Life in Ireland

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025

Don’t ask me the right question at the wrong time.

Sunday, February 2, 2025 

Groundhog Day

I think I'm starting to understand why people believe in reincarnation. When someone you love is maybe close to death you naturally start to examine your own life. What if this is all the time I get? What if I never do all the things I wanted or expected to do. After dropping a sister at the airport I was listening to a book to keep my mind busy. I was suddenly completely overwhelmed with sadness that I will never live in Ireland. Could I move there right now? Would I find something there that I don't have here? Or would it just be a different location with the same thoughts and experiences…?

Later:

Laura said “you are the only one who can do this for me Emily. God told me you need to do it. 

Just a few weeks ago I was thinking about my life. What am I doing with my life? What should I do? Am I messing it all up? My kids are my biggest “job” right now. But I question on a twice daily basis if I’m messing up Lincoln by homeschooling him. Am I messing up Gray? Did I already completely blow it with the oldest three? 

Either way I wonder what else, and what next at this time when my life seems almost empty of children with only three left at home, only two who need me and only one who still craves my constant attention. And I love that and honor that but I know it’s fleeting. And so again: What am I doing now? What do I do next?

So I prayed and asked God, to tell me, and I always use qualifiers like “Tell me loudly!” Or “Tell me so I really hear!!” Tell me…what should I do and where should I put my time. When Linc is at the home school co-op, or at night, or when I’m not actively teaching him…where should I be putting my time and attention and talents?

”Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”

I was hoping God would tell me. And then my sister got sick. And she woke up post surgery and told me she needed me for a job. And it’s no exaggeration for me to say that never in the history of the universe has my sister Laura ever told me she needs me for anything. She is too competent. Too independent. Too self sufficient. And yet now she needs me. She has so many ideas and I can’t execute them fast enough to satisfy her. And I keep thinking about the line from the song in Hamilton “Why do you write like you’re running out of time…?” And I worry that she’s running out of time. She can’t run out of time.

Trip to Utah!

Twelve hours, and a few pears to get to...

Grandma Fae and John's house!

FINALLY!  Play-doh time with Grandma Fae.

Being popular is exhausting

Bowling at Doug's Alma Mater:  BYU.

Doug rockin' Ms. Pac-Man.

Then heading farther North to see the W's.

Angry Birds

Snuggle and bottle with Aunt Beth and Spence

Snuggle and bottle with Grandma W.

Just as long as I have a bottle, I'm good.

Grandma Fae met us at Temple Square in S.L.C. to see the lights.

The boys were impressed.

 

The lights were lovely as usual.

Mother and Son(s)

Pretty.

New Year's Eve Fondue Party at Aunt Lisa's.  Yum!

Gray was into it.

Monster Tree

Puppy Love (ick!)

Happy New Year!!!

Sibling Response...

Since my siblings don't read my blog regularly, I had to e-mail them to tell them to read the post they were featured in. Here are some of the responses I got via "blog comments" and e-mail.



Chrissy: (Brandon's wife) You should have seen the look on Brandon's face the first time he tackled you and pinned you to the driveway, after you were married, and I said,
"Brandon, you can't do that anymore."
and he asked why, and I said,
"Cuz you never know when she could be pregnant now."
Since he saw you as only being 6 years old, I thought he was going to yak!!!

Laura: You're full of it Emily! I am NOT a tight wad but I AM very frugal! Which incidentally, is why Jeff's law school loans are paid off and why we have very little debt (unless you count our lovely mortgage). However, in spite of my frugality, we are still broke so I must continue in my quest for ultimate frugal living!

And if you could see my house right now, NO ONE and I repeat NO ONE would ever believe what you said about the clean house thing! Just ask Jenny...

Jeff (Laura's Husband): Em, you've go some huevos writing those descriptions!

Karie: Well said. I did do voodoo on Dad. Why do you think he's home from the hospital after only 3 days?!?!?

Brandon: I read it. Pretty good

Jenny: Emily,You are a genius! You completely nailed every one of us (especially Karie).
FYI, I'm only assertive when someone messes with my husband or kids, or when I guess I feel like it.

Jenny/Pacifist/Enigma: Karie, I wasn't trying to offend. So don't be mad at me that I said Emily nailed you. But, Emily is pretty darn funny and you can check my chakra anytime you want. Hey, she outed me as a liberal, but since I never talk seriously about politics, one can never be really sure. I'm so glad I got to see you and that you got to see Darren and his chubbiness. Love- Jenny

Brandon: I wholeheartedly agree about Emzer's mad skillz. She pegged us all pretty good. J-Bird, I miss Darren! Can I adopt him if we give you visitation rights? I hate to be selfish but he is pretty darn cute and cuddly...

Chrissy: Em, I think you need to publish all these comments on your blog!! All your sibs are pretty dang funny too!! (Your wish is my command, Chrissy!)

Emily: Laura; ToMAYtoes, ToMAHtoes. "Tightwad" is a badge of honor. Just like "geek" and "witch doctor". No offense intended. I felt justified since I KNOW you used to own a book called "The Tightwad Gazette."

Dale-Bud and The Call Kids

Last week my dad had a heart attack.  They took him in to do an angiogram and realized his main artery was 99% blocked and he needed immediate surgery.  A few days ago he had a double bypass and is now in recovery in ICU and doing very well.  He'll have a long recovery, but his heart should be good for another 100,000 miles!

