Fall is here

Heidi LOVES this dress.  The fact that it's pushing the limits of small, means nothing to her.  For Alex's first birthday, Tyler's Mom made her this beautiful purple dress.

 Nearly 5 years later Heidi can still squeeze into it and it's held up like it was made yesterday.  This dress is a testament to the superiority of (Susan's) hand made clothing.

 This week was a complete blur.  I tried to be fun homeschool Mom and I think I sort of succeeded.   I mean, we watched 'Finding Nemo' to reinforce our lesson on Australia and the Great Barrier Reef.  That's fun right?!

 Friday we finished school early and went to play group AND the Zoo.  That's fun.  The downpour at the Zoo?  Not so much.

 Here is a view of the hill that separates us from the Zoo.  If it weren't for that giant hill, we would be a block and a 2 minute walk away from the zoo.  To enter the zoo you have to go up a 2 story elevator or escalator.  The top of that is where we camped out for the first portion of the rainstorm friday.  Because after getting 3 kids out of the car, strapped in strollers, shoes on feet and bags packed- I wasn't turning back around for the car when we were 10 feet from the front gate and the rain started to come.

 We got to see the baby tiger in action.  A mix of school starting and the weather made for a very UNcrowded day at the zoo.  We lingered at all the exhibits and really enjoyed ourselves.

 Momma and baby tigers were pretty active today.  Trip 6 to the zoo and still not sure if snow leopard or bear are really alive.

 I try to do something special every time we go.  Friday was cotton candy.  The girls were in heaven.  $2 for 20 minutes of pure delight.

 Alex has started to notice that we are surrounded by small people.  I think it's frustrating for her that everyone her age is in school and most of our friends only have babies or toddlers.  My searches for Girl scout troops and gymnastic classes have come up fruitless.  On a side note- if you want to make a fortune come to Pittsburgh and offer classes for kids.  Piano, dance, drama, gymnastics, you can charge a fortune, everyone does.

 Alex discovered that dropping leaves into the giraffe pond created a fish frenzy.  It must have been feeding time.  The girls may not even have noticed the giant giraffes.

 The weather cooled down a lot this week and I fear it will be Ben and Kate who have the last laugh as we begin to slowly freeze to death in the moist cold and humidity.  Come December I'll be wishing we were sharing that gravel backyard and balmy 70 degree days.

 We are finally settling into a schedule.  Unfortunately it's one where Tyler doesn't make much of an appearance.  He gets up early to study, leaves around 7 and comes home late at night.  A few days a week the kids get to see him before bed or for a few minutes in the morning.  Saturdays he spends at school studying and Sunday we get him most of the day, except for a few hours after church.

 The Tiger's are kind of the first and last exhibit at the zoo.  When we arrived the Mom and baby were out and when we left it was the Dad's turn (I think).  Alex had stood at the window looking around and then gave up just as the tiger came into view.  Watching a giant tiger walk up behind your tiny child is a chilling experience and made my heart stop.

 Alex wasn't nearly as phased as I was.

 Saturday we went grocery shopping!!!!  I'd heard about this magical place called Trader Joe's before we moved here and I must say that it is magical!  I knew I'd have the only kids in that tiny store and I preempted our trip with a bribe.  "If you are good, REALLY GOOD, I will let you choose ANYTHING you want from the store."

 Alex chose a bouquet of tiny roses for Dad.  Heidi chose a lime.  And then because I couldn't believe she chose a lime, I let her choose a container of fresh baked whoopie pies.  They were huge and delicious and something I never would have picked myself.

 Then we came home to play, bathe and bike ride.

 Heidi is SOOOOOO accident prone.  It's unbelievable.  She tripped about 15 times at the zoo and crashed her bike at least 3.  Alex is only slightly better.  We need more bandaids in this house.

 I'm so glad these two have each other.

 Someday Heidi, you are going to look back and kick yourself for making goofy faces in EVERY picture I asked you to smile for.

 Alex is very smart.  She does well in school and through talking to her online teacher about her getting bored with Math and Phonics, I've found out that she is pretty far ahead of her "class".  I guess having her go to Preschool with an ex-Kindergarten teacher really paid off.

 But it could be that Kindergarten starts out super easy.  Heidi can do a lot of Alex's homework.  Or maybe I just have child geniuses?! I could be a bit biased.

 I'm pretty sure I would hate Pittsburgh and PA school if I didn't have these 3 gems to hang out with all day.  They are a ton of fun and I'm pretty sure we are going to have a rockin time together the next 20 years or so!

