Back in the Saddle Again

'Back in the saddle again.' Well, not exactly, but metaphorically. This is referring to the fact that I got ejected from the saddle on Gus, see past blog, 1 month ago. I did suffer a hairline pelvic fracture and have been on the path to recovery. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be able to try a little slow riding again.

Today, I am walking sans crutches and even cane. I was walking to the mailbox to mail a letter to Russ @ Boot camp and almost forgot when I tried to run to the mailbox, because it is so cold (snow on the ground in Apr!). At any rate the best part is I can go for walks in our extended back yard, the worst part is I get sore from just walking. It's amazing how quickly one can get out of shape - esp in the over 50 crowd.

Now, let me get to what prompted me to write this blog in the first place - I read Beth's blog talking about really enjoying the phase of life that she is currently living. It is interesting I just recently wrote a letter to Russ and had a conversation with Rae about this very thing. Seems like a lot of country songs are hitting home to me lately. There is one called, 'You’re Gonna Miss This.' In it there are all these little scenarios in this man’s life from his teenage years, to having kids, to seeing his daughter first married, to her having kids of her own. At the end of each little vision into their lives, he says to himself or to his daughter – ‘You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.’ I heard that song on my way home from work 2 nights in a row and sat in the car and balled as it brought back a flood of memories.

I remember when were first married and we were both starving students living in a basement aparment while going to BYU (just around the corner from where Beth & Reid lived and a few blocks from the current residence of Rae & Chris. We used to do everything together, ride bikes to school, grocery shop, do laundry, work in our garden, study, go camping. It really was a great phase. I didn't realize how much I would miss it when I graduated and only he went to school.

Then when we had our first little girl, I enjoyed getting to stay home with her, while she slept in the cradle Ev made in the little nook just outside her room, noting her every mile stone. We had adventures going for walks and hiding in cabinets. Kris loved to stand up in her Dad's hand - the only one of our kids who would do that. Ev would pull her in the swing he made to hang from the hot water pipes. Wherever we went, we would just take her along. Often we went to SLC to visit grandparents and show her off. And Ev was working and going to school but was still close by and we had many family adventures camping and even backpacking with the Williams family in the Uintas. i also had a surrogate mother/sister in our upstairs neighbor who taught me to sew, and listened to me when I had worries or excitement to share, and gave great advice. Little did I realize what a breezy life it was in our little abode, the 3 of us.

We continued to move and grow. Ev got his first job in North Carolina and his boss was John Blanchard, a BYU alumnus, and their family welcomed us in and I gained another surrogate mom. We made great friends there, one of which became a great mentor, friend, after whom we named our second daughter, Bethany. There I had to be independent as Ev often had business trips doing out of town audits, but when he came home we would go play, or travel to see any BYU games that were anywhere nearby, even Kentucky. We were also close enough for weekend trips to DC to visit family. When Ev got offered a position in the FADP (mgmt training) program with GTE and we moved to CT, (when I was 7 mos pregnant), that was a challenge. I really did miss the blessings of southern hospitality and close work/church friends and a nice apt in a nice neighborhood.

I will continue the musings in my next entry. I promise there won't be such a long space this time. But I do want to second the theme of Beth's blog: enjoy where you are at. Look for the little pleasures and blessings that come with your stage in life and your events of each day. It all goes by way too fast.

Right now, Ev and I are busy and often go different directions, but we do have a lot of time to spend together one on one. It is sweet and our friendship has continued to develop. It is great to support each other in our endeavors. I got to spend a day watching him teach - that was so remarkable. He has been so sweet helping me since my injury. It is a treasure. But we also often mention missing those busy days when our lives were filled to overflowing with kids activities and diaper changing. We are grateful to have those days to look back on and being able to catch a glimpse into it in the next generation. We LOVE being grandparents.

The other night we stopped by Kristen's and the kids had already gone to bed, Ev sneaked upstairs to just peak into their rooms and it was like looking into heaven. What a joy. We certainly can't complain.

The window of time when we had all our children close by was a great treasure. Now, we are coming to the close of another window of time, with Rachel and Chris leaving for new adventures. It has been great to have them close by, to see and share Sunday dinners, do laundry, have Rae come up to help me after my accident, to go to dinner with them as our Christmas present, take Sunday walks and hikes up the canyon, to get to see Rae defend her thesis and give presentations, meet Chris for dinner when Rachel was away and Sunday mornings on their couch. We are very much looking forward to our adventure in Peru with them.