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...

home away from home

My time here in California has come to an end. Tomorrow we get on a plane to return home. It always feels good to go home, but we'll also miss the time we spend here. It truly is our home away from home.

The week was a good mixture of visiting with family and enjoying the beach and warm weather. It was also a good balance of being with my family and Don's family. It's not always easy feeling like you're spending quality time with family and still enjoying your vacation.


Today, we ended the week by hanging out with my brother, sister, and their families. We rented bicycles and cruised down the strand on Balboa Island, with million dollar homes on one side and the ocean on the other.


We then ate lunch on the top deck of a restaurant at the end of the pier. What a great place to enjoy a burger and fries and catch up with each other. We said our good byes after walking through the sand to the break wall and watching the boats enter and leave the harbor. It was pretty well the perfect day and I will call on my memories of our time together when our time away from each other has stretched out from days into months.


30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Acts 20:35 NIV

a young beauty...

And four generations later...


30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6 NIV

90 years

Imagine the years you've lived. The things that have happened in the world... presidents come and go, 9-11, wars. Technological advances... the computer, the cell phone, the Ipod. How about emotional experiences you've endured or celebrated... first love, marriage(s), anniversaries, deaths, children - and their lives.

If you think back on your life, there's a lot to reflect upon. A lot of memories. A lot of heartaches and a lot of triumphs. And how old are you? Are you in your 20s? 30s? 40? 50s? 60? 70? 80s? No matter how old you are, a lifetime is a lot to reflect upon.

Imagine if you were 90, or older. That's how old my grandmother turned this weekend. We celebrated those 90 years yesterday with a big party where family and friends, old and new, were there. I tried to imagine what 90 years would feel like stored in my memory box. I really can't. I only have 50 years of memories and 40 years added to that is out of my grasp at the moment.

90 years old! To me, that's amazing. And my grandmother seems the same today as she did 40 years ago. Yes, her body seems to have shrunk a little, she looks a little more frail and her hearing has diminished, but she still has her mind and other capabilities. She walks a little slower with a cane or walker, but she still walks. She's able to take care of herself (and does) and she still has her sense of humor.

She has one daughter, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren who love her very much. She loves us very much and that has been the example passed down to us. She is a God-fearing woman who has passed her faith down to us. She was a working woman who passed on a good work ethic and what it means to be responsible. She has a legacy that not only has been passed down three generations, but will beyond that.

Happy Birthday (again) Grandma. I love you and thank you for who you are and what you have passed on to me. I look forward to birthday #100 =)

30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness."
1 Peter 2:1-3 New Living Translation

a day of celebration

Today we are having a special celebration. We will be celebrating the 90 years my grandmother has lived and loved. I will write more about her and the party tomorrow. Have a blessed day.

"Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction."
Psalm 1:1-6 New Living Translation

a heartfelt thank you

Today was Veteran's Day. I should have posted first thing so the content of this post would go with the day that most readers will be reading it. Actually, I write this post more for my future generations who might some day read my words here on my blog.


Veteran's Day is a big deal. I don't remember it being as such when I was growing up. Maybe it was because most of my childhood years were war free. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention to such things. But ever since 9-11 and the fact that we have so many men and women who have or are serving in a war, a day that celebrates those brave men and women gets a lot of notice - as it should. And I would like to take this opportunity to personally say thank you to those who have served this country to ensure our freedom and security.

My grandfather served in the Air Force and saw duty in the Korean War. My father retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel and saw duty in the Vietnam War. I couldn't be more proud of them and thankful for their sacrifices.

We don't need one day a year when we can honor and thank our veterans. We can and should do this every day. They deserve it.

30 days of WORDS TO LIVE BY

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

those three dead people

My post yesterday was an Aloha Friday question asking what three dead people would you want to invite to dinner. I really should have added that I didn't want people to include family. It was okay that people answered that way, but I didn't want readers to think that I wouldn't want to spend time with any of my dead relatives.

In fact, I would rather visit with my three deceased grandparents than the three famous people I picked. I miss all three very much. I lost my maternal grandfather when I was in high school. I feel like I didn't know him very well. I remember him as a quiet, humble man who made homemade fudge and had funny sayings.

Next, it was my paternal grandmother. She passed away in the hospital while I was traveling back to California, by car, with my family. It broke my heart not to be able to get to her bedside before she left us. And a few years later, her husband, my paternal grandfather, went to join his beloved wife to enjoy everlasting life with his Lord and Savior. I have more memories with these grandparents as I spent more time with them.

