The Truth About the Reynolds

While downloading pics from our camera, I discovered that Axel had taken some pictures when I wasn't looking. He actually got a few cute ones of Maggie.

and Lucy.
But mostly, he took pictures of things I try to hide about our family.
Maggie eats crayons if there are any around. She likes to throw away dirty diapers, and sometimes gets sidetracked from making it to the trash can.
Sometimes clean, wet laundry sits in the washing machine so long that I have to wash it again.My sewing table and bedroom is most often a disaster.

Our storage area is so messy and unorganized you can hurt yourself looking for something in the stacked piles of boxes around our table saw.What my house looks like when I attempt to do the laundry, organize the kids clothes, do the budget, make bread, make phone calls I've been putting off, return swim suits that didn't work and squeeze in some fun time with the kids, all in one day.

Proof that I shop at Walmart and buy cookies.
What was I doing when Axel took all the pictures? Well he took a picture of that too. Slinging Lucy, receipts on the floor (thanks Maggie), us bank on the computer, probably talking to someone on the phone straitening out some health insurance mess-up. This is how our family really is.

I went to see MamaMia last night at our local theatre with a bunch of girls from church. I loved it. I loved it because of the sparkling costumes, the dancing, the muscular shirtless guys, and because I dressed up. What I mean is, I wore jewlery. I love jewelry and have very little, but the little I have, I forget to wear. I forget that jewlery is something I like and should put on, until I get to church and see everyone elses beautiful accessories and think, 'I should have put on my dangly earings.' Well yesterday I put on some sparkling, dangling earings and a necklace that almost touched my belly button. With my newfound glamor, I may just venture into colorful eyeshadow.

Durtschi reunion

It's been a while since I posted anything - reason being that it would be a huge post. I went to my family reunion. There are now 129 people in the Durtschi clan. My grandma had nine kids and they all came, and most of their children and spouses and their children came as well, so there were loads of Durtschi's running around. Sadly, Paul could not come. He started his residency, which kinda means he fell of the planet and into hospital hell. So I packed up the kids and we flew to Jackson Hole. They were fantastic on the flights and layover. I was pleasantly surprised. The first thing the kids did was play on the new 'playground' with Pappy.
At my family reunions we camp. Thankfully my dad pitched the tent for us. I was worried the kids wouldn't do well in the tent, but once again, pleasantly surprised. They were tuckered out every night and slept like rocks.

It was a lot colder in the mountains of Wyoming than in humid Nashville. It got down in the 50's at night, so thank goodness for my mom's stockpile of bedding.
This years theme was 'Survivor'. We divided into teams; every team got a colorful bandanna and had to name themselves and make a cheer. Axel's team was 'Mellow Yellow', and Axel danced during their performance of the cheer.

One of the challenges was to make a sculpture of Grandma using only what you could find in nature. This was my team's:
On the second day, Heidi came! I haven't seen her since Christmas and now she's 5 months pregnant. So I was REALY excited to see her, and so were the kids.
Every year Driggs has a 4th of July parade where every politician politicizes and every good float throws candy. Axel and Maggie caught on pretty quickly. After about 10 pieces of candy I told the kids no more eating and that we would save the candy for later. Maggie, however tried to get uncle Ralph to open some for her when I wasn't looking.
That day we had a canoe trip, and I didn't take a camera, so no pics, but it was beautiful and eventful. The water was much higher and faster this year and we probably should have all stayed home. But, we were anxious to relive one of our favorite family memories. So this year we made new memories, when 10 of our 14 canoes tipped over. It was pretty scary actually, but everyone made it back in one piece with my cousin Rick as everybody's hero.

Doesn't he look heroic!?

My Dad got sick and had to sit out a lot of the reunion. Terrible. Your whole, huge family gets together that you are so excited to see and you get sick and can't bond. Terrible. I felt sad for him and wished that he was there, so that night when we had our family auction I bought Dad a present. It was a shirt that said, "Don't be so open minded, your brains might fall out." Dad and I frequently disagree about politics with me being the more liberal one and Dad being more conservative. I tell him I'm not liberal (I really don't see myself that way) I'm open minded. So I thought this would be a funny present. He loved it, and wore it the next three days in a row. Love ya, Dad!

Last Day of the Reunion - everybody packed up their tents and left. I was sad. The last reunion I came to was 4 years ago, and there were so many new people in my family since then. Lots of new spouses and children. Plus some of the cousins I hadn't known very well because they were older than me. Well now that we're all adults the age difference doesn't seem so big and I got to know them for the first time. I really love my family. Here's a few pics of the Durtschi's:

Dad and Jim.

Uncle Ralph and Heidi.

Zach (Melissa's husband), Brain, Melissa, (Zach's brother, sorry don't remember your name), Whittney.