 Our new Sunday tradition is desert.  After church Tyler takes one of the girls to school with him to this informal PBL class thing.  The other kid is so heartbroken at losing Daddy that the only way I can make the tears stop is to bribe her with desert.  So 'left home child' and I make whatever treat she wants. Heidi wanted Brownies.  Brownies with frosting.  Brownies with frosting and M&M's.

 But the real trick to drowning sorrows is that once the treat is made, the kid gets to eat as much as she wants without Mommy saying stop.  Since desert only comes on Sunday I can justify it.

A sure recipe for smiles and tummy aches.

Heidi stalled progress for a bit on this beauty when she spilled the white paint all over the front porch.  But we are up and running again, and trying to finish without having to buy any more paint.

The beginning of September

Monday Tyler and I decided to be social and go to the ward picnic!  It was located at a giant park 30 minutes outside the city and we got there in time to eat before the rain came.  I've noticed that it rains about once a week here, usually Wednesday afternoon/ evening for some reason.  I know this because it's Thursday morning the trash collectors come and pick up our sopping wet cardboard.

Just had to throw in a picture of the yard for Ben.  Those gorgeous overflowing plants in the background? Weeds Ben, beautiful, beautiful, weeds.

      Week 2 of school was better.  Alex is getting very good at rolling her eyes.  She is very bright and so far most of these subjects haven't been very challenging for Heidi, let alone Alex.  This week I'm going to change things up a bit and see if we can make homeschool fun now that I've figured the basics out.

   Tuesday we went to the Library.  It was the small town library about 10 minutes out of Pittsburgh and it kicked both the Orem and Provo Library's butts.  They have a bazillion special classes and activities for kids, and this giant play area with chairs so the Mom's can sit and talk while the kids play house, or blocks or read or play trains!  And it's set up in some sort of old school or house I think, so the walls of these small rooms are lined with bookshelves.  It's magical.  Sorry Provo Library, you lose.  We went with our friend/ neighbor and her little boy.  He is the CUTEST thing ever and does the funniest faces!  I think Tyler would totally steal him, and might, if our next kid isn't a boy.

Tyler chopped half of the weed tree down and when Heidi saw she said "Dad, why did you kill that gorgeous plant?!"  Alex upcycled the dying morning glory that was strangling it and decorated her swing.

    Wednesday was Institute followed by the potluck lunch and then homeschool in the afternoon.  Homeschool in the afternoon is almost impossible- but potluck lunches are wonderful, and Institute is getting better.
   Thursday is a blank and Friday we went to the Home Depot out of town for a change.  The Home Depot in Pittsburgh is in this sort of sketchy neighborhood (that Tyler has to go through to get to school) and I went there last week by myself with 3 kids in tow and felt REALLY weird and out of place.  NO other kids there, mostly just older black men.  So when we needed a family outing on Friday night, and some screws, we went for a drive.  Let's just say it was worth the drive!!!  I'll now be doing all my yuppy shopping in Shaler!  I didn't feel the need to have my pepper spray in hand while walking through the parking lot there.

This is what homeschool recess looks like.

   Saturday I hit the Holy Grail of Alley finds.  I'll admit I feel a bit white trash scoping out people's garbage in the Alley, but it really is addicting and totally feels like a treasure hunt.  I had just returned from the store and found no parking in front of our house.  I looped through the alley to try again when I came upon the most glorious site!!!  The church 5 houses down from us had cleared out their pile of outside play toys into the ally!  I stopped the car and called Tyler to get down the Ally NOW, he wouldn't believe it!  We snagged a little tykes castle and play house, a see saw, toy sink kitchen thing and a chair and didn't even have to haul it more than 50 feet to our backyard!!!!  We left a giant outdoor play jungle that wouldn't have fit in our yard at all, a table, a slide, some more chairs, and odds and ends that would have fetched some serious money on KSL in Utah.  I couldn't believe it.  A lady from across the ally chatted me up as we drug some of it to our yard and the next day she stopped by with some more finds.  Her and her friend had been dumpster diving and found trash bags full of perfectly good toys in front of the church.  She thought of me and the girls and brought us some stamps and a cash register! Pictures soon.

Quinn is the Queen of our home.  Alex informs us daily that Quinn loves her the best and she in turn loves Quinn the best.  

    Every week brings and adventure here!  Now that life is a bit busier with homeschool and we are making better friends- we are really liking it here.  I never thought we would love Pittsburgh, but I'm feeling more at home.  Our neighbors are so great and fun to chat with which I think has made a big difference.  The ward is still a bit strange to me, so different than Utah, it is really helping us develop our testimonies.  I've been asked to make friends with a lady in the ward who is less active.  I was told that I should be able to take my kids with me to visit her, as the poor neighborhood she lives in should be safe during the day. hmmmmm.

