Harvest

We were thrilled to discover carrots in our garden yesterday. We planted them in the girls' box, next to the corn and forgot about them. Now that the corn is mostly ripe & picked and cut down, the carrots are visible again. We ate a bunch raw - delicious! and put the rest in a delicious stir-fry. (carrots, cabbage, red pepper, celery, onion & chicken - can you picture it? It was almost too pretty to eat!)

I also picked lots of green beans last week - finally. I didn't think I'd actually get to harvest any this year. I have no idea why they took so long. Other veggies that did well this year: Roma & cherry tomatoes, soy beans (edamame - YUM!), basil, corn, peppers & jalapenos. Our pumpkin plant died half-way through the summer, as well as our watermelon. Oh well, we'll try again next year! Our garden will be bigger and better & hopefully we'll grow enough to bottle & freeze some, this year we've eaten everything we've harvested.

I (heart) Ira Glass

For anyone who has questions about or is interested in or has heard about the financial crisis here in America, listen to this. (Yes, it's NPR. Don't knock it before you try it. & I mean really try it, listening to Terry Gross for 5 minutes doesn't count. This Amercian Life is the best show on radio, & if you don't think that's saying a lot, then you've never listened to The Sunday Puzzle with Will Shortz or Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. I know, I know, I'm a big nerd.) In The Giant Pool of Money, they explain how the mortgage crisis got started, and turned into the credit crisis, which turned into the brink of disaster we're at now. They explain NINA's (no income, no asset loans) and CDO's (collateralized debt obligations). It's fascinating and infuriating at the same time. It will be worth your time, I promise. Then you'll be all ready to listen to part two tomorrow, Another Frightening Show About the Economy. You'll also increase your I.Q. just by listening to NPR.

After all that, if you need a pick-me-up, try Going Big, an episode about the Harlem Children’s Zone and it's founder Geoffrey Canada. Good what-a-difference-one-person-can-make stuff. It'll make you want to go out and found your own non-profit organization to help children living in poverty. Or at least read to your kids tonight.

Of course, if you really want to know how to best survive these troubled times, listen to this.

Picture Day

Answers:
I tied Bethany's in rags because Toquerville & even the town 3 miles south were clean out of pink curlers.
Gwen slept in braids & I curled it in the morning.
Target clearance rack.

Some pics from our weekend

Jena & David were kind enough to let me tag along with them all day Saturday. We went hiking & swimming in Zion with Jena's BF Annette and her boyfriend Devon (sp?). Matthew had a conference in Cedar City, so I was totally the 5th wheel, but didn't feel like it at all. I got a babysitter for my girls & thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with other adults & not worrying about my daughters leaving the trail & falling off a cliff.







Speaking of hanging out...


After we got home, Matthew, Bethany, Gwen & Cate joined us and we went rappelling. We found a great spot - not too extreme because there were a few first timers & plenty of bouldering for my girls.



Apparently Matthew & I are mean & boring parents because whenever we have guests, the girls beg them to take them home. It's kindof embarrassing when your child says, "I want to go with that guy" about someone she's known for less than 2 hours. Catherine's first words Sunday morning were "Is Devon still here? Is Annette still here?" Then she wouldn't sit by us at church, randomly choosing another grandma to cuddle up to. Friendly, outgoing? Attachment disorder?


We (& by we I mean they) had a good hair day Sunday, so I asked Matthew to take some pictures while I did my hair (in a ponytail).

I know that there's a glaring omission from my weekend report, so I have to confess that I forgot all about the General Relief Society Meeting. I think I'll watch it now!

Speed

I'm coming to you live today from a high-speed internet connection folks. I know, I know, we were quite possibly the last household in a developed country to be using dial-up, but no more! I can't believe how much my quality of life has imoroved. I got to see my niece Eve make her new scrunchy face on my little brother's blog and I got to watch the season premiere of The Office today.

I love technology. (Not smart enough yet to actually post a video, you'll have to follow the link.)


