Whitley's Play Date

On Thursday, I knew I'd be seeing the doctor in regards to the results of the sinus CAT scan.  Not knowing how long I'd be waiting and imagining Whitley would prefer other arrangements, I asked Christi if she'd be willing to watch Whitley during that time.  She, of course, said "Yes" - and then asked if she could bring little Madeline (18 months) over with her as she was watching the little girl (that she nannied for last summer) while their current nanny was on vacation.  

I had Mikayla help me pull our some Barbies and her bin of stuffed animals and Madeline walked in pretty impressed.  But, I think the big pull was the exersaucer that Whitley plays in. 

And, obviously, the Bumbo seat...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture of Whitley...priceless!  Christi snapped it as she was watching Madeline play with her toys.  I don't think she's a fan of sharing.  HOWEVER, with the news this week that Travis' sister, Kristen, is expecting a GIRL on Whitley's first birthday...I think Whitley will soon find these rolls reversed as she'll be the "Madeline" in the story line when little "Malia" will be the new baby.  It's good she's starting some practice already.

HUGE THANKS to Christi for hanging with the girls.  I ended up waiting in the waiting room for a full hour before being called back to have a 15 minute chat with my doctor...so I'm so grateful that Whitley was happily entertained back home instead of being bored with me.

Kenjon's Visit

Look who sauntered in through our door on Wednesday night...

It's too bad that the kids have forgotten him already and could care less that he paid us a visit...

Kenjon was in town for "Pro Days" which took place at UO on March 14th.  He did AMAZING...killing his previous time on the 50 yard dash (one of the best in the country). 

He's been training for the NFL down in southern California since January, so it was so good to get a time together in (albeit brief).  Oh the changes in store for this guy in the days ahead...

Another Trip Up North

As soon as Brayden completed his placement tests at Marist (ironically, a set of tests he'd just completed at Cal Young....hopefully the scores that were high will stay high, and the subjects he'd not done as well in went way up!) - we took off to the north for yet another volleyball tournament.

This time, in an effort to switch it up a bit, save some money, and give Brayden a break from having to be bored all day at the tourney, we spent the night at the Schillings.  Saturday was gorgeous, so John opted for the back roads to Dallas.

Sydney has grown increasing anxious as time has gone on of long car rides (she LOVES the short ones I take around town) - so in a roll reversal, Syd was drugged with two Diazapam while the kids hung their heads out the window.  Pretty funny.

 

Because of the time change and an error in John trying to work with it on his phone, we were all awake at 4am on Sunday morning.  (Lovely!)  It wasn't even dawn yet when we arrived in Portland for the tournament.  

The kids did great and played hard, with Miss Mikayla all of a sudden becoming "Miss Consistent" with her overhand serves - I think she ended the day with 19 aces.  WAY TO GO RILEY!!!  We were proud parents and thrilled that our little team managed to come away with second place for the day. 

Another Beautiful Friday

I really can't do a lot of complaining about the weather we've had here in Oregon.  For the last several weeks, we've managed to get our "sunny weather" on the weekends....if you are going to get a lot of rain, this is the way to do it - balanced with sunshine on weekends.

Because Brayden's middle school is on a trimester schedule, he had the day off on Friday for it being the end of the term, while Mikayla (sadly) had to go to school.  (She gets a couple days in November for parent conferences, so it evens out).  Our plan for the day was to go see "Jack the Giant Slayer".  We tried to coordinate Whitley's sleep patterns to give us a long stretch at the movies.  While it always sounds good in theory, Whitley doesn't conform to other people's manipulation all that well.  However, given she is a 6 and half month old baby - she did excellent in the theater.  I walked her around the corner a couple of times when she was starting to get vocal, but she fell asleep for the second half and no one seemed bothered at all by her presence.

We realized as the end credits were rolling that we had five minutes to get over to the elementary school to pick up Mikayla - oops!  One of the few times, I'm glad we got her a cell phone.  She met us at the accompanying park next to the school and we treated ourselves to a little play time.

Whitley is indeed a thrill seeker - so the feel of the wind across her face and being swung in the baby swing was VERY fun for her.  I suspect we'll be spending a lot of time at this park in the future. 

Our well laid out plans for a great Friday went a bit awry when we got news that Mom was diagnosed with a return of pneumonia (her poor immunity system just can't kick it completely, so she's pretty susceptible).  So, the evening in which we were supposed to go to listen to Kim Meeder at the Womens' Retreat (Michele, Mom, and myself) , turned in to an early bedtime for the Riley family.  We needed it.  Due to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday - in combination with a volleyball tournament, it will feel like we will be departing the house at 4:45am.  I'm yawning even as I type this. 

