Pomona Noltes

The Carpenter's Boy

2011-07-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Just received word that I was a winner in the Annual LDS Song Submission Contest. It's a song about how Joseph of Nazareth might have felt about being the father of the Savior of the world. John and I made a quick recording of it, and the lyrics are posted beneath the video. Hope you like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKmCzCnxuc8

Miles' New Hobby

2011-04-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/thewandmaker14 , you will see what Miles' new hobby is. He loves to make movies with special effects, and then teach other people how to do it too! He learned everything he knows by himself by watching youtube. I am pretty amazed at this kid. You will also see several cameos by Ella, Char and Louis, as well, as the San Diego cousins! "Like" his videos, comment, and subscribe to his channel, and he will be so grateful!

HEY NANNA!

2011-02-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Rhianna aint got nothin on OUR NANNA!!!!

HALLOWEEN 2010

2010-10-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Miles Runs For Office

2010-10-26T23:26:00.001-07:00

Wish him luck!

What To Do For My Birthday?

2010-10-19T22:22:00.001-07:00

Miles had an idea about what to do for my birthday: "You and Dad could go to the gas station, buy some beef jerky, and go eat it in the bathroom. You could take turns sitting on the toilet and urinal." What is wrong with my son!??

Christmas Through Now

2010-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful holiday season up north at Papa's house, and then at Grammy's house. Since then, we have been on a small trip to Arizona to see my grandparents, and my mom came here to visit us! So....there are photos...one of the way that Ella painted Char's face...one of our house on Christmas eve...shooting clay pigeons in Weaverville...the feast that my sister Emma served us at my mom's house...opening presents with my brother Chris' kids in Red Bluff, and Miles and Ella's choir concert. Think that just about catches us up for the last 2 months or so!

Ella's Poem

2009-11-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

Ella has decided to wax poetic as well. I'm so proud.

The Dream Cycle

One thousand lives
one thousand dreams
one thousand smashed
to smitherines

One thousand here
one thousand there
one thousand lost
and are nowhere

One thousand dreams
are smashed and gone
One thousand more
are going on

Miles Wrote a Poem

2009-11-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

The speech is long spoken
his heart is long broken
his house went up smoking
in fire and flames

and under his skin
there isn't a grin
but a look of saddness
and woe.

He sits there are cries
for he'd rather die
than endure this pain called life.

But with pain and strife
though it hurts like a knife
he'll keep on living and he'll
keep on giving to
people other than him.

The speech is long spoken
his heart is long broken
his house went up smoking
but he's a good man.

The Tooth Fairy

2009-09-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Charlie said, "Mom, I know the Tooth Fairy's secret identity. She's Sophia's mom." ......Sophia is apparently some sophisticated 1st grader who didn't QUITE get her point across to my naive Charlie. :)

2009-08-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

If you've ever wondered what John would look like with Brad's haircut (circa 1993), now you know...(and the rest of us have some new looks as well)

Trinity County Trip

2009-07-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

The Trinity River was calling my name. It happens from time to time. I don't know what it is, exactly, and I can't explain it...the way I feel when I am in that water; so clean and clear and pushing and pulling me with it's current. Seeing the beams of sun shoot through the water when I'm laying at the bottom of it, swimming with the salmon...coming out of the water and into the fresh air, with walls of pine-covered canyons shooting into the sky on either side of me...Laying on the sun-baked rocks, and listening to absolutely nothing at all except nature...It called my name...and the names of my 4 children, I'm pretty sure. So we went. 5 days of water. Whiskeytown Lake, Canyon Creek, Trinity Lake, Trinity River North Fork, and the Sacramento River. 4 nights of so many stars and the milky way jumping out at us like a ghost...just heaven...all except for the fact that My John had to stay at home and work. Almost heaven...we sure missed him. If I'm lucky, the Trinity River will call my children's names next summer and I can blame them for the expense of the 10 hour drive! Maybe we should just blame the blasted river.

To the left is Charlie and Louis in Whiskeytown Lake.

Below, Ella and I in Miner's Camp, a swimming
hole in Canyon Creek, which feeds into the
Trinity River in Junction City.

Handstands!

Mama picked a hat for Louis!

Miner's Camp, in all it's glory.

Picking blackberries with Papa and Nicole

Ella and Louis on Trinity Lake

Miles and Char

Ella on the kneeboard

Miles on the kneeboard

Monument Peak in the background; part of
the Trinity Alps

My friend, Catilin's property, on Canyon Creek

How we got down to Caitlin's swimming hole:
in the back of her 4x4 while she drove down
a crazy dirt road. I had to TALK the kids into
getting in the bed of a pickup. They were very
concerned about safety. City kids. :)

Canyon Creek Swimming Hole #2

All 4 kids jumped off of this rock. I only got
videos of Miles and Ella though. Char and Lou
were wearing life jackets though!

Miles Turn!

Louis in his Spidey Suit
(jumping rock in background)

Charlie in the SCARY RAPIDS!!

Char looking for fish!

Miles Rock Climbing at the North Fork

The North Fork Swimming Hole, known as:
The Rope Swing

The Rope Swing, itself.

Unfortunately, you must turn your head to
the side to view this...it's me on the rope swing.

Our Cruise

2009-07-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since we got back, but these pictures will at least allow a brief documentation that we WENT. My mom and her husband paid for my siblings and I (and step siblings) and our spouses (and no kids) to go an a 4 day cruise to Catalina and Ensenada. It was great to get away and relax and most importantly, not have ANY responsibilities.

My mom, boarding the ship

John and I on the Lido Deck (waterslide in background)

Emma and Chris (my sister and her husband)
On the way to Catalina...we anchored offshore

John Having Breakfast with a Friend

We rented bikes and rode to the Wrigley Memorial
on Catalina Island

We also had a great time snorkeling!

John, giving me a lecture on goals and object-
ives in an empty conference room we happened
upon on the ship. Very silly. Very silly.

We bought masks and slingshots for the boys
in Ensenada...and when we spotted this abandoned
boat, I had to try them out!!

Luckily, our relationship is not one of "opposites
attract."

A beach we discovered in Ensenada...and
had all to ourselves!

John did some climbing...

My brother, Paul, winning one of the two
ping pong tournies he OWNED. Won em both.

Me, busy beating the pants off of 11 year old-
boys in the Knock Out competition!

My mom and KC, and step bro, Robby at
dinner...which was the best part of the whole
cruise experience...aside from dessert!

Nicknames

2009-07-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

Louis decided that all of us needs a nickname in the car a couple of days ago. He first informed us that nicknames are supposed to be about what people are good at...so he deemed himself, "Fast." Then he told me that my name should be "Gate"...because I am tall enough to open the gate. When we walked through the door and saw John in the kitchen, I asked Louis to think of a name for Dad and without hesitation, he replied, "Work." Needless to say, we laughed and laughed. Gate and Work. Over the next 24 hours, he thought of "Swim" for Charlie, "Art" for Ella, and "Cool" for Miles. Silly silly boy.

