fun in the snow

Yesterday we took some of our visiting family up to the mountains. Being from southern California, they don't get to play in the snow too often. Don's niece, Sarah, who is 4 had never even seen snow. We found a small hill and spent the morning sledding, making snow angels, having snow ball fights, and just having a real fun time.

I took over 300 pictures, but am only including a few here...

dani's 15 minutes of fame

As I alluded to yesterday, our trip home Saturday had a little bit of excitement. I'll just type it out in the order it all happened...

We were at the Los Angeles airport and as our boarding time was approaching, Danielle and I decided to use the restroom. As we approached the monitors that displayed the departure times of flights, we noticed a couple of cameramen with their cameras pointed at the monitors. I then notice a couple also standing there and instantly knew I'd seen them before. They had been on TV but I couldn't remember what show. I tell Danielle and we both rack our brains trying to figure out where we've seen them before. We then realize that there's another couple there (two African American women) and the light bulb goes on - they're a part of the TV show, The Amazing Race.

I go up to the familiar looking guy and ask him if he's a part of The Amazing Race and he tells me all that he can say is that they're in a race. I wish him luck and walk away still not knowing where I know him from. Danielle then asks, "weren't they on Big Brother?" YES!! That's where they're from. Jeff [Schroeder] and Jordan [Lloyd] were fan favorites on last season's popular reality TV show Big Brother, and made it obvious on the show that they had feelings for each other. Jordan was the eventual winner of the season.

Okay... this is pretty big for me. The Amazing Race and a Big Brother connection. I watch both of these shows (yes, I like reality TV). I tell Danielle to take a picture with her iPhone. She doesn't want to do it but hands her phone over to me. So I step forward and take the two best pictures I can without making it seem overly obvious of what I'm doing. We then leave to go share our bit of news with Don and Jake. Before we board our plane, I update my Facebook status with what I thought was pretty exciting and Danielle updated her Twitter with the simple statement, "It never fails. I always see famous people at the LAX airport," along with the picture of Jeff and Jordan (the one I took!).

An hour into the flight, we're told by the pilot that there is a medical emergency on board and we have to make an emergency detour to the Las Vegas airport. Ugh! Although I understood the need to do this, I just wanted to get home. As we deplaned, Danielle turned on her iPhone and found that she had numerous updates/comments to her Twitter - all expressing great excitement over her sighting and photo. By the time we get to Denver, the feedback is at a frenzy level.

I say frenzy level because evidently we (because it really was a joint effort) broke the news to the world that not only had the 16th season of The Amazing Race started (that day, as it turns out), but that Jeff and Jordan were one of the teams. Word traveled fast and now the information that we had and the photo that we took is all over the internet. And not just blogs and forums, but such sites as Entertainment Weekly and other celebrity monitoring sites. Most of them give credit to Danielle as the one who took the picture and even that she broke the story. It's been crazy to see the photo everywhere as well as Danielle's name and account of what we saw.

You can google and find the pics but I'll save you the trouble by posting them here. You can also read Danielle's Twitter posts here.




Dani is enjoying her 15 minutes of fame. Had we known this was such a big deal, we would have tried to take a few more pictures, not of just Jeff and Jordan, but the other teams as well. It will be fun to watch the next season knowing that we have a connection to it.

what was i thinking?!

Tonight, at midnight, I will be sitting in a theater with a bunch of Twilight fanatics [which I've been told will include screaming girls] to see New Moon - the second installment of the Twilight series.

I wouldn't call myself a fanatic, but I did enjoy the first movie and that's what lead me to reading the books - well, 2 of the books, so far. I would normally go see this movie during normal viewing hours but we'll be on a plane for California tomorrow and Danielle (with a few friends) wanted to see the movie as soon as it came out. That means tonight at midnight.

As I mentioned, I'll be in California for the next week. I have scheduled posts already and will hopefully be able to get on the internet to write new posts. We'll be spending Thanksgiving with family but the reason for the trip is to attend a special celebration. You'll be able to read about that in a future post. It will be wonderful to see family and to spend a whole week with my kids, near the beach, without any major responsibilities.