Proud of My Kiddos

Michele just pointed out that if you were to look at what I've been lately posting on my blog, it would seem that it is me that had the brand new baby with as many pictures there are of Whitley.

So, let me take a moment to mention a few things that have come up lately that I feel the need to record in this blog history. 

First up, Miss Mikayla - who ended up on the Gilham Wall of Fame.  Given how new this teacher is to the classroom (only arriving in December), it's extra special that Mikayla was recognized by her to be "a positive and respectful leader in our class".  

Next up, Mr. Brayden.  I don't have a picture yet to prove it - though it will appear in his yearbook - but Brayden was voted by his peers to be "Most Friendly" among the 8th grade class.  Among the other titles of awards - "Best Dancer", "Most Likely to Climb Mt. Everest", etc. - so, I think he scored a good one.  Certainly one we have the right to be proud that he actually earned.

The next accomplishment, he didn't really earn, but it sure is cool.  He is literally "the face" of the Spring Break Day Camp brochure for Harlow.  Now, we sure hope he makes the cut to be out there apprentice counseling!

Finally, and most significant to his future - we got this letter in the mail yesterday. 

A while ago, I wrote a post about making a decision that was quite a journey for our family.  This had something to do with it.  We've made the decision as a family to send Brayden to a private high school in Eugene vs. the public school, Sheldon High School.  It's not that we think Sheldon is a bad school, it is just very, very big - and we aren't confident that Brayden would ever find a "successful niche" there.  Interestingly, once we made the decision to pursue Marist as the school of choice, we've only felt better and better about the decision.  Brayden is genuinely excited, is already taking ownership of the school and "community feel" about it - and we are thrilled that the teacher to student ratio is 1:21 - Brayden will not get "lost in the cracks" there.  (And, hopefully, with that "most friendly" title, he'll be a very positive contribution there too). 

So, receiving this letter of acceptance in the mail was yet another step in the journey towards adulthood Brayden is on....well done so far son!

Happy Birthday Stephie!

Tuesday was Stephie's birthday.  When I looked on the 2013 calendar and realized it landed on a weekday, I planned to take Whitley out to see her.  It's the very least I could do! 

Ironically, a couple of weeks prior, I got an email from Steph's assistant, Rhonda, introducing herself and asking if I would be willing to bring Whitley out for her birthday.  "Already on it!"  So, we had a fun couple of exchanges determining exactly when I'd show up.

The goal was to get Whitley to sleep first - and then head out after the nap.  It worked pretty well, though she woke up before we got all of the birthday knick knacks purchased....that's okay - Whitley enjoyed picking out the Mickey Mouse birthday balloon and card for her mama.

I was so happy to get to Steph's work and recognize what a fabulous staff she works with - who were all so eager to see the very happy Whitley and hold her and love her and exclaim how big she's gotten since the last time she was in.

This is a picture of the superintendent of Junction City School District (Steph's immediate boss), Kathleen - she has been immensely supportive of Stephanie in making sure to accommodate her "new mom" needs.  

The gleam in Steph's eyes throughout the passing around of Whitley was absolutely priceless.  She has every reason in the world to feel such an enormous pride - and such a thankful glow - for her incredible daughter.  Forget the Mickey card and balloon - there's absolutely no greater gift that Whitley could ever give her mom than simply being in her life. 

My Dad Can Hear Again!

Beyond just getting Mom to save the day for me on Saturday, I was treated to the revelation of what can only be heralded as a miracle for our family.

My dad can hear again.

I think it's been 8 years now that my dad's hearing has been severely impaired.   After it initially happened, there was a lot of questions as to what actually happened and how it could be recovered.  As time went on, there were few answers as to what the cause of the impairment was (a rare occurrence - I think the final consensus it was some sort of nerve damage) - but, the conclusion as to whether or not it would come back...that answer was decisive.  No, the ear would not repair itself. 

Dad has met with an audiologist and has had varying degrees of improvement found on each visit.  However, the ear damage only seemed to get worse despite the extra aids he received. 

Dad has always been a communicator.  He loves to engage in one on one conversations - something that has been most certainly passed down to Michele and myself.  Put us all in a crowd and we can hold our own, but being able to get deep with one or two people at a time is much more preferred.  

