Dear Jenn

My thank you to you is similar to my thank you to Rachel C. You both were so helpful when I was pregnant and had no idea what to expect. You were willing to share your birth story, your pregnancy woes and joys, your breastfeeding issues, your sleep deprivation, and anything else I inquired about. You weren't shy at all, and your explicitly detailed narratives were more than helpful - if there is a word that means that, insert it there!

Even after Kayla was born you were willing to answer any questions about newborn care, doctors, breastfeeding, diaper rash, baby routines, and more. You've impressed me as one of a few "Super Moms" I know, and I really appreciate your insights.

Not only did you share your experiences in hopes that they would be beneficial, but you also offered encouragement when I needed it most. Though my husband was always (and will always be) there for me, there is something different about the understanding of a fellow first-time mom. It was incredibly heartening to know that there was someone out there who understood where I was coming from, what I was feeling, and had some ideas on how to make it better...or at least bearable.

Thank you SO much for all of your sage advice and free help. You've been a godsend...even from 2,000 miles away.

Thanks, Jenn.

A Grateful Mother,
Becky

Dear Alex

You literally made high school twice as good by being there. You made me laugh so much and so hard that I often look back on those days and wish I could travel in time just so I could experience that amazing fun again.

You and I had a lot in common back then. We had some great conversations, and not all of them were in Musfinqil. :)

In fact, now that I'm looking back on it, that word seems such a natural part of my vocabulary and the language so ingrained in my mind that I can't ever remember not knowing and using it. (Does anyone still remember what "Musfinqil" stood for in the first place?) But it's kind of like you. I can hardly remember a time when you weren't a part of my life. And THAT is a good thing.

You've taught me a lot. Mostly because you talk a lot and you know about everything there is to know about anything, but I've had some amazingly deep philosophical conversations with you that I really do miss these days.

I'm super glad you're still around the area and that we're still friends. I'm pretty sure you're one of those people God put in my life for a lifetime, not just a mere season. And I've thanked Him for that MANY times.

Now I must thank you: Thank you for being such a good friend; thank you for teaching me things; thank you for always being willing to answer my questions, even when they were really hard ones; and thank you for including Jason and me in your game nights. One of these days we'll do those again.

I love you, my friend.

Beckdy

Dear Rachel C.

I know I said thank you a few times while I was pregnant, but I probably didn't say it enough. You really helped me out! I was all at once terrified and thrilled and had no idea what to expect. You used your calm assurance to share with me your experience and answered any questions I had. I can't tell you how much that meant to me!

You've also been a wonderful friend, watching Kayla so Jason and I could have a much-needed date night (or two or three!), inviting us over for dinner and Sabbath games, letting us watch your adorable little boy so we could have a taste for what having a son would be like, made sure our dog had food and water while we were gone for a weekend...the list goes on.

And I cannot forget to mention how much I appreciate your musical gift. You've helped me last-minute with a few special musics for church, and you let me sing with you every month, so my life is wonderful! :) God has truly blessed our church with you and your talents and willingness to share them. Thank you for letting me be a part of that. I am so blessed every time I make music with you and Charley, and I always think, "Wow. I must really be special for God to give me this unspeakable gift."

You inspire me. Your knowledge of the Bible, your faith, your disinterest in being anyone but yourself, your ability to be such a great mother - especially now that you're pregnant with number two! - your musicality...all of it makes me want to be a better person.

Thank you, my friend!

Becky

Dear KarrLayn

You make me laugh. You're goofy, you're funny, you're fun and you're sweet and that all adds up to one fantastic woman. There have been a few women in my life who have been there for me when my mom couldn't be (i.e. at high school, during college, etc.), and you are definitely one of them.

Thanks for listening to me, and thanks for understanding me when I talked about disappointments and frustrations. As I discovered things about life I didn't necessarily like, you nodded and smiled a sad smile and said you had been there, too. And you cried with me. That helped immensely.

