Tales from the Son-in-law

So I was just sitting there minding my own business when Connie asked me what I thought was a fairly harmless request: "Do you think you could help me pick out some new speakers for my computer?" Well, who doesn't like to feel needed, right? Sure, I'd find some good speakers for her, and I did. Only now I fear they might be just a little too good...

Feast your eyes on these "bad boys", or as they are officially called, the Logitech Z-2300 THX certified 2.1 speaker system with 200 watts of power. Connie said she wanted good sound quality, but also something she could crank up. Little did I know how much cranking up she was planning on doing.

Yesterday, the speakers arrived, I set them up, and had to leave for work without really hearing what they could do. When I got home from work Connie didn't even hear me coming into the house. How could she? She was blasting her youtube music videos so loud it didn't matter whether I was upstairs or downstairs - I could hear it just as well no matter what part of the house I was in. All I could think of - think of and chuckle - was how ironic the whole situation was. I mean she's the parental figure, and yet we're the ones having to tell her to turn down her music. This isn't one of the normal mother-in-law complaints most people vent about... I mean can I really, REALLY complain about this? Can I actually say, "too loud" to my daughter's grandma? That would just be so lame.

Next time, I'm going to find her some really nice headphones...

"I Got Cookies!"

In order to understand this, you have to know that Arianna has been sick the last couple of days. Poor thing had a fever Thursday night and Friday, then started with vomiting and diarrhea Saturday morning. She has kept an awesome attitude throughout it all. Most of the time you wouldn't even know she's not feeling well, because she's such a cheerful, happy little thing.

Okay, so a few minutes ago we were all upstairs, including Mom, and Arianna decided to go on one of her usual little escapades down into Mom's area of the house. She's generally pretty good about these little adventures on her own; she mostly just likes to go say hi to the cats down there. After a minute or two of her being down there, we heard our door open, and her cheerful little voice shout up the stairs, "I got cookies!!" The cutest part was the way she said it; it was in the same tone that you would say "I've got pizza!" when entering a house full of hungry people. Sure enough, she had a little package of Oreos in hand, and was already munching away on one. Of course this isn't the snack of our choice while her tummy is so sensitive, but I couldn't find the heart to take it away from her when she found something to be SO happy about.

I think it's awesome how children at this age find such joy in the little things in life. They have so much to teach us, you know?

Blessed

I want to say thank you to everyone who took the time after my last post to share kind words and thoughts with me. Each of your sentiments meant a lot to me, and brought warmth to my heart. Thank you so much.

I hope I didn't sound like I was complaining in my last post. That wasn't my intention at all. I just have moments like those, where I miss Dad a lot, and I generally don't share them with anyone, but think it would be healthier for me to do so. The thing is, I think I've been trying to push my sadness of missing him away, and because of that I tend to just not talk about him at all, because when I talk about him those feelings of sadness generally become involved in some way and I don't want other people to think I'm wanting them to feel sorry for me. But that's NOT what I want to happen - I don't want to stop talking about him just because sometimes it hurts, and I'm afraid of what others will think. I want to remember him! And if that means I have to embrace those not-so-pleasant feelings of missing him as well, and people will have to see that, then so be it. So please know, if I do write or talk about missing him ever, I'm not trying to complain...I just don't want to forget...

The truth is, I feel incredibly blessed in my life. I love my family so much! I cannot imagine having better parents, or a closer connection as a family unit. Having Dad as my father and friend for the 24 years that I had him was worth it, even if it meant I had to lose him after that. During the last year of his life, Dad became almost angelic (and I'm not just saying that - there was honestly something very special that happened to him as he neared death). He demonstrated such amazing examples of unconditional love, faith, dedication, patience, strength, endurance, perseverence, humility and compassion. I am so grateful I was able to experience his presence in my life.

Here's the coolest blessing of all: We will all be together again! Just because I miss him now doesn't mean I will be missing him forever. We have been sealed together in the Holy Temple of God, and can be together for eternity. This time apart is just a short time... How incredible is that? I cannot imagine the JOY that will fill my whole being when we are all able to be together again! What a blessing it is to know that this is not the end of our family...

