Happy 17th Birthday Caitlin!

A celebratory dinner at one of Caitlin's favorite places to eat,

The Pizza Factory.

Today is Caitlin's 17th birthday. I can hardly believe it. Like her Dad, Caitlin has never been one to make a big deal out of her birthday. She rarely asks for gifts, has never been much for parties in her honor, and has always preferred to keep her birthday nice and simple. This year was no different.

Due to a prior commitment with the Governing Youth Council, we began her celebration last night, rather than on her actual birthday, with dinner at The Pizza Factory, the restaurant of her choice. Grandma joined us to celebrate in between visits to the nursing home to see Rich. Caitlin's never cared much for cake, so this year we bought a half-gallon of her favorite ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. (In years past she's chosen a huge chocolate chip cookie or even cookie dough in lieu of birthday cake.) Today my mom took us (Caitlin, Sam and me) out for lattes at Grounds For Coffee and to Roosters for lunch. Caitlin said her birthday was a great one and exactly as she wanted it...low key.

Every year on the kids' birthdays, I reminisce about the day they were born and all the events leading up to it. I honestly can't believe that 17 years have gone by since Chip and I left for the hospital, at 12:00 midnight, on August 4th. It's still amazing to me how we walked into that hospital as a couple and walked out not even 48 hours later as a family. I remember thinking to myself, "I can't believe they're just going to let me take her home!" Even though I was 29 and Chip was 32, we were still so unprepared for the experience of parenthood and overwhelmed at the work involved and the depth of emotion we experienced for our new daughter.


Here she is today, 17 years old, and I still find myself overwhelmed at times at how much I love her and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to be her mom. I hear people talk about how raising teenagers is horrible, and their kids never want to be seen with them. Now I admit that we have our moments, and there have been times when I'm sure we all love each other far more than we like each other. And there have been times when we definitely have all needed a break from each other. However, I don't relate to the horror stories I've heard about raising teenagers.


Caitlin is such a great person and she loves spending time with us. She has never been embarassed to be seen with us (except when I stood up and danced during the Mamma Mia movie.) She always kisses me goodbye and tells me she loves me on the phone no matter where she is or who she's with. She has such a kind heart and is very sensitive to the way others are treated. Caitlin is one to advocate for the underdog, and at times I wonder if we have a budding social worker on our hands. She's always been such a great student and had the rare honor of being inducted into the National Honor Society as a Sophomore. Because of her academic performance and her value system, she was asked to be on the Governing Youth Council for Weber County two years ago. Caitlin took it upon herself to find a job last summer and has worked at Johnny's Dairy for almost a year now. Although she complains that it gets boring at times, she has never complained about going to work. She's one of the most resilient people I know, some of which is learned and some of which is innate for her.


Am I gushing? Why, yes I am. After nine months of pregnancy, 16 hours of labor and delivery, countless diaper changes, middle of night feedings, and ongoing sleepless nights I spend worrying about and wishing for the well being of our daughter, I HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO GUSH!


An assignment in one of my Social Work classes asked that I write about my family. Caitlin read it recently and told me how much she liked what I wrote about her. Because it meant a lot to her, and because it came from my heart, I will end this post with those words.

"My daughter, Caitlin, will be 17 years old in August. Caitlin was born August 4, 1992, after an easy pregnancy but difficult delivery. She has, from the very beginning of her life, been a total individual, marching to the beat of her own drum. Caitlin is a beautiful and graceful dancer; although she prefers jazz, hip hop and modern dance, she is also a lovely ballet dancer. While growing up she has preferred dance to soccer, Sarah Brightman to the Spice Girls, linguine with clam sauce to macaroni and cheese, and old Hollywood movies to the current teen flicks. Her I-pod is filled with everything from Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to Frank Sinatra and Tchaikovsky. She still kisses me goodbye and tells me she loves me on the phone. I absolutely love my daughter and am so proud of the woman she's becoming. From Caitlin I have learned that celebrating one's individuality and uniqueness is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and to those who love us."

I love you, BooBoo.

An Update

Since I blogged about some of my Hospice volunteer stories in my last post, I felt the need to share some news. My Hospice friend, T., the elderly woman who fell recently, died on Sunday. Her funeral will be in California, so I'll be unable to attend. Her prayers were finally answered and she's now with all the family and friends who passed before her.

Volunteering For Hospice...My Experience So Far

I have mentioned in a few of my previous posts that I am a hospice volunteer. I decided to do this last spring, as I have found my schedule to be somewhat flexible and wanted to engage in some meaningful volunteer work. The organization I am volunteering for is Hospice For Utah. It was started by an R.N. who had worked for a hospice in Montana and the agency has grown from a very small office in her home to three offices along the Wasatch Front.

I went to an all day volunteer training last April, and found it to be one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done. Even if I had decided not to volunteer, I would have been glad to have gone to the training. I heard so many inspirational stories from the staff, and it was clear to me that these are people who are very dedicated to the cause of helping people die with dignity. I found it liberating to discuss the topic of death so openly, which is something our society isn't very good at doing.

