The Light at the End of the Tunnel...

Or: A Very Good Day.


Brian is at Youth Conference this weekend. Luckily, he is home at night, but that leaves another day in which to entertain kiddos.

Because I MUST smoke crack, (not really, but it's a great way to say I'm crazy) I decided to try the movies today. I'm sure you are aware that OUR children and movies generally don't mix. (Elleory being the shinning exception.)

We have turned a corner, today, a huge corner!!!

Our so cute, darling, sweet boys sat through an entire movie!!! I feel like there is hope! I feel way less tied down. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I feel like if I keep up the accolades, the universe will start laughing and prove me wrong...I am ever superstitious.

I'm almost hoping that now potty training might be in the future, but I'm still not going to hold my breath. Someday soon we will not only be a household with no cribs, but a household with no diapers, who can (reasonably) sit through a movie, (because with diapers there is no need for a potty break...) and GASP, maybe even an hour of church. (They actually can do this but we have been having a bit of trouble in the last couple of weeks. Maybe they need new church toys?)

I'm so happy to be having this day! Just when I've been feeling like everyone's kids grow up, but mine remain perpetually babies.

Hope, Hope, Hope... it's such a bright shiny thing!

Elleory's No Good, Very Bad, Day

Grounded for all of Saturday, and relegated to playing with the boys all day, JUST for not coming home on time. 30 lousy minutes...

Missed a pizza party, because no one told Mom about it... (apparently, if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist.)

Adding to the misery...Phish passed away.


Because she is such a great girl, she is handling this beautifully. But we did have a rough couple of minutes. It's hard to be the oldest and learn to be responsible, and have to deal with the circle of life (can't help singing it!) all in one day. I remember all of these kinds of things from my life at this age. Well, not the fish...

I think she is doing a great job maturing! Can't help loving that Elleory!

Makin' His Mama Sooo Proud...

Yes, this is Anders.

Yes. this is a big gun.

No, I haven't changed my view point on guns...

But he was sooo excited about the neighbor's new toys.

I have to admit, I was kind of excited also. It's a pretty cool toy. Could it be that the Bergholm's will get into Nerf gunning? Who knows? But it seems like a good idea for Father's Day. What could be better than giving my three boys toy guns and letting them shoot each other for hours on end, out in the sunshine?

(Are these thoughts actually coming from my head? Who are you and what have you done with sensible Kate?!? I don't allow guns in my home, you gun totting, NRA supporting, redneck's daughter...)

I have to admit that it was fun playing with them at the neighbor's house, and watching the boys figure out how to run them. It's always fun to hear them laugh and scream and giggle. I'm just a little torn by the logistics and the politics of it all.

And maybe, just maybe, I need to relax and let my kids play with toy guns... But THEN where do I draw the line? Country Music? GROAN...

Things you shouldn't do at the Temple.

By: Liam Bergholm

Hi! I'm Liam. I'm standing outside of the Seattle LDS Temple. It's a very special spot where my mom and dad took me and my brother Anders and my sister Elleory for a primary activity, so I could learn what not to do at the Temple. The Temple is Jesus' house on earth so you need to be really good, and whisper, and be respectful. HOWEVER, no one told me that Jesus has a swimming pool right outside the front door!! So COOL!
This is Anders and I checking out the swimming pool, and trying to figure out how to get in. There was some pretty tight security measures and a big garden planted around it to keep us out, but we mapped out a route. It was our Mission: Impossible.

First, I needed to take off my shirt. Even at the public pool you have to wear the proper attire. I tried twice to take off my shirt but my mom and dad kept putting it back on. I very tearfully explained to them that I was trying to choose the right and respect the pool dress code. I just really wanted to swim in the pool.

Because they were paying attention to me...Anders was successful at removing his shirt. So when mom and dad started paying attention to him, I sat in the grass and quickly removed my shoes and stared in on my pants... My mom discovered me and sent me with dad to get my clothes back on. At this point, I had to start yelling "NO! I want to get in Jesus' bathtub!"

At that point mom and dad decided it just might be best if we went home...we tried again to get into the pool, but no luck. So in order to make our rebellion complete, we removed our shirts again and swung on the statues, all the way back to the car...It was there that mom and dad discovered that they had locked the keys in the car.

It was a pretty AWESOME day. But we didn't ever get to swim in the big pool, maybe next time.

A Sentimental Journey...

Last Thursday I was enjoying the beautiful weather here in Seattle, and the company of my friend, we rode her horses. I had a good babysitter, that I knew I could trust with my children's happiness, and could feel comfortable leaving them for the three hours I had planned. It was indeed a good day.

