Radiator Springs lives

JoAnn and I are away for a quiet weekend of doing nothing. I'm not telling where. It's just not where anyone would expect us to go. And it seems to be perfect. It's quiet. No telephone. Television when we want it. A mini-suite with really comfortable chair, couch, and beds. It also has a pretty good breakfast.

Now for a bit of a hint. I went out for a walk this morning, just to stretch my legs and make sure they still worked. As I was walking down the road I went by the police station and looked up. Wow, there was the sheriff from Radiator Springs. Not only that, but when we look at the terrain around where we are staying it even looks like Radiator Springs. Naturally, I couldn't pass up a chance to take a photo. So, here's the Sheriff and we are close to Radiator Springs. What a great weekend.

An Evening at the Ballpark - Boise Style

Last evening we went to see the Boise Hawks baseball club, a Chicago Cubs minor league team. The main attraction was the $1 tickets, $1 hot dogs, and $1 drinks. Of course it didn't work out quite that way. The hot dog line was 3 innings long and the drinks were $2.50. Thank goodness most of us ate before we came. However, it was great fun.

There were 15 of us at the game: 7 adults and 8 children. We were located in the top of the stands on the first base side with lots of sun. We were facing north and the sun was to the left. That means the left side of our faces were what was tanned (or burned), although today I did not notice any burned faces.

Charlotte was the most relaxed and may have had the most fun (until she got tired). Nothing like a bottle and a floppy hat, from which she can periodically peak out of, to make her day.

Everyone had a good time, however a good time does not include necessarily watching the game. I think we saw a little bit of each inning, but rarely the whole inning. We did get to talk and take care of children. The kids had a great view of everything and spent a lot of time roaming back and forth. We were high enough that we didn't want them climbing up and down the steps. At least I didn't. The little kids never slowed down the whole time we were there and we were exhausted by the time we all left. The kids came home and crashed and we relaxed, then crashed. Some of the photos below show the fun we all had.

The excitement comes in trying to keep all of the kids somewhat corralled, if that is even possible. The Mom's did a great job.

Finally, we find a couple of moms focusing on having a good time. Although with the hat JoAnn has on I thought for a few minutes she was an Aussie. Love the colors and the great smile.

Lazy Saturdays

It's approaching summer in Las Vegas. We can tell, the wind has died down a little bit and we teased 90 degrees today. It won't be long before a 90 degree day will be considered cool, but for now, it's still a little on the warm side.

Saturday is our day. It may get busy, like last week with graduation, but usually we can carve out several hours just for the two of us. For our kids with children, eat your hearts out. For us it is usually the best few hours of the week. We don't do anything spectacular, just get out and relax together. We might go shopping, like we did yesterday, followed by a lunch, and then home. Mostly it is about getting out together.

The day started early with me taking a friend to the airport at 6:30 am and then home to wake JoAnn up so she could help me out cleaning the chapel. By 9:30 am we were done and ready to do a little shopping at Bass Pro Shops (sorry Olaf). On the way home we decided to find a new restaurant a friend of ours opened up. We knew generally where it was, but not exactly. We did know the name so we trolled through a couple of strip malls until we found it. We were rewarded with a wonderful time and meal.

First, we were the only people there, which worried us a little, but it is still their soft opening (DW Bistro). We met with Bryce, the co-owner and our friend and had an enjoyable patio lunch. In fact the food was soooo gooood we have designated it as our new "favorite" restaurant. JoAnn had a DW Nicoise – pan-seared fresh tuna, olives, haricot verts, red & white potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, sliced egg, mango & Dijon champagne vinaigrette. It was a very tasty salad. And I had the DW BLT – stacked high, thick bacon, crispy shredded lettuce, tomato with chipotle mayo and they tell you when you order the bacon is Jalapeno bacon - and yes, it has a bite, but a good bite. The cook is from Jamaica and grew up in Albuquerque, so the food is unique. We were just so impressed with the food, how good the wait staff was, and the fact that Bryce spend an hour just visiting with us. Did I mention the fries were sweet potato fries - and they were really good!

But wait, it wasn't over. Bryce learned to cook scones when he lived in Ireland and he treated us to blueberry and raspberry scones that we thought were awesome. They were the lightest scones we had ever had. We will be taking our kids out to eat when they come. It's a great neighborhood restaurant and fits in with our other favorite, Frank and Fina's (Mexican where JoAnn gets the sweet potato enchilada)/

Sally's Last Birthday Hurrah

I know this is late on Sunday afternoon - even for Las Vegas, but we have had a busy day, that of course included a little nap. When you hit your post hippie years (at least that was how Alyssa described me when she saw me in my plaid pants and red shirt) you need more rest. Plus, I discovered we must have taken a vacation from embarrassing our children and I had to hunt hard for photos. Sometime in the 1980s companies quit doing slides and we quit taking photos using slides. Bad idea! Following a diligent and detailed search I've found a few photos to finish off Sally's X1st Birthday. Hey, that's less than half my age or was I not supposed to say that.