The Detroit Temple, where our family was sealed in March 2000

Our family the day we were sealed

Grandpa Tim

The other day Arianna and I met up with some friends at the play area at the mall, and had fun playing. There were like a billion other kids there - it was pretty crazy. Of course I found myself watching everyone, as I am prone to doing (I noticed Arianna doing the same thing - she totally takes after me in this regard). The majority of the people there were mothers with their children, but there were also quite a few grandparents obviously enjoying a special day with their grandchildren.
I began to think, as I often do, of Dad, and what an awesome grandpa he would be to Arianna. There I was standing in the middle of all of that chaos, cherishing moments I was seeing between some random grandpa's and their lucky grandkids...noticing how one grandpa tenderly removed his grandson's jacket, and brought him into the play area, and how he watched him closely from a few feet away, ready to swoop in to help if help was needed. Complete strangers, yet I felt like walking up to that grandpa and giving him a hug, and thanking him for the love and care he was sharing with his little grandson...and telling him to treasure this time they have together.
It's not just missing Dad, I guess -- it's also missing my grandpa's. Dad's dad died when I was only 2, and Mom's dad died when I was 10, and I've really missed that special grandpa influence in my life. (I've honestly contemplated asking some certain awesome elderly grandpa-type men I know if maybe they would be willing to be my surrogate grandpa's. Pretty pathetic, I know...) It saddens me to know that Arianna has to miss that grandpa-ness in her life, too (though she does still have her awesome Grandpa Palmer).
I can remember many, many times when Dad would reminisce about his dad, getting all emotional and telling me how much he wished I could have known him, and how much he would have loved me. Now I totally know what he was feeling at those times. I wish so much that Arianna could know Dad, and have his amazing influence in her life, and feel his love for her. Seriously, he would be the most amazing grandpa ever (right along with Jeremy's dad, of course)!
Anyway, sorry for rambling so much... Those were just some of the thoughts and feelings that were going through me during those brief moments in the chaotic play area at the mall, while watching complete strangers...

We don't have a lot pictures of Dad scanned into the computer yet, but here are a couple...

I always get choked up when I look at this picture.

It so clearly brings back the feeling of that moment, and

how much fun Dad and I always had together.

Arianna and Dad would have such fun being silly together!

This is the closest their earthly existences came to crossing.

And now that I've got myself all emotional, I suppose this is enough for one entry.

Luke Skywalker

So, yesterday before church, I was in the choir nursery with Arianna, and she was playing with the toys in the toy box. Well, she brought over a little figure of Luke Skywalker, and I said, "That's Luke Skywalker". And she said to me, "No, that's Uncle Andreas!" Pretty classic moment, I thought. She wasn't that far off, really...

Can you see the resemblance?

Starting Today

Okay, so it's been a while. I have had every intention of getting on and posting every week for a few months now... Well, the procrastination stops now. Starting today, I'm going to be an awesome blogger! Let me clarify: I'm going to do awesome at posting frequently. This may not necessarily mean the posts themselves will be awesome, but just the fact that I'm posting at all qualifies as awesomeness. (There's my little disclaimer.)

And there you have my new pledge to do better. It's different this time than the last time, though. Honest... :)

Enough mumble-jumble. Let me tell you about these pictures I took the other night (Wednesday, to be exact). They're not the greatest quality, but I wanted to just snap a shot of Arianna doing what she does every night at bedtime. She LOVES books. She loves for us to read them with her, she loves to "read" them to us, she loves to "read" them to her little friends (toys, stuffed animals, etc.), and she loves to look at them all by herself. She will sit there for the longest time before bed each night, looking at her nightly selection of books. That in and of itself is pretty cute, I think, but lately she's latched on to a particular book that makes it even more cute. This particular book is Black & Decker's "The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair". It's been a couple of weeks now since she discovered it, and it still holds it's fascination, apparently.

If we are there when she's looking through it, she'll point to pictures and ask us what they are... If we're not around, she will just sit there and study them. I think it's pretty cool myself! Maybe after some more studying, she'll be able to show us a thing or two. We can certainly use a handyperson around here, since Dad's gone. :)

Arianna Singing

We thought it was so cute that we had to record it! So here is Arianna doing her version of the Winnie the Pooh theme song, with Daddy helping her out. The funny thing is, she's never even seen the movie this song comes from, and yet she loves to sing it over and over. In this video she is 26 months old. Enjoy!