It was so much fun playing in steel drums with you. The interactions between you and Brandon made me laugh so often. What an adventure! We've been to Florida, Tennessee, Orcas Island and Bermuda together, and I'd always hoped we'd make it to Europe. At least one of us got to go on tour there!

Thanks for being patient with me and kindly being honest with me all the time. Thanks, too, for introducing me to your daughter. Many happy exchanges have happened between she and I and I can see where she got her beauty, for sure! :) (Hint: It wasn't Brandon.) :)

You're the lucky one who gets a "Thank You" blog from me on Mother's Day, so Happy Mother's Day to one of the world's finest. Lots of Love and a Big Hug from me to you.

Thank you for being such a wonderful second mother.

Love,
Becky

Dear Brandon

You've taught me a lot about being a musician. You have high yet realistic expectations and I appreciate your expertise. You've given me opportunities I never would have had otherwise: Learning steel Drums, playing at Disneyland, visiting Bermuda, discovering the excitement of playing all different percussion instruments, and the joy of making fun of one of the world's most fun directors. (Ahem - that's you.)

I really miss being in band, and I miss going on tours with you and your family. One day soon I hope to be able to join the wind symphony again...maybe next year when Kayla is older. I look forward to learning more Holsinger pieces, playing some more Jack Stamp numbers and perhaps performing in a Soundtrack Concert. (I can do without the Sousa, though...really.)

My eyes have been opened to a whole new world of music since performing in a group under your direction, and I've had more fun being in your band than in any other group in my life. I've also been a part of your group for longer than any other; I was in bell choir, band and choir in high school for three years, and band in elementary school for 4, but I was a part of yours for eight. And I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Thanks for being patient with me, for befriending me, for letting me explore different percussion instruments, and for giving me the opportunity to expand my musical horizons. Thanks for taking me to new places - Tennessee, Florida, Orcas Island, Bermuda - and for giving me the chance to perform at Disneyland. (So awesome!)

Thanks, too, for being a good friend. It's still weird sometimes to call you Brandon and not Mr. Beck, but I'm adjusting. :) I'm glad I know you, and I look forward to performing in your wind symphony again soon.

The One Who Was Two When You Graduated from College,
Becky

Dear Jim & Louise

I have no idea where you are these days, but judging from your age when I was seven years old, I'm going to guess that you are most likely resting, waiting for our Lord to return to take us home. Regardless, I thought of you this morning and must write you a thank you note.

The first church I remember attending was Claremont. (Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why that city is named that...are there really mountains down there? And, seeing as how it's Southern California, is it really going to be a CLEAR mountain?) There were many people there who left an indelible impression on me - Pastor Ted, Dave and Liz, Chrissy, Michael, Bonnie...and others whose names escape me after so many years. But something was different about you two, and I really don't know what.

I remember your little brown car, and how you always parked at the corner of the wall in the shade of the Eucalyptus trees in the church parking lot. I actually have no memories of you inside the church; only in your car in the large parking lot. And all of my memories include watermelon.

Who brought that melon to potluck every time? Pastor and Margie? I don't know. But whoever did it, it was a known tradition that is probably still maintained to this day. Well, maybe.

Another thing I wonder is this: Why did you two never eat inside with everyone else? Why did you always bring your lunches in little brown paper sacks and sit in your little brown Toyota in the shade with the windows rolled down? Why didn't you at least sit on the grass? Maybe my parents know the reason, but I never did. And as a kid, I never questioned it, either. That's just the way it was.

And "the way it was" included Melanie and I bringing you watermelon every potluck. While you ate your sandwiches in the car all by yourselves, we finished our potluck plates and filled another plate with slices of juicy, dripping watermelon, and ran out to your car to bring it to you. Then we'd sit on the curb and talk to you while you ate.

We felt so special, like important messengers, bringing you that melon. You always smiled so sweet and asked us questions, acting as though our lives were the most important things in the world right then. I'll never forget that.

Thank you for making some little girls feel very loved, special and important.

See you soon,
Becky

Dear Marci

You'll probably NEVER see this, but I have to write it anyway. You are one of my absolute best friends, and there is so much I love you for.

