Valentine's Day 1975

February 14, 1975 marked the last day in 20 or so years that Lloyd and I celebrated Valentine's Day the way it is supposed to be celebrated. On that day 34 years ago our third child and second daughter, Amy Luellen, was born and Valentine's Day became instead Amy's Birthday. As with all my kids, she was 2 weeks late arriving, but I didn't mind. We already had an almost two and almost 3 year old at home so we had plenty to keep us busy while we waited for Amy to put in an appearance.



Hers was a very easy birth. I had never heard of an epidural back then so of course I didn't have one - natural childbirth all the way! And we didn't do routine ultrasounds back then either so we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl. It really didn't matter at that point because we already had one of each and this third one was a tie-breaker. What really moved me to tears during labor and delivery was when I was hooked up to a fetal monitor and for the first time I heard my unborn baby's heartbeat fill the room. It was an amazing and emotional experience for me. After the standard 5-day stay in the hospital (such a lovely rest) we went home and Amy became part of our daily life.

Her name, appropriately, means "beloved". We didn't know it at the time, we just liked the sound of it, but it made us feel good when we learned that we named our Valentine baby so well. Her middle name, Luellen, is also my mother's middle name.

Amy, at 18 months, with Lad

Amy at 4-years old.

Amy in Elementary School

She has grown into a remarkable young woman - wife, mother of 3, registered nurse, and nurse instructor. She's a beautiful, loving, peaceful, compassionate woman. I'm proud to call her my daughter.

High School Graduation

Amy and Curtis, August 10, 2001

Curtis and Amy with Sydney, Aidan and Mackenzie

Amy today at her 34th birthday party.

Elmo Love

Max is recovering from his recent tonscillectomy/adenoidectomy and Elly is working on getting her molars so both were having an up-and-down day yesterday. At one point in the early afternoon we were all in the living room where the winter sun was shining in with a surprising amount of force, creating lovely areas of warmth and shade. I took advantage of the natural light and photographed the two of them. I love this picture of Elly with her hair full of static electricity.



A couple of years ago on her 3rd birthday, Charlie went to the Build-A-Bear store and made a lovely soft Elmo. He has a sound chip in his arm that, when pressed, makes him say "Elmo needs a hug" and after the hug is given "Aaahh. Elmo loves you". In these days of hard-bodied dolls that do everything except work for a living, it's nice that they have this soft cuddly toy from their mother's era to play with...especially when they're not feeling their best. These pictures represent the most pleasant, fun part of our day.

Looks Who's Visiting...

The Bournes...daughter Mary, Greg, kids Layla and Baron. Baron has a Dr. appointment tomorrow so they arrived Saturday from Oliver, BC. He's six months old now and growing like a weed...a sweet little blue-eyed weed. Layla is a very good big sister. It's so nice to see them again.




He doesn't really stand up on his own, but he can managed when propped between his Mom and his Sister.

Nice smiles.

Here's our boy! What a sweetie. The spot in his left eye is the only visible evidence of his Goldenhar Syndrome.

Twenty-Five Things

I've been tagged on Facebook half a dozen times to post a note called Twenty-Five Things About Me. I've been thinking about it for awhile now and have finally decided to do it on this blog instead of (or maybe as well as) on Facebook. I don't know if I can think of 25 things, but I'll give it a shot. The idea is for each person to write their 25 things and then tag 25 people to do theirs. Here goes:

1. I love the sound of the cry of a very young baby.

2. Although my sister and I are just under a year apart in age, we didn't become friends until we were married and had children. I love her a lot.

3. We own a house in Lethbridge and one in Arizona, yet we're living in the basement of our daughter's house in Edmonton. Go figure.

4. I used to think I was shy but I'm not - I'm just reserved.

5. I've discovered that I can make friends who I treasure, outside of my family.

6. I've also discovered that I don't need a lot of friends in order to be happy - just a couple of really good ones.

7. The music of the 60's is still my favorite.

8. I used to worry about dying young of a heart attack. Now I worry about living too long and getting Alzheimer's.

9. If I'm still alive and rational when I'm 80, I'm going to take up sky-diving with my big sister.

10. I've always considered having and raising 7 beautiful, successful, law-abiding, decent, talented kids to be my greatest accomplishment and my contribution to the world.

11. I was made to have babies - with 7 full-term pregnancies I didn't have one day of morning sickness and loved the feeling of carrying a baby under my heart.

12. I've lived in 6 of the 10 Canadian provinces, one foreign country (Germany), and now I guess I can say I live part-time in Arizona as well.

13. I love going on road trips with Lloyd.

14. I've never been able to understand how people who live their whole lives in one small area think their area is the best in the world, when they haven't seen or experienced anything else. Expand your horizons people. There's a lot of beautiful world out there to be explored and enjoyed.