I miss all three of them and would love to have a few hours around a dinner table with them. But yesterday's question isn't the only reason why my grandparents have been in my thoughts. I attended a funeral today. I think funerals are a natural time to reflect on those we love; those who have already left us and those who are still with us. It's also a reminder that each and every day is a gift, because our days are numbered and no one knows exactly what their personal number is.

Don't waste your days. Take the time to let the ones you love know how much they mean to you. Be generous with your smiles... and hugs. And don't forget to count your blessings, as well as thank the one who blesses you.

some mighty questions

You may be wondering why Mighty Mom got away with asking four questions. Well, the only reason she did is because I ask her so many questions and she's always so nice to answer all of them. Here are Mighty Mom's questions:

What is the silliest situation you've encountered as a youth pastor? There are so many to pick from. Let me just say that a week long camp with Jr. High students is a breeding ground for pranks, mischief, and good 'ole fashion fun. But if I have to pick just one, it would be the "crud" war - a food fight with flour, shaving cream, and water balloons... all done in the snow!


What do you feel is your greatest legacy handed down from the women in your family, through you to your daughter, and onward? You mean besides shopping! =) I think what has been modeled for me is strong, spiritual women who feel confident enough to accomplish anything they desire.

My grandmother (along with my grandfather) was an independent insurance agent who worked out of their own office. I remember visiting that office as a little girl and recognizing at that time how strong and independent my grandmother was. While most of my friend's grandmothers stayed at home, mine had her own office, was a licensed agent, and went on business trips. She also was in charge of her church's library. It was a huge church and I was always so impressed that it was my grandma who ran it all.

Then there's my mom. There's not enough time and space to write how much of an impact she has had on me and my life. Even though she was a stay at home for part of my childhood, I mostly remember her as a working gal. She had some pretty high powered positions. She also had some really tough times but always pulled herself up out of whatever had her down. That always left an impression.

After she remarried, she went back to school and then seminary where she received her degree and was ordained as a minister. She has been a chaplain, a preacher, a teacher, a speaker, and a piano player for different churches. She has held several high positions within her denomination and worked within different para-church organizations. She is very spiritual and amazes me with her love for Christ that is both deep and wide.

Ever since I came back to the church (which was when Danielle was born), I have been involved in some kind of ministry. I feel God used me most when I was ministering to people. I did so in Children's, Women's, Stephen's, and then Youth Ministry. Besides having several different jobs, I also worked for myself doing desktop publishing for clients.

This is what I want to pass on to Danielle, and beyond. I want her to know that she can do whatever she puts her mind to. And I want her to know and love God in such a way that it impacts who she is and how she lives her life. I want her to find a way to serve Him that will bring her joy. And guess what? I already see this starting to happen. It makes me happy and proud.

What's the biggest mistake you've made as a mother and what advice would you give to help me avoid making the same mistake? Whew! What a loaded question. I've made many, many mistakes. There's many things I would do differently now that I can look back with a different perspective. But I can't go back, and I'm okay with that. I did the best I could and I think most moms do the same.

I think my number one piece of advice for any mom (or parent) is to keep the lines of communication open. Try to understand what your kid is feeling or what's going on with them. Do this by talking to them and asking them questions. Let them know how you feel about things and why, as a parent, you have to make the decisions you do. Be strong in your values and discipline, but support them, respect them, encourage them, and love them unconditionally. Make family life fun and as stress-free as possible, because the rest of their life will be full of stress and hardships.

What's the best way to get the teens who sit in the last pew to stop horsing around during the service and being distracting? I know you gave me some details regarding this situation but without knowing these kids are what your church service looks like, it's hard to answer this with a simple answer.

First, let me say I know how frustrating it must be to have to endure this kind of behavior during a service. But I have to agree with the sentiment, "at least they're here." I think it's important for teenagers to see and experience church services. There has to be some kind of assimilation from children's church into adult church. You can't expect them to know how to handle themselves or understand the meaning of the different aspects of a service if they aren't a part of it.

The problem is that they find it boring, they probably don't want to be there, and they're sitting with their friends - who all feel the same way. My first suggestion would be for the leaders to find some way to include them in the service. Give them a responsibility of some kind. Even the smallest act of serving can make them feel important and also help them understand the bigger picture.

Has anyone spoke to them, in a way that doesn't sound like scolding, explaining how their disruptive behavior affects those who are trying to worship, or pray, or listening to the sermon? Explain why that even though it might not be important to them (the teens), it is to the others in the room.