You make me laugh SO MUCH. Not just because of your sense of humour, but sometimes because of the blunders you get yourself into by trying to be unique, nice, or over-the-top. The incredible thing is that you never let ANYTHING get you down, and I admire you for that. You always have a smile on your face.

Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. Who else would have insisted we put that Austin Healy on the stage in the gym?!? Who else would have chased a DHL truck down the freeway to the loading zone to find a place still open to mail the yearbook proof before the deadline? Who else would've made "dinner" out of corn flakes, maple syrup and peanut butter...or made up a chocolate cookie recipe with anything we could find in the cupboards, and then FRY them because the oven wasn't working? Who else would've eaten a "worm" in front of speech class? (Well, okay, maybe Nathan.)

Determination really should be your middle name. Or perhaps Travel Bug. Maybe "I Need Becky to Proofread Anything I Write." :-P

Regardless, the bottom line is that I'm so glad we're friends, and I will never stop wishing we lived closer and could see each other more than 2-3 times per year. Though really...I guess that's not too bad, considering how often I see Tara (if I'm lucky, once a year).

Thanks for putting up with my crankiness, my cynicism and my blunt, tactless approach to criticism. I don't know how you did it, but thank you anyway. I love being friends with you!

Love,
Becky-Bob

Dear Merrie Beth

It's funny how sometimes you make friends in the least likely places. I NEVER would have imagined becoming good friends with someone I met while learning the difference between Transition and Active Labour or talking about what it means for one's "water" to "break."

I also never thought I'd spend most Sundays hanging out with someone whose husband took a group picture while holding a pair of forceps. LOL!

But God works in - to be cliche - mysterious ways, and this situation was no exception. I feel incredibly blessed each time I think about our friendship and how God put you in my life at just the right time.

I needed someone who completely understood my pregnancy woes, my first-time-mom joy, and my sudden lack of sleep at the end of July. I needed someone who loved God as I do, and who would accept my beliefs without hesitation. I needed someone who would work as I was to be the best Christian mom and example possible. And God sent me you.

Perfect.

Regardless of whether or not our girls remain friends through childhood, the teenage years, and adulthood, I'm fairly certain you and I will. I'm expecting to call you up and rant about how angry Kayla is making me with her 15-year-old attitude...then call you back the next day in tears when she surprises me with a home-cooked meal for dinner. I'm expecting us to attend each other's daughters' weddings, and perhaps their graduations. I'm expecting you to email me about Chloe's endless string of admirers and we can laugh at together at their antics.

You are a great listener and I love talking about motherhood with you. You and I have a lot of the same ideals and morals and it's such a relief and joy to know someone like that. I feel like I can talk to you about anything, and I love that, because there are some things husbands just can't understand that other women do. :)

So thanks for being such a good friend.

Becky

Dear Tara

Writing my thank you letter to your mom yesterday made me think of all the things I need to thank you for, too.

First of all, thank you for showing me where the "washroom" and drinking fountain were. I'm not sure how long it would've taken us to become friends if not for those five minutes. (Or maybe I should thank Miss Benwell for that...?)

Secondly, thanks for letting me borrow your coloured pencils. ...And for not getting mad at me for always asking.

Thank you for following me into the bathroom at school when another girl made me cry, and for talking me out of the stall, convincing me you were indeed still my friend and that we'd always be friends. You were right, and I'm so glad!

I remember hoping against hope that I'd get to sit with you when the teacher moved our desks around. I remember you being taken home at 2 a.m. because we were playing Crocodile and for some reason my parents didn't like us standing on the furniture and laughing hysterically at that time of the morning. I remember Saturday night ice cream. I remember being mad that you always had Pathfinders and couldn't come over much during the school year. I remember how much it annoyed me that you and Marci always wanted to let my sisters play with us. I remember filling entire notepads with notes back and forth during church. I remember exploring that scary bullet-hole-infested trailer that mysteriously had always been in that field next to the school...and getting in trouble for it. I remember you laughing at my book title about the four seasons. I remember your adventures with dog treats. I remember not understanding how you could be so nice to EVERYONE. I remember sleepovers..."How now, brown cow?" and "The countdown is down..." (Where did we ever get this stuff?!?)