Square Foot Gardening

2009-06-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

We started a garden a couple of weeks ago...Memorial Day, to be exact. John read a book called "Square Foot Gardening" and went out and bought all the materials...and we went from there.

First Step: Construct Box

4 2x6s, and one 4x4 piece of plywood for the bottom. Numerous brackets. It was John's idea to put the boxes on wheels so that they would not take up any permanent space in our yard. Ingenious.

Step 2: Construct Grid

Step 3: Add soil

We mixed equal parts of manure, compost, peat moss, and vermiculite...6 inches worth.

Step 4: Nail Down the Grid

Wow, that's pretty.

Step 5: Plant Stuff

Eggplant, corn, chard, tomatoes, sunflowers, broccoli, green beans...Here we go!!!

Oh yeah, we made 3 boxes. John and I made the first one together, then the two of us each made one. They roll around so nicely. I'm so proud of my Gardening Johnon!

In God We Trust

2009-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

I keep getting forwards about the new money being printed that omits the phrase "In God We Trust" and how Pepsi is coming out with a new patriotic can that also omits this phrase. The forwards I get express the sentiment that we should not be buying this Pepsi, and that we should be signing petitions against printing the new money, etc. I have a simple thought on this subject that keeps coming to mind every time I get one of these emails. I just thought I'd share, because it seems so simple to me, and I know it's probably not if everyone seems so heated about it. So, I'd welcome people's thoughts about it if you'd like to have a little open discussion. My mind is not always as open as it should be.

1. We have no national religion. The founders were firm on the fact that we should not, because we have freedom of religion in this country. If this is the case, why would we print "In God We Trust" on anything that is meant to be patriotic? I think it may have been a mistake from the beginning. I even think that the addition of "One Nation Under Gone" to the pledge of allegiance, was a bad choice. All of you know that I love God and worship him. So many of my friends do not. Why do they have to say those words, just to pledge allegiance to their country? Why should it be on money or on a Pepsi can? Really? Why does it matter? I actually think that God would be happier if His name was removed from money all-together.

That's it. Just one point. Thoughts?

3 On 3 Tournament 2009

2009-06-01T13:41:00.001-07:00

I travelled up to Redding this weekend to be in the 3 on 3 tournament with my sister and some friends. We did not do very well, but I was lucky enough to have an attentive Mamma there who took some videos and got some good footage. I feel kind of silly posting it, but I thought maybe my brothers-in-law would get a kick out of it. (Especially the audio track)

Birthdays

2009-05-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Char and Lou had birthdays recently, and I haven't gotten around to posting pictures yet. Charlie had a Super Mario Brothers cake, and Louis wanted a Twinkle Star cake (based on the way his blanky looks). They were fun days!

Sad looking cake...but at least it got made!

Char, with Miles and some friends.

Twinkle Star Cake

Louis with his cutie pie friends.

A Musical Pick Me Up

2009-05-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

My Man, Bobby Mcferrin, singing "I Can See Clearly Now" with Judi Donaghy of "Voicestra."

2009-05-14T22:53:00.001-07:00

Night by Elie Wiesel

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's a stark, dark, hungry and beaten sort of book. That's how I felt upon completion. Amazing story...so sad it's true.

View all my reviews.

Emma's Wedding

2009-05-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

My little sister got married on Saturday. We drove up on Thurs night, and left Sunday around noon. It was a busy busy weekend (I was Matron of Honor and had so many duties! Not nearly as many as my poor mother though!)but it was so beautiful, and really just as perfect as she hoped it would be. Char got to be a ring bearer and Ell was a flower girl. John sang as Emma walked down the aisle ('The Luckiest' by Ben Folds) and it was just wonderful. We're pretty exhausted!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2009-04-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

I have to post a blog about Ella's cool accomplishment because I'm so dang proud of her. She loves to read, and I think that's so cool! She started reading these books on December 1st and just finished the 13th book a couple of days ago. That's 13 books in just under 5 months! I think I had probably just finished Green Eggs and Ham at her age! To top it off, she had to take a quiz on each book after she finished, and out of all 130 questions, she only missed 2! As my Aunt Shannon would say, "I'm just bustin' my buttons!"

2009-04-20T11:07:00.001-07:00

We had these cookies at Owen's Mom's house yesterday. They are just to die for. I am making them SOON!
http://bloggingbanners.blogspot.com/2009/03/beverlys-meltaway-cookies.html

Saviors on Mount Zion

2009-04-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

(Aimee's lesson to the Young Women, April 12, 2009 - because if I don't document this, I will forget it, and it was a huge learning experience for me to discover these principles.)

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.

Jesus offered a intercessory prayer right before he atoned for the sins of all mankind, where we learn how He is a go-between for the Father and the Saints. We learn that He and the Father are one, and that He is our link to God; to eternal life, and that if we want to live in His kingdom, we must KNOW THEM.

What is the best way to get to know someone? We can study what their life is like, ask questions, even shadow them as they go about their days in some cases, but until we can walk a mile in their shoes, we can never really KNOW THEM. Usually when people talk of getting to know Christ, they speak of His attributes and use the phrase "What would Jesus do?" to suggest that to be like Him, we need to act like Him. These are great ways to be more like Him, but there is something missing. What was the most important part of Christ's life? He Suffered and Atoned/Saved Us (See Mosiah 14:4-6) Do we have to suffer, atone and save others to get to know Christ? The easy answer is that we cannot possibly suffer as he did, because we are mortal. Still though, is it possible that in order to really know Him (and have eternal life) we must suffer, atone, and save others?

Joseph Smith taught that we can become Saviors on Mount Zion. What does that mean? Joseph spoke to the early Saints in England and taught:

“If we can, by the authority of the Priesthood of the Son of God, baptize a man in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, for the remission of sins, it is just as much our privilege to act as an agent, and be baptized for the remission of sins for and in behalf of our dead kindred, who have not heard the Gospel, or the fullness of it.”

“The Bible says, ‘I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.’(Malachi 4:5-6)

“Now, the word turn here should be translated bind, or seal. But what is the object of this important mission? or how is it to be fulfilled? The keys are to be delivered, the spirit of Elijah is to come, the Gospel to be established, the Saints of God gathered, Zion built up, and the Saints to come up as saviors on Mount Zion (Obadiah 1:21).