It took awhile after the training to get assigned to any patients because of background checks, TB tests, etc. Meanwhile, I found out that one of my Social Work classes required 20 hours of volunteer work during the semester, so I felt fortunate that I had decided to pursue this when I did.

In May I was assigned to visit three individuals who were all residing an assisted living facility that's not even two miles from my home. All of the patients I've visited are women, and all are quite elderly.

B. is in her 80's and has Alzheimers. She's from New York and she's Jewish. She used to work in her parents candy store in New York City. She's also lived in California. She has two children. I know this because each Alzheimer's patient has a sheet outside their room with their picture and some personal information about them. I have also learned of these things from B. herself. As is typical of someone with Alzheimer's, she'll randomly say things out loud, and she has spoken of these things. When I visit her, we don't have conversations. I sit next to her in the Day Room, and hold her hands, which she likes me to rub. She'll talk, sleep, hum, moan, and occasionally smile.

T. is 94 and moved here from Anaheim, CA. She worked as an R.N. until she was almost 70. She is extremely bright and quick for her age. She was raised in upstate New York, by Niagara Falls. Her daughter moved her to Ogden from California so she could be close to her. T. absolutely hates it in Utah. She always tells me, "Die in your 70's." She says it's very lonely to be as old as she is because she's outlived everyone she loves. She also says that she prays everyday for "...the Lord to take me." She's shared with me that she's thought about ending her life, but can't because of her faith. While these comments make her seem rather depressing, she really isn't. She's pretty fun, actually. My time with T. is spent walking with her (she uses a walker extremely well) and talking with her. I spend more time with T. than the other two women I visit, due to the fact that she's in such good condition both physically and mentally, and therefore, she has both the stamina and desire to converse for longer periods of time.

I had not visited T. for two weeks, due to vacations. When I went to the assisted living faclity to visit her today, I was told she'd taken a bad fall and was placed in a nursing home. I went to the nursing home to see her and was totally unprepared for what I encountered. T. not only fell, she fell flat on her face. Her entire face and neck are swollen and purple. She didn't look anything like herself. She slept the entire time I was there, so I just wrote a little note and left after awhile. I'm sure this fall is going to take a huge toll on her and I wonder if her prayers will soon be answered.

D. is the other individual I've visited. She is from the area and has a daughter in Roy. D. never left her room, opting to eat her meals in there rather than the Dining Room, and avoided contact with any of the other residents. She was not very conversant, and actually was quite sick with a UTI the whole month of June, therefore, I didn't establish much of a relationship with her. My time was really just spent popping in to say hello and checking to see if there was anything I could do for her. Today when I went to visit her, housekeeping was cleaning out her room, which was empty. D. passed away on Saturday.

Overall, my experience volunteering for hospice has been worthwhile and actually quite positive. I believe the training helped me immensely. I find myself learning to be a better listener and also learning to be comfortable in the silence; just learning to be with another person. Anyone who has served as a volunteer knows that you get so much more than you give.

I do wonder if it would be more difficult emotionally if I were visiting a younger individual who was dealing with a disease like cancer or ALS. Somehow it's easier to accept sickness and death when it's an elderly person who has lived to an advanced age. Perhaps I'll have the chance to find out. As they say in the hospice movement, we're all terminal from birth.

Courtney and Morgan's Rehearsal Dinner in Estes Park

We pulled into Estes Park about an hour before we needed to be at the Rehearsal Dinner. As you can see, we're making good use of the little time we had to unpack and get ready! I am going to do a separate post for each day of this wonderful weekend. There were so many fun moments and laughs, not to mention too many great pictures, to try and fit it into one post. Besides, this is really an online journal for our family, and it's my blog so I can do whatever I darn well please!
Cousin Mike with Caitlin and Sam. Mike's an Engineer in Chicago. He was Courtney's Man of Honor. Courtney had 8 bridesmaids and didn't want to deal with the drama of choosing one to be the Maid of Honor, therefore, she took care of it by choosing her little bro' to be the M.O.H. Smart girl!

All the Fuller grandchldren. Alison, Caitlin, Mike, Sam, Megan, Briana and the Bride..Courtney. What a good looking bunch!

Sam and Caitlin with Grandpa and Grandma Fuller.

The only two grandsons and Chip. The Three Stooges....

The Tanaka crew and the Fuller kids with their Aunt Connie from So. Dakota.

I have no idea what Marilyn is telling them, but this is such a natural pose for her...talking with her hands. Chip and Sam are probably giving her a hard time and she's reacting to it. That only happens about once every five minutes.

The happy couple, Courtney and Morgan, sharing a laugh.

Chip and his big sis, Marcy, known this weekend as the Mother of the Bride.

The original Fuller kids...Chip and his big sisters Ann and Marcy. You can tell they really don't enjoy each other very much ;)

The Main Event....Courtney and Morgan Get Married!!!

