Blessings On Your Head

I woke this morning thinking the same thing all of you were thinking, "This is it. Another year gone by. What was important, meaningful, unforgettable?" I had several events immediately spring to mind...#2's baptism, our trip out west, twenty years of marriage, 4-H accomplishments, remodeling the house, and on it went. Then I started thinking about other friends who haven't had such a wonderful year. I have three friends who have dealt with suicidal children this year, friends whose marriage has been rocked, a friend with a child in and out of jail, a sister-in-law who dealt with cancer, friends whose jobs have been cut back or lost, another whose father's health has failed dramatically, a friend whose child was born with a terrible birth defect. Then I thought of stories that I have recently read...a six year old child died on Christmas Eve in his sleep, another family lost their baby to SIDS this year, and then had their house broken into and all of the pictures of their baby lost. What makes my life so much easier than others' lives I do not know. I certainly feel blessed by God that I have such a good life. I know from helping at the shelter that my life is easier because I was raised by Christian parents from strong moral backgrounds. My husband was raised the same way. That makes a difference in the choices we make. But there are other things that are just chance...cancer, dying children...these are the things of Life. So as I consider the end of the year, I remember three Scriptures that mean a lot to my insignificant self."Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in Heaven and you are on Earth, so let your words be few." Ecc 5:2 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands..." 1 Thess 4:11 And finally, "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 Be quiet at the throne of God, mind your own business, and be just and merciful with humility. May 2010 bring with it wisdom to see the blessings among the curses, for truly, Life Is Good.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweet son. He still loves to kiss and cuddle with his mom, and she plans to appreciate it as long as it lasts.

All Boy

Eleven years ago today #1 became a big brother. It is startling to realize that #2 is now in his second decade. If it goes as quickly as the first, he will be twenty before the cat can twitch its tail. He has kept us on our toes from the beginning. He was a crier as a baby, never liking to be held for too long. He flipped over and crawled out of his bouncy seat by three months, pulled up at five months, and moved on to walking about nine months. When he was just a year old he would run into the in-law's kitchen, pull a chair to the door, and unlock the dead bolt to get outside. He hasn't slowed down a bit.

While we were home for Christmas, we went for a walk through the snowy lane. Hubby and #2 found this paper wasps' nest, and they just had to throw snowballs at it! For Christmas he received a bb gun from Santa, and Christmas evening was outside target practicing. His big adventure for his birthday was a desire to take the bb gun out and shoot rabbits for dinner. He did go out yesterday, but no rabbits were to be found. We went to CiCi's for lunch; pizza was a lot less trouble than butchering rabbits anyway.

At lunch I asked the boys their favorite tv show. #2 said he doesn't have one. That is likely true; he doesn't stay still long for a show. However, after a little thought, he came up with "Antiques Road Show" on PBS. He received this antique belt buckle for his birthday. He went antiquing with his grandparents last spring and picked it out. He still remembered it when he opened the package.

I was speaking with one of my aunts last week and she made a comment about #2. She said that when I was pregnant with him, she had felt sorry for him. #1 is so intelligent and bright that she felt that any other child would fade into the background next to him. But, she declared, he has held his own very well. "He's just a little miracle!" I completely agree.

Pre-Christmas in WV

We made it to WV in about 10 hours instead of 8, but that was much better than what we had imagined it might be. The roads were clear, and the only problem we had was sitting on I-95 in traffic. We arrived late Sunday evening and were able to get in an hour of visiting before bed.

The kids have been anxious to open all of the presents. We opened presents from the aunts and uncles on Monday. The boys received remote control planes from their aunt and uncle, and we promptly caught both of them in trees. They have been dislodged, after much throwing of snowballs and pulling of wild grapevines, but we are excited to try them at the other grandparents where trees are not so plentiful. On Tuesday we traveled to the extended family and opened presents there. Finally, this morning the kids were allowed to open the grandparents' presents. Giving is nearly as much fun as receiving for them, and #2 was happy to give everyone his salsa this year made from his own tomatoes.

I received a programmable crockpot. I had asked for one in hopes that dinner times when I am busy with other things can be a little less hectic. I also got a new cookbook while we were in Myrtle Beach, so maybe there will be some new meals in our future.

