A couple of days ago we were talking in the car (where we spend most of our time these days). Lizzie asked after we were discussing something positive about Grant, “Is there anything Dad can’t do? I wanted to say, “Yes, he can’t beat me at chess.” Instead, Sam answered, “No, Dad can do anything!” then, thinking he amended, “Actually, Dad can’t relax until his work is done! That is something Dad can’t do!” Thanks for the great example Mr!
Goats and the Suzuki Method
I had NO IDEA that the goats were in so much danger when I read that google search that Sam did. On Thursday morning after he discovered what had happened in the night he came in so worked up and told me all about it. I am getting so immune to the pre-pubescent drama that is going on right now in our household that I was hardly even listening! I think I nodded and said “mmmhmm. Really? Oh dear!” (In a very convincing way.) In the meantime I think I might have been planning out my day. However, I found out later that the goats were in real danger, they could have died! Thursday night when I found myself sticking a three foot tube down one goat’s throat to induce gas release I was kicking myself that I hadn’t listened that morning! Especially when that process induced rumen spew! A lot of green liquid that covered Grant (the one holding the goat), me (the one with the tube) and Sam (especially Sam because he was the one holding Caramel’s mouth open). Lizzie (the flashlight holder) escaped because she was far enough away. William wanted nothing to do with it and was over by the shed trying to get chicken yuck off his school shoes (the same shoes that Sam ran over the next day and chopped up with the lawn mower). I will now list all the things we did for the goats over the space of three days:
1) Several Google searches
2) At least six phone calls to people for ideas on how to help them (two ward members, two ranch vets, the breeder who sold us the goats, and a guy at the feed store.)
3) Five trips to two different feed stores, grocery store and walmart to get remedies.
4) Administered an anti bloat serum, mineral oil, and baking soda mix to each goat with syringes. (sadly Caramel swallowed two inches of the rubber tubing we attached to the end of the syringe).
5) The aforementioned tubing vomit incident.
6) Gave them a bowl full of baking soda to munch on during the day – which they wouldn’t touch.
7) Sam hand fed them fresh picked raspberries from the garden which is their favorite treat (or should I say second favorite- chicken feed being their first favorite) to try to give them some nutrients since they weren’t eating.
8) I drove them out of their pen to let them walk around thinking that an open invitation to all the tempting delights of our backyard would get them moving and movement helps relieve gas. They just stood there in the middle of the lawn dazed and depressed until even that was too hard and then they layed down. I had to carry Caramel (who is the one in the worst shape) back to the pen because he wouldn’t move! We were both trembling from the exertion by the time we got back to the pen.
9) Grant force fed them greek yogurt (probiotics) mixed with baking soda from a syringe.
10) Last ditch effort: Pepto-bismol (15 ml each) and that seemed to do the trick. I am happy to report that even with a near brush with a secondary infection of pneumonia the goats seem to be on the mend!
All throughout I wondered if this was all worth it. Animals are so much work, and expensive, and sometimes gross and stinky, often times inconvenient but oh so worth it! While we were out there on Thursday at 10 pm working as a team, in the dark getting drenched in green goo and pulling together for the same cause, learning great life lessons I realized that if I had the choice, I would do it all over again! (I could do without the chickens though.) Our children were learning about sacrifice, life, death, faith and fear, work, love, loss, and consequences (what happens when you take shortcuts and leave the lid to the chicken feed bucket loose). They also learned about prayer! (I can’t even count how many petitions were made to Heavenly Father for the recovery of Caramel, Chester and Friendy!)
On a lighter note: Lizzie had her Half Book Recital at 3pm on Saturday. Which means she has completed the first half of Suzuki Book One for Cello. Kayson Brown, her teacher, the Saxeys, Gramma Sheri and Leah and Trevor came to watch her play for about fifteen minutes of songs accompanied by Grant on the piano. She played twinkle variations and about six other songs. Then Grant and Lizzie played a lovely song they had been playing together for about six months. For the Suzuki songs it was wonderful to see the fruits of our labor. It has been over a year of hard work for both Lizzie and I as I have striven to practice with her every day. She is a lovely player who is finally getting the feel of the sound her cello can make and the beauty of the instrument. When she was learning “French Folk Song” the first song after all the Twinkle Variations about six months ago Kayson, who was trying to get her to feel the music asked her, “What is the most beautiful instrument in the world?” Lizzie quizzically guessed, “the harp?” to which Kayson indignantly replied, “NO! The cello is the most beautiful instrument in the world!” I think that Lizzie finally feels like the cello IS the most beautiful instrument in the world, and you can hear it in the way she is starting to play.