The keys that Elijah restored, have made it possible for US to become the intercessory between those who are dead who have not heard the gospel, and God. In so doing, we can be Saviors. That accomplishes half of "walking in Christ's shoes" that was mentioned above. Usually, temple work is what "being a Savior on Mount Zion" means to us as Saints. Haven't we forgotten though, the second part of the most important part of Christ's life? He suffered and atoned. It requires a bit of suffering/sacrifice to keep oneself worthy to enter the temple, and a bit more to drive there in traffic, and a bit more to sit for the few hours it takes to do ordinances for the dead. But is it REALLY that much of a sacrifice?

In an article in the New Era by Gordon C. Thomasson in April, 1973, it is suggested that more is needed than temple work to become a Savior on Mount Zion:

Becoming a savior for others is not an easy task. If we study the life of the Savior, it becomes apparent that he suffered to aid his brothers and sisters. His anguish was so great that he wept; he often sorrowed for the unrepentant sinner; he prayed for the human family. And can we doubt that as he suffered for us and with us, his Father also suffered? When Jesus grieved to the point of bleeding at every pore, there is little doubt that his Father, loving him, wept with him. For we believe in a God who is personally involved in the salvation and exaltation of his children. God is so involved that he was willing to give his Only Begotten Son as a sacrifice to suffer and die for us. The scriptures seem to show us that even God is bound by law—for while his work, his glory, his joy is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of his children, he can only accomplish this by granting us the freedom to reject that gift, the freedom to sin, hate, and die. God cannot force us to be exalted. He loves all his children but must allow them to reject the greatest of all gifts, the gift of eternal life and the joy that accompanies it. We must ask if to become as Christ is we must learn in some degree to suffer for others as he suffered for us.

Michele grew up physically in a comfortable upper middle-class environment in upstate New York. It was not until after having left that world, when she found herself “on the streets” in New York City, that she really began to mature spiritually. Like many of this generation she came to earth with a spirit capable of giving and loving equal to the challenge of today’s world. But it is one thing to love and another to learn how to effectively give. In seeking to fulfill herself, Michele sought many avenues for giving. Before coming to know the gospel, she saw how many ways people suffer in this life. For a time she lived in an apartment leased by the county to two heroin addicts and their three children. The parents were always on the streets in pursuit of drugs or the money to purchase drugs. What care the children got, Michele gave. Simultaneously she worked at fund raising for and as a volunteer in a hospital for children with cerebral palsy and also spent up to six hours a night on the telephones at a crisis center. Michele spent more hours working for others than one body can really stand—she kept going by taking speed. It is amazing that she kept going as long as she did.

When Michele found the Church, she had been involved in so many of the snares Satan has set for this generation that she knew she had to break cleanly with the past. She moved to another town and set about rebuilding her life according to the gospel plan. When I first met her, she was still struggling to overcome many of the temptations from her past and through repentance be reborn in Christ. As she trusted me, we talked out many of her problems and often cried together, sharing the sorrow and joy that can only come through regaining the Lord’s Spirit. Some problems I could only ask her to work out with her bishop, and after great struggles, she did. Other problems she brought to me because she felt I could understand, having known the world she knew. Late one night she revealed what seemed her greatest problem. She felt a continuing desperate urge to return to using speed. It was not the craving of an addict that drove her, however. As she learned more of the gospel of Christ and our responsibility to serve our fellowmen, she again became involved in many avenues of service to others. But this time it was not so easy. She tired quickly and could not do as much as she had previously. She felt her capacity to serve was lessened. Wouldn’t it be justified, she asked, to use speed to enable her to do more? If the drug took some toll on her body, was that so wrong, considering why she was doing it?

I knew that when she spoke of doing things for others, it was no simple rationalization. Michele really wanted to help others. It took more than a few moments of silent prayer before I was able to answer. Finally, I said, “All right, you want to give, but what do you want to give? What, for instance, did you give those three children? Can you tell me?” Though she knew I had heard the story, she repeated how she had washed clothes, fixed meals, dried tears, and tucked the children in at night. To that I responded, “Yes, but what did you give them?” This puzzled her. She started to repeat herself and then, realizing that I was asking something else, remained silent. Finally I talked for a moment about the unbelievable advances made by technology—we are on the verge of making machines that can do almost anything—and asked her what she had done for those children an existing machine or some machine that might be invented soon couldn’t have done. What, I asked, had she really given; what could she really give to anyone? She started to answer that she had given them love, but I stopped her. “Michele, tell me about speed. What does it mean when you crash?” The change took her back. Slowly she answered, reciting how methamphetamines can keep you up for only so long and then you come down physically, whether you want to or not. We talked about why it’s nice to be able to fall asleep as soon as you crash, and how if you don’t, problems start. She remembered how emotions, real and deep emotions, would well up from where the drug had suppressed them, suppressed them for as long as she had been high, and the wave of depression that followed those emotions. We talked about how being “wired” was a way to operate physically while ignoring the real-life, day-to-day sufferings that go on around you. One could do countless tasks without really feeling anything. And then I asked her again, “Michele, what did you really give those children? Even when you cuddled the little boy and bandaged up his knee, did you really feel his hurt and cry with him, feel and share his pain as we have cried together? What did you really give them?” She fell silent. “Michele,” I finally asked, “what can any human being give that is worth giving?” Gradually we began to talk again. We made a distinction between presents, things people buy, and gifts. I reminded her of how Christ contrasted the gift of the widow’s mite, a gift based on sacrifice, with the offerings made from the rich man’s surplus. We saw how every real gift involves a sacrifice on the part of the giver, a willingness to suffer for the good of others if need be. And as we talked, Michele gradually began to understand that she had been tempted to return to speed because the kinds of social commitments she knew she should make weren’t so much physically tiring as they were emotionally draining. She admitted that in trying to do the things she had once done so easily she found herself suffering with the people she wanted to help, and she recognized that it was bearing other people’s burdens, crying with them and praying for them, that left her tired, not the physical effort. It became apparent that she could not do as much physically as she once had, but by resisting the temptation to take speed, she was placing herself in a position where she could give much more. Only by keeping spiritually in tune and open to sharing could she truly give a gift worth giving, a gift no machine could duplicate. For real gifts involve the love and sacrifice of the giver; they can never simply be bought or sold. When Christ set us the example of the Good Samaritan as an ideal, the epitome of the Christian life, it seems obvious that he had in mind more than giving ambulance service to the wounded Jew. We must ask ourselves whether the Samaritan simply bore the Jew’s physical burdens, taking him to the inn and paying his lodging and care, or if he sought to comfort the Jew, offering him love and concern and fasting and praying for him. Did the Good Samaritan seek to bear the Jew’s emotional burdens; did he seek to love him? The answer seems obvious. And so we both learned a lesson about Christ-like service.