Stay tuned to see what I turn this beauty into!

    Our pediatrician suggested I give up milk and see if it helps Quinn's diarrhea.  I've been doing pretty well for 2 weeks now- much better since my neighbor tipped me onto coconut milk ice-cream and yogurt.

Book family!

The girls miss their friends and family- they have had a few melt downs for the Grandparents in the "old new house" as Heidi calls it.  I don't think they have gotten over not having Grandma and Grandpa living just upstairs yet.  They talk about family a lot more and are SUPER excited to have Grandma Asay come visit in 2 weeks!

   Last week we found this big hairy weird centipede in the bathroom sink.  It was gross and had too many long legs to flush down the sink.  I also had to look up Black Widow and show the kids a picture so they would stop claiming that every spider they saw was a "Black Wider" as Heidi says.

As I'm typing this, my forearms are sticking to the desk and my knees are sweating.

First week of school

This was Tyler's and Alex's first week of school.
Tyler spent the week getting up early and riding his bike to class, packing in full days and then staying after to study.  Only to come home and discover that I was a frazzled mess and we were having breakfast for dinner, at 8pm. Everynight.

Alex and I spent the first week wondering if this homeschool thing was going to work.  We were inundated with e-mails, "assemblies", on-line assessments and computer problems for the first 4 days of the week, only to have all our problems solved on Friday and discover we had been doing 230% when only 80% was expected.  They really should do that parent teacher conference on the first day of school, not the 5th.

I really spent the week in a panicked mess.  I didn't have time to cook, do laundry, clean anything or give anyone extra attention.  I was convinced homeschool was the biggest mistake I'd ever made and my children were going to hate me by the end of it.
 Monday we finished school at 4:30 after 8 long hours of class,  Tuesday we worked until 6:30 and Wednesday we didn't even get everything finished.  Thursday Alex didn't even want to start and I didn't blame her but on Friday- glorious Friday, we hit our stride!  Classes done by Noon and a visit to the rainbow park in the blistering heat of the afternoon. We were so happy.

It's not as though I was teaching all day.  With Quinn needing feedings and attention, Heidi dropping in to participate or distract when she desired and meals to provide- we did lot's of "not school" in that time too.

I had to write about it though so I could look back at the end of the year and (hopefully) see how much things have changed.  I can already see that this is going to be good.  I feel as though we are closer and happier.  We are spending so much more quality time together and I have no time to get the essentials done, let alone have any of it leftover to waste!!!  I'm already learning more patience than ever before!!!!  I have to keep my temper if I want my 5 year old to listen to me teach and participate in anything!  Yelling doesn't get my anywhere I've learned, but loving and hugging and listening does.

I've learned that Alex is really very smart.  She picks up on things very quickly and these beginning lessons are redundant for Heidi let alone Alex.  That was part of our problem.  I was doing everything from the book, reading every line and making her do every assignment and question.  After the 5th lesson on shapes and colors she was rolling her eyes at me when I asked her to point to something yellow!  I now know I can teach her how I want as long as the objectives are met and she passes the tests!  So great!

Heidi loves to be a part of things and to help be the teacher.  She wants homework like Alex and really wants to do the online "games".  I can see that this will be good for her as well.  And Quinn, thank heaven Quinn has slept a lot this week.

So here we go, onto round 2.  Hopefully I get 2 seconds to take a picture this week!

Charlotte Asay

Last week my Grandma Asay passed away.  It was something I had anticipated happening while we were away in Pittsburgh, but not so soon.

I struggled with the decision not to go to my Grandma's funeral.  I wanted to be there so badly to show my love for her and Grandpa and to see all the family and friends who I hadn't seen in years.  There were many tears and conversations about money, regret, plane schedules, children and feasibility.

At one point I decided I just needed to pray.  Almost instantly I was over come with peace and love and reassurance that my physical presence was not needed.  I than began to think about what Grandma would have wanted, and lessons I should have learned from her and I came up with this list............

Grandma would have wanted me to have Joy, feel Peace and show Love.
To study the gospel and share it, to be a missionary and a good example.  She would have wanted me to not just take care of my family, but to show them how wonderful and important they are.

She taught me patience and long suffering. To get involved, seize the day and listen.
She taught me to smile, care, enjoy, read and share.  To hug like you mean it and have desert, twice.  She taught me to feast on the word of God, to learn about others. Ask, care, help and give.  To take pride in a well kept home and appearance.  That not even the least (in size, heart, or courage) should be overlooked, or forgotten. And even the greatest don't necessarily deserve our respect.