But far and away the best part of the whole recital was hearing Grant and Lizzie play their song together. I sat there in awe at the beauty of the process and reward of developing our talents. Here was Grant, the father, playing with Lizzie the daughter, pouring their hearts out into the music and exposing those hearts to the rest of us. Here was Grant who can bless our family and others because he had a mother who challenged him and sacrificed to help him develop his talent. And now the next generation is coming forth to develop theirs and I am a part of it! Wednesday after I had been in the car for 3 1/2 hours driving kids and waiting for kids during their lessons I suggested that we should quit everything. “Wouldn’t it be so great to just come home from school, do a little homework, a few chores and just be free for the rest of the evening?” I asked. I was met with great resistance and so we continue. Saturday’s recital was just the boost I needed to keep going.
Animal misshaps
I just got on my computer and found the remains of a Google search by Sam…the goats did not die.
20 Years Since High School
This weekend we were in St. George for Grant’s 20 year high school reunion. What an interesting experience that was! It has been a long time since we were in a room full of people our same age! That never happens anymore. And what a unique age we are right now too. As I looked around I saw people who had infants and teenagers, some people looked much older that 38 and some much younger. Some people were just starting new careers and some had been in their chosen profession for almost the whole of the 20 years since graduation.We all seemed to be neither young nor old, just somewhere in the middle! It seemed the men were trying to hasten the aging process to gain credibility in their professions and the women for the most part were trying to halt it! I was just happy that the man I was with was the handsomest, best man I know- and the love of my life. Oh, and he got voted to be the “Mitt Romney Lookalike” (I think Grant is way better looking)
We stayed at the Marriott where the reunion dinner took place. Our children stayed in the room one floor up while we were at the dinner. It worked out marvelously. They had a great time eating pizza in the room and having free reign of Grant’s I-pad and my phone. Sam texted us at about eight to let us know that Anna was melting down at which point I went upstairs and tried for the next two hours to get them to settle down and go to sleep!
This is the photo we submitted of our family for the reunion. One of the few recent ones we have of all of us. (I thought my stand up bangs in this photo would fit right in with the 90’s big bangs pictures we would be seeing so much that night)
And this is the photo we submitted of Grant during his high school years:
I would have been just as smitten by him then as I am now!
“Cathy: Grant and Candice and children were in our Sacrament meeting today. Grant is so darn handsome and his wife is so beautiful;goodness and the spirit emanates from them. You are blessed!——————————-
The children are adorable! Good his class reunion wasdown here.
Not much else is happening thisweek. Hope you had a wonderful week. Everything is looking goodaround here. Love, Anna Lee”
— see what a light you two are! we adore you. mom and dad
Elder Wendell and Sister Cathy Beckwith
Area Mental Health Advisors
North America South East Area AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN
(435) 619-7222 / 674-7222
Area Mental Health Advisors
North America South East Area AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN
(435) 619-7222 / 674-7222
Oh, and I had been feeling a little old thinking that we were celebrating a 20 year high school reunion until an elderly woman upon hearing why we were in town said, “Oh, that’s funny, I just had my SIXTY YEAR high school reunion!”
It is always nice to hear such nice things about oneself! After church we went to the visitors center and temple across the street. Every time I go there I am so grateful that we began our family there. Not only because we are an eternal family but simply because that temple is so white, and so magnificent. Lizzie told me that she could really feel the spirit just being there!
We all felt a loss being in St. George and not able to visit Grandpa and Gramma B. We miss them but feel so proud of them.
An Embarassing Moment
Monday night we were heading to Chili’s for dinner with the whole family and got into a discussion about snow cone shacks and how much money they make and if it is a good business or not. Sam had a good idea that made me laugh and not having my cell phone to write it down I borrowed Grant’s and attempted to text myself his idea. This is the text I thought I sent to myself:
“Why don’t we just set up an outhouse and cut a hole in the door and make it a snow cone shack! We could call it “Outhouse Ice”!