The guys are ready to go!!! As Caitlin and I primped, they set a goal to be ready, ties and all, in 6 minutes. By the thumbs up, you can guess the outcome.
Before the wedding

Caitlin and Briana gave out the wedding programs. Aren't they beautiful?

Caitlin, Briana and their Grandma Fuller (a.k.a. the shortest member of the family)

Mike and Chuck escorting Marilyn down to the wedding area. The wedding was held in a garden area. The weather and temperature couldn't have been better if they'd hand picked it!

Sam heading down to the ceremony. He was in charge of taking the gifts and took over the programs after Caitlin and Briana were escorted down. He's lookin' good!

Here Comes The Bride! A beautiful one at that....

Courtney and Morgan....The Siegals

The party begins! After cocktails and appetizers outside, we went in the reception hall for a sit down dinner. Sam's picture taking pose is catching on with Megan!

A dance with the Father of the Bride...ahhh :)

The beautiful Tanaka girls...Ann, Briana, Alison and Megan

Chuck and Marilyn (the shortest of the crew) and five of their seven grandchildren.

Courtney and Morgan and the Tanakas.

Mike and Courtney are all grown up! They were 5 and 3 when I first met them. Seems like just yesterday that I watched Mike throw a silent tantrum in the underwear department, and talked Barbie dolls with Courtney.

Chip and Caitlin dancing the night away. She taught him a few hip-hop moves and he taught her to Western Swing.

Sam and Briana dancing, laughing, dancing, and laughing some more.

Ann, Marcy, me, Caitlin, Briana, Alison, and a few groomsmen in our version of a mosh pit.

It looks like I'm doing some ancient tribal dance, but I'm actually taking off my shoes!

Sam finally got his Grandma to dance with him, after many attempts. He's getting a kick out of what is now affectionately known as "The Grandma Dance."

Ann and John......not too bad for 20 plus years of marriage!

Chuck and Marilyn...not too bad after 55, yes 55, years of marriage! I've never known ANYONE who's been married that long!

Two of our beautiful nieces Bri and Meg.

In Courtney's words, this was an absolutely "magical" wedding! It was a true celebration in every sense of the word and such a tribute to the commitment that Courtney and Morgan are making to one another. The ceremony was led by a favorite Pastor from Courtney's childhood in Littleton. There were scriptures read and several prayers given as part of the wedding ceremony. I listened closely to the vows spoken and thought, "They have no idea what these words actually mean." I thoughtof my mom and Rich dealing with Parkinsons. I thought of Chuck and Marilyn being married 55 years. I thought of my Dad and Theo finding such contentment with one another at this time in life. I think of many couples I know who have literally loved one another through sickness and health, for better or worse, in good times and bad. I include Chip and myself in this. Marriage is so incredibly hard, but so incredibly wonderful. It isn't easy, but it's worth it.

This is the first grandchild's wedding on the Fuller side of the family. Here's to many, many more to come!

The Day After....

The day after the big event, we all headed to Marcy and Dick's home in Conifer, which is about two hours from Estes Park. Ever the over-achievers, Marcy and Dick decided that in addition to putting on a wedding for their daughter, they could turn around within 24 hours and host a family reunion....in their home no less! We started the evening on their incredible wrap around deck, surrounded by beautiful Colorado mountain scenery. Chip, Marilyn and Sam are getting cozy and enjoying a good laugh....one of many over the course of the weekend!
Marilyn's 76th birthday was on July 3rd, so we used this opportunity to celebrate. Here's Marcy bringing the cake (Courtney and Morgan's wedding cake) over to Marilyn. What we lacked in tone and pitch, we made up for in volume as we sang Happy Birthday to our Mom, Mother-in-law, and Grandma.

Lookin' good for 76!!!! The night continued with lots of storytelling, laughing, and taking turns lying on the self-inflating air mattress and it inflated/deflated.....it doesn't take much for this family!!!

Mt. Evans...As Close to Heaven as You'll Get on Earth!

After excellent Mexican food and margaritas in Evergreen, we headed up to Mt. Evans with Marcy, Dick, and Chip's parents. It was one of the most incredible sights I've ever seen. The sign shows it at 14,130 ft. at this point. The rest of the gang isn't shown because they'd already headed down due to issues with the high altitude. We didn't escape unscathed ourselves, as Caitlin ended up feeling light-headed and extremely tired, and I felt a profound tightness in my throat. Any high altitude symptoms were well worth the view which was spectacular....beyond description!
Sam and Chip hiked to the actual peak which is 14,260 ft. in elevation. He's the King of the World!!!

Chip and Sam at the peak.

We were lucky to have made it to the top of Mt. Evans when we did, as there was an amazing thunder storm shortly after we left. It was such a great experience. We headed back to Marcy and Dick's house in Conifer for Happy Hour, dinner, a lot of laughs and great conversation before leaving the next morning.