Enjoy the photos Sally,

My personal favorite in this batch is our beach girl from our visits to Alabama, of course coming in the middle of an Indiana winter, Sally got her sunburn. What would she do without her mother?

Our little girl likes her hamburgers and never turns down a lap.

Somewhere with her best friend Melissa. Two sixth graders on the loose is dangerous.
Suzanne and Sally out front.
And here is almost the whole gang in a grainy dark photo, but everyone can find Strider in the front.

Sally has a certain unreasonable love for nutcrackers.

At the beach with the gang and check out the shark's teeth.
It's Mother's Day 1997 and Grandpa & Grandma Ruby were in town, however, why Sally gets to cut the cake is a mystery to me. She was no mother ... then!
And we finish with everyone's favorite dog - Strider.

Joshua Redux

Grandma loves reading with her grandchildren and Joshua is no exception. I think this was the first time she and Joshua had a chance to read together.

Did you or Grandpa recommend it? If it was you I'll read it.

How many pages are there in this book?

Gandma, do you want me to read this page to you?
See Grandma, the little engine is going up the hill!

Say Grandpa, this was a pretty good book. You should read it.

Newbies

If there is anything constant in our family it is change. We figured since we, or I had to be in Salt Lake City, we could just drive on up to Boise and check things out. There is a good reason. Daughter 3 is due any day now with her 5th child - Hattie. And Mike gets married on Friday, October 23.

On Saturday, that's today, his fiance Allison (photo below) is going to the Boise LDS Temple to receive her endowments. If you aren't LDS I will only say this is a very sacred ceremony and prepares them for their marriage the following week, which unlike most we see, includes being sealed for time and eternity. We wanted to be present for today's experience and support her and Mike.

Over the past 15 months JoAnn and I feel like we have been on the road almost constantly on family business. It's not really business, but it is support. It includes 3 new babies, a funeral, 1 marriage, a family reunion in Colorado, Christmas in Des Moines, 2 college graduations (note some of these activities are still in the near future), baby blessings, Aaronic Priesthood ordinations, visits to my Dad and Sisters, and visits by families to Las Vegas. There is one common thread in all of this - family. Our move to Las Vegas was truly a blessing. We are now able to share more of our time with all of our children and grandchildren. That is exciting for us. We enjoy these times and experiences. I feel like I know the roads to Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, and California and the sky-ways to Iowa. They have become common to us.

When we lived in Indiana it was so much more challenging to make these visits. We felt like we missed a lot. Not now and while I know we will slow this pace down, it has been fun.

42 and Counting

Yes, that's the number of years JoAnn and I have been together. It's hard to believe sometimes, but then again, I can't think of a better way to spend the last 42 years than the way we have. It has been fun, challenging (mostly because of me), spiritually uplifting, growing (grandchildren), shrinking (kids at home), exciting, boring, scary, rewarding, and mostly a wonderful wonderful experience.

Every day is a new adventure. Every day we get a chance to fall in love again. Every day we live in wonder of how much we love each other. Every day we get to spend time together (almost every day). And best of all, every day we know it's a new day and we can embrace it together.

I could tell stories, but I won't. I just want to savor the day and express my joy in sharing it with JoAnn. And tell the kids thank you for all you are and all you have done.

Dad

Bonus photo of August 18, 1967 and how it all started.

The Sisters are Coming; and Coming; and Coming

A week from today (Wednesday) the daughters begin showing up for the annual "Sisters' Weekend" now officially held in Las Vegas. While we have had several of these weekends this is the 2nd one for Las Vegas. It only took one trip for the girls to decide this would be the permanent home. Last year all five daughters showed up with one new baby. This year Daughter-In-Law #1 is also attending and leaving her precious son at home with hubby. She is pretty brave. I'm not convinced an almost 8 month old can survive on pizza while mom is gone, but then again dad is pretty proficient with a bottle.


And I'm leaving town on Wednesday before the girls arrive to take advantage of some quality time with 4 Boise grandchildren while mom is in Las Vegas and their dad is also out of town. It will also allow me to spend time with 2 more grandchildren. Son number 2 is going to help me. I'm actually looking forward to the time with grandchildren, son, and family. And I think the girls are glad to have dad out of the house.

Three Days, Two Nights, Three Celebrations

When you are young you don't realize how busy life can get when you are older. You also don't realize how important small things become. Celebrations are "small things" that build great families. JoAnn wrote in her blog about our Modesto trip. It was 3 days and almost 2 nights, but the celebrations occurred in Modesto and Boise and we could only attend one of the three. Suzanne and Sally spoke of their celebrations - a birthday and an anniversary. Our's was a birthday bash and a father only turns 89 one time.


