Our Summer Girl

Thirty-Three years ago it was something like this:
Grumpy was still attending B.Y.U. and we were both working. I was preparing to finish up my last few classes in the coming fall semester after taking incomplete's for the semester before due to having Tawna and Taya a bit early. We had moved from our first apartment in Provo to Armstrong Manor Apartments, in Orem, Utah. I had been to Arizona a couple of times with the twins to visit and we were having a good summer. I can't remember to save my life just how the next scenario developed, but somehow Papa and Nana knew a couple in Mesa that had a home in Orem that they were wanting to use as a rental. It had a full basement, but was not finished at all downstairs. Somehow it was decided that Grumpy and I would move into the upstairs and eventually manage the rental. In exchange for rent, Papa and Grumpy would do the framing, sheetrocking, etc. to finish the basement. When the basement was finished we would find renters for the rooms downstairs. This couple would meantime find a manager for the service station they owned and go back to their house in Arizona. Papa said he would fly up to help us frame and we were excited to do all this. What were we thinking?

About the time all these decisions were being made, I felt a familiar little flutter one day and stopped dead in my tracks. I remember thinking, “No, it couldn't be that!” To say I was surprised to realize I had another baby coming would be an understatement. Tawna and Taya were only 7 months old and lo and behold, another baby was on the way. Well, I always said I wanted my kids close together so they would all grow up together. I got my wish with this one.

Well, we moved in. Me, Grumpy, Tawna, Taya and Tracy, who was staying with us while she attended BYU. We moved into just 2 of the bedrooms, because this couple hadn't moved out yet. We were assured they would be moving soon, right? Papa came up on some weekends and we got the basement framed and sheetrocked, ready for the tape, texture and finishing processes. Through the weeks that it took to do all this, the couple still had not moved out. To make matters worse, the phone was in our name and they would make long distance calls to their son in Mesa and not pay us for them. We paid the utilities, bought the food and Grumpy was still working another job. Me too. We sort of had a Master Schedule for taking care of the twins. Grumpy, me or Tracy was always with them. I don't know what we would have done without Tracy, she was a lifesaver, and very patient with them. The closer it got to getting the basement finished, the more we realized this couple had no intention moving out. This woman was really evil. I felt kind of sorry for her husband, but after all he did put up with her bad behavior. Papa and Grumpy were just the cheapest way they could get their basement finished and we could not live them them any longer. You live, you learn. (Sometimes we don't learn very fast, or remember it nearly long enough.) At any rate, we all determined this was a bad situation and we needed to get out of Dodge. Tracy found a place to stay with our cousin Cara and Grumpy found somewhere to stay to finish up the semester. Me, my big belly and the twins went home with Papa and Nana for the rest of the semester (about 2 months I think).

Grumpy came to Mesa for the summer break and found a job framing for Ross Farnsworth at Sunland Village. We moved into an apartment on Broadway in Mesa with a pool right outside our front door. That was a little scary with 2 toddlers. Grumpy got up well before dawn and went to work until about 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. Needless to say, he got a great “farmer” tan as he was outside all day in the heat of the summer sun. I spent about $25.00 a week on food and hamburger helper was a big part of the grocery list. We ate at Nana and Papa's at least once a week and usually had Sunday dinner with them or Gramma & Papa H. (Interesting note here, years later Tawna and Nathan lived at this same apartment building as newlyweds.)

The fourth of July came and went. No baby. On the morning of the 19th I woke up not feeling very well. My water was trying to break, but was just sort of leaking, so I called Nana to tell her it was time. I called Papa H. to please go and find Grumpy at whatever job site he was at that day. No cell phones in those days. I don't remember who actually took me to the hospital, but I was there when Grumpy got there. I was given some demerol (which I learned later in life, really does take the edge off), and was waiting for the Dr. to come and give me my epidural. The contractions were getting pretty hard and still no Dr. The nurses would check me from time to time and I would ask if anyone had called the Dr. yet. One nurse said they would call him in plenty of time, so not to worry. O.K. Whatever. I tried to explain that the last time I had a baby(s) it went pretty darn fast, but of course I was ignored. I had just been checked and told I was just reaching 5 centimeters when the contractions really started hurting. I, of course had decided on an epidural and wasn't happy about all this pain. Some more time went by and I apparently complained enough that they came to check me again and that got everyone in a panic. Baby was on it's way out. NOW the nurse went to call the Dr.! They wheeled me into the delivery room and the next thing I heard was a call for any doctor in the house over the intercom. I don't remember the name of the Dr. who actually delivered me, but he was nice enough to let Grumpy into the room just barely AFTER the baby was born. There were lots of stitches with this one since no one was there for the proper incisions, etc. I'm glad I don't remember the nurse's name, I would have made a VooDoo doll for her. The Dr. was quite upset that he had not been called and I'm sure she was reprimanded. We had a beautiful little daughter who did not at all look like the “Natalie” name we had decided on. She was blond and very fair and just looked like “Summer” to me. So Summer she was. I was determined to try to breastfeed this baby, but was having problems with knowing how to be very successful with it. It's not as simple as it should be for some of us. Nana didn't have anything good to say about nursing and neither did Gramma H. After trying for a couple of weeks with many tears and a lot of pain, I gave up. I wish I had known then who to call for help. Summer did okay on formula so all was well. Now I had three little girls to keep me on my toes. Grumpy had one more semester at BYU and would be graduating in December. (He did and with honors). Tracy was engaged to Kevin and getting married in November, so was not returning to BYU. At the end of the summer I moved back in with Nana and Papa until Grumpy could graduate. Moving all of us to Utah, finding an apartment for just a semester and all the costs associated just didn't make any sense for 3 1/2 months. He went off to finish school, I went to work helping Nana with Tracy's wedding and I knew the time would go fast. Grumpy was in the R.O.T.C. program and we would be going who knew where in just a few short months. (We went to Denver, CO. for training in the intelligence niche of the Air Force, but that's another story.)

Summer because she looked like the summer time to me. Joy for Gramma H. as it is her middle name. Summer you are a joy and we love you so very much. You have grown into quite a woman and a good mom too. Here you are with your Jamie right before you got married in November. We love you both.