Then we grew up. We graduated from high school together, went to college together, shared a dorm room together...and found out together that Nathan had been killed in a car accident. Then we cried together. We talked about boyfriends, jealousy, dates, relationships, love, and marriage. We studied together, watched movies together and ate in the cafeteria together.

Then you moved. You had boyfriends, got a tattoo, pierced your ears, got a coffee machine, bought a truck and finished your first degree. All without me. It was a sad time!

But every time we got together it was like nothing had ever changed. As though we were still having sleepovers, discussing brown cows, eating ice cream at midnight and whining about boys. You always have been my best friend, Tay-ruh...and you were right - you always will be. I couldn't ask for a better one. Thank you.

I love you, buddy!

Love,
Britches

Dear Connie

I always said you were my second mom, and it still holds true today. When my mom wasn't there (such as at school when I had to do a demonstration in class and forgot one of the ingredients), you stepped in and helped me out ("Here's a handful of quarters - go get as much 7-Up as you need out of the vending machine.").

You listen to my stories, laugh at my jokes (and don't act surprised when one is actually funny), and never say "no" when I want to come see you.

You always know just what to say...you, like my own parents, are wise well beyond your 29 years. :) You're a good listener, but you're also a wonderful advice-giver. I have never questioned how Tara could be best friends with her mother. You're a fantastic friend and an amazing person to know.

Thanks, too, for letting me be friends with your daughter. I guess you just knew that in spite of the fact that I could have been a VERY bad influence on her, that she was strong enough to instead be a wonderfully good influence on me. You raised her right, Connie, and she's taught me a lot over the years. (I guess I need to thank her for putting up with me for so long!)

You have an easy laugh that makes me smile, and a gentle voice that calms me down. I always feel important when I talk to you, and whatever issue I'm battling at that moment seems to be the only thing you care about right then. You somehow know exactly what to say and how to act to show me what I'm doing is stupid, without ever making me feel bad about myself. Thank you.

Plus, you make delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. And I'm pretty sure the number of those I could down in one sitting would rival five pieces of cake.

I love you, Connie!

Love,
Daughter #2

A Flower in the Sun

After being sick on Tuesday and the weather being nasty on Wednesday, Damie, MB and I finally got to go walking tonight. The sun was out so I figured I should probably cover up Kayla's fair skin, so she got to wear this little hand-me-down sunhat I found in a box in her closet. It's the first one she's worn and she actually kept it on her head! It's almost too small for her already, so I need to find a couple more and buy them before she outgrows this because we'll be using them a lot this summer!

Camera Phones

Today I had a conversation with my sister Rachel with pictures we took on our phones. This was one she sent me of Landon riding his big sister's bike. Morgan looks thrilled, wouldn't you say? Here's one I took of Chloe (Jake & MB's daughter) at their house this afternoon. It isn't that great of quality, but it sure made me laugh.

Tea, Anyone?

This morning I had a couple of ladies over for a Nativity planning session. We'd been trying to schedule something for several weeks and finally decided that Easter morning was about our only chance. So, since I was making them come over on a Sunday morning when they could be doing other things at their own homes, I decided to put together a nice little brunch for them. It ended up being a mini-tea and was a lot of fun. We had applesauce puffs (pictured above), bagels with cream cheese, Blueberry Slump (blueberries and sugar cooked with sweet dumplings) and homemade applesauce, along with orange juice and a variety of teas. I even set the table nice and pretty.

This afternoon we went over to Jake and MB's house for Easter dinner with them, MB's mom, sister and brother-in-law, and MB's four nephews and niece. Kayla had the perfect Easter attire.