P.S.
Thanks for all the congratulations!

Working for a living

I was tired this morning. I worked late last night, crawling into bed after 1 AM. I hit snooze again and again as Matthew got up, showered and woke up the girls for school. Even after I walked my school girls to the bus stop and took Catherine on our mile walk through town in her stroller, I feel lazy. There are dishes to do and laundry to put away and bills and homework to organize and I just want to take a nap. But I have to get somethings done today, because I have to work again tonight. That means the only time I'll see Bethany yesterday or today was the rushed hour of getting ready for school, tying shoes, brushing hair, washing faces. Gwen & I will be able to have lunch together before I take her to her babysitters' house and kiss her goodbye for the afternoon and night & see her again tomorrow morning. I do enjoy the time I have at home with my Catherine all day. I have worked part-time nights and weekends for most of my married life and every once in a while it really wears me down. I hate not being home to have dinner with my family, to check my daughters' backpacks, to kiss them goodnight. I don't like being so tired in the mornings. It seems there is never enough time to catch up on the housework in between shifts. I want to be here for my family or at least leave them a clean house and dinner in the oven before I go to work and that doesn't always happen. Then, I get to work and it seems like I am never giving quite enough, I'm never as flexible as they need me to be, or as willing to stay late or work an extra shift. & everyone thinks I'm so lucky that I only have to work part-time. & I am, I know that. I know that there are mothers out there who work much more than I do & handle it with much more grace. (Like my sister!) There are single moms working and raising kids on their own & I don't know how they do it all. I know that I am blessed to have a husband who supports me at home and at work, who cooks dinner & tucks the kids in when I'm not home. I have a job that I love, once I'm there, and that pays enough that I do only have to work part-time. So although I am weak and ungrateful for feeling this way, sometimes I just get tired of being torn in so many directions. I feel guilty dropping the girls off, letting someone else ask about their day at school. I feel guilty eating dinner alone at work while my husband is home setting the table for our family. I feel guilty about our hit and miss family home evenings because I work every Monday night. You get the idea. And yet, with Matthew in school and our vehicles getting older and noisier, we never really considered me working less, or staying home all the time. We have always worked it out so that I could work a little. Until now. Until this little miracle that's making us change our plans and priorities. Maybe I can take a break for a year, or two, or more. I get excited thinking about being a full-time stay-at-home-mom. Four is just too many to arrange day care for and I am so glad. I'm counting down the shifts until April and then I'll be home. Home with a newborn and my big girls and my husband. I can't wait.

Heavenly Father knows the desires of our hearts. I am so thankful for this blessing and for the Lords' timing. He knows what we need much better than we do.

10-12-08: Sadly, this pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 12 weeks. We are thankful for the opportunity we had to reexamine our priorities and put our faith and family first in our lives.

It's Autumn time

These are the flowers I just ordered from High Country Gardens. I can't wait until they arrive. Fall is such a nice time of year here. The cooler days make me want to spend all my time outside digging in the dirt. There's still plenty of time to plant and let these flowers start growing before it gets cold.

Want to see the progress my high country garden has made this summer? I knew it! My Desert Willow in the front yard has really taken off. It was little more than a twig when I planted it early in the spring.

These were sticks when I planted them too. Any day now I'll have masses of bright yellow mini sunflowers!

This is a white lavender. I'm getting another one because it seems to do well on rocky slopes.

I can't remember the name of the bush on the left, but I'm glad it's finally blooming. I planted it a year or two ago. The small plants on the right are Agastache or Hummingbird Mint. They're supposed to get 3-4 feet high. I'm getting another one of them as well.

Road Rash

In response to my little brother's gore filled post, Bethany crashed on her bike the other day too. She's still working on the brake thing. & we live on a hill. I love her little checkerboard smile right now.