We gave the last grandchild a monkey. Now all of the grandkids have sock monkeys. #1 has loved his to death, and I was not sure we should even bring it this far. Nephew #1 (THE ONLY ONE) seems to like his monkey. The girls haven't been fond of theirs. Perhaps the tradition will live on in this new boy.

Here are the five grandchildren together. I know some of you around the country are happy to see this picture. The kids all love their cousins, and Hubby's brother's family is doing well.

After the WV basketball game, we will head to my hometown for a couple of days. I won't be able to update from there, so see you in a few days. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Family Christmas

Several years ago, we decided that I would like Christmas more if I had one day that could be MY family Christmas. I pick a day near enough to Christmas to feel like we aren't rushing things, but far enough away from our travel that I can enjoy the time. This year it was Friday; even the dog was part of the festivities.

I worked Friday, so we didn't start our celebration until after 5:00. We had a beautiful dinner on Grandma's fine china: shrimp, limas, corn, mashed potatoes, and fresh challah bread.

We really need to find a way to remove reflections from glasses.

Family Christmas

This year the boys could hardly wait for US to open our presents. They have really tried to get gifts that mean something to them and to the recipient. The boys saved their money and did their own shopping. #2 had us baffled because he was so excited for me to get my gift. He asked for days beforehand if I couldn't open mine now. Hubby didn't have a clue what it was- #2 hadn't bought anything in his presence- and #2 was keeping it a big secret. Finally, it was time. He pulled out his wallet and gave me a $20 bill! That was a huge thing for him; money burns a hole in his pocket.

#1 was very excited to give his dad a Calvin and Hobbes book that Hubby didn't have yet. He picked it out a month ago at Barnes and Noble and kept asking when we could go and get it. Hubby spent a lot of time today reading it. I would like to ban the books; I think they give the boys ideas. That Calvin is trouble!

#1 received his first "Manly" gift: cologne. He was so giggly and cute when he realized what it was. He has tried all of the kinds out and still needs to work on how much to put on. My boy will soon be a man.

#2 got a tool kit. He thought this was the gift that would make you a man. "You have to fix a lot of things around the house when you are a man," he told his brother. He spent a lot of the evening pulling out all of the tools and checking everything out.

After presents and dinner, we watched It's a Wonderful Life for a while. We were too tired to make it all of the way through the movie, but we gave it a good shot. Tonight we had our church youth group over for a little party, and tomorrow we head to WV for the extended family time. The weather outside is frightful, so we are praying for safety and Godspeed. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Pictures of Our Anniversary

We stayed at a Christian Retreat Center that lets pastors and their families stay for free on the off-season. We pretty much had the retreat center to ourselves. There was one other couple from Georgia there, but we only saw them twice in passing. The first night we went to an area called Barefoot Landing. There are lots of unique shops and restaurants clustered together around a lake and waterway. We ate a nice dinner and then walked around outside to look at the yachts and the shops. It started raining soon after, so we didn't walk too long.

We went to a movie on Wednesday and then down to the beach afterward to walk for a while. There were a few people there, but no one to take our picture. Here is our self-portrait. Hubby's arms are longer than mine, so I had him take the picture this time. I think it turned out better than at the yachts.

The eve of our wedding was one of the worst snow storms the area had seen in many years. It was cold at the beach, but at least we didn't have to cancel our plans for snow, as we had to do for our honeymoon. The weather forecast for Sunday isn't looking good as we prepare to go to WV for the holidays. It may be another long drive, but we'll be there!

Important Days

Hubby and I went away for a few days this week. Wednesday was our twentieth anniversary. Several of you readers are now saying, "That can't be! I'm not that old!" That's the same thing I've been saying. But, yes, it is true...you are that old! A friend watched the boys for us, and Hubby and I went to Myrtle Beach for two nights. We ate out quite a bit, visited a couple bookstores, saw a movie, and walked on the beach. Today was a great day for the beach, the other two days not so much. I will post pictures tomorrow, right now I want to hit the hay. But before I go, let me say, I answered "Yes." to Hubby today. He has always said that I never answered him when he asked me to marry him. Today I told him "Yes." I just wanted to make sure about it first; after twenty years I feel confident that we should go through with it. ---------- Today is also an important day in history. Pap would have been 96. He was a good man.