MB had even set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids, and included Kayla and Chloe, as well. Their "hunting" consisted of MB placing a bunch of large Easter eggs on the grass and us putting Kayla and Chloe in the middle of them. Kayla grabbed several, but Chloe just wanted to socialize.

Ready to Go

Tonight Damie and I went walking (we're going to do that three nights a week now, while Jason is in wind symphony) and while Kayla and I waited for Damie and Ryann to come outside, we played a little game where Kayla was cute and I took pictures with my phone. It was an easy game. I sent this one to Daddy who was in rehearsal. I walked just over two miles; Damie walked to Wal-Mart, making her walk just under 1 3/4 miles, unless she also walked back, which I don't know. In which case she walked quite a bit more. I'm excited about walking in College Place again. I've missed it.

Payback

Chloe and Kayla are getting more and more used to each other...well, actually I guess I should say that Kayla is getting more tolerant of Chloe's presence. For some reason Kayla has a very large personal space bubble and Chloe has none, so Kayla is constantly crying when Chloe gets too close. If you recall the pictures of them in their matching winter dresses, Chloe made good on her reputation of being super friendly and unaware of personal boundaries and stuck her fingers in Kayla's eyes, nose and mouth (all at the same time). Kayla of course cried, and the resulting photos were hilarious. Tonight, Kayla attempted to return the favour.

Tofu & Croquet

If you look closely at this picture, you might see Noel's head. Between the two trees there, he's in the grass, playing croquet by himself. Don't worry, Jason, Aric, Jared and Adam eventually joined him for the "Gentleman's Game" as Jared called it. We were at Jared and Damie's house for a Spring Break BBQ with Jared's homemade tofu burgers. It was relaxing; we sat on blankets and talked and enjoyed our food...Kayla even liked the burgers (I broke off a few small pieces of the tofu and let her eat them).

Yves Rocher

Today I had a very unique experience. Some of you may recall that I (used to) keep a Walla Walla Valley Daily Photo blog. I've been terrible at keeping up with it since returning to work (work+baby+marriage+everything else I get myself into=no time for multiple blogs), but back when I was doing a fairly good job of it I met Cieldequimper: The woman who posted daily photos from her home town of Versailles, France. After commenting on each other's photos nearly daily, we began emailing and exchanged stories. She had friends in the Walla Walla area whom she visited often. She was planning to come in the spring of 2010 to see them again, and if she did, she said she'd like to meet me. Well, today was that day, and we met at Starbucks in Walla Walla. The sweetheart brought me a lovely gift wrapped in pretty red paper (as seen above). She said she wanted to bring me something quite French and had settled on this. The sticker said "Yves Rocher."

Yves Rocher is a cosmetics company that is, indeed, quite French. Yves Rocher himself died in December, and 20,000 people turned out for his burial. Inside the package Ciel brought me was some great bath stuff that I am excited to use. Next time I go to Paris I'll bring her a little something from the Pacific Northwest. Thanks, Ciel!

A Swingin' Good Time

I have no idea why Jason's face is contorted like that, but it makes me laugh. He got the privilege of taking Kayla on her first swing ride, and she loved it! Merrie Beth and Jake took turns with Chloe, but I was too short to get on the swings. Okay, that's not really true; MB is shorter than I am and she got on. I guess I was too busy taking pictures and recording video. Chloe didn't seem to care about the swing, but Kayla giggled and squealed. We'll definitely have to do this again...we'd walked from Jake and MB's house down to Rogers School to get some fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. It was fun! Then we walked back and ate dinner, which was delicious.

She Takes After Her Grandmother

When my mom saw this picture she said, "A girl after my own heart!" Other than that, nothing really needs to be said.

Chillin'

This afternoon Jason and I were invited over to our friends' house. Damie is an excellent cook, so we NEVER pass up an opportunity to enjoy her food. And we were not disappointed. Delicious pasta with homemade tomato sauce and a salad with what was most likely a homemade vinaigrette dressing was the fare. While we ate, we had fun watching the little girls hang out on the floor. Here's Damie and Jared's daughter, Ryann, relaxing in the swing.