15. Although scrapbooking has been my hobby of choice for six years now, I sometimes miss cross-stitching, which I haven't touched since I picked up scissors and glue.

16. I've always been proud to be left-handed like my Dad. I was disappointed that none of my kids were southpaws in spite of both of their grandfathers being blessed that way. I guess the gene skipped a generation. Now I have left-handed grandchildren. We're special ;-)

17. Lloyd and I are perfect for each other...still very much in love after 38 (almost) years of marriage.

18. I buy lottery tickets when the jackpot reaches at least $10 million...it's my retirement plan.

19. For years I didn't like my first name, Millicent. Then my sister's sassy girls started teasing me by calling me Aunt Millie. I've liked it ever since - especially the way it looks printed out. I was named after Dad's mother who I loved. Still, I'm glad to have a simple name like Pat to fall back on.

20. I think I have pretty feet, my best feature, but they're topped by gross kankles so the effect is spoiled. Thanks Grammie Logan. I'm envious of nicely shaped ankles when I see them.

21. Still on the subject of feet, I find it impossible to wear flip-flops (remember when they used to be called thongs?) or anything that goes between my toes. Ridiculously uncomfortable.

22. I believe in the existence of life beyond earth. I think it's supremely arrogant of mankind to think that we're the only intelligent species in all the universe.

23. I'm opinionated and stubborn - can you tell?

24. I got my ears pierced when I was 18. I sat in the kitchen of my cousin's friend's house and held an icecube to my earlobe until it was numb. Then the girl held a bar of soap behind my earlobe while she shoved a needle through my ear and out the back into the soap. Then she quickly put a sleeper into the wound. The sound of cells popping was so gross that I almost didn't get the second ear done. Never had any infection from it though.

25. I'm a middle child - that explains a lot about me.

Candy and Earrings

My 6-year old granddaughter, Kenzie, and I finished off a box of See's chocolates that I brought back from Arizona. They were sooooo good, hand chosen by yours truly.





Kenzie enjoyed them as much as I did




And was disappointed when they were all gone.



She also got her ears pierced today, so the chocolates were by way of celebration.



Her little sister, Sydney, got hers pierced today too but she wasn't around for the chocolate...at 3 years old she prefers marshmallows anyway.

Super Bowl Sunday

We got home from Arizona last night - sad to leave that beautiful place but I guess all holidays have to end sometime. We'll be back. It was exciting to be there when the Cardinals won the right to go to the Super Bowl. We have adopted the AZ teams as our second favorite teams to support, right behind the Edmonton Oilers hockey team and the Edmonton Eskimos football.

Lloyd, the Cardinal fan

We were excited to watch the Cardinals make such a good showing in the Super Bowl today - for the underdogs, they sure gave the Steelers a run for their money. They were great. That was the first football game I've ever bothered to watch, and although I don't think I'll ever be a football fan, it was fun to see 'our' Arizona team do so well.

Montezuma's Castle

We spent a lovely day today travelling through the mountains (small by Alberta standards) to the cliff dwellings called Montezuma's Castle - a misnomer since Montezuma never got this far north and it really isn't a castle. But it was spectacular anyway. That's it way up where that cave in the cliff is.


Wendy and Randy standing by a sign on the trail. It was the most beautifully arranged monument I've ever seen - very quiet, peaceful and natural with a hushed, reverent feeling about it. The actual cliff dwelling is fragile now so people aren't allowed to climb up to it.





At the base of the cliff there's an expanse where the cliff dwellers used to farm, with this river, Beaver River, running by the edge of it.



There were lots of beautiful white trees, Arizona Sycamore, that had smooth white bark with mottled patterns.

A small grove of Arizona sycamores.

Lloyd and Randy resting against the sycamores

I'm sitting here on the lower ledge of the cliff dwelling of "the people next door". It isn't in as good condition as Montezuma's Castle but it shows where the second group of people used to live.

This is part of their wall with windows built into the front.

Now here's three more shots of Montezuma's Castle. We really missed having Mickey on this little expedition. At one time or another each one of us mentioned how much she would have loved it there, with so many pictures to take. Next time you're down here Mickey, we go there for sure.

This last one is a picture of a diarama that had been built to show a cut-away of the interior of the dwelling, explaining what each area was used for. Quite ingenious people back then. No one knows what happened to the ancients who lived there for over 300 years, or why they deserted their home. The cliff homes were warm in the winter and cool in the summer, although I'd hate to have to raise kids up there.


I'd recommend it as a 'must-see' to everyone within a half day's drive of Camp Verde, Arizona.