I've been feeling pretty hopeless being here and trying to communicate using Skype and working around a 16 hour time difference.  But one consolation is that all four of my siblings went to Central California immediately and were there for him before and after his surgery.  

I knew when I heard my brother Brandon would be there, that everyone would be in much better spirits.  I was right.  Evidently Brandon got kicked out of Intensive Care and subsequently banned by the nurses because he got my dad laughing too hard which was causing extreme pain.  (He was telling the story about Laura, two chestnuts on his mantle, and the vasectomy...It's a good one.)  

Aside from thinking and worrying a lot about my dad, I've been thinking that I'm really really glad I come from a big family.  I'm the youngest of five kids, (six if you count my foster brother Ferlando,) and I'm very very grateful for all of my siblings.  There have been times I've been REALLY REALLY mad at each and every one of them, but MOST of the time I like 'em all.  And they each bring a completely unique dynamic to the family.  

Let me introduce you:

Karie is the oldest and also a practicing Witch Doctor.  (She may even be an Internet Minister...just like Joey on friends.)  She freely dispenses gratuitous health advice (both physical and mental) and will gladly check your aura/chakra/feng shui-ness if you want her too.  She has no butt to speak of, is an excellent graphic designer, still looks like she's 30, and keeps in touch with ALL of her ex-boyfriends.  (Way worse than me, people!)

Laura is the second oldest.  She's a tightwad, (but still generous) and a perfectionist which means her house is always pretty darn clean.  She has the best singing voice in the family and the biggest addiction to chocolate.  She tries all the time to claim she's not creative and therefore CAN'T be genetically related to the rest of us, but we tell her to quit dreaming.  She'll never be rid of us.

Brandon is stuck in the middle of four sisters, poor guy!  (He claims he still hasn't forgiven me for coming out female!)  He's a computer geek who can fix any computer problem over the phone in 20 minutes or less.  (Usually closer to five.)  He's the family comedian and is one of the craziest people you'll ever meet.  (If you meet him.  Which you probably wont since you're a blog lurker and therefore a complete stranger.)  He's extremely generous and hard-working and is just an overall good guy despite his penchant for practical joking...and in spite of the fact that he sometimes goes through Emergency Exits on purpose (setting off hospital alarms...) and told all of my in-laws at my Wedding Dinner that I had a tattoo on my b-u-t-t.  (I don't.)

(As far as YOU know.)

Ferlando is my Navajo Indian foster brother. He came to live with us (for every school year) starting when he was 8 until he graduated from High School. (He lived with his family on a reservation every summer.) Fernie is a year younger than Brandon and was just as much my sibling as any of them.  Which means he tortured me just as much as Brandon did.  Unfortunately, he's had a rough post-high-school life and I haven't seen him in years. My brother Brandon hears from him occasionally, though!

We like to call Jenny "the Enigma".   (NOT to be confused with Enema.) She was a pretty shy kid, but darned if she didn't grow right into a whole boat-load of assertiveness.  She's the family pacifist and closet liberal.  She's an excellent cook, and semi-vegetarian.  She says she just wants everyone to get along but just when you think you have her figured out, she goes and moons you.   Since Jenny is the closest to me in age, I fought with her the most growing up.  In fact, I still have some tiny crescent-shaped scars on my arms from Jenny's finger nails.  BUT we get along great now and she only gouges my arms occasionally.  (In case you're humor inept, that last part was a joke.)

I'm the baby of the family.  Everyone claims I was the most spoiled.  In truth, I was the most TORTURED!  I was very precocious little kid, very bossy big kid, and very argumentative teenager.  Now I'm perfect and everyone loves me the best.  

Well, that's us.  I'm grateful for my big family and glad that even if I never have another kid (I want another kid) my boys will at least have two brothers each to watch their back. 

Thank goodness for FAMILIES!!!

Get well soon, Dad!!!

         

Easter High's and Low's

High:
My sister Jenny (Jay, Jay-Bird, Jennerator) and her family came to stay with us for a long weekend. We were sooooo happy to see them and my boys loooooooved seeing their cousins, Aunt Jenny, and Uncle Stu!
Low:
They only got to stay for a few days so we didn't have enough time to see and do everything we wanted! High:
We ate lots of yummy food including; Lobster (and other varied Seafood), homemade Ciabatta Bread and BBQ Chicken Pizza, Chocolate Mousse Cake, Lion House German Chocolate Cake (thanks Stu) and Easter dinner (which included Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, and homemade rolls).
Low:
We never got a chance to eat the New England Creamery "Martha's Vineyard Black Raspberry" Ice Cream I bought for them, didn't have time to make Ebelskivers or Eggs Benedict, and now have no one to share the 12 pounds of left-over ham!
High:
Jay and family got to see where we live, hang out at our beach, and visit Boston for the day.
Low:
Jenny twisted her ankle while in Boston and it turns out it's fractured. She'll be in a walking cast for the next 8-12 weeks. Which also happens to be how long she has left of her pregnancy.
High:
It was a great visit and we loved seeing them again.
Low:
I'm really sad that they're gone!!! WE MISS YOU GUYS!!!



Luckily, I have a whole half-gallon of "Martha's Vineyard Black Raspberry" Ice Cream to console me.