30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

honky tonk badonkadonk

I had the pleasure of sitting with my daughter last night while she watched the Country Music Awards show. I personally am not into country music but it was important to her and I could sit with her and work on my laptop. A couple of things struck me.

One was how enthusiastic Dani was about the awards and the artists. She knew most of them by name and the words to the songs they sang. She had her favorites and was thrilled when they won in their perspective categories. She is a big country music fan and I didn't realize just how big until last night. It was fun watching her excitement, knowing this has become part of who she is and not something her parents decided for her.

The other thing that made me take notice and even reflect upon, to the point that I decided to write this post, was the character of most country western artists. Watching not only the performances, but how gracious they were when they won and didn't win made an impression. They seemed to genuinely care for each other and for the larger community. I think every acceptance speech included some kind of gratitude to our service men and women.

I don't want to stereotype anyone and I could be totally off base. I know not all country western singers should be lumped into the same category, but I think overall, this group of people have shown themselves to be more down to earth, compassionate, and humble - which makes me like them... a lot.

Now, if I could only get into their music.

30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NIV

stuffed bears, tigers, and dogs

Did you know that yesterday, September 9th, was National Teddy Bear Day? No? I would guess not too many marked that day on their calendar. The only reason I know this is because I read it on a blog. It made me curious so I googled 'National Days" and found that there is a purported official list of National Days. Crazy. Some of them are quite humorous.

*side note: I love google. I can't imagine life without it.

Then I started thinking about teddy bears. Specifically, teddy bears from my childhood past. I'm sure I had many because a normal childhood would be full of teddy bears. In my mind, I can see each of my children's teddy bears. I know Danielle still has hers. She probably has every stuffed animal she has ever owned. She loves stuffed toys and can't part with them. She's 21 and I have to talk her out of buying them.

Sorry, I've become sidetracked. Back to the subject at hand... my teddy bears....

Either my childhood wasn't normal or my memory is getting worse (which it is). The only teddy bear I remember having was one that one of my grandmothers either crocheted or knitted. I liked that teddy bear but it wasn't a special childhood friend like a child's teddy bear is supposed to be.

I do remember having a couple of special stuffed animals. One was a tiger. I remember having him in second grade and I took him everywhere. His pose was him laying on his side and I would pretend he was my pet tiger. I wonder what ever happened to him.

The second plush toy I loved was a Snoopy Dog (from the Peanuts collection). My best friend in 6th grade had one and I just had to have one, too. The four of us had many fun sleepovers together. I may still have this toy. I'll have to look in my cedar chest.

How about you? Do you remember having a favorite stuffed toy? Was it a teddy bear?

what's happening...

Randomness...

-> Around here, schools started last week. Yet, I have not heard from the district whether I have my job from last year, when I would start, and when and where I would be working (which school(s). I'm going crazy. I'm pretty sure I have a job, but what if I don't? I could (and would) be spending this time looking for another job. I sent an email to the secretary about a month ago and she sent out a mass email to all the tutors telling them to not bug her and that they would get us the pertinent information some where around the end of August. Well, today was the end of August. Do they think that we don't have lives? I can't even plan anything in the future because this part of my life has been settled. Ugh!

-->> As I waited in a very long line today at my local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), I was thoroughly entertained watching and listening to people with the cell phones. I'd say 90% of the crowded room were people who were either talking or using the phones. I must have heard 10 or more ring tones that were songs, mostly TV theme songs or songs from the 50s and 60s. It just struck me funny to see this room full of people (70 or so) in their own little world by using their cell phone. What did we do before we had these things?!

--->>> Jake got a job this weekend at a sporting goods store near his college campus. He'll be working quite a bit for the next two months during their huge sale on ski and snowboard items. This had been his plan all along but it now means that we won't be seeing him very much. He has a very tough semester (actually, the whole year) ahead of him and now he's adding the work schedule to it. Good luck Jake.