Due to the hearing loss, put Dad in a crowd now, and he was thoroughly isolated - as often the hearing aids would only amplify background noises and not strengthen his ability to hear those near him.  It's been absolutely heartbreaking to watch Dad be left out of conversations in restaurants or to have to be looking directly at a person to be able to pick up on what is being said.

About a year and a half ago, Dad met with his audiologist again and pointedly asked if he needed to start learning how to read lips as the current state of communication he was dealing with just wasn't cutting it.  Knowing the situation would probably only worsen as time went on, he wanted to be honest with himself in terms of how to cope with it.  The doctor had some great news for him, though - apparently the technology in the world of audiology and ear implants is moving at such a fast rate, that deafness and the use of sign language could virtually be a thing of the past within the next decade.  But, it comes at a cost.

Again, however, Dad was given some good news.  It was quite possible that because Dad is a Vietnam veteran, he could access veteran benefits that would pay for the multi-thousand dollar piece of technology that could be revolutionary for his hearing.  So began Dad's 18 month wait for answers from Veterans Benefits....answers he has still yet to get.  When you know something is so expensive, you figure, "Well, give it a couple more months"....and that's been going on and on. 

In the meantime, Dad faced another health issue that merited more immediate attention.  He had a cataract on his eye that needed to be removed - which cost money as well (another reason he wasn't eager to foot the cost of the hearing aid on his own).  That surgery took place a couple of weeks ago - and the difference immediately after the surgery was profound.  It's the second cataract surgery he's had, so he knew what to expect, but to have his vision remarkable restored...it's still awe-inspiring.  And, he was thrilled. 

Fast forward a couple more weeks and Dad found himself in Costco looking for glasses.  He doesn't even really need them as his vision is so good out of that one eye, but has gotten so used to them - particularly the transition lenses for sunglasses...he opted to go with what he's used to.  While he was at Costco, he wandered on over to the Hearing Center and started chatting with the folks who worked there over his situation, what his audiologist had told him, and what is now available.  As it turns out, because 18 months have gone by, or because it's simply Costco, but the same technology to go into a hearing aid that he was hoping the Veterans Benefits would pay for - is now surprisingly less money.  While it's too late to make a long story short....Dad walked out of Costco with the new technology in his ear.

When he got to the parking lot, tears came to his eyes as he heard birds again.  He admitted that had he not been in a public setting, he would have bawled like a baby.  (Sorry to "out you" Dad, but I think it only proves the kind of heart you have!).  He went in the next day to have everything fine tuned - which only made the hearing better.  It's amazing technology - based on "Bluetooth" - with three different settings based on what kind of environment he's in.  I was in tears when he described it all to me before Mom had even worked on me...and then again afterwards as I watched him carry on a conversation with a neighbor across the street - a conversation I knew he never would have been able to have (to hear) a week prior.  It was remarkable, unbelievable...truly a miracle. 

Needless to say, with restored vision and hearing all taking place within weeks of each other for my dad he's working on a whole different outlook on life.  It all makes me rejoice....

(Dad, if there's any details I got wrong in this account, please leave a comment and correct away.  I'll adjust the post to make it as accurate as I can if you do....)

The Chicago Caper

In the days of Prohibition, during the "Roaring 20's" if you wanted access to alcohol, you needed to know the location of certain "Speak Easys".  On the outside, they might not look like much, but once you were able to prove you weren't part of law enforcement, you'd be granted access to the back room where alcohol was served - and the real partying went down.

So it was that our home turned into the "Back Room" of S.P. Keasey's Place (Speak Easy)- in accordance to the invitation enclosed in the "How to Host a Murder" game, "The Chicago Caper". 

A couple of weeks ago, I had proposed to John that we consider hosting another Murder Mystery party - this time with the same crew of folks that went out on our boat this last summer.  (The last time we hosted one was in 2008).  The Streckfusses, the Jaskilkas, and Kaela - this time with Drew, her boyfriend, vs. Jacob who took his place on the boat as Drew couldn't make it from Portland that night.   Daniel and Genna Streckfuss have recently returned home from living in Quatar since August.  John is SO glad to have Daniel back working at Tyson Steele with him.  It's also pretty public knowledge that Kaela will be moving back to Portland in the summer - as will Drew, most likely - all dependent on what job he lands after graduating this month from UO.  Knowing they are short timers, I thought we ought to suggest getting together for a four couple dinner party and see if there was a time before June that all of our busy schedules would collide to make it happen.  We were actually quite shocked that everyone opted for the first date I offered up in the list, - Saturday, March 2nd.   Well okay, then....we better order up that game in a hurry (found on Amazon.com), and send out invitations to our unsuspecting guests that the night we had planned for them involved just a bit
more than dinner.