I also thought about the fact that the minister is also the youth leader. Maybe he/she could give some kind of incentive for the kids to listen and act appropriately. Like give a prize each week to the kid who can answer selected questions about the sermon, or to the kid who took notes, or something along those lines.

Sorry I don't have just the right answer that will automatically take care of the situation. Keep me updated on how it goes. Remember that they need God just as much as you do. And try to remember what it was like when you were a teenager.

Thank you to anyone who has read to the bottom of this post. Sorry it was so long. Blame Mighty Mom, her questions, and the fact that she had to have four ;D

one more comment...

Last week I wrote a post about Hillary Clinton and her emotional response to a question posed to her (link to post) and I thanked everyone for sharing their personal opinions on the issue. I received an email from my dad asking me if it was okay for him to leave a comment with his two cents, not knowing if I was welcoming a male opinion.

After telling him I would love to hear his opinion and his comments are always welcomed on my blog, he said he would gather his thoughts and leave a comment. He sent me an e-mail, with an attached document, a couple of days later saying he thought that what he wrote was too long to be a comment. I can see why he thought this but I was so touched with what he wrote, I asked him if I could publish it as a stand-alone post. He finally agreed to my request and here's what he wrote:

...So I'll attach what I wrote to this for you alone to ponder. Bear in mind that my comments, as they stand alone probably would indicate my support for her politically. But nothing could be further from the truth. I believe we must respect even our adversaries, but given a choice in voting for her, my thoughts go along those of what Mammy T said in your Rays...

Wow, where do I weigh in on all this? Trying to go along with the excellent responses that you’ve gotten from your fellow bloggers isn’t the answer as they’re all good comments yet somewhat disagreeing. I can only offer my opinion, that I doubt that Hillary’s emotion break was staged. Tears come to all of us when we get emotional and particularly when we’re tired.

Men are usually criticized for not showing the emotion any more than they do. Maybe it’s the macho image that they feel they must maintain. And I would imagine that Hillary has tried her best to parallel that macho image with the men. But she is human, and to let out a little emotion at the time she did, I think is understandable.

And casting her tears (such as they were) aside, she really came up with some great, touching words about our country, and who is going to be ready to run it? I would love to know just how she felt about releasing her emotions that way. If we knew the truth of that, we might be better able to evaluate whether she staged those tears or not.

But I can only relate to my own circumstances and history when I’ve let down during emotionally stressful times. Tears have flown from my being many times during my years of living: when I lost a cat during my childhood, I cried; when I had to leave your mother at a most critical time of her pregnancy with Steve and flew off to Morocco during the Cuban Crisis, I cried; when I had to leave Steve over night in the Vandenberg AFB hospital after he fell off the slide there in Lompoc and broke his arm, I cried; when I left you all (family) at the Long Beach airport as I separated and flew off to Vietnam for a year, I cried; when I lost your mom to a divorce and was further impacted by not being able to keep you girls with me when we moved to Colorado, I cried; and when my mom and dad passed away and I saw them for the last time in their caskets, I cried.

And as I get older the tears flow from emotional times even more. Anything patriotic, anyone that I see in church committing their life to Christ, any compassionate act by one human upon another, etc. will bring tears to my eyes, a lump to my throat, and an inability to speak when I only wish that I could. And it’s getting worse with age.

So why do we criticize a politician, a woman at that, for something that God has inbred into us. I don’t think we control those things. It just comes out. Someday, when we’re on the other shore, in our heavenly bodies, we won’t have to worry about emotions. But as for this life, we must accept them, and to criticize anyone for displaying them is wrong. Did she stage hers? I doubt it. She was only being human, and I can relate to that.

Thanks Dad.

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link of the day:
http://tanusha.livejournal.com/785637.html

bracelets galore

Kelli hosts Show & Tell Friday each and every Friday. If you have anything to share, you're invited to join in the fun.


Before my birthday, back in October, I didn't usually wear a bracelet. I have a couple of nice ones and a couple more cheap ones and I'd ocassionally wear one, but not on a regular basis. But then I received a very nice bracelet as a birthday gift from one of my good friends. I love it and have worn it just about every day since.

Now I have even more bracelets to choose from each day. And I love each one of them.

This one was made and sent to me by Christine of From Dates to Diapers and Beyond right before Christmas. I won it in her Fall Y'all Bloggy Giveaway. It's beautiful Christine. Thank you very much.



