Already?!

(12/25/2010)  On Christmas morning Grandpa gets a turn wearing the safety goggles while he and Miles repair the new front-end loader with a drill.  We are all very safety conscious.  After all, Meghan is a process safety specialist.  We have to uphold her title at Monsanto!

     The last time I visited my mother before her 89th birthday, I mentioned the upcoming occasion.   Something to the extent, "Hey, mom. . .you're going to be 89!"  Her response -- "Already?"

     I'm beginning to understand her bewilderment.  Over half of January, 2011 is gone and I'm not sure where December 2010 is hiding!

     Because of accumulated vacation time and a visit from Josh's folks, the Jurgens took time off from work at the end of December.  Consequently, we didn't have Miles for almost two weeks at the end of the year.  Nonetheless, time has zoomed on and here we are -- already!

(12/27/2010) Meghan reacts to Miles' unwrapping of his new hammer.  Relax, mom, it only looks real.  It's actually just a toy!

     We were invited to the Jurgens' Christmas morning and for the remainder of the day.  The holiday was filled primarily with Miles opening his gifts from his Ohio grandparents, mom and dad, and of course, Santa.  Christmas eve Meghan prepared a wonderful dinner of crown roast and all the accompaniments for both sets of parents.  Christmas Day, we decided to go a bit lighter, so we ate brunch around 10:30 a.m.; I'd brought down pre-cooked bacon, homemade bread for toast and an egg dish featuring artichoke hearts and black olives.  Later in the day, I baked a puff-pastry wrapped brie and reheated some Manhattan clam chowder I'd made the day before.  Of course, we all ate too many of Meghan's Christmas cookies!

     It was grand fun to watch Miles open his gifts.  Although he woke up at a reasonable time, he didn't quite remember that Santa was supposed to have come.  Sooo. . . he played with toys and his Grandfathers for about an hour, and then finally, the kids said "Miles, let's go see if Santa came."  Kudos to Josh who stationed himself in the living room with the video camera to capture Miles, walking hand-in-hand with his mom, into the area, pausing and letting out a big "WOOOW!!"

     The Monday following Christmas festivities moved to our house.  My menu for the gang centered around a great recipe "Ultimate Shrimp Scampi" that I stumbled upon.  I also made a green salad with pomegranate seeds.  Now, I've never before actually bought a pomegranate.  However, I've stumbled upon a cool program in the western states "Bountiful Baskets."  This is a food co-op, all volunteer organization which has a pickup point right here at Inkom Elementary School.  Weekly offerings vary, but the basic contribution of $15 garners a basket of minimally five fruits and five vegetables.  Ordering is done online with pickup on Saturday mornings from 6:45 - 7:20 a.m.  Glenn says I look like it's Christmas every time I pick up my basket, as the contents are always a surprise.  One week, we got five pomegranates in ours -- and I learned a new kitchen skill (by watching a video online) -- how to peel one!  The baskets are a bargain, too.  I priced out the contents of my last one using ads and visiting the Pocatello Albertsons -- I paid $15 for what would've cost me $31.75 at the store!

          A basket of fresh fruits and vegetables and the weather last weekend almost made me wonder what also has happened to January.  Our house was enshrouded with clouds nearly 24/7 on Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  Rain came pouring down in buckets Sunday night.  On Monday, I rode with Meghan into Pocatello for a few errands; her on-board thermometer at one point registered 56 degrees!  Our long and sloping driveway is now slick with water-covered ice; much of our snow lost, although the ground is still covered.  At 5:30am when Miles arrived, Meg said the on-board was already showing 36 degrees and headed higher later today.  It's nearly enough to give a gal spring fever!

     We were disappointed last week when friends Ray and Lana Schultz called to cancel their proposed visit.  Glenn and I remarked, however, that if they'd been here the only sight of our views they'd have had would be those in our photographs, the weather was that bad.

     Being sort of stuck in the house wasn't a bummer.  First, I live in a nice new house that continues to amaze me.  Glenn spent many hours watching NFL football playoffs.  I began tackling a couple of projects I'd set aside, most notably my work with genealogy.  I'm now turning my attention to organizing the many bits and scraps of paper I've been setting aside for several years . . . once we decided to make the big move west that hobby took a back seat.  This go 'round, however, I'm determined to work on my side of the family; a real challenge that will be especially on the Valeck side -- eastern European grandparents and hazy oral family history combined!

     My guys, as I write this, are partaking of their morning routine.  Miles is sitting on Glenn's lap in the recliner chair; he's drinking warm Ovaltine and Grandpa has his cup of coffee.  They're settled in for installments of Disney's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny.  Occasionally, they will also tune in for a little ESPN and Mike and Mike in the Morning before getting revved up for the day.  Me, I'm just the "lovely assistant" -- fetching the Ovaltine and coffee, making lunch and supper, and responsible for general tidying up.  We continue the quest this week of potty-training Miles, who thus far is performing superbly.  With few reminders and nudgings, he's rarely having an accident now, but not quite ready for forays into town without a pair of pull-ups.  Meg and Josh have the admirable goal of only one child in diapers at a time; it looks like they'll achieve it.

     I'd better get moving on my chores this morning.  Soon my boys will be moving about, the sun will be up and the day will really get underway.  I have to pay attention . . . lest I find myself looking at the calendar and saying "Already?"