Here are the top 10 Ian and his Mom moments in Boise and some of the ones that have stuck in my brain more:
10. Our extended bike ride last year me on the tricycle and my Mom on her bicycle. It was probably about 10 or so miles and it got me even more confident on my tricycle skills that I will practice this year.
9. Getting picked up from the Senior Party by my Mom at 5 AM. There have been only 3 times I've been up all night and that was one of them. Exhausted and delirious she saw me eating a plate of cold nachos her words: "nothing like nachos at 5 AM."
8. Seeing my Mom's face when I won Spirit of Boise State and Volunteer of the Year. Seeing how she saw all the people who have supported me and all the excitement on their faces was one of the first times she really knew that Boise State was one of the main instruments in my life.
7. Moving to my current apartment from my old one and starting to unpack which would be finished several days later. I honestly think my Mom's face when she saw how happy my apartment looks and how clean it has stayed and for her to say that my place feels like home over and over and have friends verify that makes me so happy. And having lunch with her that day made it even more meaningful.
6. Having my Mom have all the chats that she has had with me in town. One of the best chats was when I had a lot of hard things to deal with and she said that I'm a man men do these kinds of things to change their environment. That talk was the catalyst of an eventual change that got me where I am at today.
5. Seeing my Mom's face light up at the Youth Sunday service in 2003 and the youth choir 3 years before that. Just because church hasn't always been a positive experience for me and because that's when she knew that Southminster will always be there for me. Nearly two decades later I call it my church home.
4. The epic kings-in-the-corner battles that have dominated the competitive family card game blotter for a decade and a half. I am even starting to play with friends and I seriously love all the experiences and the challenges of learning the intricate ways that luck plays into a game with a smidgen of skill. We are very even and while we have had some other card games that we have done for a bit (Egyptian War and Rummy come to mind as the most prolific) Kings in the Corner is the longest lasting and most fun.
3. The conversation about questioning my sexual orientation. While this wasn't a total surprise and probably needed to have, I feel like it was candid and grew with time. When I came out to a small group of friends and my family the response was negligible in support. When I came out on Facebook, the response was surprise. Now as someone who screams progressive and is open about it the response while there are some hang-ups is mainly respect. Even in Idaho. and later that year I came out as bisexual and I was never happier
2. The time I went with my Mom to look at a place to live this year. After much searching for roommates and by myself we found the perfect place despite still getting used to safety items and no dishwasher or laundry facilities. I love where I live and the excitement on my Mom's face talking to Joe said it all.
1. My Mom putting me in the group home because she genuinely cared for me. That gave me my first real community and more than 20 years with those friends that I can call family. The care she needed she couldn't give me. While I didn't understand it then it did, in fact, change my life.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Ian and His Mom Moments Part 1: Vacations
I have decided to do two Ian and his Mom moments- 1 for vacations and 1 for times in Boise since we have probably 100+ moments that we have cherished over the nearly 34 years of being her flesh and blood son. I have ten of each to boil it down will take a lot of work so without further adieu, top 10 Ian and his Mom vacation moments (taken from our family and dual vacations):
10) When my Mom and I were in Pennsylvania, a kind of bittersweet moment happened- we were talking about how Grandma's health was going downhill while taking a walk. It was kind of touching and made me realize how finite her life on Earth was. I never saw Grandma again after our vacation which was in 2011 and Grandma passed in 2014. A constant reminder that we should take life as it comes and a total appreciation for family
9) When I was in Portland with my Mom when I was 15 and I took my first picture ever. I remember that moment very clearly because I knew that I would be able to do that for a long career. Nearly 18 years later and I'm still taking selfies like they are going out of style (which PS they will eventually)
8) When I was in Pennsylvania and I had my 2nd 4th hand in my life and my last. I ended up going to a personal family record of a 5th hand which still stands. I almost went out on that 5th hand and my team of the male residents of Luther Acres won that game.
7) When my Mom and I were at Bow Lake and we played an intense board game which my Mom and I ended up winning. It was great camaraderie and we continued to split evenly with the rest of the family and chat for hours with the rest of the family after.