This one was in my stocking, given to me by Don. I tried to get close enough so you could read what it says. It says Life is a journey, not a destination - a saying I truly believe in and use a lot. I love it. Thanks Dear.


Danielle got interested in beading a year or so ago and enjoys making bracelets. She made some from friends and one for her cousin. When I saw this design, I told her how much I liked it and she then made me one. You did a great job, Dani. thank you.


And here are two strands from a total of five. These are the bracelets my sister and I picked out for the both of us. Each strand is unique and yet they all look very similar. We both have two and we wear them as a reminder of each other and to be praying for each other. I'm trying to wear these every day but on my other arm, along with my watch. I love the look of these bracelets and what they stand for. Thanks Karen.


If you'd like to see what other people are sharing today, head on over to Kelli's place.

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link of the day:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/12/blog_advice

a fond farewell

This morning we had to say good-bye to our company. We had a wonderful time while they were here and I'm going to miss them. My sister and I don't get to see each other very often. It had been a little over two years since the last time. We're hoping it won't be that long this time.


Thanks, Karen, for coming all the way out here and spending your Christmas with us. I love you and your family, and loved having all of you in my home. I will think of you often and keep you in my prayers, thanks to the bracelets (watch for show & tell next Friday).


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link of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbkNxYaULBw

look, my table got cleared off

Well, another Christmas in the books. I hope yours was a great one.


Even though it's Wordless Wednesday, I just have to add a few words. We had a wonderful day yesterday. My sister and her family drove in over the weekend [through a snowstorm] to spend the holidays with us. Two young ones [6 & 9] in the house adds to any Christmas festivities :]

Make sure you visit the other Wordless Wednesday participants.

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link of the day:
http://ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm
(thanks Karenkool)

no coal in these stockings

Today for Show & Tell, I'd like to share something that is very, very special to me and my family. It's our Christmas stockings.

What makes them so special is that my grandmother knitted each one. And not only did she knit the four here, but one for each and every person in her family. She started with mine [which makes it extra special] as I was her first grandchild.

She then knitted one for my sister and then my brother. When each of her grandchildren married, she knitted a stocking for the spouse. With the birth of each great-grandchild, she'd get out her knitting needles once again. She has six great-grandkids and each one has a hand knitted stocking.

She felt she needed to knit two more stockings to complete the circle; one for her daughter [my mom] and another for my mom's husband, Lee. If my math is correct, that's fourteen stockings she poured her love into. She made her first one nearly 50 years ago and finished her last one just a few years ago.

It is tradition in our family to give stocking stuffers to each other. Each Christmas these stockings are filled with all kinds of goodies. And each stocking is different - no pattern was used twice.

Thank you Grandma for not only my stocking and my family's stockings, but for giving each person in your family a part of yourself. A piece that we cherish deeply and will keep with us forever.

Visit Kelli at There Is No Place Like Home for more Show & Tell.

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link of the day:
http://www.allthingschristmas.com/stories.html

girlfriend's favorite christmas

continued from girlfriend reminisces...

The ride home from the grandparent's house was always a trip the girlfriend enjoyed. It took 30-40 minutes but was all on a few bigger streets and side streets - no freeways. It was always late at night, near midnight. Usually there wasn't much conversation in the car. It felt like a reverent silence for all the passengers as they stared out the car windows at all the Christmas lights and decorations. A time for inner reflection.

Of all the Christmases the girlfriend can remember, there is one that will forever remain as one of her favorites. It was a year when the girlfriend had her own apartment and lived by herself. As the car pulled up to boyfriend's house, his mom asked the girlfriend if she wanted to spend the night.

That one question could have been considered the best Christmas gift the girlfriend received that year. Of course, she said yes. She slept on the couch but felt it was more comfortable than her own bed. Maybe it was the gratitude she felt or the love that was extended to her that had her smugly tucked under the blanket and reflecting on the family that she had grown to love as her own.

As much as she loved falling asleep where she did, waking up where she did was even better. It was Christmas morning. There was the smell of cinnamon rolls baking and the anticipation of the day hanging in the air. Everyone grabbed a mug of hot chocolate and made their way into the family room where the tree displayed the wonderful abundance of gifts.

Besides the kitchen, the family room was the most used room in the house. Dad sat in "his" chair; a well worn recliner. Everyone else seemed to have their "regular" place where they sat. The girlfriend sat on the fireplace hearth, which was a bench in itself. There was a fire blazing and when there was a fire, this was her favorite place in the entire house.

