Thursday, May 20, 2010

BIRTHDAYS AND BELLY DANCING



Julian's Sixth Birthday…



DD served me cake and ice cream, which baby Christian saw...(He turned two ten days before big brother)…

He promptly pulled his chair right up to the table...Reached for the bowl...which was huge...

And said...“Mine”.



He was so adorable that I had to take pictures. Every time the camera would flash (without me saying anything) he would say, “Cheese”… :0)

I just love little children!



Julian is REALLY trying hard to open this one…





DD’s newest belly-dancing costume…





Mother’s Day…

With flowers and chocolate, who can go wrong!

Beautiful roses and chocolate from my DD and SIL…





A lovely hanging plant (Giant Snowflake) from DH…







DD #2 left me an online message from Utah…

DS called and talked to me for an hour…Oh, did that make my day! Other than a couple of texts, it was the first time I had really talked with him since we took him to college…

A mission afghan…

After numerous tries, patterns, and rip-outs, I finally found a pattern that worked for me…

So, I am on my way now making DS’s afghan for when he leaves on his mission…



Well, yet another week is closing out…

I hope that you all have a Fantastic Friday!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

JUST POPPING IN



Just popping in to say "Hi"...



Or at least I THINK I am…;)

At least…I am doing the best I can with what I have…Changes at work(s) mean much harder work for a lot less pay…Hopefully, that will change in a few months…

YEARLY GOALS ASSESSMENT…

Hmmm…


I keep fallin’ off the wagon…Or, the wagon keeps dumpin’ me off!

BE MORE ORGANIZED…Doing okay here in some areas. My house-cleaning routine, however…Well, I need to get back on track.

CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH BODILY
NOURISHMENT…
Quite a bit more improvement needed.

CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH WITH EXERCISE…Have been somewhat sporadic, but still tryin’!

QUIT WHINING AND JUST DO!...Oh, boy! It has been whine city around here! I really need to work on this one!

I have managed to fit in a bit of fun, of course!

A day at a little mountain resort town with Mom...



We went up for shopping and lunch and came home with a toilet! :0)

A birthday party for GB #1…



And a fun ride with my honey…



I’ll post pix when I make more time to post.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

THERE ONCE WAS A BOY, A VERY LONG BOY



THERE ONCE A BOY, A VERY LONG BOY; A VERY LONG BOY WAS HE…



HE CALLED FOR HIS BIKE…





HE CALLED FOR HIS TOOLS…





HE CALLED FOR HIS NEPHEWS THREE…









WE THOUGHT HE WAS TOUGH, THIS VERY LONG BOY…A PROTECTOR HE COULD BE!



WITH THE MEDALS HE’D EARNED THROUGHOUT ALL THE YEARS, NOT A ONE COULD DISAGREE!





ON TOP ALL OF THAT, HE WAS A GOOD BOY, TO FRIENDS AND FOE AND TIKE…



HE LOVED HIS MA, HE LOVED HIS PA, AND HE LOVED THE LORD ALIKE…







WITH HIS FRIENDS HE MADE A TRIO, TOGETHER SINCE YEARS AGO…



BUT TO ME, THEY WERE MY LITTLE MEN, MY BACKWARDS OREO!





WELL ONE DAY MR. LONG BOY, MET DEFEAT BEFORE US ALL…



WHEN HIS SISTER, WHO WAS TOUGHER THAN HE, HAD HIM UP AGAINST A WALL!





ALAS, HE COULD NOT HOLD HIS OWN…



SHE HAD HIM WITH A WINK…





AND NOW OUR DEAR YOUNG LONG BOY…



IS REDUCED...



TO LIVE…




IN PINK...

Thursday, May 6, 2010

FOR TODAY...



I haven’t done a Daybook entry since last year. But, reading Emily’s prompted me to journal here once again.

For Today...May 6, 2010

Outside my window...It is unseasonably chilly with snowflakes and raindrops on the tail of two-week gales.

I am thinking...That balance needs to arrive. I am such an unbalanced person—relatively speaking—in particular areas of my life, that it causes quite the upheaval of mind.

From the learning rooms...Medical Coding…The Nervous System.

I am thankful for...The knowledge that my Heavenly Father is in the details of my life. Though, it is such a struggle to wade through, I am very aware of His watchings over me.

From the kitchen...Been soup with a ham-bone stock for this cold and wet Spring.

I am wearing...My night clothes.

I am reading...Anatomy and Physiology; Step-By-Step Medical Coding; some wonderful and wholesome blogs.

I am hoping...Very much to even out my work life and to also create a balance between it and home.

I am hearing…The furnace—I love the sound of the white noise of the furnace. It is such a comfort.

Around the house...DH is getting ready for bed; Dog is napping on his fluffy quilt. I absolutely love this time of day.

One of my favorite things...Peace.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Work; Watching DD drum at a belly-dancing show this weekend.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...



I end with a personal thought, procured from the blog, A Beautiful Life. The author, Emily, writes…

"Sometimes I feel like I am gripping the ground dragging myself toward the destination trying to fight all sorts of tempests and storms..... But I don't let go!”


