"To Be or Not to Be..."

When I grow up I want to be... We have all dreamed of being something, teacher astronaut, firefighter, nurse. What did you dream of when you were little? Are you that person now? No one ever says they want to be second best doing something dull and un-fulfilling when they grow up yet how many of us put our dreams on the shelf and settle for what ever we can find.
When I was little I wanted to be two things when I grew up. I want to be a teacher and I wanted to be a Mommy. These seemed like two things that would be fun and that you had to be smart to do. My own Mom was so smart she knew all kinds of things. She created a world of fun out of nothing and I wanted to be like that.
I had wonderful teachers while I was in school who made learning fun. I had a teacher in the 4th grade who found a way for us to dissect cool stuff for science. I had an Teacher who saw the potential for great readers and sent a few of us to the library to get the "Special Books" Like Huck Fin and Wrinkle in time, when we had read all of the books the rest of the class was reading.
Now I have been a Mommy for quite a few years and this is what I have learned about my dream come true. It is harder shop for the perfect toy than it is to build the perfect blanket fort. Fast food is NEVER better tasting that food that comes out of the oven with the marks of little helpers ( even if they did think that salt was sugar ). The city pool is cool but being able to lay out in the little pool at home at midnight and find the constellations with Dad is cooler. The trip to the fun thing is always more fun and more memorable than the fun thing itself.
I have also been teaching now for many years although not in the formal state-run setting that most of us associate with teaching. Teaching is done in many ways, Mom's are teaching all day every day if anyone cares to learn. I have learned a great deal from all my students over the years and I would like to share just a few. Students are more interested in what you have to say if you can remember their names. There are never enough black brown and pink crayons in a box. Candy in the class is never helpful but sometimes an un-frosted cookie in the shape of a covered wagon is the best visual aid. The student who has read ahead and is prepared is a treat and somewhat rare. Most of the time spent teaching should be spent listening to what your students think about what was said.
When our children blessed our lives, I set aside school and formal education and paychecks that would have been nice to stay home to raise my children. I know that not everyone does it that way, but it was the way I chose. Full time Mom and dream on the back burner. I missed out on all that late night college fun and long time friendships that good roommates and classmates become. Now I find that All this time I was Full time Mom and Full time Teacher. the pay was immeasurable and the benefits are just now kicking in. I have the benefit of seeing all the children I have taught over the years begin to raise their own children and to become GREAT Parents. I have the benefit of my own little grandsons coming to my house and showing me the marvelous things their Mommies and Daddies have taught them. I am greatly blessed to have taught some of the best children on earth and they have taught me much as well.
Now as I return to school to finish what I started years ago, a sense of humor is helpful as I try to explain what I am doing to younger minds than mine. They marvel that if I am already teaching privately why would I want to sit in an English class that no one seemed to really want to take. I laugh and explain that even though I have taken this class before it was years ago and the paper credit doesn't count any more. Lesson to be learned: Finish what you start in a timely manner or you will have to start over. I have enjoyed remembering the lines from Shakespeare's plays long forgotten and now renewed. Lesson to be learned: Love of family is the most important thing and trust is essential to that love. I have even enjoyed learning that I can do algebra after all these years. Lesson to be learned: Some things are not as hard as we remember or perceive if we will just sit down and do them.
To become what we dream we must work hard and sacrifice those things that do not matter for the things that do matter. To not become what we dream leaves us empty of some of the joy our Heavenly Father desires us to have. Having been sent to earth to become like our Father in Heaven requires sacrifice and hard work. We must give up what would seem like a good time for what appears like hard work at the moment. To be like Him requires that we Not be like the world. To be what we dream means that we can Not be distracted from flashy here and now.
To be who we are, or not the real question is are you willing to pay the price and go the distance and finish what you started when you first had that dream.

The End is Just The Begining

Some time ago our family took a very long road trip to a very special place. All the way there we heard the Oh Too Familiar “Are we THERE yet”? The road seemed long and tiresome and although at times we made the road fun for the most part is was all about wearing your seat-belt and staying where you belong and not getting lost and on and on. Seemed like more of a burden to get where we were going then the Special Place would be worth when we got there.

What our children did not know was the Special Place would be worth every minute they had to spend in the car. What could they in their inexperience know of their destination? They did not remember having been there and could not possible know that their parents were doing all they could to provide them with a grand and wonderful life experience. Soon they would have more joy then they had ever previously known.

When we arrived they were indeed thrilled. So many memories of that day fill my heart and theirs. Such reunions as they had never remembered. Families, gone from our presence but not forgotten, were waiting for us to greet us and fuss over us and share everything they had with us. It was indeed a marvelous time. We were so happy to be where our family was. The long road was over and the End was just the Beginning.