---->>>> We're going camping this weekend. We're going with many families from our church and we're going to a place our family has gone to for 18 years (minus a year or two) on Labor Day weekend. Danielle has asked to be baptized again. Her baptism will be in the same pool where she was originally baptized, about 10 years ago. Also, Don will be delivering the message on Sunday morning in the quaint, outdoor chapel. For those two reasons, plus a great time of fellowship and camping, it should be a great weekend.

time marches on

Ok... it's time to get back into the habit of blogging. I've been terribly lazy and unmotivated. I miss one day, and then two, and with each passing day, it gets harder to sit down and write something of quality. But I enjoy writing here and reading other bloggers, so I just need to make the commitment.

The last month has been hard because Danielle was traveling and my mind was on her and her trip 24/7. I didn't want to bore any of my readers with my daily thoughts and worries, so I withdrew a bit. I am happy to announce, though, that she arrived home Monday night safe and sound. She had a wonderful time, a lot of interesting stories, and memories to last a life time. Thanks for all of you who lifted a prayer on her behalf.

I've been reading a lot. I found that my mind wouldn't wander to Danielle as much if I was engrossed in a book. I read a book titled Still Alice and would highly recommend it as it sheds light on the reality of living with Alzheimer's. It's told in the first person of a 50 something year old who starts displaying symptoms of early onset Alzheimer's. It really makes you think and helps you understand what this terrible disease does to not only the patient, but the family as well.

I also started reading the Harry Potter series. I saw the sixth movie over the summer and became intrigued. Or maybe it was because Jake read all seven books over a month's time and kept talking about them. Don't ask me why I haven't had any interest before now. All I know is that I found myself having the desire to read them. I've read the first two and enjoyed them very much. I think I'll read them two at a time, and read two or three other books in between.

We are once again empty-nesters as Jake and Danielle started classes this week. As always, the summer flew by. We didn't have any of the super hot weather, so in some ways, it didn't even feel like summer. Since we didn't get the hot weather, I'm wishing summer would last another month or longer instead of looking forward to Fall, like I usually am about this time of year.

But life, and the seasons, march on. And so do I.

nepal or bust

This was Danielle as I was saying good bye to her last Friday. It was hard for both of us, but we both knew she was about to embark on a life changing adventure, and we were excited for that. Thank you to everyone who responded to this post and have lifted up a prayer for her, her team, and the trip.

She has sent two updates thus far and they both have been rays of sunshine for Don and I. If you would like to read them, and any future correspondence, they are posted on her blog, Daze of Dani.

Again, thank you for your prayers.

on my knees

This Friday is a big day.
... especially for Danielle
... but also, for me.

My 21 year old daughter, Danielle, leaves for a month long mission trip to Nepal this Friday. She is very excited, and a little nervous, to be finally leaving after months of preparing for this trip. She and eight others have bonded as a team and feel like they are ready - emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Me? Well, my level of readiness for having her leave isn't quite as high. I can't help but have a certain level of anxiety over her traveling half way around the world, to a country with political unrest and where there has been violence perpetrated towards Christians.

Danielle has said from day one that she felt God wanted her on this trip, and as I've watched her over the months, I believe this, too. And if God has called her and the rest of the team, then His plans for them and the trip will be carried out. He will be watching over them.

But that doesn't mean that I won't be on my knees each and every day. I know the power of prayer and this team and trip have been bathed in prayer. Our pastor had Danielle come forward this morning so he could say a special prayer for her and asked the congregation to be praying for her during the month. Tonight, there was a send-off for the team where family and friends were invited. The meeting ended in a powerful time of prayer. It has given me some peace to know how many people have been and will be praying for this small group who's only desire is to be the hands and heart of Christ.

If you are so inclined, can I ask you to say a prayer for Danielle, for her team, and for this trip. And you could add me to that prayer, too - just for the relief of anxiety that creeps up when I let my guard down and forget that God is in control.

Thank you so much. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

the best job in the world

...
POSITION: Mom

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
• Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
• Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities.
• Travel expenses not reimbursed.
• Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life...

• Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
• Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
• Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
• Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
• Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
• Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
• Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
• Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
• Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
• Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
• Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job-training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

You pay them!

• Offering frequent raises an bonuses.
• A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
• When you die, you give them whatever is left.

The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life, if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE: THERE IS NO RETIREMENT .... EVER!!!!