About an hour later as we were sitting at dinner, Grant who was checking his texts often due to a serious accident that occurred involving a seven year old boy whose life hung in the balance, handed me his phone with a questioning look.
I didn’t even have to look to realize what I had done. I had sent Sam’s quote to a member of the ward council, not to myself! And then I had a sinking feeling that in this serious time for our ward, maybe I had sent the message to the whole ward council!?! I hadn’t, but I had to do some explaining right away, especially because I had not prefaced the text with anything like, “Sam said”… or “While we were in the car tonight we had the following discussion”… it was just some harebrained idea sent from the Bishop to a member of the ward!
And so I sent the following explanatory text:
“I’m sorry, this is Candice here, I was trying to text myself this funny thing that Sam said so I can write it in our kid’s quote book. I didn’t mean to send this to you. I’m just glad it didn’t go to the whole ward council!”
Jeremy’s wife responded:
“This is Laura now. I want to hear the rest of it!” To which we replied:
“Just an entrepreneurial brainstorm amongst our children. More at our next visiting teaching appointment!”
How grateful I am for a patient husband, witty children and friends with a sense of humor!
Bad at blogging…3 years later!
Another school year! Sam started sixth grade, Lizzie fourth and William in kindergarten. They are all so happy about their teachers. As Sam came walking out to the car after the first day of school he gave me the two arms raised “Victory” sign because he was so thrilled about his teacher (a man no less and the first time he hasn’t gotten the notoriously strict teacher!) Lizzie is always happy with the sweet grandmotherly types and William is just excited to finally be in school with his big siblings as he always feels left out. Anna and I have been spending time together everyday. We dance together and she likes to go from being my big girl who talks well and who is potty trained to my baby who needs a diaper, must be cuddled and carried places and who can’t talk except to say in a pout-y way, “Naboo” (Why naboo of all words? I’m not sure). It must be so confusing to be 2 1/2!
A few notable discussions from the last week:
Today as we were getting ready for church Sam, Lizzie and I had the following conversation:
Me: What are you kids fasting for today?
Sam: Gramma (who just got re-married) and myself.
Me: Why you?
Sam: I’m fasting so I can stop teasing.
Me: Oh Sammy! That’s wonderful! I know that Heavenly Father will help you! Lizzie, what are you fasting for?
Lizzie: A horse.
Me (laughing): I’m not sure if Heavenly Father will help you there!
Hey, but what do I know? I shouldn’t be surprised if we end up with one in the near future.
On the way home from cello lessons on Tuesday night Lizzie was looking at my new ring and I asked her how and where she would like her future husband to propose to her. She said (without hesitating), “On the top of the bounce house at Classic Skate!” Oh these dear, dear children who bring so much light and laughter to our lives!
New to blogging
I’m finally doing it! Our page may not be cute, my entries may not be eloquent, but at least this will be a way to keep track of our life without having to find my journal and a pen…why is it that I can always find a marker but never a pen? Speaking of markers… the other day while I was engrossed in planning our anniversary trip I noticed that William had found a marker. I erroneously assumed that it was a washable marker. (Why would I ever buy markers that aren’t washable?) I gave him a few sheets of paper and went back to my planning. A short time later when he walked out of my office still clutching the marker I decided that the worst he could do was to write on a wall or two and that writing on a few walls would keep him busy for at least a half an hour. Furthermore it would only take me a minute or two to clean it off- a perfect solution for William’s entertainment. Thankfully it never occurred to him to write on any walls with his permanent marker, but he did decorate his toys, his pants and MY pants! The bright side? It did buy me some time and I left his markings on the toys for his posterity. I must say it wasn’t one of my better moments as a mother but hey- with all that planning we’re going to have a great time in France!