We are all part of a larger family, The Family of Our Father in Heaven. He too has asked each of us to go on a long journey to a special place. The road is filled with seat-belts that must be worn to keep us safe. At times we have fun, laugh and create a memory of the journey, but still we must follow the rules of this road. And when we reach our destination we too will be filled with the joy of being again with Family that we knew but perhaps because of time and distance and space have forgotten

Sometimes, in our lives, we make choices that take us places we do not want to be Yet, at other times, People in our lives make choices that leave us in places we do not wish to be. Still we stand together and that makes us strong. We are a forever family and we WILL Stand strong yet again, even if we do not want to stand here.

Here where the road seems longest, Here where the pain is felt most deeply. Here feeling left behind as everyone else moves on without us. Here, left Standing alone, on earth. Yet we remember something of our Home in Heaven each time we hold that new life that comes so fresh from our wonderful Heavenly Home. We feel it when we reunite with friends and loved ones in this mortal sphere. We feel it most tenderly when one we loves reaches the end of their journey and discovers,

The End is just the Beginning.

Funny how life goes and goes and then one day you notice how much has gone. This week Dennis and I noticed that it had been 30 years that we had been married. I wonder if it was those flowers that give it away, or perhaps all of our children coming home for dinner or maybe it was card that said how after 30 years he still loves me like it was just yesterday that we fell in love. Whatever it is that makes you notice the time, the time becomes less important as you go along. What is important is the way you feel every day. Do you feel better because you have this wonderful person to share your day with? Do you want to spend your evenings and free time with them ? Do you count the minutes in anticipation of their arrival? When the only time that matters is the time spent apart because you just want more time together, You know that you have something special. Time at our house this year was kind of a BIG deal. With Dennis doing a temporary night gig for a few months that has turned into half the year... Time together was a big deal. Then we noticed that both of us were just a tad closer to that half century mark than we would like to have to admit. Dennis hit it last January and I was edging closer than I ever wanted. Funny how so much of your life you can pack into what feels like such a small amount of time. Funny how such a short space of ticking minutes becomes years and decades and then you are the grey haired grandparents. Funny how that vow to love forever seems to be just getting started and someone much younger points out that you have been married longer than anyone they know. Funny how time flies when you are having fun.

The Easy Life

My cousin Becky has inspired me this morning to achieve the easy life. She posted that as of 10:30 this morning she had already accomplished a laundry list of the days activities Such as laundry, windows bathrooms lunches packed Kiddies bathed dressed fed and ready for a new adventure. Beds made, floors vacuumed, and Kitchen cleaned up from breakfast. WHEW ! You see my cousin Like myself, is a stay at home MOM. We lead the easy life. For when you are a stay at home Mom this is your life, look at all the freedom you will have when you choose this EASY life.
You set your own hours. ( whenever you are needed )
You set your own menu ( What ever the kids will eat this week )
You set the dress code. ( What will wash the best with this activity. )
You set the schedule ( as long as you have everyone where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there.Dressed the way they are supposed to be dressed )
You set the pay scale ( as long as it is leftover from everything else )
YOU Cook, YOU clean, YOU administer the first aid, YOU are the referee.
YOU DETERMINE THE ATTITUDE (cause if Mama ain't happy ain't nobody Happy )
You are the captain of your ship What could be easier than That. :D

So to all you who are looking to ease your burdens and get out of that race of a life you lead
Just stay home and lead the easy life.

Enjoy :D

BaseBall Anyone ?

When I was a kid I learned to play baseball in school. I Learned the rules or so I thought. I even learned to swing a bat. I lived in Seattle the home of the Professional Losing Mariners so.... when our little town decided to start up a woodbat league, and they called for host families for the young men who would be playing, I thought WHY NOT !

Let me introduce you to my
Boys of Summer !





This is Marshall and Danny and Karsten
with Dylan at one of our Baseball games.
Our team is the Walla Walla Sweets.
Danny # 14 plays mostly 3rd base but sometimes first. He lives with us and Dylan loves him. Marshall # 6 Plays all the infield and Dylan thinks he is Funny. Karsten #33 Plays 1st base. These guys are great to have in our homes and they have been great to get to know.





We had a bat night giveaway and Dylan got a little bat. but when we went to take pictures with the team he wanted Danny's bat so...
Danny traded him.
Dylan thought that was cool
But he did have to give Danny back his big bat and that was not cool.







This is Chris # 46
He is a Pitcher. He has a fast ball that is really fast. It is really hard to hit too.

Dylan thinks he is his big brother.
He follows him everywhere when they are both at the house at the same time. And Chris has been a great sport about talking to him and playing in the pool with him.

If you have seen our pool you know why that is a big deal.



We love to watch all the boys as they swing for the fence
Or guard the home turf.