Holiday Banquet

Our annual church Holiday Banquet and Talent Show was this past Sunday evening. #2 and his buddy decided that they would show off tricks with their "Whizzers". Whizzers are buttons on a string that you try to keep rotating by pulling on the string. It truly is a talent; it took me a LONG time to figure out how to do them. You can judge how difficult it is based on how talented you believe me to be; just don't comment about it.

Anyway, the string kept breaking and so #2 didn't get to complete his best trick. He puts one end of the string around his teeth and only uses one hand to keep it going. After everything was over he was in tears because he didn't get to finish it right. He seems to be in that stage. He can't take things going wrongly. He will grow out of it soon if he sticks to his brother's schedule.

Hubby did his annual spoof on Prairie Home Companion. He writes a story each year about something that happens at our church. This year it was that we decided to have an Easter sunrise service between Christmas and New Year's Eve. There was snow, tongues stuck to metal chairs, and snowbunnies with hula hoops. He gets thrown off when people laugh, because then he starts laughing. You can see him trying to keep a straight face in the picture. ----------- Today I retrieved a few friends for my boys to play with. They spent several hours outside making a fort. I will take pictures tomorrow, but it is taller than I am and about 15 feet long. Other kids were in school today, but mine learned a lot about stability, support systems, and fresh air. I love home schooling.

Weekend Exploration

The other boys that went with us are on our Envirothon team. They are just as adventurous as #2. They plunged right through weeds and water, exploring every thing they thought important.

This snapping turtle made the grade. We had to stop the van and get out to look at it. Everyone forgot how badly they had to go to the restroom due to the intrigue of the turtle. I informed them that I didn't know where the hospital was- we had already gotten lost a couple of times- and they shouldn't get too close. Didn't matter, but we didn't need the hospital. Thank goodness!

Our hike following the sound of swans and geese lead us to this spot. We couldn't get any closer, but there were a LOT of snow geese. We tried yelling to scare them and make them all fly at once, but I guess two women and a few boys aren't all that scary. It was a nice day.

Weekend Adventure

I took a break this weekend from the 4-H rat race, and took #2 and a couple of friends to the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. It is only open to the public one day a year. The weather was very dreary, but we had a great time anyway. The other people on our tour cancelled, so we had the van and the ranger to ourselves. We stopped and got out, even in the rain, and saw lots of water birds. This is a migratory stop for waterfowl from all over the world.

We found this small deer on a hike in the woods. It was obviously very sick and ready to pass on. The boys went back to find the ranger, but the office was already closed. We decided to finish our hike, and then on the way back we would leave a message for the ranger if it was still alive.

There were lots of weird sites in the wetlands. I thought these trees were especially interesting.

Coming back through the trail, the boys found the deer gone. The other mother and I heard a large crashing through the woods and water, large enough to be a bear. We had seen some bear scat on our hike, so it isn't unreasonable to think it was a bear crashing nearby. We told the boys that the ranger most likely came by to get the deer, but there was a long trail where it had been dragged by something. My money is on the bear.

Hey, Shrimp!

I was working at the women's shelter this evening. I take dinner about once a month with other women from church. This evening I was on my own, since the other helper was busy, and I decided to take a very colorful meal. We had cooked honey carrots, emerald rice (white rice with spinach), lemon Jello with fruit on top in many colors, and pink shrimp. Yes, I took shrimp. It was on sale this week at the market, and I knew there weren't a lot of families there this week, so I thought I would take a treat. The only people there are Hispanic, and they don't speak much English at all. One mother saw dinner and yelled something like "Comodore!" Then the other mom yelled it. Then all the kids started screaming, "Comodore! Comodore! Comodore!" They were obviously very excited about something. When I left, I called Hubby and asked him to look in the Spanish dictionary for shrimp. Sure enough, it is similar to comodore...comoron. So I guess shrimp is a treat in any culture. I'm glad they enjoyed it. ------------ Tomorrow morning we will rise bright and early to go on a field trip. I scored the last five tickets on the 9:15 trip through a National Wildlife Refuge that is only open to the public one day a year. I am taking #2, his best bud, and a kid from the Envirothon team and his mom. This is an area of huge bird migration, so we should see thousands of birds! Eat your heart out, Father-in-Law!

