Afternoon Tea at the Empress

The Empress Hotel is famous for its Victorian afternoon tea. Being a Janeite and a bit of an anglophile I have wanted to do this for a long time. I was so excited to make it a part of a wonderful anniversary trip. My husband really went above and beyond with this one!The tea starts with fresh strawberries and cream.

I don’t drink tea, because being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) I uphold a standard called the Word of Wisdom, But hot chocolate is also served when requested, and it was very good. Of course a variety of teas are available, including herbal tea.A beautiful assortment of tea sandwiches were served. Our selections included egg salad croissants, smoked salmon wheels, and chicken curry sandwiches. There were also scones with jam and cream, and a variety of chocolates and other miniature sweets. There is a children’s tea available and I have to say that the little children, mostly girls with mothers and grandmas, looked so adorable with their own little fancy tiered plates in front of them. I know the afternoon tea is pricey for most of us, but it is not just a meal, it is a special experience.I would like to thank my husband Jon for 27 wonderful years of marriage, and the best anniversary weekend ever. I was completely spoiled and treated like royalty. Thank you, sweetie. I love you with all my heart!

-Lynnae

My Daughter is Married

I guess the word is poignant.

When she and her new husband walked out of those doors husband and wife I was overflowing with joy. My oldest daughter was married, married to a great young man I admire, with a family I’ve grown to adore. She married in the Holy Temple in a beautiful ceremony with her loved ones around her, a lovely, worthy, Daughter of God. As a mother I could not be more pleased. As the days pass I miss her a little bit, even though she’s spent most of her time at college the past few years I begin to feel a little wistful. My first little girl.  It’s sad, but as I sometimes say, it’s a good sad.

   I hope my younger daughters follow her example someday, but at the moment I just want to hold them tight.

Being enormously busy planning a wedding and reception did help to shield me from the emotions that start welling up now. But I just keep acknowledging that it is a ‘good sad’ and I’ll see her again soon.

-Lynnae

Mother’s Day 2010

Today I’m thinking about my Mother and Grandmothers and what their legacy and heredity has given me. To mention a few…..

My maternal grandmother’s mother, Ingeborg, was Swedish. She was a great seamstress. During the depression she would sew lovely dresses for others, then out of the leftover fabric make beautiful dresses for her daughter. She was talented but also suffered with anxieties and worries that her husband would try to soothe. 

 

 Great-grandma pedaling her sewing machine outside while she watches her little one play

Her daughter Linnea is my Grandma, and I’ve told you a lot about her. My home is adorned with things she has made, especially at Christmas time. And yet she said to me recently that she didn’t see herself as creative. I said ‘but what about all the lovely things you’ve made for everyone over the years?’  “Well, sure if you count using a pattern.” It has me chuckling, and yet as I have spoken to her about her life I see many feelings of inadequacy and just generally her being hard on herself. So much of her personality and behavior as a youth was similar to mine….being shy, not wanting to try things or meet new people…..and yet she is hard on herself, where I have learned to laugh and say ‘Yep, that’s me, that’s just how I was.’ I’m a lot more forgiving of myself now. Where did I learn that?

My mother is insightful, religious and incredibly creative. She loves children. She raised twelve of her own and when the youngest entered first grade Mom went back to school for her teaching degree. She is currently a 1st grade teacher, but she brings an extra dose of art and music, often at her own time and expense.

It was common for our house to be in a turmoil with a creative  project, and as children there was an endless supply of art materials, fabric scraps, books and costumes, and we could be up to something crazy, messy, and creative and there never was much more than a raised eyebrow. Creative expression was valued highly in our home.

While all the women in my family bring a strong spiritual heritage, including visions and dreams that would come to pass, my paternal grandmother’s mother had an exceptional trial in this way. She was forewarned of the death of her husband and sons in a series of tragedies. The household that once earned money through singing and a family band that would play at dances several times a week, and could brag of a winning baseball team comprised of the brothers, became contracted within a few short years.

Her daughter Mabel was my grandmother on my dad’s side. After the passing of her brothers she would sing church hymns at the piano with her sister. As a grandmother she loved to tell stories to her grandchildren, from recounting the family history to fantastic tales of Chocolate Town. She also showed her love through food. As a young adult I was visiting, and she asked what I would like for breakfast. I told her not to worry, I just would have a little cereal. In the morning I woke to oatmeal, bacon, pancakes, juice  and fruit. “Grandma, I said I just wanted cereal.” I tried to say nicely. “Oh, yes, there’s cereal over there too.” You couldn’t argue with the dear woman. Rationalizing that it was only a few days I smiled and ate the food. Grandma always spoke to us about the gospel, the Savior, and going to the temple. She wanted all of her descendants to have the gospel in their lives.

Thank you lovely ladies for making me who I am today. It is an honor being your daughter and granddaughter.

-Lynnae

Back from Utah

Here are pictures from my Utah trip with Arianne to visit her future University. For two days we stayed in St. George where I went to school, soaked in a little sun and climbed around on the red hills.

This is the pool area at the hotel. SUNSHINE!!!!!! But don’t try and plan your evening around the timer on the hot tub, because it is WAY off. We thought we’d been out 15 minutes and it was more like 40!

This is a picture of the lovely St. George Temple at night. It belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was the first one completed after the Mormon pioneers were expelled from Illinois and made their trek to Utah.   After St. George we drove back up to Utah Valley where I stayed with my sister Brooke for two days. On Friday we had a cookout up in the canyon. All the parents were on double duty because they were watching extra kids while a few couples were gone away on a cruise. The kids were all having the time of their lives eating hot dogs and s’mores and playing in a nearby creek.  Eric, Krisi, me and Brooke, siblings around the campfire. 

We also spent some time with family and visited my oldest daughter. We met her boyfriend for the first time. For some reason I didn’t take any pictures of them, but they will be up here soon, so I’ll take some then.

 

Well, that’s my trip. It really felt sandwiched in between a lot of other things going on here, but it was a nice break and good to spend time with my daughter one on one.

- Lynnae

Easter 2010

  I am so grateful for Easter time. We had a nice dinner with family over, then we colored eggs. Here is a snapshot of our creations.

We did a regular dye kit and a marbleizing dye which we’ve never done before.

It was also General Conference weekend for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which means we watch and listen to sermons from the church leaders in Salt Lake City via satellite, radio or internet. So rather than go to church we get comfy at home and watch the programs on TV on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a little different, not going to church on Easter Sunday, but we had a lovely day at home and the talks were comforting and uplifting.

Friday my daughter had a lumbar puncture to hopefully figure out what she’s suffering from. The procedure itself went well but she was in tremendous pain later on and we ended up staying almost all night. I won’t go into details but we agree that it was the most horrible night of our lives. Seeing your child suffer tremendously and feeling like there is no one who is able to help you- feeling terrified and abandoned in the middle of a modern hospital is a terrible sensation I won’t soon forget.

I have prayed more this past week than any other period in my life I’m sure. I need the comfort that only God can give, and trusting in him seems harder when it’s my child and not myself who is suffering, but I pray for peace and understanding.

Hopefully these tests will yield some answers. We were afraid our trip might be cancelled, but she’s recuperating well and has her heart set on seeing her new college, her older sister, and sister’s new boyfriend. I am excited too. So we’ll go and take it easy. I will try and bring you pictures!

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

                                                   Proverbs 3:5,6

 

-Lynnae