Ross, here's Matthew's hand after his longboard ride (this was about 2 years ago):

She's got a crush on Obama

We, along with the rest of the nation, have been listening to a lot of political speeches lately. After listening to Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, Bethany commented to her dad, "I really like him. He said that we can do better!" She hasn't stopped talking about him since. I was impressed with how much she paid attention to what he said and the questions she asked us. We listened to John McCain the other day and after listening to Matthew and I discuss the election she said, "I wish there was one person with all the right answers." So do we sweetie. I hope that she always keeps her mind open and listens to both sides of every presidential race and every other decision she makes in her life.

Here's my rant: why is the other candidate always The Devil? I sincerely believe that both candidates want the same thing for America, a strong economy, peace and freedom at home and abroad, safety, hope, honesty and integrity in government, an earth that can be enjoyed by our children and grandchildren, educational opportunities for all, etc. Now, they have entirely different ideas about how to go about their goals, but why not just talk about what they are going to do, what their ideas are, instead of going on and on about why their opponent is so wrong.

Also, it is hilarious to hear her and Gwen's pronunciations of the democratic candidate, Rock o' rock o' Bama, etc.

Lastly, I am posting something else immediately because, for all my spirited idealism, I am kindof a wimp and not the best at defending my position in a debate, so I'm not leaving a political post at the top for long!

Bangs

I am usually against bangs, on myself & on my daughters. They add another element to doing hair that I can't be bothered with. It's just more hair that won't fit into a ponytail! But then there's Catherine's hair. Catherine's baby-fine, blonde, wispy hair that refuses to grow into enough hair for me to even comb, let alone put in a ponytail. She'll be four next year & most 1 1/2 year olds have more hair than she does. I totally love it, really, I do. It makes her seem like my baby for that much longer. Lately though, it's been especially fly-away & in her eyes. I finally got Matthew to let me trim her bangs. (He's even more against them than I am.) I only had to cut about three hairs, but it made a big difference.

Mystery Canyon

My kinda date with my kinda guy, Mystery Canyon at Zion National Park:

Me & my hot date just before descending into Mystery Canyon.

The first of nine rappels.

Clipping in at Mystery Springs; it's a long way down.

The canyon drops right into The Narrows.

I'm the one in pink.

See all the people watching? We felt like rock stars.

Eight hours later, in The Narrows.

Enough Already!

I know I've been posting a ton lately, but we've had a full week & I took a lot of pictures that I know you're just dying to see! (& if you're not, I'll never know.) Last night, for one last hurrah before Rachel had to go, we went back to Zion to our favorite swimming hole & discovered a waterfall/waterslide just up the creek!

After jumping and sliding in just one more time about seven times, we finally dragged ourselves back to the van as the sun was going down. I took Rachel halfway home this morning, Jamie met me at Cove Fort. (If you've never been, you really should stop by.) & now, I guess summer's over. For how tired I am of the heat, and how much I was looking forward to the schedule and sanity of back-to-school, it's still sad to see it end.

We'd better put the Tooth Fairy on-call

She came home from school grinning like this yesterday. She wants to leave it in until Halloween so it can be part of her witch costume. I'm not betting on it!

Meanwhile...

After dropping off my big girls, Rachel, Catherine and I drove on up to Zion for a quick hike. We would've spent all day there, but I had to work at 2:30, so we just did the Riverside Walk and hiked up the Narrows a little way. (Yes, I had to work on my girls' first day of school. I wasn't there to meet them with a hug and an after school snack. Not feeling so good about my job lately... just your usual working-mom-guilt. I need a day job!)Rachel wants to go back ASAP. We'll have to plan a time next summer to explore more of our favorite National Park together.Rachel is truly a nature girl. She loved the scenery, the deer, the squirrels, the rapids, everything. She is also a little shutterbug, taking pictures constantly. I'm sure that love will develop into a great talent as she grows.

Catherine enjoyed all the attention from her cousin, playing in the shallow water and riding in the backpack for the two mile walk. She is getting HEAVY!