A special blessing came to me as a result of my conversation with Michele. Since it was late, I walked with her back to her apartment. As we walked, I suddenly gained a new and fuller understanding of the gospel. There are many principles I do not yet understand. My testimony is strong enough that in those cases I mentally put my questions in a back corner and proceed on faith, knowing that in time I will come to understand many things. In that way I had long before “filed” a question in my mind about Satan. I thought that I had understood why one-third of the hosts of heaven wanted Satan’s plan. They were afraid of the risks of mortality and free agency. I thought that I had understood why the plan wouldn’t work, why no real growth would have been possible, and no exaltation. But why, I had asked, would Satan, a son of the morning—already a great and mature spirit in the pre-earth life—want such a plan. What was in it for him? Did he fear mortality? As we walked it suddenly hit me. Satan wanted to be the Savior. He wanted to redeem mankind and receive the glory, but he did not want to allow anyone to sin, because he was not willing to suffer to atone for mankind. Satan was unwilling to suffer for others, unwilling to give the ultimate gift, unwilling to give Christ-like service. In a moment the gospel plan was more visible in contrast to Satan’s plan. He would have denied men their agency—and thereby their exaltation—to avoid suffering for others, while Christ was willing to allow us the opportunity to choose between good and evil and willing to suffer and to give Christ-like service, even to die to redeem us.

Giving Christ-like service is not easy, nor is accepting it. Society teaches us to say things like “I don’t want to burden you with my troubles,” and often, when we are less than we could be, give subtle cues to others that say, “Don’t tell me your troubles; I have enough of my own.” And so Satan turns us inward, away from our fellowmen, refusing to give or receive Christ-like service and love.

There are many substitutes we are tempted with today. It is so much easier to give a small amount to some charity (which we should do) than it is to spend a few hours each week visiting the sick, working with the crippled, or simply giving our love and time to a severely retarded child. It is so much easier to substitute money for our time, protecting ourselves from sharing the pain and anguish many suffer, avoiding the burdens we could help them carry. If we desire exaltation we must answer two questions: How happy do you want to be, and how much are you willing to give? For if we truly desire the work and glory that can only come through bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of other spirits, we must be willing to suffer with them and for them, living the gospel of unselfishness.

It is not enough that we try to become Saviors on Mount Zion by doing temple work alone and stop at that point. To truly know Christ and walk in His shoes, we must experience the pain/empathy/sacrifice that comes from serving with our whole hearts. In this sense, we can feel (in a way) what it is like to atone, or to do for someone what they cannot do for themselves.

A new resolve to serve in a way that hurts us should be ours. Along with the mighty work of the temple, let us search for ways to do for others what they cannot do for themselves, and in our own small way, grow to know Christ is my prayer.

Easter Time

2009-04-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

We love Easter time around here. Our yard is blooming like crazy with irises, birds of paradise, calla lilies, iceplant blossoms, tulip magnolias,and nosturtium. We have decorated 3 dozen eggs, had them hidden by the Easter Bunny and found them. The kids have way too much candy in their baskets. We have eaten John's delicious "Eggs Golden Rod" (with the delightful addition of lemon juice as a garnish). We are going on many outings to parks and on hikes to celebrate these beautiful spring days, and just feeling new and happy all around...for the moment, anyway. Church was amazing today. The talks were great, and the spirit was strong. I had to teach, which did not add to the luster of the day at first, but when all was said and done, as always, I'm grateful for the experience (will write more about this later, I think). Anyway, here's the proof!

Down With Excedrin

2009-04-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

THIS IS BETTER. IT'S MY GOOD FRIEND. IT WORKS IN 15 MINUTES AND FOR A LONG TIME. SWITCH, YOU NOLTES.

2009-03-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is for the animal lovers in the family...yeah, lots of you, I know: (it's absolutely amazing, by the way)

Disneyland Visitors!

2009-03-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

We had 3 sets of families come to stay with us in the last 3 weeks on their way to Disneyland. First, my old roommate, Debbie Rex and her family came from Salt Lake with their 5 kids. Then Matt and Lindsay came with cuties Lance and Luke, and finally my brother, Paul and his wife Heather and 2 kiddos came for a few days. My dad says he's gonna make us a sign to hang on the front porch that says "Disneyland Hotel!" We don't mind...really! It's been a blast.

2009-03-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

The Jasmine is in bloom, here in Southern California, and on a warm breezy day like yesterday, I walked around the neighborhood just breathing deeply and taking it all in. It was then that I realized...If I see a cloud that I think is cool, I can take a photo on my phone and send it to Mark immediately. If Louis says something cute, I can record it on my phone and send it to whoever I want immediately. There's no way to capture a smell and send it around for all of my loved ones to enjoy, which is exactly what I wanted to do. It might not be long...you never know in this crazy world where we can SIT IN CHAIRS IN THE SKY!

Our Saturday in San Diego

2009-02-26T11:14:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday, we had a beautiful day in San Diego with Dad Nolte, Brad's family, and Owen and Jules (and soon to be baby Nolan). It was such a fun day. The sun shone and a nice breeze blew, and the kids didn't get injured, and the adults got to talk, and we even got in a fun game of soccer (Brad, Katie, Audrey and Justin vs. Aimee, Owen, Miles, and Ella -- started out with John instead of me, but he hurt his toe right off the bat). Of course, we finished with a traditional trip to the Soup Plantation where Grandma joined us. It was fun times. Brad won the pull up competition, by the way, followed by Owen in a close second. Katie and I hung from the bar. We're good at that .

Ella's Sears Portraits This Year

2009-02-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

We got Ella's pics taken yesterday at Sears. We chose the one that is second from the bottom. She loves to smile and pose!

New Toy Drill

2009-02-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Note to self: If you are going to buy your 2 year old a toy drill, be prepared to have him scream, "Hey Mom, I'm gonna screw you!", repeatedly as you walk through Target.

Our Commercial Experience

2009-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

It began on Monday at noon when all 3 kids started at 10:00 trying on about 15 different outfits apiece, and we're talking shoes, belts...the whole shebang. We did that with no break and finished around 3:30. I was trying to sneak them bites of granola bar between outfits because no one in that wardrobe room seemed to notice that they were hungry and tired. That's when I realized, the clock is always ticking and we are very low on the totem pole. I will say that the wardrobe man, Wes was one of the only genuinely kind people we dealt with throughout the entire experience. He became Charlie's friend and that was helpful.