It was a kick to start to see the Facebook messages come in as folks received their invitations and already began to assume their 1920's character roles (mobsters, gamblers, professional baseball players, lounge singers, even a "madam"....[me!]).   We had some fun exchanges, that I tried my best to keep PG rated in my responses.... ;)

Soon enough, Saturday arrived.  Sadly, along with it, came a bad headache.  SIGH.... Fortunately, Mom was able to see me early that morning (causing her to be late to her own activities for the day- THANK YOU!!), which made me functional through the day.  Without her, I'd have been in bed.  Still, a nap before everyone arrived helped me get to about 90% - the best I'd felt all day, which was huge for my spirits in terms of last minute preparations and getting excited to act totally out of my normal character.

I wish I'd taken some up close shots of the false eyelashes, fake nails, liquid black eyeliner, smoky eye shadow and semi up-do that Christi had tutored me in how to achieve.  Due to the nap, I was running behind - John and I were both cracking up in our attempts to get in to costume and character, doing things neither one of us had had to do before.  (Me:  John, any ideas how to apply false eyelashes?)

It's times like these that I treasure the friendship I have with my husband - and how well we've learned to pull these things off together, scurrying around like mad so often in the last seconds before our guests arrive.  Sometimes these moments and memories are even more priceless than the event itself.

Fortunately, our fellow suspects to the impending murder were also running late, so we were able to get the candles lit, lasagna, breadsticks, salad, and parmesan dip set out before anyone arrived.  It had been fun hitting thrift shops trying to find accents for the table - the gold/gaudy candlesticks, napkin rings, etc.  I wish we had endless space to pack all of these different decor pieces for other occasions they might come in handy.  As it is, they might end back up in the thrift shops again. 

 

This couple arrived first.  John and Betsey Jaskilka.....AKA..... S. Treighton Harrow (U.S. District Attorney) and Anna Maria Carlotta Sassine - "Torchy" (Lounge Singer)

Then this couple arrived.   Daniel and Genna Streckfuss.....AKA...... Eddie ("Socks") R. Gyle (Golfer and owner of the "Green Tables" gambling establishment) and Molly M. Awsbsterr (Society Dame from New York)

Not long after, this couple arrived.  Kaela Lee and Drew Gigles.....AKA..... Malissa F. Orrthot ("Scoop") (Reporter) and Billy ("The Kid") Thrower (Professional Baseball Player)

And, then there's us.... I was "Silky" M. Adam (Owner and operator of the "Everlay Club") and John was Ernie ("Bet a Million") G. Ambler (Colorful millionaire gambler)

Daniel was absolutely in to the game - he came ready to play and had been anticipating it eagerly in conversation with John at work.  Even before dinner began, he was bantering with the other players.

Not long after everyone's arrival, we assumed our character roles and sat down for dinner.  Half way through, we passed out each person's dossier that explained in more detail the rules of the game and more about their character.  We then played a part of the CD (included in the game that had music of the 20's) that disclosed the actual murder that took place and made it clear that we weren't to leave the premises until we determined who among us had actually committed the murder.

We moved into the living room to begin the actual "Rounds" of the game - in which we find out information about ourselves (that we attempt to conceal) and incriminating information about others that we are meant to reveal so we could get to the bottom of what really happened.

I won't give any details of our discussions (because what happens at S. P. Keasey's stays in S. P. Keasey's!)  - but as each round went on, everyone became more and more comfortable with how the game is meant to be played and it got more and more boisterous and amusing. 

 

We served this in between rounds.  I was actually disappointed that it was soft in the middle....for whatever reason, the caramel sauce I chose kind of melted into the cheesecake layer.  Boo!  The taste was good, but it's always a bummer when the food you prepare doesn't meet your expectations.  (I was pleased, though, that the lasagna I made was good - I haven't attempted lasagna in over a decade and it was a brand new recipe....good to know it's a winner). 