First Day of School

Bethany told me she got fun homework. Homework on the first day, what more could a second grader ask for? (Can you see how loose her tooth is?)

Gwen reported that kindergarten was rockin'.

They were a little disappointed that I drove them to school on the first day, so they were thrilled to walk to the bus stop together this morning.

We got Rachel

and she's got it all!

Mark & Jamie, we are taking good care of your Baby Rachel. She is taking good care of us too. She made us popcorn last night!

School starts tomorrow which means lots of pictures are coming!

Chiasmus by Matthew and a Borrowed Poem (Response to "Nine Years of Bliss")

Nine years ago I had no idea how completely happy I would be in marriage. I've been blessed more in these years than any other. Thank you, Emily, for being my wife.

Thanks, Ma and Dad, for the nice comments (in Emily’s post). I remember, growing up, having my parents tell me that "you don't only marry your wife. You marry her whole family." How true that is. Thanks for helping Emily become the woman she is. I can't thank you enough.

And thanks to my own Mom and Dad. (Paraphrasing what I heard someone else say) I have experienced 32 years of happy marriage. 23 as a child in the home of my parents, and nine as a husband and father. What more could one hope for?

Emily, when we met eleven years ago we were very young. There is no way we could have known what we really wanted in a spouse. I feel that God blessed me to find you, (and to have the sense to make you mine.)


The Great Advantage Of Being Alive
e.e. cummings


the great advantage of being alive
(instead of undying)is not so much
that mind no more can disprove than prove
what heart may feel and soul may touch
—the great(my darling)happens to be
that love are in we,that love are in we

and here is a secret they never will share
for whom create is less than have
or one times one than when times where—
that we are in love,that we are in love:
with us they've nothing times nothing to do
(for love are in we am in i are in you)

this world (as timorous itsters all
to call their cowardice quite agree)
shall never discover our touch and feel
—for love are in we are in love are in we;
for you are and i am and we are(above
and under all possible worlds)in love

a billion brains may coax undeath
from fancied fact and spaceful time—
no heart can leap,no soul can breathe
but by the sizeless truth of a dream
whose sleep is the sky and the earth and the sea.
For love are in you am in i are in we

Nine Years of Bliss

Happy Anniversary Honey!

(Our big date is tomorrow, we're going to Les Mis at the Tuacahn.)

Cate's Clone

Saturday we went school shopping with the whole family. When we were in Target, Catherine turned to Matthew & me and exclaimed, "There's another Cate! I saw her! Another Cate with her Mom and her sisters!" We looked up and there she was, another small, blonde, wispy-haired girl wearing a T-shirt exactly like one of our own Catherine's and a pair of lime green shorts like the ones our Cate usually wears with that shirt. It was a little uncanny. I didn't get a good look at her from the front, but from the back, I'd have to agree with Catherine Lowe. It was another Cate!

Update on our SFG

(Just a pretty picture I took the other day from my front door.)

I think our garden has done well this summer. I hope we get enough corn, beans and tomatoes to freeze & bottle some. We've learned a lot and each time we work outside, trimming and training the vines or hunting for tomato worms, we talk about what we're going to do differently next year and how much more spectacular our little square foot gardens will be. More corn, more string beans, more trellises, more flowers around the borders, peas & strawberries much earlier, probably no crookneck squash, but definitely watermelon and winter squash again. We haven't harvested much besides a few cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, but more veggies should be ripening soon. The girls are getting excited about the big green pumpkins that are swelling on the plant they picked out. Here are some pictures of our progress since April:

My box (basil, green beans, tomatoes, crookneck, & flowers,) Matthew's (peppers, soy beans, tomatoes, butternut squash & cucumbers) & the girls' (CORN! pumpkin & watermelon behind the CORN!)

I love the trellises:

Also, our friends posted some more pictures of our beach vacation, so if you're dying to see more of the Lowe family wearing swimsuits and sand, visit the Snow's blog.