Generations Later

My grandmother sent me an email the other night informing me that her mother, my Nana once "modeled" for Caterpillar.

Who knew 75+ years later her great-grand-daughter would do the same.
OK-I'm kidding. I didn't model for Caterpillar, I had a photo shoot and a little interview.
Big difference.
(You can click HERE to read about it.)

It's probably just as well I didn't see these photos before our own Caterpillar adventure the other week, or I may have tried too hard to recreate a photo, and I'm not so sure high heels and a skirt, or a sledgehammer for that matter would have been appropriate that day.

Edith and Carl Follett around 1928ish.

 (Not sure who the third person is? Most likely a Caterpillar Mechanic)

Never thought I'd say this, but I do wish the machine was more visible in the photo of me, so it doesn't just look like me posing in a hard hat.

A little family history lesson from my grandmother, Ruth Hill:

A bit of family history. Wheeler Machinery was once known as Landes Tractor Co. Based in Salt Lake. Wheeler bought them out in about the early forties or there about. You are the forth generation to model for them . How's that for a laugh. Your greatgrandfather ( Carl Follett) worked for for Landes Tractor. He sold caterpillar tractors &  repaired them .  Traveling all of Utah and Idaho back roads and farms. Mother even worked for them in the office in Preston after coming west and meeting Daddy. I have some delightful pictures of mother and daddy in this scenario . Mother sitting on the tractor with a marcell (? ) hair do, dressed in coveralls , WEARING HEELS AND HOLDING A SLEDGE HAMMER! Daddy standing at the side . This is one of RJ's favorite photos. What a laugh! So I was glad to see you were keeping up the family tradition. Liked the hard hat! Would you like a copy of the pic?
            Love , Grandma

Mike was so excited about it that he sent the old photos to the Wheeler Machinery people we worked with during our filming. There's talk of a possible re-creation. I told Mike that just because I own my Nana's pearls that could likely be the same ones she's wearing in the above photos, I don't think I'm interested in following suit and modeling by a machine in pearls and heels.

Although maybe I could be easily persuaded.

A Few Randoms

It's been a while since I've posted on the randomness of our lives lately. It seems my cell phone is always the best place to go to remember what we've been doing around here lately.

I think Ellie's half birthday got lost in the recesses of my cell phone picture gallery. Oops. We did celebrate the half-way, despite the lack of blog post telling anyone about it.

I mean for heaven sakes, we wouldn't have wanted to miss out on sharing that blurry photo, now would we?!

I think the harp recital also got lost in the cell phone gallery, but we shan't forget to mention it.

With the freshly fallen snow, and cold temperatures, the peak season of our business is winding down. Although there is still much to do throughout the winter, Mike and I wanted to do something to thank our employees for a successful year of work. Several of our employees prefer to keep to themselves, and having a big dinner at a restaurant, or some kind of party didn't seem like the right fit. So with a few good brains put together we came up with the idea of a....

taco truck coming to the office...

It worked out wonderfully for those wanting to socialize alone with each other outside, and those wanting to mingle with each other inside.

It was a wonderful afternoon enjoying the company of those that help make our business what it is. Mike threw out all sorts of invites, and it was fun seeing who would walk through the door next. We not only had our employees, we had 2 guys from our bank (who were initially mistaken for being LDS missionaries when they walked in!), sales reps, and subcontractors.

Delicious food and good company are among my favorite things.

Note in the above photo what the people in the back are sitting on... it helped that when we ran out of enough folding chairs, we had plenty of sprinkler valve boxes on hand to improvise.

There are definite perks to being the key decision maker in a company. Hooray for taco trucks.

After a little choir performance at our house today (more on that later), Ellie was entertained forever playing with the microphone stand. Unfortunately (for her) the microphone had been put away immediately following the concert, so it could be returned in good condition to the owner. She didn't ask for a microphone to go with the stand--she improvised and made her own! It was the perfect shape for her to sing into, and she was content as can be singing into... the barrel of a gun! Mike was thoroughly amused and had to snap a photo of the performance.