When Will It End!?

"Now I remember why we don't have school in December! I want to quit 4-H!! I HATE 4-H!!!" That was me last night about 8:00. I have spent the last two days working on #2's project records. He actually had a lot of it already done, since we do 4-H as part of school during the year. It was the finding things, correcting spelling errors, etc. that drove me mad. Today I start on #1. Perhaps it will go better. I am nearly over the cold, but yesterday felt like I was full of Jello, shaky and wobbly. Then #1 started getting sick. I thought for sure we were headed for antibiotic for his ears, but it looks like we may have made it into the clear. Today he is coughing and grumpy, but says his ears don't hurt. ----------- Those who have known me for long, know that my hair comes in many colors. It is natural. I have some hairs that are black, coarse, and curly. Others are thin, poker straight, and blond. I also have mixed in reds and browns of various thickness and coarseness. However, it seems in the last few days that I have added a new hair: gray. Yeah. I can't be sure if it is just more of the really, really blond ones or if they are actually gray, but it looks like 20 years with Hubby is finally taking its toll. That's my take on it anyway. Love you, Big Guy!

Running and Sleeping

Monday evening, before going to bed, #1 came into the kitchen and asked our plans for the next day. I told him it would be a busy day with volunteering at Give 2 the Troops, errands to run, and Guys' Night Out. He said, "I've really enjoyed not having to go anywhere the last week, but I'm glad we have somewhere to go tomorrow." That's the way he is; he needs a lot of down time, but once he has had enough, he loves to socialize. We left early in the morning so we could buy the boy a pair of sneakers before he had to walk/stand all day. He had a size 9 pair that he had started avoiding putting on completely. When I saw how he was wearing his shoes I asked if they did not fit. He said, "Well they fit, but my toe pushes against the top." I guess he needs a lesson on how shoes should properly fit. So we bought size 10 shoes, with Velcro straps, and he looks like a big boat cruising around my house. Or a bull in a china closet. He still hasn't grown into his body. The boys also had dental appointments yesterday. #1 gets a lot of plaque build up and needed a good cleaning. #2 has me concerned with his lack of tooth loss. He is about to turn 11 and has only lost 6 teeth. I talked to the dentist about it again, and he is beginning to get concerned. We go back in 6 months and have x-rays done. The dentist talked to me and showed me diagrams, saying that #2 is still within the average, but he is really pushing it and does appear to be running late. In fact, he said, #2 will always be late. He didn't know how true that statement was. That boy was born late, and had to be coaxed out at that. He never gets in a hurry to go anywhere. #2 is looking a lot better. These bouts with poison ivy let me see how concerned he is with looks. When he is in the puffy, swollen stage, he doesn't want to go anywhere or have friends over. He didn't want to go to Youth because he was afraid the kids would laugh at him. He looked in the mirror before church and said, "I look terrible. I don't think I should go to church." He likes to dress nicely, and takes better care of his appearance than his brother. We still haven't gotten him to realize the need for a shower more often, but I guess he will get there in a couple of years when he begins to stink. Right now, the conversations go like this: Parent: "When is the last time you took a shower?" #2: "I can't remember." Parent: "If you can't remember, then it has been too long." I was sleeping on the couch for a couple of nights while I have had this cold. Sunday night I slept sitting up so that I could breathe. Monday night I was excited to be able to lie down, but stayed on the couch so that I wouldn't bother Hubby with my coughing. That night #2 came down and slept on the loveseat. He wasn't feeling well due to the Prednisone he is on, and wanted to be with me. Last night he tried again to be with me. I told him he had to be in his own bed, but I allowed a lamp to be on. I went upstairs to turn out the lamp before I went to my own bed, and he was still awake. I laid down with him and snuggled and chatted a while. #1 came in and looked at us and huffed before leaving. A few minutes later, he came back and then left again. Finally, the third time he came in and jumped on the bed. "Can I join you too?" He couldn't stand being left out of the chatty, snuggly time. I love being able to have those times with my boys. Sweet memories.