It was also the day that the first boy I ever loved was relieved of the battle he had fought so long and hard. My dear friend Micah passed away in Colorado. After almost 10 long years of fighting a brain injury, seizures and ultimately a rare blood disorder, he left this life and started on his next journey.

I sit with bittersweet feelings as I write this. I feel so deeply for his Mother, Sue, who nursed him and fought so many battles, for so long. For his two girls who have been deprived of him, but not of a father, as other good men have taken that role. For his wife who lost him so shortly after making a family with him. For his brothers, who also sacrificed so much of their lives to be with him, and took some of the nursing responsibilities. For his sister, who labored to give birth only two hours after his death, knowing that he wouldn't meet her new baby in this life. Yet, I think of the hours and days he sat, probably wanting to run, to play, to do anything but sit. Now, he is free do do all those things. No more wheel chair, no more silence, no more dependence on those he loved, and who loved him in return. I have yet to meet a more selfless family. One who could teach the world of what it means to be "functional".

I will miss his smile. I will miss the mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes. I will miss the fact that even though he could no longer communicate with words, I knew that he knew me and was glad to see me. I could always see that he wanted to say "Katie love...what's goin' on?" and then he would just listen. I loved that I could crawl into his bed beside him and tell him all about where I'd been and what I'd seen, and he would listen, and hold my hand and inwardly laugh at my jokes.

I'm sad that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye, I had planned on visiting this summer but, I waited too long. I know that God has a plan for all of us and I will see him again, and then have the chance to tell him how much he meant to me, how much knowing him changed me, and made me who I am and where I am.

I'm grateful for, and love, his family who have allowed me to take a very small part of this journey with them. My prayers are of comfort for them as they make this transition into the next parts of their lives. My hopes are with them also, that they will go forward knowing they did the very best they could for him, and that he is now in the best hands, and will receive the best care.

So on a beautiful day, when the sun shone in Seattle, I lost my friend, and I will miss him.

60 days...

I just got my renewal form for my cosmetology licence in the mail; which means three things...

1). Time to decide if I'm ready to let that go...Not quite.

2). Time to find 30 bucks to renew it.

3). ONLY 60 DAY UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Just thought I'd give you the heads up. I'm turning 36 this year. Closer to 40 than 20. A fact which both intrigues and frightens me. Yet, I'm pretty calm about the whole thing.
This means that:

1). I'm old enough to know better. (Darn it!)

2). My neck is going to start looking more like a turkey's than a baby's bottom.

3). I'm in the exact spot I'd like to be.

This is when I start planning my "New Year's Resolutions". Really, I'll spare you the details, but good changes are coming...

NOW FOR THE SHALLOW (read: planning) PORTION OF THE BLOG POST:

I'm going to be home (in Colorado) for my birthday again this year. Yay! There are two concerts I'd like to attend. (I don't need to do both, either would be good.) The Wallflowers on the 21 of July, and The Counting Crows on the 29 of July. I don't really want to go alone, but I will. I'm going to need babysitters, and concert goers...Any takers?

I'd also LOVE to have dinner with my Whole family.

As you know, I'm a planner... I like to make sure all of my ducks are waddling along in the correct rows. There is, after all, only 60 days left...

Only One Living Thing at a Time, Please.

I'm currently, and not on purpose, killing my house plants. I usually have an incredibly green thumb. Plants (with the exception of potatoes in my garden) do well for me. At one point in my life B.C. (before children) I actually worked as a gardener, and I only killed one begonia...over watered it. But these poor house plants... so sad, so neglected, so short on vitamin D.

First off, you have to know that EVERY TIME we buy a house plant we will, guaranteed, no kidding, move in six months. So we have been very leery of buying any plants here in Washington. So I think that maybe I'm a little out of practice with my green friends.

Second, I don't think we've actually had a plant since Elleory was born and we lived in Denver, CO. We moved from there and left all of our beautiful plants behind when Elleory was 18 months. We also had a wonderful nanny (my sweet sister Julie) in Denver, so I did get the chance to pay attention to the plants.

So here in Redmond, we have three kids, no nanny, and house plants (we bought them a year ago, so I think the curse is finally broken.) that are begging to be put out of their misery. I'm not sure there is much I can do for them except put them in the garbage. I might try them outside, but I'm a little afraid of the over watering thing, as it's springtime in Washington and has started raining again...

Also, back to that curse...What if I don't save these plants and have buy more to replace them and then six months later...

Our kids are doing really well though...Growing, healthy, happy. So maybe I should retire from houseplant keeping and just focus on my little humans for now.

So what color does that make my thumb? Flesh?

Elephants Say What?

Apparently they say MMMMOOOOO.