As she participateed in the opening of gifts, she shared in the traditions of the family. Opening one gift at a time while everyone else watched. There was genuine appreciation as each person would get up and hug the person that gave the gift. The warmth the girlfriend felt was not just physical. It was the warmth of love that seeped into her bones and touched her heart in a way that she will never forget.

The girlfriend received the best gift that year and it wasn't anything she unwrapped.

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link of the day:
http://www.storycorps.net/

girlfriend reminisces

It was tradition. Every Christmas Eve was spent the same way for this family. First they would visit Grandma V. Grandma V. was a widow and lived in a small apartment. She would cook the evening's dinner containing the German favorites of the family. The girlfriend didn't really care for the cuisine, but what could she do but politely accept what was put in front of her. She would eat as little as possible without making it look obvious that she didn't like it.

Then it was time to open the exchanged gifts. Of course, that is what the kids were there for in the first place. Grandma worked in a big department store, so most of the gifts she gave to her family were from the store, which was fine and usually very nice. A little more conversation was batted back and forth before it was time to say farewell - until the next day, Christmas, when the family would see her again at their home.

From there, the family and the girlfriend would travel across town to Grandpa and Grandma T's home. There, that whole side of the family would be gathered. The contrasts between the two visits were deep and wide. Quiet, subdued, and somewhat uncomfortable to loud, crowded, and fun.

It was a large family and the girlfriend loved this. Along with grandma and grandpa, there were aunts and uncles, and cousins galore. Girlfriend didn't have any cousins so this was something she had never experienced. She loved watching the interaction and the closeness of everyone. And it was a good thing they all got along because there were so many crammed into grandma and grandpa's living room, they were practically sitting on each other's laps. Once everyone had arrived, the gifts were exchanged - and it got even chaotic in that little room.

As the conversations flowed, so did the love. Even though the girlfriend wasn't a member of this family, she not only felt accepted, but a part of this large, loving family. She felt that way the first time she took part in this Christmas Eve tradition, and it only grew more so with every year after that.

to be continued...

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link of the day:
http://downloads.raileurope.com/holidayCard/06_christmas_card.html

happy sunday/birthday

I just stumbled across a feature here on Blogger that I had never heard of or seen before. It's called Blogger Play. It's a continuous stream of photos that are being uploaded in real time to any public blog on Blogger. You can read here how Blogger described this feature when they first launched it. You can see Blogger Play by going to: http://play.blogger.com/. You can also click on any photo that rolls by and a new window will open with corresponding blog. I think it's pretty cool and a little addicting. Did anyone else know about this?

===================

On another note, I would like to wish a happy birthday to my brother, Steve. His birthday is actually tomorrow but Mondays are for More of Him, so, bro, you get your birthday wish a day early.Happy Birthday, Steve. I wish you a day filled with laughter and love. If I were there, you know we would do something special to celebrate your birthday.

My brother is very special to me. He lives in California and we don't get to see each other very much. I would love to live closer. I feel the older we get, the closer we get, the more we have in common, and the more we have to talk about. I admire the way he's raised his family and how he's handled the few deep valleys in his life. He is a minister and principal of a christian school and performs each role with the utmost amount of integrity and compassion.

Steve, I miss the time that we could be spending with each other, talking and laughing. Thanks for being my little brother, for always making me laugh, for playing legos with me when we were kids, for becoming the truly awesome man you are today. I hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are. (my pic of the day is just for you =])

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link of the day:
my brother's site: http://www.oldredhat.com/

surprise!

Don and I had a nice surprise tonight. The two of us went out to dinner since we didn't have youth group and Jake has a class on Wednesday nights. We went to our favorite BBQ place. Right as our food was about to be served, Don's cell phone rang. It was our daughter, Danielle. All of a sudden Don breaks out into a huge grin and I could tell something was up.

She knew where we were because she and him had been text messaging. She called to ask us if we could order her something to eat. Yep, that's right... she showed up at the restaurant as a birthday surprise for Don and I. Yes, if you must know - my birthday is Saturday and Don's is Sunday.

Evidently, she had been planning this little trip for some time. She and Jake had been in cahoots with each other and other people/relatives knew about it. She had to take time off work and has sacrificed a few activities for the weekend by coming up and spending time with us. We had actually planned to go down to see her on Saturday but she made up some excuse to keep us from further planning. She was pretty sneaky.

She couldn't have given us a better birthday present. Even if we don't do a thing on Saturday, I feel like my birthday is complete and I couldn't have asked for anything more. Thank you, Dani.