The next morning, we had to be in Pasadena at 6:30am to begin the first day of shooting. They treated us pretty great right off the bat, taking our breakfast orders and making sure we were fed. There was a girl assigned to be our "buddy" throughout the day. We will call her April. While we ate our breakfast, April came in our trailer (which was about 64 cubit feet) and started talking. "Oh my gosh, you guys are the cutest kids I've ever seen in my life! Oh, we're going to have the awesomest day ever! You know what? I love kids, and I'm going to be your best buddy all day, ok? Whatever you need, you just ask me and I will be here for you, ok? Oh my gosh, you have the awesomest eyes I have ever seen! You know what? I have a bag full of such awesome treats and surprises and you know what? if you do everything the directors say today and be such good kids, I'll let you choose ANYTHING you want out of my bag!" Then Charlie chimes in for the first time, "Well, what's in there?" I'm sure visions of superhero action figures and endless bags of skittles were dancing in his head. April piped up, "Oh my gosh, you are awesome! Give me five, bud! Ok, I'll let you see!" She then opens a bag and it becomes clear that some adult with no clue had gone to Party City the night before and bought random noise makers in bulk and dangerous party poppers (in bulk as well), and called it their 'awesome bag of treats.' "Um, ok...I didn't know what was in there...um, but these are awesome! Let me show you how you blow in these and they make the awesomest noise ever!" She blows into a party blower that doesn't make noise. At this point, we have all begun to doubt the awesomeness of April. I still thought she was trying really hard though and held no ill feelings. After a few more high fives, it was time to start working. She mentioned what a fun day it was going to be (all the while Charlie is looking at her with skeptisism) and then the studio teacher poked her head in the door. "How much homework does Ella have? Can I see it?" "Oh my gosh, she will never get all of this done. Honey, you have got to start on this homework right now and try to hurry, ok?" Ella says, "Is it ok to eat my breakfast first?" Studio Teacher: "What are they trying to do to me, she will never get this all done. Ok, I have to go. You work hard, ok? I'll be back and check on you soon." Charlie was wisked away by someone to go start shooting, and we were left alone.

I will not attempt to "play by play" the entire day, but you get a sense of what I'm talking about now, I think. All day was rush rush and pressure and fake fake people trying to get things out of my kids. At one point, Charlie looked at April and said, "Why do you tell me that everything I do is awesome?" Charlie was the real struggle of this experience. Right from the beginning, they started asking him to be obnoxious and rambunxious and do things that a bad kid would do in the shots. In the first scene, he had to sit in a minivan and knock his head against the seat repeatedly and his "mom" attempted to back out of the driveway. He quickly became aware (because they told him non-stop) that the entire nation would be watching him on their television sets and that he would be seen as a "bad kid" by every viewer in the country. That was all it took to turn him into Mr. "NO I WON'T AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" (I had never seen this side of him before...honestly) He was completely put off by the notion that all TV viewers would think he was a bad boy. The entire week, we fought this battle. Sometimes I bore the brunt of it, because I was the only one the directors (and their throngs of assistants) could count on to have any chance of making him obey. Numerous times, 30 people stood in the wings and watched their clocks as I made promise after promise to Charlie, trying to make him just do it so we would be done with it! If I got upset with him at all, these throngs of people quickly made sure that I didn't make him upset, and swooped in with fruit snacks, juice boxes, and licorice. The worse he acted, the better they treated him...for 3 days. You are wrong if you think John and I didn't have one of the most difficult weekends ever, trying to undo all of this spoiled brat syndrome these people created.

We were there 8 1/2 hours that first day. The next day started at 6:00am in Pasadena as well, in a grocery store where at 6:30, Louis had to repeatedly dumpt a box of Fruit Loops on Ella's head (6 or 7 takes, I would say) which sounds like a blast, but not when you've been up since 4:30 and dumped into an outfit that itches you. Louis did as he was told, but wasn't enthusiastic about it. He was a good boy though...very indifferent about the whole thing, doing what was asked of him and being overall agreeable. Ella was an angel. She is a pleaser and always will be. She was way more patient with those people than I was. (One of the wardrobe people told me at one point that Charlie was so skinny he could easily play a role in a holocaust movie) She was beautiful in her many outfit changes and liked getting her hair and makeup done. We were there just about 5 hours the second day, and then only 3 or 4 the third day. We were so exhausted though.

I was glad to be done with it. Charlie asked to never have to do that again in his life. The day after it was over, I called the agency and took him out of their system. They told me it was pretty common and that if he ever changed his mind, they would let him right back in. I told them not to hold their breath! :) The pictures I could get were very few. They either had me wrangling Charlie during the shooting or asked me to stay far away from my kids so that they wouldn't see me. I will post the ones that I could get (as soon as blogger lets me...i think it's broken)

All in all, this wasn't fun. If it were just Ella, or just Louis, or maybe even just Charlie, I think it would've gone much smoother, but all three of them was really crazy. As I type, I know that complaining is ridiculous, because my kids have a start of their mission/college funds that John and I never could have given them. It was a HUGE blessing that they landed this commercial. I thank the Lord for that, and I thank him that it is done with. One thing I learned from this is that Charlie won't take any bull from anyone. He sees through people and wants them to be honest. Really, there's nothing wrong with that. One other thing I learned was that actors in "the business" cannot possibly be "real ordinary people" as they often claim to be. There is just no way.

Suave Commercial

2009-02-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

It finally aired, and I am free to blog about this now. Only problem is that it is really late and I don't have the energy to stay up and write anything! But, I thought I'd at least post the 15 second spot that I recorded off the tv tonight. I hope there will be a longer version at some point that airs as well! We'll have to see. More to follow...hopefully tomorrow!

3 Days With My Dad

2009-02-09T20:29:00.001-08:00

My DAD came last week. He got here on Tuesday after noon, went to Miles' audition in Beverly Hills with us, took us out to dinner at IHOP, came home and slept in Ella's room (which became his for the next 3 nights). In the morning, we took the kids to school, and then went to Home Depot where we bought materials to put up baseboards in our living and dining rooms, as well as to cover the place where the ugly heater grate was in the middle of our floor. THEN, we went back to the school and picked up the kids at 10:30 and took them to Disney's California Adventure! We got 2fer tickets from 2 weeks ago when we went to Disneyland. It was a BLAST! Louis and Charlie rode on the scariest ride ever (Tower of Teror...and they probably never will again), and we rode every other ride at least once. My personal favorite is the new TOY STORY RIDE! It ROCKS! Also, our friends, the Sharps met us for the last part of the day, which was SO fun! Here are those pics! (more text to follow those pics)

That night, I had a meeting for Miles' choir board that I serve on, and Pappa helped John get the kids in bed that night. In the morning, Dad and I took the kids to school, and then set out to do some WOODWORKING! I stained and finished, and even cut baseboards (3 inch oak...beautiful) and my dad worked on getting rid of the ugly heater grate and replacing it with something AMAZING. It was so fun to work together all day (with Louis' help of course...mostly drilling the air) and I'm so happy with the end result. We had a big dinner together that night (it was so fun to cook for my dad...I haven't done that in a long time!) and watched an episode of "The Office" to help us wind down. In the morning, after we took the kids to school (my dad did this with me each morning), he came to the gym with me and watched me play a little basketball. He gave me pointers for my set shot...all in all, an invaluable experience. Dad, I can't thank you enough. Here are the shots of our new baseboards and floor:

notice the baseboard in the background (above)

Disneyland!

