Happy Busy-ness

Son Ben said he planned to visit us and bring two of his sons along.  We anticipated the visit with delight, especially the chance to spend some time with Ben, our very busy boy.  He and sons, William and Zachary, arrived last Sunday night, during our addiction recovery meetings.  Our neighbor and friend, Larry Wintersteen, picked up and delivered them to our home for us.  It is so great to have good friends.

In addition to them, my temple friend from our Oakland Temple days, Nikki Larsen and her special needs daughter, Heather, arrived the next day, to spend the week with us.  Heather attends a horse riding camp here every summer and this was the week for it.  So our house was full and busy as you may imagine.  Having the boys here brings up an ongoing conflict that Layne and I have.  I think that spending time with visiting family and friends takes absolute top priority.  I want to talk to them, play with them, provide fun experiences for them as well as care for them.  I wrap my life around them while they are here.  I think it is important to provide happy memories and to get close to them while we have the chance.  After all, most of the time we don't have them near.  Layne, on the other hand, feels no need to do that.  He is happy to continue his usual routine, visiting when the time opens up but not feeling inclined to go out of his way to do so.  "Let the kids play," he tells me.  "You don't have to entertain them."  But I think I do and I get a bit short tempered when he doesn't go along.  Of course I'm not presenting his side of this disagreement very well.  But, after all, I'm sure I'm right!

Layne bought some fireworks for William and Zachary.  We celebrated in the back yard.  Also present are friend Nikki Larsen and, behind the walker, her daughter Heather.

Because of this basic philosophical disagreement, I spent most of the time with the boys and gave them some fun times, I think.  After reading a book on Boise activities for children, written by friend Marianne Wilcox, I decided that they should try tubing.  So I bought some tubes, a pump and safety vests and, with friend Phyllis took the boys to Boise's biggest park, Anne Morrison Park.  The Boise River runs through it, providing lovely summer wetness and a fun tubing experience, according to the book.  Off we went, in the hot summer sun, headed for the 9th Street Bridge, using Marianne's book to guide us.  After wandering around town for over an hour in search of it, I finally called Marianne herself and finally found the starting spot under the 9th Street Bridge.  So we began to pump up the tubes.  We all took turns pumping, but the more we pumped, the more the tubes leaked that hard-earned air until we finally gave up.  Wouldn't you think two kids and two women could figure out how to pump up two brand new tubes?  Apparently not.

                                 Zach and Will at the Boise River's edge.

So we took the boys to a nearby fountain.  The hot summer day was blessed with a breeze, which blew the fountain water in all sorts of happy directions.  Our two boys joined other kids as they screamed with joy, running in all directions under the rotating mist, getting soaked and loving it.  A cloud cover compromised the extreme heat, making it even nicer.  Our failed tubing experiment melted away in pleasures as we watched the boys play for over an hour, until, exhausted, they were finally willing to call it a day.

Zach and Will at the fountain in Anne Morrison Park. The wind provided a wet adventure in mist.

                          The boys, drying out after the fountain experience.

Ben agreed to come with us the next day, and give the boys one more chance to tube down the Boise River.  Layne showed me how to inflate the tubes, mumbling something about his surprise that I couldn't figure it out myself.  Men.  Ben, Phyllis, boys and I headed for the 9th Street Bridge once again, and this time we drove right to it.  With safety jackets in hand and tubes on the boys, they made their way into the river.  Before we knew it they were off....without the life jackets!  Immediately I imagined them drowned, and on my watch!  We ran beside the river, calling to them at every opening at the river's edge to come to shore for the jackets.  I succeeded in getting one boy and Ben the other.  They finished their run and begged for another ride.  Ben, in rescuing William, got his iphone, stored in his pocket, wet.  Too wet.  As in no longer able to turn on wet.

                                                   Ben and his boys, Zach and Will.

So, after racing back and forth on the path beside the river 4 times and getting extraordinarily hot, we left the boys with Phyllis and headed to the Apple Store to replace Ben's phone.  Got it done, returned to the park for the boys and our last day ended quite differently than planned.  But the boys loved the tubing!

Ben and boys left for home Friday morning.  Nikki and Heather finished their riding school on Friday and stayed on through Saturday, providing us with some girl time.  We shopped, permed and colored Nikki's hair and had a generally good bond.  They left this morning, providing us with a day without company.  But only a day.  Reed, Dorothy and kids are coming tomorrow!

                                                       Heather and Nikki Larsen.