We had an impromptu Family Carnefel on Saturday night, and each child shared a game with us to play. We did everything from pin the nose on Santa, "ask questions about Christmas" directed at the Little People Nativity set, match pictures of NFL football helmets to papers with the names on them, and trying to feel if someone was blowing warm air on us through a straw while our eyes were closed. (This game was a result of the blowing marshmallows up a straw not quite paning out.) I realize those descriptions don't sound like the most entertaining family activities, but they are for us. They are typically always good for a laugh.

Megan's game was last, and instead of any made-up-game, she chose hide-and-seek. I immediately dismissed it, and she replied, "But Mom, that's what we do!" If she really identifies hide and seek as one of our most prominent family activities, I could hardly say no. Especially considering everyone else (including Mike) were thrilled with the game choice. Of course it was better than having air blown on my face through a straw, but still.

I think one of the reasons I don't enjoy hide and seek is because Mike gets far too creative with the kids and their hiding spots. He had Drew squeezed into the frame of the couch at one point, and Joshua essentially being airlifted into a hiding spot behind a piece of furniture in our family room. I feel like what should be an innocent game of hide-and-seek turns into anxieties about whether a shelf will collapse, my pantry will be put back together again, or if the entertainment center really is strong enough to hold a television and a child.

(Joshua hidden behind the computer armoire in the family room! Even Ellie said, "I can't watch" as Joshua was precariously lifted out...)

I usually roll my eyes at the places Mike comes up with for the kids to hide, but this one was great. Megan walked by the "snow clothes drying rack" numerous times before finally spotting Joshua amidst the overalls and gloves. Definitely my favorite hiding place of the night.

I typically observe rather than play, but somehow I got roped into being one to count and hide. Which begs the question--What crazy mother actually goes in search of her peaceful, quiet, hiding children?!? I was thoroughly enjoying the solitary quietness and alone-ness upstairs in my room "counting" until Mike paged me downstairs. I was aided in my search by a dear friend, who just happened to show up on the doorstep with a Christmas gift just as I was beginning my search for five children. The highlight of the game was my friend, Paula helping me search, and ending up jumping out of her skin when Luke appeared out of the living room curtains and scared her. His claim? "I thought it was mom."

Luke spent the balmy day before Thanksgiving outside in his bike shop working on something. He emerged a little while later and announced "You have to come outside and see what I made."

A trailer for his bike?!
Apparently a neighbor boy was the guinea pig and Luke announced it "Very safe to carry Hank or a friend." I didn't deem it quite as safe, and thankfully the snow fell a couple days later and we haven't seen the trailer out since. Although he has come a long way since his scooter building days, he still has a few engineering/physics skills to master before you'll see me climbing aboard any of his contraptions.

Life is good. I really shouldn't complain.
Happy December!

Wish Lists

When catalogs come in the mail, I throw them away without looking at them. My reason, is to throw them away before my children see them. I have the mindset "out of sight out of mind." I prefer my children not know what they are missing rather than look through a catalog and tell me every birthday theme they want next, what American Girl doll accessory they'd like, and what party supplies we just have to have for the next party.

I surprised myself while going through the mail the other day and upon seeing the Toys-R-Us Toy Extravaganza, handed it to Joshua to look through.

Joshua, sitting at the kitchen counter, excitedly placed the toy magazine on top of the new Friend Magazine that had previously thrilled him.

I watched him with baited breath, assuming choruses of "I want... I want... I want..." were going to start. Joshua never said anything once about wanting anything. Instead, all I heard were things like, "That's cool." or "Oh! Look at that!" Occasionally I heard a grunt sounding laugh at something that humored him.

Instead of moving from my mail sorting chore to dinner prep chores, I found myself standing in front of Joshua, staring at his enthusiastic, un-desiring response to the Toys-R-Us Christmas mailing. I saw only dollar signs as Joshua leafed through the pages, but I was quite certain Joshua only saw in his little mind hours of enjoyment and play as he imagined ownership of particular items.

The reason I felt so certain of Joshua's imaginations, was because as I stood there watching him, I was taken back to the days of thumbing through catalogs myself. Specifically, the Argos Catalogue. I remember finding all sorts of items I dreamed of owning. I pictured myself rolling down the streets on roller boots and sitting at my bedroom desk in front of a three-fold mirror.

