Apache Adoption Agency

By some miracle, aligned stars, or the cosmos smiling down on us, all of my sisters (Miriam, Bethany, Kathryn, Liz, and Rivka), my mom and I were able to clear our schedules and come up with child care in order to take a much needed holiday all together. Destination? Davis, CA to visit Grandma Mikkelsen, where else? And it just so happened that the only weekend we all had free from February to May was over my three-decade birthday/Easter Sunday. The festivities started Thursday night when all the girls, minus Rivka who flew into Sacramento from BYU, came to spend the night. Mom took a quick trip to Michael's office for some treatment, then they all crashed in the honeymoon suite, aka Clara's bedroom (complete with pink wallpaper and crimson carpet. You're all invited to come experience the honeymoon suite for yourselves, by the way. Bring your sweetheart and some earplugs.) Then we stealthily escaped before dawn on Friday to head south. Never a better time was had by 8 girls!Above is us arriving at the "corner." It is tradition since I was a little teeny weeny thing that right at the corner of Grandma's and Grandpa's block my dad would announce that this trip was just taking too long, he was going to turn around now and go home. We'd all scream in protest and pour out the doors to run the rest of the way. So at the corner Miriam claimed she was tired of driving and was pretty sure she'd forgotten her dental floss, so we were going home. We all screamed and jumped from the car. The dog-walkers down the street looked confused as a car full of 20's-30's (and 50's) women jumped out screaming and started running down the street. Bees nest? Now that I look at us, we weren't pretty. Bep and I kind of look like waddling little trolls in this one. We went for walks in town and at the Davis arboretum which is a favorite place. (Bep and Liz are being true Davis Divas, which, by the way, was the title of our trip....)We gave each other back rubs and pedicures. (Kathryn and Rivka exfoliating below.) I took advantage of at least one of my birthday presents. This one was from Rivka:We watched movies and tried our hands at beading at a local shop. Below, Liz and Miriam are concentrating on their various works of art. I was actually quite impressed by some of the jewelry these girls created. Kathryn and I made presents for our girls, Miriam a pirate necklace for her son, Captain Jack, among other things.Grandma and I played crazy duets, which is one of my favorite things to do with her. Then Grandma played old favorites while we sang (Bethany in her perfectly imitated Barbara Streisand voice).We slept in, and when we did wake up we didn't get up.  Below, Miriam and me are sweetly admiring each other's growing bellies. Me and ma' mammy at the arboretum.We stopped in the name of love. Below I'm wearing my "party pants" that Bep gave me for my birthday. So comfortable, and SO stylish!

So my sister lent me this book about personality colors. Let's just say, it was most intriguing. Probably the most remarkable thing about it was that Michael was interested too. He read the whole thing.

I am a Yellow. What is a Yellow? Here are some of the descriptions: happy, fun, uncommitted, irresponsible, enthusiastic, obnoxious, carefree, disorganized and incomplete, impulsive, charismatic, naive and trusting, a flippant chatterbox. "Happy is as happy does. Yellow people love themselves because they know exactly what they love to do and always find the time and resources to do it." In a nutshell, I'm happy and really annoying about it. My secondary color, about 30%, was White. They are the peacemakers. Ah, yes. That's me.

Now comes the "relationship" aspect. Michael is completely opposite. He took the test and is nearly split down the middle Blue/Red (slightly more Blue). Here's what it says about Blues: committed, perfectionistic, highly demanding, self-disciplined, sacrificing, unforgiving, worried, guilty, sincere, purposeful and dedicated, insecure, complex. "Life cannot bestow on anyone a more gratifying reward than the sincere appreciation and trust of a Blue friend, employer, or family member"...the trouble is getting their appreciation and trust. Reds are the tenacious people who keep the world turning so that the Yellows can have their fun.

Of those specific combinations it says, "Blues with strong Red secondary experience the most difficult internal struggles. They are also typically the most resourceful of personalities." I'll happily take that. "People with strong Yellow and White blends enjoy developed people skills. If you can't enjoy them, consider yourself the one with the problem." Finally, someone said what I've been thinking my WHOLE life! I'm going to have that printed on a shirt...or maybe 10 of them.

Mikey was reading The Color Code one night while I was watching something on TV. At one point he looked over at me, looked back at the book, looked over at me, put his arm around my shoulder and said, "Hey, You. What did you do that was fun today?" I laughed. In over 10 years of marriage he's never asked me that question. Every day is some variation of it, how was your day, what did you do today, etc. But never that approach. I appreciated it.

So if you ever need an interesting book to read, try The Color Code by Taylor Hartman. And if you're ever bewildered by your creepy spouse, just remember she may be a Yellow, or he may just be purple. Give 'em a break!

Jacob: "Mom, isn't Clara smart? She made it so she can smell her favorite candle anywhere she goes!"

Translation of top message found on the outside of an envelope, for those of you who don't read sobbing 5-yr old: "Sad conversation [contained inside]. Love, Clara, Jacob, Isaac, William" Poor Baby. May she rest in peace.