Cousin Amy. Beautiful, even in blurry.

Mike, Sandy, and Olivia inside.
Lots of cousins to run with.

Camping babies.

Cousin Sam and his family. His wife's name is Alisha Dawn Durtschi. Which used to be my name exactly. Crazy. His kids are Tristan and Grace.

Reynolds + Durtschi

My family

Recently Axel and Maggie have become best playmates. They chase each other around the house laughing hysterically. Maggie likes to do everything Axel likes to do, and Axel make's sure Maggie's included. He often becomes ferociously concerned when Maggie's not walking fast enough and I walk ahead. He runs in front of me and puts his hands out so I can't go and says, "Get Maggie, Get Maggie!"
She's most beautiful in chocolate.
Axel got Magnetics from Grandma Tena a month and a half ago, and he still plays with them every day. Thanks Tene!
Dad loves to make smoothies and the kids love making messes with them
Paul had a welcome picnic for his anesthesia residency. They had a big blow-up slide for the kids. Axel was the reddest and sweatiest kid there.

Lucy is a darling and we are crazy about her, especially when she's sleeping.
Doesn't she look smart?!
Axel took this picture actually. I love those surprise pictures when we download pics to the computer. Paul had sexy facial hair until the residential powers that be made him shave. They said they can't do a respirator fitting with a beard. Seems silly to me. At least he still has his head shape. Paul has the best head shape. He's given our kids nice round heads. I supply them with nice round bellies and excellent grammar. In fact Paul's getting a nice round belly too.
Paul's round belly is coming just in time for the summer cabin trip with the Reynolds. Paul is naturally thin. Add to that his disdain for overeating, and he's likely to never be overweight. Ever. A common conversation between us:
Alisha: Can I get you some more mashed potatoes?
Paul: I'm good, thanks.
Alisha: You barely had anything.
Paul: I had a lot. I'm full. Plus you know how it is when you don't eat for a while and your stomach shrinks so then you can't eat as much.
Alisha: That makes perfect sense. You haven't eaten for a long time and are starving so you don't need to eat much to get full. Don't you need more calories to make up for the lost ones?
Paul: Alisha, do you want me to overeat?
Alisha: Yes, just a little.
Paul: You know, they did a study on rats and the underfed rats lived significantly longer lives.
Alisha: You've told me about that study a billion times. Paul you are not a rat and you need more dinner. Axel ate more than you.
Paul: Now you're being ridiculous.
When we go home to see Paul's family I try especially hard to fatten him up, so everyone thinks I'm a good cook and a good wife. Almost every time we go home, some loving mother/grandmother/aunt says to me in hushed tones, "Paul looks thinner. Is he thinner?" They're concerned. And rightfully so, I'm concerned too. "No, he's not thinner, he's the same weight he's been for the last 4 years, you're just not used to seeing him." This is Marco. Most people reading this blog know Marco. She is the witty and charming matriarch of the Callister family. My work will be well rewarded when she one day asks me, "Alisha, is Paul fatter? What are you feeding him? Maybe you should put him on a diet." Marco, I add extra cream to the mashed potatoes for you.

Camping and Fishing

Alisha and I took the kids down near Chattanooga for a little camping/fishing/whitewater rapids fun. We went with our friends the Neiderhauser's and the Mizukawa's.

The kids were awesome and the rapids were amazing.

No, we didn't take the kids rafting, we took turns -- the girls went while the guys watched kids, and then vice versa.

Miami

I went to the SEA (Society for Education in Anesthesia) conference in Miami over the weekend to present some research.

Here is my Kia Optima rental car. I told them that it looked like a REAL nice Kia (wink wink), and they let me drive off the lot. Their mistake, my benefit.
Here is what my face looked like when I drove the car. By the way, I got in real late the first night and had to get up at 5 AM, and that is when I took this picture. Hence the puffy eyes.
And here is my poster. I know, I look retarded in the picture. It's excusable -- I have 3 kids now. I'm practically an old man. By the way, check out the gang sign I am throwing with my right hand.

A few randoms

Louisa/Lucy/Lou is a great sleeper.


I took the kids on errands with me and we shopped till they dropped.
One of the few times she has had her eyes open. She is still just sleeping and eating, eating and sleeping.
Paul told me he would get up and take care of Axel and Maggie so I could sleep in. I heard thumping and noisy toys followed by, "Axel, don't jump on me I'm trying to sleep." After about 20 minutes of that, all was quiet upstairs. Which made me nervous enough to investigate. I found Paul sleeping on the couch, and decided that a man this tired deserves to sleep in. I gave him Lucy so he wouldn't have to feel guilty about it.
Sometimes it's easier to see what someone looks like in video, so we took a little one of Lucy.