Cocooning

August 27 - September 2, 2017

This was a long week. I felt overwhelmed and alone. But thankfully each day we got into a pattern and it helped me to feel more like myself. Not having a phone, being able to connect to others made it very hard the beginning of the week. I felt like I was stranded on a deserted island. Thankfully it didn't last long. I feel ungrateful for even feeling this way because Nicole is amazing and the transitioning process has been going very well. Better than I anticipated. We have received so many blessings, no room for complaints or pity parties.

It has been so fun to watch the kids bond with Nicole. Because she is so loving, affectionate and fun its easy to do. If you put in the time with her it's easy to have a relationship with her. I do have to say that our cocooning process isn't exactly what I had envisioned. But by the end of the week, I can say that I do think it is working for us. My job is to make sure it continues to work and to tweak it if needed. Lots of awesome people to love in this house.

Sunday, 08.27

Monday, 08.28

Tuesday, 08.29
Happy 12th Birthday Lorna!!

Wednesday, 08.30

Thursday, 08.31

Friday, 09.01

 Saturday, 09.02

~~~Romans Reflections~~~

H O M E !!!

August 20 - 26, 2017

Life in Nyssa {from my parents weekly letter}

Monday was the eclipse and Ontario was right in the path. The schools of the children all had field trips, science projects and explanations planned. We bought 3 glasses of our own and Jane, Dirk and I headed for the park where Spencer played flag football in Ontario. Only 4 other families were there, perfect. Jane had packed snacks for all of us and brought two of her beanie boos. We thoroughly enjoyed it! It was spectacular and beautiful! Jane did great and it was a lovely morning. When we returned home we could still see the moon slipping away, with our glasses. That morning we had pancakes for the eclipse and pepperoni pizza in honor of the eclipse. Lots of circles. In Family Home Evening we learned more about President Monson's life since it was his birthday. Pretty cool to have a lunar eclipse on your 90th birthday!

Monday was also the first day of high school for Austin. The bus picks him up at the house. He wasn't excited for us to be out on the balcony. So we all looked through the window. I noticed Wednesday morning when his parents were there they were both outside on the porch watching him get on the bus with his siblings. Sorry Austin we're all just excited for you and love you!

Tuesday we headed to Boise Airport along with Bill and Cindy Romans, the Farnsworths, Rachel's friend and her adopted daughter, the Roches and Tio and Teresa from the branch.  We waited patiently for Kurt, Rachel and Nicole to come walking through the door. The majority of us were wearing the red "All Are Alike Unto Him" t-shirts and we had signs, flowers, balloons and a stuffed animal from Teresa. The Romans children were so excited to see their parents and Nicole. It was a tender moment to watch the hugs and hellos. Nicole is very loving and went to all of us and gave us hugs and wasn't shy about being held. We all fell in love! Ahhhhh, welcome to the family sweet, sweet girl!!!

That evening she opened a present from Grandpa and Grandma Waite,  a new quilt for Nicole. She loved the tissue paper and the quilt. It was fun. Nicole likes to eat and does well feeding herself. I think we might have an "Eleanor" situation. Nicole's sisters like to mother her like Adelaide and Gwen like to mother Eleanor. I'm sure with time they will all figure it out.

There was so much to talk about and share that evening and the next morning. Only Austin and Emma went to school and the rest stayed home with Mom and Nicole on Wednesday morning. 

Dirk and I headed home on Wednesday. We enjoyed getting to know our grandchildren better and being a part of their lives for three weeks. For us it was positive and we sure love those Nyssa grandchildren! (And all the other grandchildren too!)

Meanwhile in VIETNAM

Sunday, 8.20

Monday, 8.21

Tuesday, 08.22

 Wednesday, 08.23

Thursday, 08.24

Friday, 08.25
Happy 38th Anniversary to my wonderful parents!!

Saturday, 08.26

The Great-Bringing-Nicole-Home-Adventure Week 3

August 13 - 19, 2017

Life in Nyssa {from my parents weekly letter}

We are privileged to watch the miracle unfold in Vietnam of Rachel and Kurt receiving Nicole and seeing her accept and love them.  Meanwhile, on the home front ...  

There is one Jane Romans when all her siblings are home and another Jane Romans when she is home alone.  We are glad we got to meet the second Jane Romans on Friday when everyone else went to school.  She is so pleasant.

Austin started as manager of the football team this week.  Because his friends are managers, too, he loves to go to practice.  Now his parents have an excellent carrot to dangle when they need to have work done or homework finished.  

Twice-a-day football practices never finished at the same time from one day to the next.  I'm not complaining since I always had a good book handy. 

Why is it that our grandchildren devoured the mac-and-cheese-chicken-enchilada dish that Emma prepared as part of the back-to-school dinner but refused to eat it as a leftover?

Jane went down the big swimming pool slide by herself for the first time.  She was very proud of herself, and rightly so!  That was part of the 3 hours we spent at Lakeview Pool in Nampa with the Farnsworth cousins.  It is a small, shallow, inexpensive pool with a good slide.  Perfect for our group of little cousins.  We had our work cut out for us when a summer school class of about 25 kids showed up and filled the pool.  It was harder to keep an eye on ours.  When Spencer exited the pool 1 hour before the others, Ben kept him busy by showing him how to make and braid a leather bracelet.  

We appreciate Elaine's thoughtfulness as she tried to give us a break from child-care duties by getting together to swim on Wed and coming to visit on Saturday.  She brought food and games for the kids yesterday afternoon.  We learned that Spencer can keep two balloons in the air the longest.    

After 2 1/2 weeks of contention, we arrived at the breaking point this week.  As a result, I pulled Austin away from the dinner table to talk and then Emma.  They both have been trying harder.  Why did I wait so long?           

The McFarland USA movie was so good that the girls watched it two nights in a row this week.  

The best dish washers award goes to Ruth and to Lucy.  The other five nights of the week the dishwashers try to avoid the work at all cost and then have to be called back 4 or 5 times before the work is finished.  

At 11 year old scout day camp, Spencer and his cousin Braxton arranged to get together on Saturday afternoon.  The possibility of going with Spencer motivated Austin to get up from his sick bed and mow the grass.  The play date didn't materialize but we got the grass mowed.   

Is it possible that Rachel never hears "thanks, Mom, for driving me to ..."?  I think it's possible.  

On the first day of school Claudia pulled out of the driveway, drove up the first hill and at the crest saw two deer on the side of the road.  As she drove by the large fawn spooked and jumped in front of the Romans' suburban.  Now the suburban has a big dent in the passenger-side bumper and the deer is dead.  Claudia continued on to school.  Emma and Lucy arranged for Emma to take Lucy to her 1st grade classroom. The first day of the school class consisted of a lot of talking about the eclipse and practicing how to put on the eclipse glasses.  Ontario is in the path of the full eclipse!    

Ruth likes leg stretching and exercises while seated in a chair.   She exercised with me 2 days in a row this week.  It would have been more but then school started.  We do YouTube videos of aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises for seniors.   (Seniors are allowed to use a chair.)  

We start family scripture study with a short video from the lds.org home page or LDS Newsroom.  Then we jump into the Book of Mormon.  

We have spent a lot of time with our grandchildren.  We feel more comfortable with them and they with us.  We had some great experiences together.  When it has not been so great, we remember that grandchildren are works in progress, just as we were at their age. 

Meanwhile in Vietnam ...