2009-01-31T15:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great day at Dland last Wednesday. The coolest part of the day was that Louis was over 40 in. as a 2 year old...and got to go on EVERYTHING except the Indiana Jones ride. John tried his best to hold Lou's little head steady on space mountain...he clapped at the bottom of Splash Mt. and wanted to do it again...his favorite was Pooh though. :) He also fell asleep in the stroller, and fell prey to his father's inventive solution to a bobbing head. It was such a fun, perfect day. Here's the proof!

Louis Today

2009-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today, as I carried Louis to the car, we had the following conversation:
"Mommy, wouldn't it be funny if the sun stayed up in the night time and it didn't get dark?"
"Yes, that would be funny. You know, that happened a long time ago when Heavenly Father sent a sign that Jesus would be born." I then explained that event a little.
"I didn't know babies could hold signs."
I laughed and then explained that there were two kinds of signs...the kind we read, and the kind that mean something is coming. I held my hand up high and told him that was a sign I was going to hit him. Then I held it out for a "five" and told him that was the sign I wanted to give him five, and explained that the 3 days without darkness was that kind of sign.
"Do you understand what I mean, Lou?"
He then stretched out his arms to me and said, "What sign is this, Mommy?"
I hugged him with a huge smile, and he said, "HUGGING!"
My little smarty.

What Louis Says

2009-01-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

Louis Says "Rystal Kite" for Crystal Lite.

Also, in the car on the way to our very late tithing settlement on Sunday afternoon, I was telling the kids to be so reverent in the Bishop's office and not to fight, and if they would pay attention and listen, they could feel the spirit. I then asked Louis if he knew where we could feel the spirit, and I put my hand on my heart to prompt him a bit. He said, "In our necks."

He keeps us laughing!

Pineapple Cake

2009-01-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

This is the description that was inside the box of Pineapple Cakes we received from one of John's clients for a Christmas present. It reminded John and I of the plastic cups we bought when we were first married that had stickers on the bottoms, reading: "Do not pour the boiling water into the merchandise."

Kings Game

2009-01-16T15:54:00.001-08:00

Every once in awhile, the fact that John was a Skadden Fellow (the award he won at UCLA) allows something cool to happen to us. Last weekend, we got to attend an LA Kings game at the Staples Center and sit in VIP box seats. Free food, free drinks, free desserts, and a wonderful view. It was so much fun. Here are some pics!

Our UT Vacation

2009-01-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

We got to do so much in UT. I can't thank Grandpa and Nanna enough for all the energy they put forth to make sure we had a great time. We went sledding, indoor rock climbing, snow skiing/boarding (Miles and Ella too), to Aunt Sarah's baby shower, to temple square, to the olympic park to watch the ski jumpers and luge/skeleton racers, to a couple of movies, the Beene Museum, Creamery, out to lunch with old friends...it was endless fun. Here is the proof!

Presh

2008-12-25T21:36:00.000-08:00

My wonderful husband got me a really great necklace...and turned me on to a very cool new designer of jewlery. He apparently did all this research and then went to 5 different boutiques in Santa Monica and Hollywood to find it for me. I was blown away by his taste! He knows me! Here are a couple of pics of necklaces that are kind of like mine. The designer takes vintage fabrics and sets them in jewlery. Mine is most like the one on the left, but it's shape is like the one on the right.They are all one of a kind...THANK YOU JOHN!!

Today at the Dollar Store

2008-12-18T22:07:00.000-08:00

I was shopping at the dollar store with Char and Lou today and told them they could pick out a toy. They both found guns that they wanted and right as they were telling me what they picked, this elderly lady walked up and asked how old Louis was because she had a grandson that age and she wondered what kind of toy he might like. I said, "Well, today my boys want guns. Those are always fun." to which she replied, "Oh, I would never get a gun for him. I never even bought guns for my own children. It's a bad idea." I pretty much shrugged my shoulders and let her know she was on her own then when Louis grabbed another toy and said, "Actually, Mom, I think I want this tool set instead." Charlie got really excited and shouted, "Louis! Did you know that you can KILL people with tools?"

The woman turned her head toward me and raised her eyebrows. Yeah. Whatever.

Louis' Christmas Wish

2008-12-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

Louis got to sit on Santa's lap and ask for a present at the ward party the other night. I'm pretty sure he asked for a bulldozer. He doesn't even know what one is. When he got home that night, Miles went and layed in bed with him to help him sleep, and was asking him what else he wanted from Santa. Louis (who shares a room with Miles and Charlie, and sleeps on a crib mattress on the floor) said, "Miles! Maybe he could bring me a new bed! A real one!" to which Miles replied, "Yeah....maybe." Louis thought a bit more and added, "But a real bed probably wouldn't fit in here, would it...But MAYBE a REAL LITTLE bed would!" Miles laughed and told him it was a good idea.

Louis' bed situation is not permanent, nor is it ideal...but we have NEVER discussed it with him once. He must lie there thinking about these things at night while everyone else is snug and already asleep in their REAL beds!

We Find Charlie in the Strangest Places

2008-12-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

Louis on the Bunkbed

2008-12-07T19:38:00.001-08:00

Louis was disobeying, and I chased him into his room, where he climbed up on Miles' bed to try and escape me. I wasn't REALLY mad at him...we were just playing. Then when he started in with the baby voice, I had to get the camera. Too funny!

Our New/Old Floor!

2008-12-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I set out to refinish our 1911 hardwood floor that is in the living and dining rooms. My dad had promised to do it for me in January, but I got anxious, and curious to see if this was something I could do. My brother, Paul assured me that any idiot could, so I set out to prove him right! The first step (and the only step on which I received any help) was to remove the furniture and put it out on the front porch. John was my muscle-man...thank you Johnon. Next step was to rent the floor sander from the rent-a place in Pomona. It was $80. This is me, sanding with that mother-of-a-power-tool:After that, I had to return the sander and go rent an edger from the same place. $40 later, I was in a squat position, scooting myself around the edges of the room, trying to keep control of that CRAZY edger that wanted to pull me in any direction but the right one. Also, whenever it went over a nail head that I hadn't pounded far enough into the ground, sparks shot out and threatened my wool socks!

When the sanding was done, the floor looked like this:
The next step was to vacuum and sweep and wiped down all of the dust. Then I stained. I used a red mahogany stain, and applied it with a rag...at this point, I reminded myself of Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid, waxing on and waxing off. My shoulders, forearms, thighs, and buttox had all gotten very sore by the time these 3 steps were over. Here are some pics of the staining process:

Gotta protect those lungs!!!
At this point, John and I moved some of the furniture back onto the dried part, to protcct it from an especially misty night.