We have not lived close enough in 37 years to attend a birthday party for my father, yet this year we made the mad 8-hour dash north and had a Friday birthday lunch. It was so much fun! We found a new little restaurant about 4 blocks from Dad & Ruby's place and it was all comfort food, owned by a local group, and the food was almost as good as the companionship. I don't think I've ever seen Dad put away so much fish and chips. He even took my extra fish & chips home for later. And yes, he ate them.


Saturday was the big bash. All 3 sisters and families (that were in town) were present. It's a little overwhelming when we are all together. Everyone talks, some even listen, everyone is in motion, and it all centers around Jeri's kitchen. In all I think there were 13 of us plus 3 dogs. For a family that grew up without dogs, we sure have changed that! Of course, only Penny was allowed in the house since she doesn't consider herself a dog.

It was fun, company, presents, and family. Put it all together and you get a real feel for why families can love each other so much - in spite of our differences. When we get to the core we are more alike than different. Dad got in one game of cribbage and he must be getting old since I had to give him 2 points he missed. I don't think he ever missed any points before. And he still beat me! Of course the family dominoes game has morphed into a set of rules that focuses on cooperation rather than competition - although there is still a winner. It was a tad difficult to get a feel for the first game. I was more focused on "winning" than on cooperating. JoAnn won the first game and I didn't win the 2nd game. Wait, I didn't win any games.

At the end of the day we just sat out on the patio and relaxed. JoAnn and Jeri got a head start while I shot a few photos of them. Later, as JoAnn explained, we watched and listened for the owls. What a great family weekend.

The OCD Connection Continues

I have always known that Meagan was a bit OCD. Okay, her mom would say she is over the top. Jeni hung a box and filled it with wooden flowers in Meagan's room. While grandma was there Jeni gave her one of the flowers to take home. When grandma left Meagan explained to her mother that it just is not right, a flower was missing. Tim and Sally like to point out that a good OCD is a born accountant - good luck Meagan.


However, her true colors came out while the family was visiting in Las Vegas. The kids gave grandma a 500 piece puzzle focusing on quilts - lots of quilts, colors, small, and difficult. At least I thought it was difficult. Grandma, Mom, and Meagan got into the puzzle in a hurry. Grandma got busy with other projects, Mom would come back periodically, but once Meagan got the hang of the puzzle it was all over. By my count she did at least 50 percent of the puzzle. There is some disagreement there, but since it's my blog my number counts.


Meagan was so proud of herself when she was finished. She just beamed. We have an 8-year old puzzle whiz. Is there a TV show for that - there seems to be for everything else.


The best part of being a grandpa is watching your grandchildren grow up and learn about themselves. It is a discovery process that brings back old memories of when their parents were small. I have to admit, living closer to our children is a whole lot better then living far away. We have enjoyed the opportunity to see them more often. And their parents too.

The OCD Connection

Tuesday I flew in to Utah to attend a dinner at Brigham Young University that evening. As part of the trip I scheduled an afternoon with my oldest daughter. We had lunch and enjoyed ourselves talking about all kinds of things, including "Baby" (I use her blog name for the youngest). It appears he loves to buy Legos and especially Star Wars legos. The evening before I arrived they went out on a quest for a specific Lego set and found it at only the 2nd Wal-Mart. Better yet it was purchased with Baby's own money. Donna said the bags were all numbered and all Baby had to do was open one bag at a time and get what he needed to build the space vehicle. It was late and the boys were supposed to be in bed, but when Donna checked on him he had all of the Legos out of the bags and on the floor of his bedroom. Donna was a little upset, but got over it.

When I got to their home I realized all of the Legos had been moved to the kitchen table, more or less in a large and scattered pile. Donna went off to get the boys from school and I took it upon myself to "organize" the Legos by color and shape. See where I'm going. We all accuse Donna, and some others, of OCD. One look at the table clearly showed I have some OCD tendencies. Go figure! I do lists and lists of lists. I have a form that sets long term and weekly goals at work along with daily tasks. I guess I'm guilty. I know it drives JoAnn crazy sometimes (maybe all of athe time).


Sorry kids, I guess it is inherited - and not just from me. It's a Merriam trait which has become a McLean trait. Thank goodness not everyone is infected or it would be crazy when we all get together.


Bottom line - Baby and I had a great time working on his Legos. He put it together and I helped him find the pieces. I had to leave for the banquet and when I got home it was all done, and looked great. I have provided a couple of photos below of Baby's hard work. I would have more, but he wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a photo. He is always moving. Just ask his mom.

Watching and Listening . . . 2

I had a great and quick 24 hours with several of my grandchildren. JoAnn had been there for several days so while I had a great 24 hours, she had a great week.