If it were me, I would be glad to leave my imperfect body behind after a full life.  I would have no fear for what was to come, only sorrow for those I left behind.  It would pain me to see their suffering and sadness at my departure and I would wish they could see my joy and happiness to be reunited with those I loved and missed that had passed before me.  I think instead of tears I would want smiles and understanding so I could move on with out guilt and not feel the need to cling to what could no longer be, only look forward with excitement to being reunited once again.

Obituary
Charlotte Asay

August 20, 2013

Charlotte Frances Greene Asay passed away Tuesday, August 20, in Cody, Wyoming, of complications resulting from a fractured hip.  Charlotte was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on March 20, 1932.  Her father was employed by the government as a civil engineer, so she spent much of her childhood in the Washington, D.C. area.  An early memory of Charlotte's was attending the Easter Egg Roll at the Roosevelt White House.  Charlotte's father, Stanley Greene, grew up in Nebraska.  Her mother, Camille Pachner, came to the United States from the Czech Republic when she was 8 years old and settled, with her family, in Chicago.  She had one sister, Geraldine, who was seven years younger than Charlotte.  When Charlotte was in the 5th grade, the family moved to Shawnee Mission, Kansas.  They lived there until her senior year when they moved to Denver.  

     As a young girl, Charlotte enjoyed playing the piano.  In her junior year in high school, she had a job playing piano for dance classes.  She loved to ski and took the ski train regularly from Denver to Winter Park Resort.  She also loved dancing and listening to the big bands that came to town.

     Upon graduation from East High School in Denver, Charlotte spent one year attending the University of Denver where she majored in Geology.  From there, she transferred to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, changed her major to English and was active in many clubs and organizations.  As a pretty, young coed at CSU, she met David Asay.  He was a junior when they had their first date, a blind date to a basketball game.  They were married in December of 1952 and graduated with their bachelor's degrees together the following year.  Dave went on to receive his degree in Veterinary Science.  Two daughters were born to the couple while they lived in Fort Collins, and it was there that Charlotte joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

     After graduation the couple moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where Dave worked as a veterinarian but the couple was anxious to return to Wyoming to be closer to the family ranch in Meeteetse.  In 1956, they moved to Worland where three more children were born.     

     Throughout the years, Charlotte was involved with AAUW, Republican Women, Girl Scouts, 4H, and her Church youth and women's organizations serving  as President of the Lovell Stake Relief Society.  Since her husband served two terms in the state legislature, she frequently spent time with him in Cheyenne, an experience she really enjoyed.

     In 1987, Dave and Charlotte were called by their church to serve as mission presidents in the Caracas, Venezuela mission for 3 years, They were responsible for the teaching, training and general welfare of over 200 missionaries in the area of Caracas, as well as the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.  The missionaries and church members in Venezuela along with visiting Church authorities were grateful recipients of her hard work and hospitiality.

     Charlotte always had a wide array of interests and an appetite for learning and education.  She was an excellent musician with a special gift for the piano.  She read a variety of books and was always learning and interested in the world around her, particularly in the fine arts.  She was a wonderful cook, decorator, seamstress and gardener and had a tender heart for those in need.  She was particularly interested in genealogy and spent many hours tracing her family history.  She enjoyed traveling and was thrilled to be able to visit her mother's childhood home in the Czech Republic.  She also travelled to Spain, Egypt, the Caribbean and toured much of the United States and South America. For many years, Charlotte, served as copilot and navigator in her husband's small plane as they flew on veterinary visits in Wyoming and travels around the country.  Although she was raised as a city girl, she was a good sport in her initiation into Western life and pitched in wherever she was needed in the veterinary business and around the farm.  

     Charlotte's special gift, however, was as a mother and grandmother, encouraging and supporting her children in any and all endeavors.  She was greeted on the other side by her parents, Stanley and Camille Greene and by her son, Scott (LeAnn Sanderson) who died in July, 2007.  She is survived by her husband, David Asay of Worland and children, Cindy (David Liggett) of Littleton, Colorado, Kathy (James W. Johns) of Sweet, Idaho, Susan (James Farr) of Bountiful, Utah and Mark (Kristin Corry) of Mapleton, Utah and by her sister, Geraldine Sethness of Rockville, Maryland as well as many nieces and nephews and other extended family members.  She was blessed with 25 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren and was devoted to her family, who adored her. Charlotte was an inspiration to those who knew and loved her, handling difficult circumstances with uncommon grace.  She will be greatly missed.