The next step was to polyurithane it all. This, I applied with a brush. I tried a bristle-type brush for awhile and then went with a foam one, which I preferred. It seemed to go faster. At this point, it was my knees and lower back that were hurting mostly. After one coat of the clear stuff, I lightly sanded with 220 grit paper (I wish I had used 320 or even higher, but it's ok) and then wiped it all up...and applied another coat of poly. So, Friday night, at 6:18pm, it was finished! I threw my arms up and drove to get expensive take-out food, because, man...I deserved it. Here's the finished product! We're loving it! Total cost...$165
Oh yeah, the hole in the floor is our old-fashioned gas heater (that is not in use...we have central air/heat) and someday, we will replace the flooring over it, but for now, we cover it with a grate and a round rug.

Here are some of my favorite boards. I know them all intimately now:

Powerizing...New Sport for the New Millenium!

2008-11-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas present for the kids? Maybe for the parents????

Let's Remember Larry Bird

2008-11-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

#33's clutch shots...There's a lot of them! What a player.

I Am SO Doing This

2008-11-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

I saw this today on my friend's blog, and I'm here to tell you that it won't be long and I will DO this. It's beeeeautiful!

Our Talented Son

2008-11-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Miles has surpassed all of our expectations on this one. We don't know what to do with him. This is what he learned that he could do this evening, and proudly shared it with all who would watch:

2008-11-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

These are Louis' 3 favorite books at our house. Rotten Ralph, The Birthday Monsters, and The Very Bad Bunny. He brings them to John, Miles, Ella and I (and Charlie if he's desperate, cuz we ALL have them memorized by now) at least once a day and begs to read them...for the zillioneth time. John and I realized that each of his favorite books is about disobeying or rebellion in some capacity. We were trying to decide if he was doing research for a future plan or something, but decided he would probably be all right. The next day, I went to the gym, and found him on the lady's lap, reading a book. They finished the book, and the lady (Jean...our favorite) said, "Louis asks me to read this book EVERY day!" I asked her what it was called and she replied, "Annie Disobeys." John and I and the kids had a good laugh.

A Morning Ruined

2008-11-08T13:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes (like TODAY) Charlie likes to be pushed on the rope swing.

Most of the time, he and John have a blast together, and Charlie soars!Notice the big branch right above Char's head.
This morning, while swinging, Charlie got into this horizontal position, and screamed.
This is what he saw, hanging down from that branch, looking right at him:

Somehow, this squirrel fell, landed like this and died. Maybe he died before he fell, maybe the fall killed him. There is no way of knowing. All we know is that this traumatic experience ruined Charlie's morning. John (and our friend Muggins) came to the rescue:
So, we calmed Charlie down, bagged him up (he was huge!) and off to the garbage bin he went. Weird morning. Well documented though.

Confession of Sorts

2008-11-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Sure hope I don't offend any Noltes with this post, but I dread that's what I'm about to do!!! So, yesterday John came to me with the look in his eye where he won't look me right in the eye, and his lips are pursed and his eyebrows raised in that "I need to tell you something but you're not going to like it" look that I know so well, and said, "Remember my clients that got kicked out of their apartment last week? Well, they've been homeless for about 4 days now, and have been on the streets in the rain. All their blankets are wet, and they are not looking so hot. Can we put them up in a hotel for one night...I already told them we would." After a little discussion, I agreed, and John started on his way to pick them up and take them to the Motel 6 in South Pomona. Right before he reached the door, he turned around and said, "It's only one night, and then they're right back on the street again. Do we have any blankets that we don't need?" Most of our blankets have some sentimental value...to me or to the kids, so I said, "Man, I don't know. Go take a look." He came out with a blanket that his mom had left here on her last visit. She brought the blanket to So. Cal, because they were going to the beach and this particular blanket had been the Nolte's standby beach blanket for probably 30 years or so. There was no room in her suitcase however to bring it back on the plane, so she asked if she could leave it here till we saw her next. I relayed that message to John, and he came to the conclusion that though the blanket had many memories for him and his family, it might be better served for an entirely different sort of purpose now. He looked at it and told me that he can't remember a beach trip where that blanket wasn't spread out at his family's "home base" next to the cooler and shovels and pails. At that point, I could see that his mind was made up, and I told him to wrap it around him and snuggle a little, one last time and that I would take a few pictures to show his family. One night in a hotel and an old beach blanket were all we could give this couple, and I feel bad about two things. 1. That we can't do more for them and the millions like them 2. That they won't have the chance to associate their new blanket with care-free times and warm sunshine. Sorry Noltes, and thanks.

Our Saturday Hike

2008-11-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

The weather has changed, at least for the time being, here in the inland valley. We saw this rainbow (it's actually a double, but the 2nd one is hard to see) on Friday morning while driving to school, and got inspired to take a Saturday hike to Bonelli Park. We knew it might rain, so we were PREPARED!

Once we got to the park, we had a great time on the fun playground. It has a zip line!

Then, on our hike out, we saw a pretty awesome tarantula! And of course, John had to mess with it.

All in all, we hiked about 4 miles, and took Louis out of the back pack and re-packed him about 8 times. He was the crankiest by far. Charlie was a real trooper, and Miles and Ella are non-complaining pros by now which is NICE. It feels good to get out in nature and be together. We had fun.

TOO MUCH DORA!!!!

2008-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Noltes Go Green For Halloween!

2008-10-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

WICKED!!!

2008-10-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Oct 18, John, Miles, Ella, Charlie, Uncle Brad, Aunt Katie, Audrey, Justin and I went to see one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) broadway shows ever! We caught the 2:00
matinee of Wicked, and even though our $35 tickets were all the way in the back corner of the balcony, we were BLOWN AWAY! As the orchestra started to play, this feeling of excitement and awe washed over us all (bringing tears to sweet little Audrey, and almost tears to sweet big Aimee), and it just got better and better from there. The story is absolutely FUN, and after you watch the show, you will forever view "The Wizard of Oz" in a new light. The singing was really amazing, and I am pretty picky about broadway singing. It was really unbelievable to look over and see my kids' faces as they were moved by what was going on, and glance over at my husband after one of the phenomenal numbers were over with our eyebrows raised, to say "wow that was good stuff" to each other. Even more special was that the kids got to share it with their cousins. If any of you get the opportunity to go see it (though I doubt it will be as spectacular as it was in the beautiful, historic Pantages Theatre), DO NOT pass it up! WOO HOO!!!!!