With 4 families, including us, it was a bit of a mad house, but then it always is. In this group the children range from 11 months through 11 years so any notions of cohesion are not readily apparent. But then, I really wasn't expecting cohesion and I hadn't come to Idaho to watch and listen for cohesion. I wanted to enjoy my grandchildren.

One of the cutest moment came last night as we the dads (2 of them) and granddads (2 of us) were sitting in the basement with a group of the older children watching a loud movie. Back behind us was Donna's "baby" (almost 8) and he was playing a game on the computer and sitting at a short (I emphasize short) table of perfect height for him. It is a toy train table the rest of the time. Of course the room was absolutely dark except for the movie. I watched baby get up, go into his weekend room and a few minutes later he has a desk lamp, has it plugged in and is trying to move the flexible neck so he doesn't create a glare on the movie screen. Who says our kids aren't considerate? He was struggling. He had the cord as far as it would go and on the wrong side of the computer to do what he wanted to do. I walked over, sat down, asked, "Do you need help?"

The proverbial "No" came back to me.

So I watched him struggle and finally said, "Let's move the lamp to the other side of the computer." We did and it worked well. We got the light all arranged so he could see the keyboard and not create a glare on the movie. You see, as a logical Grandpa, I was sure that was what he was trying to do.

As I walked away I heard a "Thank you Grandpa, now I won't be afraid of the dark." I chuckled and realized I wasn't so smart after all. Later when I shared the story with his Mom she goes, "All of my kids sleep with a light on."

About an hour later I was back in the basement and baby was still playing his game and the movie was still blaring, but coming to a cataclysmic conclusion. I turned around and there was "Little Danny," almost all 3 years of him, standing by baby, his big cousin, watching him play the computer game. How cute.

But wait, he was doing more. As I looked a little closer I could see him moving his hands in front of the light. Not to bother baby, but to do shadow puppets on the wall. I was blown away. Here are two little boys, one busily engaged in a computer game and the second observing and simultaneously making shadow puppets on the wall. Both were having fun, enjoying themselves, and lost in the experience.

Those were precious moments. I was listening and watching. Fortunately I didn't take a photo, as in this case it would have ruined the moment.

Thanksgiving Weekends Present and Past

There is joy when there is food

We had a quiet Thanksgiving weekend at home this year. Last year we visited my family in California and the two years before that our whole family gathered in Boise, ID for what we decided was a great event, but also a little crazy.

I am reminded at this time of the year of recent and past Thanksgivings. When I was a child we would travel to Des Moines, IA, the family home, and gather two families together and have a large Thanksgiving feast - usually at the Merriam home since it was large enough to accommodate all of us. Grandpa would bring in saw horses and 2 large pieces of plywood for all of us to sit around the table - and we filled it. Unfortunately I could not find a Thanksgiving photo, but the Christmas photo from 1954 will have to do. Of course Grandpa Merriam was never in the photo, he was too busy taking pictures.


And some of our Thanksgivings were spent in other areas. Driving from Provo, UT to Port Angeles, WA in 1973 for a Thanksgiving with my younger brother. It brought together all 3 of the then McLean grandchildren of our parents. The ride to and from Thanksgiving is always exciting and this was no exception. Caught in the mountains of Oregon in a heavy snow our car died, we were towed many miles into a La Grande, OR where we had the car repaired. It was a long afternoon in a gas station. We were driving a Toyota and there were no Toyota dealers in town so we had to rely on the local mechanic, and of course he had never worked on a Toyota. Long story for later, but we finally left town and decided Bosie was as far as we could get that day. Little did we know that 23 years later we would be back in Boise for a wedding.

Below are the first 3 McLean grandchildren of our parent's generation, allbeit, not at a Thanksgiving table, but breakfast works.


That may have been the last quiet Thanksgiving we had, but nothing in 1973 could have prepared us for Thanksgiving 2005, back in Boise, ID for a family that included Mom and Dad (that's us), 7 children, 6 in-laws (1 daughter-in-law and 5 son-in-laws), and 10.9 grandchildren. What a roaring time we had at that Thanksgiving as the following photographs attest. Some experiences are so important to a family they should not be forgotten. Many of the photos of that year are found on my flickr page, the ones below, however, are focusing on fun, family, and of course, eating. Look and enjoy.

Yes, it is a little tough finding a table for 25.9

It isn't what everyone else has, it is what I have on my plate that counts!

Mike can always be counted on to bring joy, fun and uniqueness to the table.

And of course, the ".9" factor!

And so, Thanksgiving is truly about being thankful for all we have and especially for family. We give, we receive, we share, we joy, we pain, but in the end we are a family eternal.

My next posts may focus on the idea of listening and watching.