Notes From An Underachiever.

My high school guidance counselor called me an underachiever only once. 

Out loud, anyway.

It had something to do with my high ACT score and my inability to score above a "D" in drama.  She predicted very little for my future. 

I never did worry much about grades, especially in high school, and my level of success boiled down to whether or not I liked the subject matter.  That's how you get a person who passed 4 AP tests but did, most certainly, deserve that drama grade.  I improved in college merely because I had more choices in the classes I took and therefore had more classes I enjoyed.  I'll admit that my attitude tended towards, "Why kill myself for an A when I can get a B hardly trying?"  I can see how this was frustrating for my parents. Don't parents always say things like, "I don't care what your grade is as long as you did your best?"  I didn't ever do my very best, opting instead for the very above average.  Sorry, guys.  I really am.

Sometime in my twenties, that need to achieve came bursting forth.  I got all wrapped up in being good at stuff.  In my thirties, it's been even worse (better?).  I think it had a little to do with becoming a stay at home mom, because I needed some way to feel like I've been good at something.   I've become very regular about setting little goals for myself, like learning to can, or running a PR, or giving a solo recital. 

In 2012, I set three big goals for myself.  I didn't really consider them resolutions, but they were three goals that I knew would take all year to achieve.  My first goal was to read the standard works: The Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.  I started with the triple combination and I took three months to do so.  Then I tackled the Old Testament.  It was not easy or fun- I called Liza more than once to say, "I don't even think this is true."  It took 6 months to read the Old Testament and I personally guarantee you I understood less than .00000001% of it.  I started the New Testament in October, and after the Old Testament, the New Testament was so easy to read it felt like I wasn't even trying and I finished it in a month.  As it turns out, I wrapped up Revelations on Halloween so not much scared me that day.  "Vampire, huh?  I'm not frightened of anything with fewer than seven heads."  With two months left in the year, I went right back to the Book of Mormon and read it for the second time in 2012. 

The second goal I set for myself was to run a marathon.  I blogged about this already.  It wasn't that awesome but I did finish one.  Sometimes "I sucked it up and did it" is a pretty good accomplishment, if we are to be realistic.

My last goal was to perform this Beethoven piece that my mom wanted the ward choir to sing (Have a never mentioned that our ward choir is completely legit?  They are.).  It's the "Hallelujah" from Mount of Olives.  Due to some scheduling problems it wound up being put off until just yesterday, so I had to let go of my great expectations for 2012.  This piece of music was an enormous amount of work.  It was originally written for an orchestra, so some masochistic editor created a piano accompaniment that was a hodge-podge of all the orchestra's parts.  The resulting piano music was a challenge because it was not physically possible (for anyone but the most elite pianists) to play all of the written notes, particularly at the recommended tempo.  I spent many hours first learning the original music, trying my damnedest to get it to tempo, then editing and reworking and trying to determine what was most important to play and how exactly I was going to play it.    By the time yesterday came, I hated the song and I hated Beethoven and I REALLY hated that editor.

But it's over now.  I can't say I'm 100% happy with my performance, but I can say that I've never had a performance that has made me 100% happy anyway.  I'm 75% happy and 90% of the 75% is to do with the fact that I'm done with this heinous thing and 10% of the 75% has to do with my actual performance. 

So, I think back to you, Mrs. J, you high school "guidance" counselor, you.

Turns out you didn't know an "underachiever" from a hole in the ground.

I think I've done alright for myself.

Farewell To An Old Friend

Today we said good-bye to our sweet dog Powder.  Bruce got Powder (and her brother Rusty) in the fall of 1999.  When Bruce and I started dating, I knew they were a package deal.  We lost Rusty in the spring of 2004, but Powder stayed with us for another 9 years.  The last few years have been hard on her (and us).  Her back knees both went out, she started experiencing anxieties, and in the last few weeks, became incontinent. 

We told the girls what was happening so that they could say their good-byes.
They hugged her and loved her and put some of her hair in little baggies to save.
 

Kate was particularly broken-hearted.
She wanted to come with us to the vet's office when Powder was put to sleep, and after some discussion, we decided that would be okay.  We were able to talk about death and our spirits, and that Powder would be happy to be able to run and play with Rusty again.  We talked about how her body would be a shell after she died and that sometimes the right thing to do was the hardest thing to do.

This is her this morning.
She loved to be outside no matter how cold it was.

 

Her passing was peaceful.  I sobbed as I signed the paperwork but I guess they are used to that sort of thing.  

We were with her telling her to run to Rusty as she passed.

I was at least kind of keeping it together until Kate slipped one of her little friendship bracelets onto Powder's paw.

It tore me up.

 

Now that we are home, I feel relieved.

She had suffered for so long and her passing was a good lesson for us about love and death and trust. 

I believe she's in heaven. 

 



Arizona Christmas

We left for Phoenix Christmas night, staying in Mesquite en route.  (Bruce insists staying in a casino bed in Mesquite gave him "chiggers for Christmas."

 

LaBouef settled right in and took over Grandpa Hatch's chair.

The girls thought 50 degrees Fahrenheit was warm enough to swim and they had no trouble convincing their cousins to join in.

 

We met our newest nephew, Preston.

It's definitely progress in Kiki's life that she held a baby.

 

We went on a Christmas train ride in Scottsdale.

We had lots of lunches out and fun times with Bruce's family.

My sister-in-law Lirio's mom came up from Mexico and taught us how to make tamales.

Hatch Girls.

Hatch Boys.

Tiffany and James blessed the new baby.

We had a cousin party at Peter Piper Pizza.

The Hatch Grandchildren.

...and before we knew it, it was time for the "We're leaving but let's get the kids together!" photo session.

LaBouef kept it mellow in the backseat.  They were all good travelers and our only sorrow was that the visit was over so fast!

Kate's Birthday Weekend

This post is a long time overdue, since Kate's birthday was a month ago! 

The night before her birthday Kate invited some special school friends and sweet girls from the neighborhood for pizza, cake, and movies.  Creative birthday parties aren't my forte but she seemed happy with my lazy approach. 

 

 

Alexis (one of her besties) slept over so she celebrated Kate's birthday morning with us.

Easy Bake Oven!  Yay!
"Yay!" in this context means "Becca hates that thing."
Kate has been thrilled and makes lots of concoctions that I force myself to compliment as I gag them down.

 Kate's Birthday (Phase THREE) involved a trip to Salt Lake for a birthday dinner with Aunt Jill and Uncle Dave and then to see the temple lights. 

Crispy was waiting for us.

 It's really not a birthday celebration until a couple hundred pounds of dogs get involved.

 

Kate impressed Jill with her dinner choice- Star of India.

Such a sophisticated palate for a 9 year old- it was cultivated during our stint abroad.

 

After dinner and the lights, it was back to Dave and Jill's for more dog bonding.

Layla had a new pink sweater to wear.

LaBoeuf was so jealous of Layla's sweater that we got him this special dress to wear.

Kate's birthday (PHASE FOUR) was cake and ice cream with grandmas and grandpas on Sunday night.  Kiki was a trooper while Kate was showered with presents and fun.  On our way home from SLC, she said, "This is what I want to do on my birthday."  I said, "Kiki, on your birthday the temple lights won't be up anymore."  She replied, "Not the temple lights!  I want to go to Dave and Jill's!"