6) When my Mom and I were in Brazil and my Mom and I were at the volleyball game. We were sitting on the back row with some of my family and we didn't understand what was going on and it was way too crowded for my Mom but the fact of being there with my Mom was truly something special
5) My Mom, my sister, and I went on a 9 mile hike and after with some Ibuprofen and some water involved we had some burgers which despite me only eating meat for less than 4 years at that point again was the best meal I have had in this country to date. Hunger is the best cook.
4) When my Mom told me the story of how hard the divorce was on her in Stanley when I was curious and could handle it. I was kind of upset at how my Mom was treated in the outcome and I didn't have much to say afterwards but it was true that just the fact I could handle it made me even happier that I was maturing.
3) The sunset in Brazil on the first day. Seriously that was one of the most magnificent moments I have ever witnessed.
2) When my Mom and I were on our way back from our national parks trip that I took with my sister and we talked about tough stuff by playing a game. I was only 22 at the time (almost 23) but it had a compound effect on me at how I was maturing and able to finish my time at the group home on a slightly more mature level going into my first moving out experience. I will remember those games of conversation forever.
1) When we were in Idaho I had just gotten my headgear and was despondent about my wired face. I had just heard about a comic talking about airplane peanuts or a story about that and I for some reason loved airplane peanuts until the allergen people took them away in favor of snacks that I am intolerant of. I asked my Mom what about airplane peanuts and that is a moment in the annals of family history that still is Ianfamous today. and it's kind of lighthearted at the end of a mostly serious list.
10) When my Mom and I were in Pennsylvania, a kind of bittersweet moment happened- we were talking about how Grandma's health was going downhill while taking a walk. It was kind of touching and made me realize how finite her life on Earth was. I never saw Grandma again after our vacation which was in 2011 and Grandma passed in 2014. A constant reminder that we should take life as it comes and a total appreciation for family
9) When I was in Portland with my Mom when I was 15 and I took my first picture ever. I remember that moment very clearly because I knew that I would be able to do that for a long career. Nearly 18 years later and I'm still taking selfies like they are going out of style (which PS they will eventually)
8) When I was in Pennsylvania and I had my 2nd 4th hand in my life and my last. I ended up going to a personal family record of a 5th hand which still stands. I almost went out on that 5th hand and my team of the male residents of Luther Acres won that game.
7) When my Mom and I were at Bow Lake and we played an intense board game which my Mom and I ended up winning. It was great camaraderie and we continued to split evenly with the rest of the family and chat for hours with the rest of the family after.
6) When my Mom and I were in Brazil and my Mom and I were at the volleyball game. We were sitting on the back row with some of my family and we didn't understand what was going on and it was way too crowded for my Mom but the fact of being there with my Mom was truly something special
5) My Mom, my sister, and I went on a 9 mile hike and after with some Ibuprofen and some water involved we had some burgers which despite me only eating meat for less than 4 years at that point again was the best meal I have had in this country to date. Hunger is the best cook.
4) When my Mom told me the story of how hard the divorce was on her in Stanley when I was curious and could handle it. I was kind of upset at how my Mom was treated in the outcome and I didn't have much to say afterwards but it was true that just the fact I could handle it made me even happier that I was maturing.
3) The sunset in Brazil on the first day. Seriously that was one of the most magnificent moments I have ever witnessed.
2) When my Mom and I were on our way back from our national parks trip that I took with my sister and we talked about tough stuff by playing a game. I was only 22 at the time (almost 23) but it had a compound effect on me at how I was maturing and able to finish my time at the group home on a slightly more mature level going into my first moving out experience. I will remember those games of conversation forever.
1) When we were in Idaho I had just gotten my headgear and was despondent about my wired face. I had just heard about a comic talking about airplane peanuts or a story about that and I for some reason loved airplane peanuts until the allergen people took them away in favor of snacks that I am intolerant of. I asked my Mom what about airplane peanuts and that is a moment in the annals of family history that still is Ianfamous today. and it's kind of lighthearted at the end of a mostly serious list.
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