When I saw this, I thought of my daughter, Danielle. She's 21 and has had nanny type jobs for the past three summers. The more she handles this type of responsibility and the more she understands what her mother and father have done for her, she questions why anyone would want to be a mother (or father).

I tell her that she won't quite understand it fully until she, herself, is a mother. I try to explain that a child brings more joy than hardship; that they are gifts from God and bless the lives of his or her parents and when the time is right, she will want a child. She's not so sure.

And for me... I'm glad there's no retirement.

weekend wrap up

What a busy weekend we had. I am so glad I have nothing to do today... well, except for laundry. There's always laundry to do.

We decided to celebrate our country's birthday by going for a hike. We went to a local state park named Castlewood Canyon and three hours later we climbed out of the canyon sweaty and very tired. It's really not that hard of a hike. I, and a couple of other members of the family, are just out of shape. It was a nice day, though. There was enough cloud cover most of the time to keep us on the cooler side and beautiful surroundings.

(you can click on the above collage to get a better view of each photo)

We went home and took short naps before eating dinner and heading over to watch our local fireworks. We weren't sure the show would go on because of thunderstorms and rain that rolled through during the late afternoon hours. The temperature dropped to around 60 but the rain had stopped and the fireworks were launched. Twenty five minutes of bombs bursting in air was a nice way to end the day.



We spent all day Sunday moving Danielle into her new apartment. She and good friend Meagan will be sharing a two bedroom apartment near her school. The apartment is nothing fancy but I think the two of them will make it cute and their own.

Don and I have decided that this will be the last time we play the roles of "movers." [I think I've said this before.] She will be starting her Senior year this fall and every year we have moved her into a new place. And every time except one, she moved out and stayed here at home for the summer and then moved to her new home. That meant an extra move. Of course, along the way, she has collected more "stuff." From here on out, we will (or she will) have to pay for someone to lug all that "stuff" up two and a half flight of stairs (or whatever it may be).

By the time we got home last night, we were ready for an early retreat to bed. And boy did that bed feel good.

monday, monday

For Today...

Outside my window... green. everywhere. That's what happens when you get a good amount of rain over the past month. Now that I'm looking outside, I notice Jake needs to mow the lawn... again.

I am thinking... about Danielle. Last night was her first night house sitting. I'm wondering how it went for her.

I am thankful for... the fact that Don passed a kidney stone yesterday morning. It was a painful night but it's passed and it won't cause him any more pain or trouble this week.

From the kitchen... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing was cooked yesterday nor will there be anything today. Is that sad? But due to that fact, it's clean.

I am wearing... plaid shorts and brown t-shirt.

I am reading... The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. It's one of those books where the characters now feel like family and I don't want the book to end.

I am hearing... The birds chirp, and the trash truck coming up the street.

I am hoping... Don has a wonderful time in California this weekend. The combination of the beach, family, and time away from work should mean a great time for him.

I am creating... a website to celebrate my grandmother's 90 years of life. We'll be celebrating her birthday in November.

I am going... to have to figure out what to get Jake for his birthday, and help Don figure out what to get for his mom for her birthday.

I am praying... for Danielle, her team, and her upcoming trip to Nepal.

Around the house... the garage has been picked up and cleaned out. The kids and I tackled the job last Friday as one of Don's Father's Day presents. He said it was the best gift we could give him.

One of my favorite things... sitting outside, under the gazebo, reading a book, while storm clouds roll over head. The light rain was an added bonus.

A few plans for the rest of the week... getting together with friends... for lunch, at the pool, and over coffee. We're hoping to buy a pop-up camper. Oh, and it's Jake's 19th birthday.

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


As I was walking through a parking lot the other day, this caught my eye... in the passenger seat with a seat belt around him or her. It's times like this that I'm glad I keep a camera in my purse.

Thank you to Peggy of The Simple Woman for this wonderful format for sharing part of our lives.

puzzles, tags, and a movie

Randomness...