The 6 of Us

2008-10-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Where I'm From

2008-10-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a small town in Northern California named Weaverville. It is located in Trinity County, which is north of anything you've ever heard of in California, most likely. Once in a while I will meet someone who has heard of Redding or Eureka, which are the two closest small cities, but mostly no one has heard of Trinity County, and I am used to saying, "No, not San Francisco...actually it's about 5 hours north of there...closer to Oregon, really."

If you are in Redding or Eureka and you'd like to drive to Weaverville, you must travel either an hour or two (respectively) on Highway 299 which is one of the most ungodly roads you'll ever hear of beginning with the word, "highway." I say ungodly because after winding left and right and rising and falling in elevation countless times, you need God's grace to keep you from losing your lunch. The term doesn't apply to all aspects of the drive however, because 299 is one of the most beautiful drives you'll ever take. If you can get past the car-sickness (which all locals accomplish around the age of 7 or so), you will feel God in smell of the pines, firs, and cedars, and you will see Him in the way the sun splashes off the lake and river waters as you drive past. You will feel Him in the tree-covered mountains that seem to hug you as you wind in and out of the dogwood-covered banks, and you will see Him in the angle of the hawk's dive if you're lucky enough to catch a glimpse or in the blank stare of the brown bear who would rather not have been seen drinking from the roadside water. Ungodly was the wrong word to use after all. It is actually almost holy.

I was born there, and lived there until I reached adulthood, and though immersed in it all those years, I only recently have started to marvel at the uniqueness of Weaverville, California's population-makeup. It is so strange that I never thought about it while I was growing up, but I suppose it's difficult to notice the unorthodox when it's all you've ever known.

There are trees everywhere. It is a heavily forested town and consequently manages to keep itself populated because of the timber industry. The majority of residents find work falling trees, clearing brush for roads, driving logging trucks or heavy machinery, running saws in the mill, surveying, or managing the forest in some way or another. A large part of the work force deals with the cutting of trees. Not all by any means, but a large percentage of these laborers also love the outdoors and are avid hunters. The typical mill-working father has short hair and a mustache and wears jeans, heavy work boots, flannel shirts and ball caps. He comes home from work and take his boots off and eats dinner with his family that is full of kids who play sports for the high school and boys who will go hunting with him on the weekend. He turns on country music when he gets in his Chevy or Ford truck with a "Support the Troops" bumper sticker as he bullets up remote dirt roads with his rifle and bow to hopefully bring home a deer for Mom to cook. Families of this fashion love the outdoors and the bonding they do on their hunting and fishing trips, the sound of their dirtbikes and quads tearing up the mountain, and the fact that they are miles away from the smog and crime that city life might bring.

Just as abundant, but perhaps less noticeable is the other part of the population who also have moved to this corner of the state because of their love of the outdoors. For lack of a better word, I will call them the "Tree-Huggers." Those who eat only what they grow in their pesticide-free gardens or purchase at the local farmer's market, and drive 4-wheel drive Subarus with "F*** Bush" bumper stickers and Bob Marley CDs in the stereos. They sign petitions against the mining of streams and the clear-cutting of trees on the mountain. They are vegans and vegetarians and would never cause harm to a single living creature in nature. They swim naked in the streams and don't shave their body hair. They also don't care if you happen to see them and would gladly share their swimming hole with you. They grow their hair long and go on arduous hikes in the back country for days on end in the summer-time, packing grains and fresh vegetables to cook in their mess kits and always using biodegradable toilet paper. They love the forest and know that it loves them. They love the tranquility they find when they lay down under the black sky and see blazing stars spangled across it. The rush of the cold water against their skin as they dive deep into the river and the sound of the crickets at night keeps them content.

The timber workers and those who hug trees peacefully coexist in Weaverville, for the most part. I don't think that they necessarily understand each other, but they continue to live together and attend the same community functions, shop at the same local stores, walk on the same sidewalks and raft on the same river. Their children go to the same school and make friends with one another and most of them never think twice about all of this. I know I never really did. Somehow, I listened as my dad's log truck pulled in the driveway, while talking on the phone to my friend who had dread locks. I wore a tie-dyed poncho on our hunting trips. I took breaks from stacking wood to play hacky-sack, and thought it was pretty normal.

Now, as I sit in my cozy Southern California bungalow, I wonder how all of that shaped me. I think of all of the kids growing up in Weaverville and wonder if they ever notice any of this. I find it fascinating that two groups of people can love the forest in entirely different ways. It seems crazy that both groups live in the same area because of this love but are simultaneously pulled apart and drawn together because of it. It seems so far away, and writing this makes me miss it. I'd better get to bed now. It's late.

My New Favorite Quote

2008-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Jane Eyre is so madly in love with Mr. Rochester...they are clearly meant for each other. They are about to be married when someone shouts from the back of the chapel that Mr. Rochester is already married to someone else! For page after arduous page, Mr. Rochester explains that in his youth he was forced to marry, and never really loved...and that this woman was and is clinically insane, and a danger to himself (having tried to kill him numerous times), and has been privately tended to by a caretaker for years and years. He pleads with Jane to stay with him - to be his and live with him as his wife, though he has this prior commitment and obligation. He makes such a case for himself that while reading, I (Aimee) thought that if I were Jane, I would probably have conceded. It is at that moment that Jane makes this resolve and tells him:

"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad — as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth — so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am quite insane — quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot."

At that moment, with everything in her (and the only man to ever have loved her) telling her to change her mind and give in, she refuses. If all the young people in the world could read this! In your most sane moment, and before any temptation comes your way, write down your goals, your principles, and your LIMITS. Know what you are willing to do and what you will never do. These limits might not make much sense now, but if you already have your mind made up - when temptation comes, you will not have a choice to make, because you have already made it. Plant your foot there! Don't budge!

2008-10-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is John. He's my handsome helpful heck-of-a-kisser husband of 11 1/2 years. He puts the kids to bed every night, reads to each of them separately, and flosses their teeth without fail. He works hard to get legal rights for kids with special needs. He mountain bikes at high elevations and for long distances with those long legs of his, on his HUGE bike. He can balance almost anything on his chin. On occasion he lights up our home with his amazing baritone voice. He reads and loves the NY Times, and never misses the movie reviews. He is passionate about politics and can often be found grooving to his "Rufus Wainright" or "Chris Cornell" channel on Pandora, while trying to organize and answer the hundreds of emails that come his way each week. He is my hero. I'm lucky.

2008-10-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my family and I went to Orange County to protest at a Palin fundraiser. It was a great experience, and my kids enjoyed the chanting as always. I really believe in Obama, and it's such a blessing to live in a country where our voice matters and we have the freedom to express ourselves. Strangely enough, there were no other "Mormons for Obama" posters. Hmm. They must have been at another protest. :) It was the first time I've worn a sweater in a long time though!