(I never received roller boots, because apparently my dad was convinced they would make me break my ankle, but that three-fold mirror was one of the highlights of my Christmas morning as a 12 year old. And all credit for it must surely go to my mother... She probably would have bought the roller boots too, if my dad hadn't been so vocal about them first.)

Despite still having issues, never receiving roller boots, I realized as I stood watching Joshua peruse the toy catalog the other day, it never hurt me to look through a catalog filled with more items than I could possibly ever receive or own. It likely won't hurt my children either.

Perhaps I will no longer stand by my garbage can while sorting the mail. Perhaps I will no longer be in such a hurry to dispose of various catalogs before my children lay eyes on them. If that Toys-R-Us catalog had ended up in the garbage can immediately the other evening, I would have missed out on observing, a joyous moment of pure childhood glee coming from Joshua.

Hooray for childlike wonder.

The Little Things in Life

Two months ago, I bought two children's snow shovels at a great price. I hid them away until either the first snowfall or Christmas, whichever came first.

This morning our first real snowfall arrived. I knew it was coming, but I didn't prepare for it by getting the children's snow clothes from our storage room at Mike's office. In the morning rush for school, Mike kindly arrived home with 5 garbage bags full of every pair of snow boots and snow pants we own. (I didn't have time to go to the office myself, and he isn't familiar with what boots/pants fit what kids-so he brought them all.)

Joshua and Drew excitedly dressed at once in full snow attire. Ellie had to be a little more cajoled into wearing snow boots that didn't quite match her outfit, and I kindly reminded Luke there is a difference between 6th graders and 1st graders and to please close his mouth when he was trying to tell Joshua "It isn't cool to wear snow pants to school."

In the excitement of the freshly fallen snow, I remembered the snow shovels hidden under a blanket in the garage and went immediately to get them. Only problem was, I handed them over to the two little boys with only about 6 minutes to spare before the bus was due to arrive.

Freshly fallen snow, two little brothers, two brand new shovels, the first snow of the season...

Drew: "Joshua, I wush (wish) you could stay home and play with me all day."
Joshua: "Mom, Can I stay home and dig with Drew today?"

In that quick moment I was reminded of how quickly time flies. I saw the 2T winter coat behind me laying among the strewn contents of five garbage bags emptied on my kitchen floor. It seems like just yesterday someone fit into that coat. (Why was it even still in a bag?) Atop one of the bags sat a discarded pair of blue snow pants that will surely not fit Ellie this year. They will probably be thrown out instead of donated anywhere, Megan and Ellie wore them well.

I turned back and looked out the back door at Joshua and Drew smiling and laughing in the snow. Snow continued to fall, as I know it is forecast still to do for several hours. Joshua looked up at me and questioned, "Can I still play?"

My vision became blurry as a lump developed in my throat, and I hollered out the window,

"You're only young once. Enjoy the snow day together."

Drew's smile out beat Joshua's this time as he announced, "Yay! You get to stay home for the rest of the day!"

The last week or so has been difficult for a variety of reasons, but my prayers were answered this morning in the least expected way--two little boys and a snow storm.

It seems that for today, my daily mantras became my actions instead of just my thoughts...

The days are long, but the years are short.

Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things.

Mike won't be quite as sentimental as me about Joshua skipping a day of school to romp in the snow with his little brother. Perhaps this charming quote will help...

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. 

~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1762

Another Thanksgiving

(Thankful Papers, 2013)

I think this is the first Thanksgiving in I don't know how many years that we didn't get a family photo. We also didn't get any photos of the abundance of people, love, and conversation around our Thanksgiving table.

Maybe it means we were engaged in the holiday and actually enjoying time and memories together more than  being concerned with recording them. Or maybe it means I simply didn't think about it.

I did however remember when we arrived home on Thanksgiving night. Instead of trying to gather everyone together for a photo, I opted for individual shots instead.

(Poor quality photos, but remember I don't get professional photo shoots very often.)

And this is one of my favorite recorded videos of all time.
LOVE it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mike, Tiffany and a "Hollywood" Debut

I recently recalled an assignment I had in a Minority Relations class at the University of Utah, almost 20 years ago. We had to list all of the "hats" we wear. College student, bus-rider, employee, sister, daughter, etc. are a few that I remember listing at the time. Our assignment was then to expound on what situations we found ourselves a minority in.