I, too, feel as though at times…Many times…I am gripping the ground, DRAGGING myself toward my destination, as that is all I can do. It seems quite overwhelming…Overwhelming to be me…Overwhelming to attain the things—the goals—the peace that I so yearn for.

Emily’s example, in her Daybook, was Mary of old. I, likewise, have a great example but one of modern day. Her name is Sheri L. Dew. This wonderful accomplished woman, is a successful author and head of a large company. One would believe that she has it all, and by all outside glances, it would appear so to be. Sherri, however, was never blessed to be married…Never blessed in motherhood. She “hates”, if I am recalling her words from a tape just listened to, going home to an empty house.

The Lord has had other plans for her; she knows not whether she will ever marry. At 57 years of age, she is past child-bearing years. As marriage and family is a primary focus of our church, how very very hard this burden must be for her to bear.

I have listed below some biographical information on Sheri. Please be advised that this was obtained from Wikipedia, which is an encyclopedia wherein anyone may post. Therefore, the information may or may not be totally correct.

Sheri L. Dew (born November 21, 1953) is an American author and publisher, currently acting as president and chief executive officer of Deseret Book, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dew has also been a religious leader within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), an inspirational speaker, writer, and acted as a White House delegate to the United Nations. In 2003, she was described as “the most prominent single LDS woman right now”.


I do not have Sheri's specific trials, for I was blessed both with a husband and children and now grandchildren. I look to people like Emily and Sherri, as I make my own way through the stinging nettles of life...And...

My Heavenly Father gives me—here and there—tidbits of hope, as I try ardently to have a wee bit of faith. He lets me know that things are okay, that He is there. I am thankful for those times, and I am thankful for Him.

May you find mentors of equal caliber, to whom you may look, as you fight your way through the many trials of life.



Blessings to you all.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

BLOWING DOWN THE STREET



Here's a bit of what has been happening in our little corner of the world...





A woman told me yesterday that she would be back to class on Thursday if she didn't get blown into the next state! DH said that he almost did what with the strong winds, being close to the state border, and struggling to keep his rig rolling straight.

Here were some headlines on our paper...


Power lines downed, tractor-trailer rigs toppled in strong windstorm

Trucks also were felled by the powerful gale. Semitrailers were reported overturned at the interchange on Tuesday. And on Monday night, the wind overturned a semi on [the] highway, while bedeviling efforts to rescue its driver from the cab for close to three hours. The wreck was such a mess that volunteer fire departments had to assist, along with other emergency responders.
“Both of his trailers were empty, so without that weight to keep them planted, they kind of acted like a huge sail.”

(Paraphrased)



We always have some wind in the Spring, but I’ve never seen anything like this and for this long! If you live here, don’t EVEN plan on having a good day hair when you leave the house!

Have a beautiful and (hopefully) calm Thursday! ;)

Friday, April 30, 2010

TEN LONG DAYS



Have I mentioned that I miss my boy…;)

Oh my goodness, how I miss my boy.

I tried very hard not to text or phone him…I wanted our communication to mean something, so I wrote a letter…Day by day, I would write my thoughts, my questions, and our goings-on…

I sent the letter.



Then…I started another letter…Day by day, again, I recorded my thoughts, my questions, and our goings-on…

I sent the letter.



Day after day passed…And no word came…

By day 10, I could handle it no more...I was understanding of DB not contacting me, as who wants to talk to Mom when you have a whole new world before you? But…I was oh, so sad…

He may not have needed me, but I needed him!

It has been such a transition, as I knew that it would be. I think what is hardest of all is that I don’t have anyone around me who can relate…No one with whom I may share my feelings. Mom commented that she thought I would do okay since I had seen what a wonderful environment he would be in. Of course, I am very thankful for this…

But…

I told her that I have had that boy for 20 years! He is my only son. We have shared and bonded over two decades! How could I not have an aching heart for the lad?

So…Came Day 10…

Midnight…

Entering Day 11…



I could handle it no more…I texted…

He has always been fairly prompt in getting back to me…So, after receiving no answer the next day or the next night, I began to wonder and even worry a wee bit.

The second morning came, and I got the text!

His phone has been on its last legs, and he has been inundated with homework…I didn’t say “I told you so” like I wanted to ;)….

Before he left for college, he had spoken of running, working out, teaching martial arts, riding his motorcycle, reading some novels that he had been wanting to read…And, of course, calling on some of the female sort…

I told him, “DB, you’ll be in college! When I was there, I didn’t have time to read so much as a magazine! My every waking moment was spent in homework and the scores and scores of reading assignments I was given.”

“Of course,” I said, I was a nontraditional student and always noticed that the younger people MADE time for fun, while we who were a bit older kept our noses to our books.” He agreed that, yes, he indeed would be making time for fun!



We shall see…;)

So…Though his car, parked at the curb, brings daily reminders…And the sound of certain motorcycles make my heart twinge…This mama’s countenance is a bit brighter with the receipt of a text.

Love your little ones, dear mothers (and fathers)…For all too soon do they go away.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

RANDOM SHOTS



A few random pictures from a week or two ago…

A really nice 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A we saw along the way, in Idaho...







A Polynesian luau…





High-class college housing…;)



A very long boy…



Have a beautiful Tuesday, All…