Success
From my brother Isaiah on 03/12/07
Candice! I loved the story (See Happy Snakes post from 3/11/07). Haha it made me laugh quite a lot. I could picture it perfectly. I miss you and your children! Come here! Send them here! Haha! Candice, what did you do to fight being frustrated on your mission? I am happy but trying not to be frustrated at times. How are you feeling? I understand that you are about to pop and don´t always feel up to writing. I won´t be offended if you don’t write. I love you Cando. Tell everyone hi. Thank you so much for the email
From me to my brother Isaiah on 03/18/07
What did I do to fight being frustrated on my mission? I punched my companion in the face, went for a long swim alone in the Mediterranean, then spent the rest of the day laying on the beach in the sun until I felt better. HA HA. Truthfully? I tried to get exercise- jogging at 5:30 am on my mission was so wonderful- I was breathing too hard to talk to my companion. I wasn’t expected to talk to anyone and the whole world was just waking up. For some reason even though we were walking and biking miles and miles every day that jog in the morning helped so much.
Also, I had to constantly re-adjust my definition of success. Success, when you are doing your best and still not having “Golden” investigators falling from the sky could sometimes mean just being able to testify at every chance you get whether anyone listens or not. Success could mean just feeling love for everyone you meet and not wanting to curse them or resign them to their fate. (I sometimes had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from saying, “Fine, BURN! See if I care!!!”) Success is also being able to laugh at life, at yourself and your weaknesses and at some of the situations you find yourself in. Success most of all is living close enough to the spirit to know that the Savior will go before you and will be on your right hand and your left and will ALWAYS be with you and will understand how you feel- for did he not experience all and more?
I love that you asked me that question because that was something I struggled with my whole mission. It is something I struggle with right now! My mind is willing but my body just won’t cooperate. You know how I am in the spring… I get all excited about all the wonderful possibilities in our yard. There is new growth and life budding all around me and I feel almost what I imagine a manic person to feel like- I am exploding with ideas and plans for our yard. So this week I went outside and decided to put up some fencing around the tender little peach trees I planted last year because they are budding now and the deer have already started to snack. Well, I was attempting to drive six foot t-stakes into the ground but my pregnant body balance was so bad that I kept falling over and couldn’t get them in. I endured as long as I could and did a pretty shoddy job but at least I finished one of the two trees. I thought, “FINE, I’ll prune the apple trees then”. The only problem with that is that I literally couldn’t fit between some of the branches in the tree because I am so big. So I could only get some of the perimeter branches. After miserably failing there I decided that really the only thing I could do was rake out the flower beds. I raked part of the front area and by then I was so physically tired that I couldn’t finish and it is nearly impossible to bend down and pick up an armful of leaves with this beach ball size belly of mine in the way. I WANTED success, and I was willing to work hard but everywhere I turned I couldn’t do what I wanted to do! Grant got home that night and I voiced my frustration to my caring, loving husband who reminded me that of all the things I do at home with Sammy and Lizzie and that I am also growing a baby inside of me (a somewhat exhausting endeavor). It is amazing how many times we get to learn the same lesson over and over again.
Now for the our family news: Grant has attained perfection (or is that not news to anyone?) Yesterday he woke up and was outside BEFORE the sun rose and started digging post holes. By the end of the day he had dug and set all the posts for our garden fence (150 feet) ALL BY HIMSELF! (I had meetings all day) Oh, did I mention he had stained them all too? We are doing only the posts in cedar but the rest of the fence will be 6′ metal ranch fencing. We all got excited talking about what kind of fruits and vegetables we will plant in our garden once the deer can’t feast on everything! (Lizzie is going to plant corn and Kiwi for Sam because he love Kiwi so much) Grant has also begun to wage war on the gophers that have started to make themselves at home in the new part of our lawn. I bought smoke bombs this week and he has had a great time planting them in their little holes! (Morbid I know, but when you have worked as hard as we have on this yard, you aren’t very tolerant of anything that mars your hard work- whether they were here first or not!
I am getting released from my position in the primary presidency. I have loved my calling but I was a little nervous about how I was going to do a good job and have a baby at the same time. I am getting a new calling in the cub scouts! It is amazing how I get all these callings that are so far beyond anything I feel comfortable doing! Scouts is a whole new world! It is overwhelming but not so demanding as my current calling. It will definitely be a learning experience. And, now I will be able to go to Relief Society which I have missed, but still be involved with primary children which I love. I am still on my health kick. We eat a smoothie a day, hardly any sweets, no white bread, no soda, no chips besides tortilla, and I am trying to cut out all trans fats. The kids and Grant have been really good sports about it.