And you can't have baseball in Walla Walla without a big Sweet Onion. oh yeah and Great Umpires.

The season started out a little chilly and Dennis Had to get me a jacket.


But as you can see Now we have beautiful sunshine and they work really hard to keep our field of dreams Green.
We love to sit and watch as they prep the field.
And This is where we sit for every Game. Great seats !!! PLAY BALL :D

What is a Family anyway

This is me, I am a boy and I am All BOY ! I love Dirt and mud and dogs and cookies and everything that is loud and dirty. But I also love my bear and my blanket and a good cuddle when the day is over. I Love a bath and soft warm PJ's . I have a Mom and a Dad and that is our Family. Just us and we are very happy . So when My mom and Dad told me that We were going to have a baby brother soon, I wondered what that meant.

When I asked my Dad how we were getting a baby Brother he thought about it a while and said your mom is going to take care of that . But we are going to love him and he is going to be a lot of fun.

So one day After spending the night with Nana and Papa we go to this place and I see my Mom just laying around in Bed. Now my mom works very hard to keep My Dad and Me clean and Fed and entertained and happy so I thought she was just taking a nap before she fixed me lunch. But she said No, she was working on getting a baby Brother here.
It doesn't look like work to me but I am just 2

So Nana and I went to the bookstore and found a book about being a Big Brother and then one about Cars racing and crashing ( that one is for my Dad cause he can make the BEST crash sounds EVER) and took them home to Nana's and read them. and waited. OK WE made cookies and played with the dogs and took a nap and then the phone rang and My Dad said that we could come and see the new Baby Brother. Uncle Derek and Nana and I went to the big place and look what we found.

This is My Baby Brother.
He can't do anything yet that is fun but everyone seems to really like him.
I think he doesn't know I am his Big Brother yet but I keep telling him that he is the baby so I think he will get it soon.
So, this is my Dad and my Baby Brother,
And I guess my family is just everyone that loves me and That I love

Smile this is for Posterity

Sometimes all my children are home at the same time. It is at these special times in my life that I love to gather my precious children around me and take a picture as proof that we really do all belong to each other. I think of how when I am old and lonely I will be able to look back on all these wonderful pictures and think of all the good times we have had together. Like these good times.

Smile because this is for Posterity :D

Spring Break?

I came down to visit my folks in sunny California and this morning this is what we saw.

It was not too bad for a while then this was the order of the day !

I guess this is why they call it spring Break !

Because we were taking a BREAK FROM SPRING

Enjoy your Break from spring as well.

Where the Boys Are

When I was much younger than I am now...
There was this song on the radio that I thought was kind of a funny thing.
The young lady is crooning about where the boys are someone waits for her.



I have always wondered where those boys were and why were they waiting for her to come to them instead of going to her ? Such are the mysteries that you rarely ever solve until now.
The boys are at Papa's house having all kinds of great boy fun.


They wait for her because she is missing all the fun. They are getting dirty playing in the garden... they are cleaning up after Nana fixes anything in the kitchen.

They are waiting with great anticipation as the party is starting...


But mostly they are just being Boys and that is the best place to be of all.

Ladies and Gents The BOYS ARE HERE AND LOVING IT. :d

And we are Loving having them here

:D

What is Love ?

I knew a man who spoke of love with the
fondness of familiarity in his eyes
The sparkle that told you,
He really had known such a thing.
It make a coy smile spread across his weathered face
like sunshine spreading across the
morning grass and expunging all traces of the nights storm.

He spoke of the softness of love
and how in moments of grief too great for a mortal heart
to hold out against, love, like a comforter on a winter's evening,
would chase away all traces of sorrow.
Leaving you content to find them replaced
with warm thoughts of friends and family.
Faces now gone, but never forgotten.

He spoke of the compassion of love.
Tender feelings so intense that nothing but the best for others
motivates you to do good.
Feelings of empathy so complete
that you experience their joy and sadness.

He spoke of the sorrow of love.
How your heart breaks when
those whom you love turn away from you.
When nothing you say or do will bring them back
because of the hardness of your words
and of their hearts.
When prayer and time and Love are your only Hope.

He spoke of the strength of love,
and how it holds you up when you feel certain that you can not endure.
Strength that flows through you like electricity,
energizing the very fibers of your being,
giving you what you never knew you had, to face life's trials

He spoke of the Joy of love,
that fills you with an anticipation that is so real,
you feel the energy of their presence long before they become visible.
That just having them near makes you feel completely content.

He spoke if his love for me
and I could not wonder at his words.
A captive of his strength and forever the beneficiary of his joy,
I had learned of the capability compassion had to change a hardened heart.
I know that his joy and mine were intertwined.
The ring of gold and cherished promise spoken years ago
had long since made me his for eternity.