While the general animation of our party rose in energy through the evening, sadly, Genna and myself were both deteriorating.  Genna had nearly bowed out earlier in the day with such a bad sore thoat/cold.  I could tell she was not feeling well as the night went on, and I felt bad that I had no non-caffeinated tea to offer her, so she was coping with just hot water. =(  Had I been in my right state of mind I'd have offered her some apple cider, but I wasn't coping well either.  The headache remission from pain I'd victoriously had earlier was long gone and I was sinking fast.  I even discreetly grabbed a couple of small ice packs from the freezer to hold to my neck during the last round.  It is a horrible feeling when you desperately can't wait for such a fun evening to end to be able to lay down in your bed with an ice pack.   Ugh.  But, true to the general role of my character, I did my best to keep the secret and trudge through.

Once it was finally determined who actually took out "Hal Coppone" (the murdered victim), I did politely plead that we quickly take our group pictures so I could "flee the country" - er, I mean, go to bed.  It's so good that we have such experts with the camera to be able to set the shots up fast - and of course, truly gorgeous people to make the pics look so good. 

So many different details going into the equation when it comes to determining if the evening was a success or not.   Despite the pain, the less than perfectly applied false eyelashes, or too-soft cheesecake, I think both John and I would say it was all worth it, if for no other reason than just to have truly sweet memories to share among the eight of us. 

P.S.  Special thanks to Michele who met us Saturday and Sunday mornings - half way between our homes to pick up and drop off our kids to give us the opportunity to be "adult only".  The kids had a blast in the 24 hours they had with their cousins - enjoying the rain-free weather, gallivanting the neighborhood with Baxter, and playing flashlight tag in the dark.  =)

Surprise Photo Shoot of Whitley

Thursday night, at Bible Study, our friend, Leah, gifted Stephanie (for her upcoming birthday) with a hard copy picture and CD of prints of a photo shoot she had done of Whitley several weeks ago.

She had contacted me via Facebook Message to see if I thought it would be an okay idea.  Of course it was, and I loved my part of it in being able to pick out and (have an excuse to) buy some "secret" outfits - since the Whites would be on to the plan if I specifically asked them to pack certain dress up outfits for any given day I had her.

Despite every effort made on my part, I wasn't able to get Whitley to sleep enough before the photo shoot, so we didn't have a ton of time to work with before she got a bit cranky - as she was aching for a good nap by the end of it.   However, Whitley is so beautiful and Leah so talented, that it didn't really matter as she was able to capture some gorgeous shots regardless.

As we cut the photo shoot a little short, we promised to make up for it with future outdoor photo shoots with Whitley when the weather is better (we were struggling with lighting indoors), and Whitley is able to support herself better in poses.  Can't wait!  Thank you again Leah!!!!

A Glorious Friday

Friday showed signs of being a beautiful day - and since it was a Friday, we were in high spirits.  Brayden was being goofy with Whitely and stuck her on my back while I was hastily putting on make-up.  She got a kick out of it.  (Whitely pretty much loves any time in front of the mirror).  

After dropping Brayden off to school, Whitley and I met up with Lisa and Steph Hoffman for a walk.  We only had an hour, but it was an excellent time spent catching up.  

Whitley slept like a CHAMP on Friday - she must have known I had a huge party to prepare for and a salted caramel cheesecake to make.  When she woke up, we spent some time outside on the back patio.  It was March 1st, after all, we might as well embrace the sunshine!  I worked on my whiteboard calendars - filling in the dates of March and April....spring is right around the corner!  

Later that evening, once John got home - we had a family volleyball game.  Sometimes the kids will nag for activities like this and you'll kind of roll your eyes...and then, after partaking, you end up so thankful for the time spent together.  Let it be said, that the girls beat the boys this time around....we plan to keep that win streak going. =)

The Whites arrived as spectators (they can verify that we won!).   We took it easy on a "It's Been TOO Long Friday-Night-Whites".  When Travis left with John for Starbucks, I offered to take sleeping Whitley and she ended up wrapping her hands around my arm.  She snapped her eyes open just as Travis took this picture.   What a precious way to wrap up a glorious day.

Sharing a Lot of (and on) Love

We had the biggest attendance of our Thursday Night Ladies in quite some time this week.   Of course, Courtney is still up at med school so she's not here, and Amanda arrived after this pic was taken.  Heather was also gone due to a babysitting commitment. 

The topic of discussion was "Love" - and the vastness of what everyone brought to the table was impressive.  From "Love Languages", to JJ Heller's music video "What Love Really Means", to lots of commentaries.  For the most part the discussion centered on trying to understand how to grasp  God's love - and extend it to others, particularly those who have hurt or wronged in the past.  Deep stuff.

Again and again I'm blown away by these women and their contributions to my life.