I think the reason I thought about the assignment was because while getting ready to leave the house yesterday morning, I laughed when I thought about where I was going...

To film a commercial for Caterpillar machines for Wheeler Machinery.

The hat I wore today was as an owner of a landscape construction company, and I had to give my two cents about why I love their machinery??

Back to why I remembered my college assignment....I'm quite certain that among my peers, I am a minority in some of the hats I wear...dealing with a dying goat one day, filming a Caterpillar commercial a couple days later.

The night before my filming debut, I texted a dear friend to tell her I could no longer keep an appointment. Her reply was a compliment, "Now you can add movie star to the list of amazing things you already do." It meant a lot, and I was quite flattered by her comment.

The same night, I emailed my BFF the dilemma I was facing. I asked sincerely, "So, what exactly should I wear for a Caterpillar machinery commercial tomorrow? Yes. That is my dilemma for the evening."
Her reply?
"HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

So much for the boost of confidence from HER.

Back to the commercial filming. (And no, you won't be seeing the commercial during any prime time television. It will be used primarily for Wheeler Machinery's own marketing efforts.) While waiting for the film crew to arrive, Mike walked around the job site doing what he does. I felt a little out of place. OK, kind of a lot out of place. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Start laying sod? Climb in a piece of equipment? Shake people's hands? I couldn't figure out what to do to look official. So instead I sat inconspicuously at a nearby abandoned picnic table and sent photos of myself in a hard hat and safety vest to Megan and my BFF.

The crew arrived at the most inconvenient time--just as I was calling the school to excuse Luke's absence because I left him at home providing daycare for Drew. Not that I'm embarrassed to be a mother, but I didn't want my first impression to be on the phone taking care of "mom business." I'm sure Mike gave it all away when he sarcastically said, "Oh! Important customer call?" as I approached to shake everyone's hands.

So... I'm not exactly the most "hands on" business owner, and Mike scripted me on the drive there as to why exactly I love Wheeler Machinery and Caterpillar products.

I was kind of a fake.
Well, not a business owner fake, but a lover of machinery fake.

Fortunately the recording was not live, and they told me several times they can edit the interview quite "flawlessly" to make it flow well in the final product. Which is a good thing, because there may or may not have been a few questions that I either laughed at or answered with something resembling, "Uh. I don't know anything about that."

Mike on the other hand was a natural.
A NATURAL!
Helps that he KNEW what he was talking about, but still between the interview part and the still photo shoot part, he was asked more than once if he had interview/modeling experience.
H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.

Mike wanted to die when they asked him to put his foot up on the equipment and "pose."

I'm sure my hysterical laughing in the background had something to do with Mike ending up with a few bouts of the giggles himself too.

  (photo courtesy of Tom Zdunich of LENZ works)

 (photo courtesy of Tom Zdunich of LENZ works)

Then when I was asked to put on my hard hat and the photographer suddenly started snapping away at me, I really couldn't stop laughing.
Seriously?
Since when does my life include photo shoots wearing a hard hat? Or for that matter any photo shoot?!

I may be the owner of Sinc Constructors Co. on paper, but 99% credit goes to Mike who manages day-to-day operations. He's worked hard to build this company. Considering he started the company in bed while on bed rest, with instructions to lift nothing heavier than 10lbs for 6 months following his back surgery, he's come along way.

(These were not "set-up" scenes. Our workers continued to work hard on the job, while the film crews did their job too.)

I should take credit for playing a supportive (and important decision making) role.
We make a good team.

 (photo courtesy of Tom Zdunich of LENZ works)

 (photo courtesy of Tom Zdunich of LENZ works)

All in all, the day ended up being a definite highlight for Mike and me. The people we spent hours with were fabulous! I wish I'd have done the interview part later in the day when I felt much more comfortable with everyone. I loved them all! If Mike and I didn't have our own company to run, I'd definitely want to be an employee of Wheeler. But as neither of us are in the market for a new job right now, we'll stick with being their customer instead. What a company! (And no, that wasn't part of my script. I discovered that all on my own after a great day with some top notch people out there in the business world.) I'm also not much in the market for a video made about myself, but if I were, or ever am...I'll be using the same recording crew at LENZ works. Great day!