Sam, what can I say about Sammy-bam? We have been working on helping him not sound like a “Know-It-All.” Especially with Lizzie. She will proudly announce a new finding, “‘B’ says ‘Buh'” and Sammy will say, “EVERYONE knows that Lizzie” I want her to have the benefit of learning things and feeling like the smartest kid in the world like Sammy did. He is aware of it now and working on it. Sammy has also taken on the role as Lizzie’s protector, (except when he is in the mood to tease), and comfort giver. Which totally delights me. If she falls down and scrapes her knee (which happens all the time- as we are all aware of how graceful she is) Sammy takes it upon himself to sit down next to her and hug her and kiss her. Then he will check the wound and get her to lie down (even on the pavement outside if that is where the accident occurred). It is very cute.
Lizzie is blossoming so much. She struggles still with fake crying and whining and her normal girl theatricals- but she is getting much better about that. She got a bike last Friday that she is finally able to ride. For the first day or so she just proudly sat on the seat and put stuff in the basket. What four year old girl wouldn’t be proud of a purple and white bike with a basket? Her drawing is even better this week than it was last week because she spends more than HALF her day doing it. She has even started to not just draw what is in her mind but she will look out the window and draw what she sees, mountains, trees, birds etc. It is wonderful. I know I need to send out some of her artwork to you. I promise I’ll do it before you come home. It is so interesting how different these children are from each other.
Well, we are getting very excited for General Conference. I LOVE this time of year. It combines my three favorite things: Easter (my favorite holiday) Conference (so relaxing and uplifting) and Spring (so exciting and fresh and NEW) and this year we get to add one more- when conference rolls around we will only have ONE MORE MONTH before our little baby is born. I feel funny calling him a little baby because he certainly seems big enough right now. He is probably around four pounds and will double in weight in the next seven weeks. Can you believe it? Right now he will move and Grant sitting near by can see my whole belly move. Or, the baby will shift a little in there and suddenly there will be a big bulge on one side of my stomach and I will look lopsided! Grant and I were laughing last night while watching the migration patterns of Jr. because we realized how funny it would look if all of a sudden Grant’s stomach did that! Maybe “funny” isn’t the right word- I think I would be more inclined to take him straight to the hospital! We still haven’t settled on a name but have ruled out Soloman, and Saul-my two favorites. Grant finally helped me see that we couldn’t name our child after a man that had 40,000 concubines, or a man who persecuted members of the church. Why couldn’t they have been better men? They had such great names!
Ok, I think I will end now. Bed time you know. Keep up the good work. I am so glad you are in an obedient mission. We were told ours was the hardest mission too (ten years ago) but we didn’t have an obedient mission and that made it all the harder. Let me know if there is anything you need or want. Do you need any simple recipes or anything? Do you eat with members ever? Or are you always on your own for meals? We love you so much!
Love and xoxox,
Cando
Happy Snakes
Letter to my brothers on 03/11/07 at 9:28 PM
Tonight I will write just one story:
Friday Sammy had to do a zoo report. He had to select an animal and talk for about two minutes about that animal. He chose a snake. (Of course!) For Sammy the bigger and more deadly the bettter. Well, we decided to tape enough paper together in a row to illustrate how long the longest snake ever found was (32 foot Reticulated Python). About an hour before school he decided that plain paper just wasn’t good enough so we unfolded the full 32 feet on the floor and Sam proceeded to DRAW the python. Then realizing the outline and drawn head of the snake wasn’t enough detail he started to draw the spots on it too. Lizi really wanted to help and so Sammy graciously allowed her to color in the spots.