Danielle, Jake and I are officially addicted. It's called Yubotu. I was given a book of puzzles in which you use your strategy skills to figure out where the hidden sea vessels are hiding on the grid. It's a little like the classic game of battleship. Once the kids saw what the puzzles were like, they wanted to solve them so I was copying them from the book onto grid paper. I couldn't keep up with the demand. Fortunately, Jake googled the name Yubotu and found that there are web sites that provide the puzzles and ability to solve them online - which is a lot more fun. No less addictive, but easier than using paper and pencil. If you would like to try your hand at these fun puzzles, check out YubotuOnline. The good thing about this site is they only give you nine puzzles a day, in varying degrees of difficulty. I now do my nine a day and call it good. My addiction is under control.

:::::::: :::::::: ::::::::

A week ago, I posted six unimportant things that make me happy from a tag I received. I then went on to tag six people. The process of defining what's unimportant and then coming up with six things was interesting for me and I have enjoyed reading other people's list. I encourage anyone who might be reading this who wasn't tagged to try this exercise. I think it has great value for all of us. I also want to extend the tag to one more person; my daughter, Danielle. She has a blog but claimed she can't write a post on this subject because she wasn't tagged. Okay, Danielle... consider yourself tagged.

:::::::: :::::::: ::::::::

Danielle and I saw the movie Up a couple of days ago and loved it. This is a Disney Pixar animated story of a old man and a young boy who go on the adventure of a lifetime. It's funny, it's sad, it's touching, and it's meaningful. Both kids and adults alike will enjoy this film. It's being presented in two formats, one being 3D. We saw it in 3D and thought it was great (boy, has 3D come a long way from earlier days). In fact, I don't know why anyone wouldn't see it in 3D. If you haven't already seen it, try to find a couple of free hours and make your way down to your local theater.

gettysburg...day 4

DC...day 1

I will be posting about our trip along with more pictures once we return home.

straight up the mountain

I had a very nice Mother's Day. I hope any mother reading this did so also.

After church, Don, Jake and I traveled down to Colorado Springs to spend the afternoon with Danielle. Before leaving her place for the restaurant for lunch, we spent some time talking and laughing and opening the presents Jake and Dani gave me. They gave me a beautiful candle holder and an even more beautiful bracelet. The bracelet has a charm that they had engraved with their names on one side and LOVE on the other. I love it!

We then went to lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Yummy food. Even better company.

After lunch, we drove up into Manitou Springs, which is a lovely little mountain town with a cute main street full of quaint little shops. I would have loved to do some walking and looking and shopping, but it was rainy and I knew the guys (Don and Jake) wouldn't have enjoyed the time spent that way. But I will be going back there some day - it's my kind of place.

Instead, we drove up to the base of the mountain where Danielle showed us her latest conquest... the Incline. It's a stairway straight up a mountain. It's crazy! It's a path made of over 5,000 railroad ties that goes straight up the mountain with an average grade of 41% (steepest is 68%). It starts at an elevation of 6600 feet and rises to 8600 feet. The trail down is a four mile hike. Like I said... crazy!


This picture doesn't do the breadth and scope of it any justice, but it's the best I could capture with a camera. Dani had wanted to conquer the beast, and did so a week ago. She doesn't want to ever do it again, which I find amusing. Once Jake saw it, he felt the challenge of it calling to him. He wanted to climb it right then and there. We talked him out of it. Mainly because it would most likely be a couple of hours that we didn't have. I have no doubt that he'll be at the top of that mountain in the next week or so.


After we left that area, we headed over to a beautiful park called the Garden of the Gods. There's some incredible rock formations to drive through and climb on. Even though the weather was on the dreary side, the park was full of people. Before we knew it, it was time to head for home. Another wonderful Mother's Day in the books. I am so blessed by my family.

a nightmare no one deserves

I saw it many years ago, between two boys who lived on my block. I knew both boys because all the kids played together. They were the same age as my daughter. One boy was a bully and the other was meek and mild, and nice. Everyone knew bully boy, and knew he was a bully. Everyone knew nice guy and knew what a sweet kid he was.

I don't know when it started exactly, but I know it went on for years. It probably started when both boys were in elementary school. It ended when they were in middle school. Bully boy made life miserable for many classmates, but nice guy was one of his favorite targets. Some times the bullying was verbal, some times it was physical. School got involved, to no avail. Police got involved, to some avail.