So thinking again to my old college assignment...Here's the hat I wore today.
No pun intended.

 (photo courtesy of Tom Zdunich of LENZ works)

Saying Goodbye

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

~ Kahlil Gibran

(Luke and Dudley, July 2013)

I don't find it a coincidence that for several hours on Saturday morning, this display on the bookshelf in my room was in my main line of vision. A plate with a quote about remembering moments, a statue of a mother holding her child, and a home-made Mother's Day gift from Luke in 2010.

I will always remember the moments of Saturday morning. I will forever remember holding Luke as he sobbed, and I hope Luke will (one day) see the continued fulfillment of his 2010 sentiments to me, "Thank you for everything you do."

On Saturday morning, Luke's beloved goat Dudley died. Unlike the events surrounding Lily's death in January, Mike and I seemed to know very early on that Dudley would not recover. This time we didn't take photos of Luke laying face to face with a goat, thinking it was just a temporary set-back. This time, as Luke lay face-to-face with Dudley on my bedroom floor, Mike and I knew what we were facing. Our hearts were heavy and it was nothing short of heartbreaking when we told Luke, Dudley was unlikely to recover.

I am reminded yet again of the blessing our little family is learning about life and death experiences with animals rather than people, but it is still so, so sad. Unless one really knows Luke, it is hard to understand exactly how much he loves his goats.Two times in less than a year doesn't seem fair, and like Megan sobbed into my shoulder Saturday morning, "He's only 12! How much is he supposed to take?"

As the sign on my shelf reads, ... "We don't remember days, we remember moments" ...There are several moments from today I know I'll never forget.

Luke's cry to me early Saturday morning that told me something was wrong.

Mike stepping out of his truck after he'd received a phone call summoning him home, and me seeing a parents love for a child "written" all over his face.

Luke in the bath tub with Dudley, and Mike lovingly kneeling by the side assisting.

The eye contact Mike and I made frequently with each other throughout the morning that spoke volumes.

Paul and Vickie coming to visit, and Paul lovingly attempting to render aid and then solemnly reminding us of the fragility of life.

Hearing sobs come from Ellie and Joshua when we told them, Dudley was likely to die.

Megan quietly standing looking down at Dudley with tears running down her face.

All seven of us gathered in my bedroom with a dying goat. Six of us crying about the sad situation, and Drew, the lone dry-eyed person in the room, concerned only about the logistics.

Mike, Luke and me alone in the bedroom with Dudley as Mike lovingly told us, "He's gone now."

Mike, with tears streaming down his face kneeling over Dudley as he wrapped him in a green sheet, preparing him for burial.

Seeing absolute devastation on my 12 year old boy's face and wishing with all my mother heart I could take his pain away.

Joshua and Drew's little faces resting on their arms as they peered out the family room window as a funeral procession of sorts passed them by.

Mike kneeling down and tenderly and softly placing Dudley in his final resting spot.

Mike's silent glance at Luke for approval before we began quietly filling dirt in the hole.

Standing next to Mike who was eye-to-eye with Hank propped up on the fence and both of us knowing Hank knew his buddy was gone.

Believing as a little family that somehow, somewhere, there is an animal heaven, and Lily and Dudley are together.

My mother heart is reminded yet again how much these animals mean to my young boy, and I made sure to take the time to remind all of my children that grief and sadness come because there has been an abundance of love.

We are blessed with the ability to love. Even though it means it is difficult to say goodbye.

**I know some will be curious about what happened to Dudley. Friday evening at 7pm when Luke last saw the goats for the night, they were completely normal and fine. Saturday morning, Luke found Dudley lethargic in his shelter with Hank close-by acting protectively worried. Our first thought was some kind of hypothermia and we brought Dudley into a warm tub thinking it would help him. We then laid him nearby on our bedroom floor in hopes he would soon recover. It became somewhat clear that hypothermia was probably not the issue, but Dudley instead experienced some type of respiratory distress.**