Before I go on with the story, I guess I better explain the different drawing styles of Sammy and Lizi. Sammy draws spaceships shooting their lasers at each other and snakes and bats and other dangerous animals- usually his pictures are quite…well…masculine. Lizi on the other hand is really into drawing and she draws happy fluffy lions (her favorite animal) and happy people and happy cats and happy dogs and even occasionally a happy spider. All of nature is happy- flowers and trees and clouds and suns ALL have big smiles on them. Her pictures are quite…well…feminine. So, Sammy allows Lizi to color in the python spots and while he is busily drawing more spot outlines for her to color, she generously bestows Sammy’s python with a perfect little happy smile. Sammy soon notices and very patiently explains, “LIZI, this is not a HAPPY snake! This is a TOUGH snake!” Then he colors the whole head (which is rather large) green- the same color as the smile which sufficiently hides the smile transforming the happy snake into a tough one. I was quite proud of the little guy for his patience. I was also quite proud of Lizi for her…happiness!
We loved getting your e-mail. We are glad you are enjoying your area. I hope to write more another night but for now I need to end. I am SO tired. I am also realizing that I have entered the last stretch of pregnancy where you don’t ever actually get a good night’s sleep. I think in preparation for the sleep deprivation of having a new baby!
I love you. I love what you are doing. I love that our children can pray for their uncles and are excited about what you are doing. Missions and missionary work are frequent topics of conversation. Lizi is very excited about going on a mission and Sam is a little nervous about it. Lizi assured him that it would be ok because she would go with him and then he wouldn’t have to be alone. That made Sam feel a little better. Also, he feels a little better about it because he realized that he will be a good missionary since he knows all about the animal kingdom !?!?!?! You haven’t been teaching any hippos, bats or monkeys lately have you?
More next week I hope!
Cando
Archived 1/23/20
Earthquake-Proof Forts
Letter to my brothers 03/04/07
Time for the weekly “Beckwith Family Update” (at least I try to make it weekly):
Grant and kids made a super duper fort downstairs yesterday. It involves the built in orange desk, about six pillows, three blankets, some cardboard boxes and takes up about half the wood room down there (the one with the paneling on the walls). The kids decided today that the fort is so strong that if there is an earthquake that knocks down the house then at least we could live in the fort. (I’ll snuggle right up next to Charlie to stay warm).
Charlie looks like he is loosing a little weight. But he is still one fat soft yellow dog. (Who is also shedding like crazy). Sammy has decided Charlie is his dog and Lizzie has decided Kevin is her cat. They are both excited about being in charge of feeding their respective pets. It is kind of cute.
I think you know already that next year Grant is adding a 9th grade to the school which is significant because it is high school and with it comes all sorts of requirements and expectations. Everyone is thrilled about it and the support is high. He announced that about a month ago and just this week he proposed adding another kindergarten class, and another first and second grade class. The chairman of the board was excited and supportive but also told Grant he was “crazy” and a “work-aholic”. (he took both as a compliment-especially because he still comes home early for dinner)
As for our extended family…we are super excited for Ra to go to BYU next year- I think that will be really good for her and she might even really enjoy it. We are keeping our fingers crossed for Lex that although she “post-poned” (we take that to mean broke off) her wedding with Jeff that everything will work out as it should and for her happiness. We had a game night and dinner with dad on Friday night. Sheri and dad were so gracious. They actually seemed really happy together. Dad paid Ra ten bucks to eat a spicy wasabi peanut. She chewed it up so fast and in such a funny way she looked like a squirrel eating a nut, we were all laughing so hard. When she did it Dad was so incredulous he offered her another $10 to eat another one. Apparently, it was so spicy that when dad ate it he had to spit it out. So Ra ate another and made $20 in five minutes. Not a bad hourly rate if you ask me.
Grant and I started building the garden fence yesterday. It brought back a flood of fond fence building memories. I miss you so much!
Well, I am going to close now. I have had really bad heartburn for the past two nights which makes for a bad night sleep so I am really tired. I think I will go to bed. Know that we love you and pray for you everyday! Hope you don’t mind my updates. (ramblings)
If you think of it, please keep little baby Beckwith in your prayers. This is the part of the pregnancy that I start to get a little nervous- I have come so far- what if something goes wrong now??? Better yet, maybe pray for me to have a little faith? I know faith and fear can’t exist together. I’m working on it. But I wouldn’t mind a little help!
We love you. We love you. We love you!
Candice and Co.
P.S. We noticed buds on our fruit trees yesteray! We are so excited to see how the roses and other plantings fared the winter! I think of you everytime I walk outside. (And inside too for that matter)
Archived 1/23/20