

The kids have a tradition of camping in the backyard when school gets out. Usually they do it on the last day of school...this year they're a couple of weeks late; but better late than never! Jill, Ty and Ryan have been doing this since 1996...I'm pretty sure they haven't missed a year, and some years (when they were younger!) they would spend a whole week sleeping out in the yard. It's a great way to kick off summer, 'cause of course mom buys lots of treats and new flashlights and games!
Hooray for my fantastic kids...because this is one of the many traditions that they really are sick of, but make the effort to keep going for Grace's benefit! How many 18 year olds do you know of who would do this? How many 14 year old BOYS do you know that would do this for their baby sister? Aren't I lucky to have such fabulous kids!!!??? They were honestly still awake last night at MIDNIGHT laughing their heads off...fueled by sugar and nostalgia : )

Tyler Andrew

So I've noticed that I don't blog about Tyler very much. Number of reasons for this: he's usually not around when I'm taking pictures, he chooses to not do much with the family etc. But I've spent a little more time with him now that school is out, and I'm reminded that he is one of my favorite people! I'd forgotten! He is SO smart; he's musically gifted; he secretly loves babies; he has a kind heart. But he also has a lightening quick, super funny wit. He can make me laugh like no one else. He can do impressions of just about anyone, and is always dead on.
Today while we were out, Ryan called him and asked if he had written on his arm while he was asleep. He seriously hadn't; THIS TIME. Poor Ry has been terrorized throughout the years...the time Tyler DID write stuff with permanent marker on his arm and face while he was sleeping, the picked off skin he surreptitiously places on Ry's pants leg during church (Ryan has a serious hygiene phobia!), the time he hid the mannequin head in the closet, the time he tied a rope around one of Jill's dolls and hung it from the top bunk and woke Ryan up that way...should I go on? No one has ever been physically hurt, but who knows what therapy will be needed later on!
He looks at the world through a completely different set of glasses than I do...but it's this very thing that makes him so fascinating and hysterical to me! I'm so grateful that he picked us as parents; that a loving Heavenly Father knew we'd need this soul in our home to make us laugh, love, and learn to be unconditional with each other. I hope he knows how much I love him and how much I believe in him!

Shoe-love

So look down the page and see the picture of me and Andrew at Meg's wedding? Ok. The outfit looks kind of, well, drab because you cannot see these little morsels of beautifulness on my feet! NOW imagine the whole look. Better, right?
Shoes are it, baby. Shoes have magical properties;they are possibly a panacea for anything that may be troubling you. (see word of the day!)Nothing makes me feel better than having new shoes. Wearing them is a close second, because sometimes they hurt, but just buying and having them is bliss.
You may not know this, but losing 117 lbs makes your feet SHRINK TOO!!! Oh the joy. "Ummm...honey...I really HONESTLY do not have a SINGLE pair of shoes that fit me now!" Complete this sentence with the required walking in front of him with shoes flapping off of your heels, and you're golden.
Now for the funereal part of the post. I had to take a bag of shoes to D.I. yesterday. I lovingly packed them up; the red snake-skin pumps with the cork heels, the pink linen with the wood-grain heel, the maroon sling-backs...you get the picture. NOW before you judge me too harshly, most of these beautys were purchased at Payless ONLY on BOGO weeks. I'm nothing if not thrifty. You know you have a problem when said store CALLS YOU on the phone to remind you about the BOGO event. My luck was such that Andrew answered the phone..he nearly sprained his face with the eye-rolling that went on.
That reminds me that I'm still in need of a replacement red pair of heels. If you see some while you're out, call me : )

Remember your wedding day?

My niece got married last Friday. She had a wonderful day. She was beautiful. Pretty much everything went according to plan...even the weather cooperated. I've been feeling a little maudlin though...she was born 2 months after I graduated High School. She's been an amazing gift to her family...always done her best. Graduated from College last year. But now she's MARRIED? Of course, it got me thinking about my own wedding day. It'll be 20 years ago this September. Would you do it again? I would. Even though I was only 20...and I would probably FREAK OUT if Jillian did that...I could never wish away my children...how and when they came to us...all of the other daily "stuff" that weaves the fabric of a relationship. It's all good. Even the bad stuff. It's what we're here for.
Here are pictures of Jill and Ryan (she was a bridesmaid,)some of the cousins,me and Andrew and Megan and Chris in their line.

Oh What Do You Do In the Summertime....

Run through the sprinklers, of course! Ryan was kind enough to set things up for the girls yesterday, and then they turned on him! Good thing he's a good sport :) Today was cold and rainy so Grace and I stayed in and made bead necklaces. Sadly, "Hogwarts", the summer program I've had for the kids the past 7 years has been outgrown by the older three. Poor Grace is getting the shaft on that one.