It ended when nice guy had endured enough, mustered up enough courage, and punched bully boy. [I would have loved to have been there to see it!] From what I heard, bully boy was stunned. From what I heard, other kids cheered... to themselves. Of course, there was a price to pay. Nice guy was suspended for a day or two, and the police were once again called in. But that was about it. Nice guy found something to be proud of and bully boy moved on to torment other kids. I don't know if it had much impact on bully boy, but it changed nice guy's life.

I also saw it when my daughter was in middle school, between some mean girls and herself. Girl bullying is a little different. It's more verbal and manipulation. Mean girls deserve that name, and a few other choice descriptive words. Danielle made it through middle school and chose to attend a different high school than her classmates. Those few short years had a profound impact on her, and her self-esteem. It was so hard, as a parent, to watch and try to fix. There wasn't much we could do.

Oprah did a show yesterday on bullying. It made me mad. It made me sad. It made me cry. Part of the show was about two boys who killed themselves because they felt so tortured and felt as though there was no way out from the constant bullying. There are real and tragic consequences to bullying. It is more common in the schools than you may want to think.

If you have a child in school - and it can happen all the way from elementary to high school, there's a good chance they have seen bullying first hand, if not been part of it in some way. Please don't turn a blind eye to this destructive behavior. If your child is being bullied, please don't tell them to just ignore the bully. That will solve nothing and life ends up being an ongoing nightmare for them. If you suspect your child has bullying tendencies, address it now.

There are many good web sites that talk about bullying, including cyber-bullying - which is growing and can be even more vicious, but I think this one does a good job of covering everything. Again, please don't turn a blind eye to this deep impacting issue. It's something we all should be concerned about.

this is how...

I spent my snowy Saturday...

We had planned to be snowed in today with the forecast saying we could expect anywhere from 5 to 15 inches of snow. Well... we got less than an inch. Instead, we got a lot of freezing rain with a lot of strong winds. We still stayed inside all day.

After breakfast, I crawled back in bed and read the new book I started a couple of days ago. After a bit, Danielle joined me and we enjoyed some quality mother-daughter pillow talk.

A little later I made some chocolate chip muffin tops.


This was after Don and Danielle made fried rice, after I put a roast and potatoes in the crockpot, and during the time Dani made fun-fetti cookies. It was a cooking and baking kind of day.

In case you're wondering what Jake was doing, he and his band were jamming in the basement.

I played a few games on POGO, read and commented a couple of blog posts, checked my email, and then... read some more of my book.


After Dani's birthday dinner, which was scrumptious, Hollee came over and we played cards. This is how we enjoy many Saturday nights. Don wanted me to mention that he won the game this night - which is a rare occurrence. Way to go Don.


I am now writing this post while the kids are playing Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. And now that I'm done, I'm going to go read my book. Good night all.

my firstborn

My darling girl,

I know I've joked about this, but it is really hard for me to believe that my baby is 21 years old today. Where... OH WHERE!... did the time go? Every moment has been a blessing for me and your dad.


You have grown into such a beautiful woman, both inside and out. I couldn't be prouder of the hardships you've overcome in your life and watching you turn those hardships around for good in some way. You have so much love in your heart and knowing how much you want to share that with others brings such joy to me. You do, and will continue to, have such an impact on those you come in contact with.


I hope you are as proud of yourself as your dad and I are of you. You are amazing. You make me laugh. You make me smile. You (and your brother) make my life complete. I could never express how much I love you. Just know that I do more than these words can say.


Happy Birthday, Dani
Sorry I couldn't spend the day with you but I hope you're having a wonderful birthday.

flowers and cookies

This is what I found when I came downstairs after my shower today. What a sweet husband I have.


Both Dani and Jake came home this weekend. Jake and Hollee spent Valentine's Day on the slopes snow boarding while Dani decided to bake cookies. It was fun helping her decorate them.



As I type this, Don has steaks on the barbecue which will accompany baked potatoes, salad, and garlic bread for dinner.

We've had a nice Valentine's Day. I hope you have, too.