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link of the day:
http://www.mywhitecloud.com/momandbaby/index.jsp

class rings

I haven't done a Show & Tell for a couple of weeks. It feels good to be back to Kelli's Show & Tell Friday. Visit her blog for a list of links to others who are sharing this week.

This week Jake and I were perusing a class ring catalog in search for the one he wanted to order. There really aren't too many choices for the guys and he wasn't sure there were any he liked. I pointed out one that I liked, listed under the heritage category, and told him it looked like the class rings from decades ago. In fact, his grandparent's rings looked like the ones shown.

I then remembered that I was in possession of my parent's class rings (as well as their wedding rings - they divorced some time ago). After retrieving them, I showed them to Jake. I think he found them interesting - in a historical sense. He also decided he liked the design of the older rings, and has since ordered himself one that will look very similar to his grandfather's.

Here is my dad's and mom's high school class rings. They went to different high schools but in the same city. My dad graduated in 1953, four years prior to my mom. They met in their church's youth group. My dad's ring still has yarn wound around it which was done so it would fit my mom's finger so that she could wear it.


I like the look of the older rings. I don't believe I had all the choices that are available for students now. And I didn't like the look of the one or two rings I had to choose from, so I didn't buy one. I am glad my two kids will own rings that represents their time in high school.

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link of the day:
http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html

it's friday

It's late Friday night. Don and I got home an hour or so ago from Jake's cross country meet. It was up in Boulder, about an hour away. We've gone to this same race for four years now. Always on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. That's the way the whole season will go; the same races in the same order.

On the drive up there, it dawned on me that this will be the last time we make the trip up to this particular race. It made me sad. It's just another realization that Don and I are in the process of leaving a very big part of our life behind and heading into a new phase of our lives. This next school year, Jake's last, will be passing by very quickly. Then Don and I will be empty-nesters.

I think we're fairly ready for it. We're already experiencing it a little because Jake is gone so much. We're spending more time just the two of us... around the house, going to church, eating out, and it looks like we're going to take a vacation - just the two of us - this fall sometime (I will write more when I know more).

On a lighter note (not that the other note was heavy), Danielle is coming home for the weekend. She really doesn't want to because she's loving her new home and enjoying life so much. But since it's a three day weekend and most of her roommates are going home, she thought she would, too. She's already informed me that she doesn't think she'll come home again until Thanksgiving. Guess I'm going to have to go down to visit her more often. Hmm... I wonder if she's bringing her laundry home with her this weekend and expecting me to make all her favorites for dinner?

As many of you noticed, I changed the layout to my blog (yes, I did it myself). I like it. I'm the type of person who likes change. Even though I like this layout now, I will probably get tired of it at some point and feel the need to change it. I'm already thinking of ideas for a holiday layout.

Why didn't anyone tell me that the poem I posted yesterday didn't make sense. I had copied some of it incorrectly. My bad. The last 6 or 7 lines should have read "every woman should know" instead of "a woman should have." Next time, just tell me when I don't make sense ;)

And lastly, check out my link of the day because it's a great video. It's a father singing about parenthood; the words comical and so true. You may have seen it on other's sites, but if you haven't, take the time to watch it.

Okay, this is lastly... I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.

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link of the day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uISuvTiTYJA

it's august 28th

to my sister, Karen

Karen, I want to wish you a very happy birthday. I hope your day is filled with happiness and love. I wish I could be with you to help you celebrate.

As I woke up this morning and realized it was your birthday, I thought about trying to hop on a plane and surprise you by showing up on your doorstep or at work. Of course, I can't do this, but, boy, would I love to. I miss you a lot. I would love to be able to spend the day with you. Is my memory correct, was the last time we were together two years ago? When I came and stayed the week with you? It can't be that long ago, could it?

No wonder I miss you.

There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me. ~Mary Montagu

I think most sister relationships are special. I know mine is. Even though we were fairly close as children, I think we're even closer as adults. It doesn't matter how much time has passed between our visits or phone calls. When we come together, it doesn't feel like any time has passed.

My sister would tell you that she always looked up to me and wanted to be more like her big sister. As we grew into adults, it was I that looked up to her and saw characterstics that I wanted more for my life. She is so smart and articulate. She has such a heart for diversity. She also has a heart for the elderly and is a wonderful companion to those whose health is failing. She's a wonderful mother, not to mention, wife, daughter, granddaughter, and, of course, sister.

Thank you, Karen, for being my sister.

I love you and hope you have a great day!