Happy Birthday Mom...

Today is my Mom's 72nd birthday! I love my Mom for all the patience she musters up!

She can be so patient with my Dad, even when he works so hard to ruffle your feathers (his favorite pastime)... if I had to live with him, I would blow up on him for pushing my buttons all the time. But Mom doesn't, she is quiet and patient (although she may be blowing up on the inside, she doesn't show it on the outside).

I love my Mom for her faith!

She loves God and His grace in her life.

She shows gratitude in all HE does and has in store for her and recognizes Him and gives Him the glory, she never takes it for herself!

I love how beautifully my Mom transitioned into a Mom of adults!

She doesn't get into the middle of our marriages, but still loves us enough to share her advice when we ask (how hard is that when your children are making stupid moves to keep your mouth shut and just love them because they are adults and have to make their own stupid moves to learn and grow).

I love her courage to let us make our own mistakes, and be there for us when we fall.

I love her unconditional love! She loves everyone we bring into our family. Marriages, friends, grand dogs. Her unconditional love spreads very far and wide.

I remember one time we were meeting some friends at a Mariners game while staying at her house... she packed up goodies for their son who is Jacob's age for us to take to him. And fell in love with the kid without ever meeting him. She still asks about him and would take him in like a grandchild just through our love for him.. and she has never ever met him still. We have to bring her to meet this kid one day, he really has another grandma he never knew he had :)

I love how my Mom sees the beauty in everything!
And how she taught us, "when life gives you lemons, to make lemonade!" She is cheerful and has a beautiful smile, she loves to laugh, and play and have fun.
She will break into a little dance at any given moment, and always has a song in her heart (and will break out in song upon request too). Oh and by the way, when I was a teenager growing up, despised all of these qualities... especially the singing and dancing at wee hours upon dawn breaking! Not how a teenager wants to be woken up! I am so grateful that I can love and appreciate these things about her now... I would have totally missed out had I kept my head in the sand.

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I love you Mom!

I hope you have a beautiful wonderful birthday!!

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P.S. go look in the top of the closet in my old bedroom for an orange bag for your birthday sursee!! I hope you like it!!

Annual Company Golf Tournament...

630am and the boys are off to the Annual Company Golf Tournament!

They are both excited.... but nobody could be more excited about it than Jacob.

He was up earlier than I could even read the clock.

Early to bed, early to rise is really working for him.

He had his golf outfit all planned the night before, and made time to dress his Dad this morning.

He said "Dad, you need to "represent" today!"

Too funny! For Jacob, half the head game of golf is "you gotta look good out there... Tiger never shows up shlumpy!" I have been listening to the smack talk for about two weeks now, so I will be glad for that to be over.

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Which leaves me at home to do my workout and then clean, clean, clean, can tomatoes, wash the dogs, paint, and maybe scrapbook or make some cards.

Teenagers... trauma or tranquillity?

I am trying to avoid freaking out that my baby is a senior this year... so far so good! No meltdowns yet!

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But this morning walking with my bff... we talked about her oldest leaving for college this weekend. She is ready, but neither of us can believe it is here! sniff sniff, tears.

Then her next oldest comes driving out headed for school... she has her license, when did that happen?

And she has a sister right behind her who is growing up way too fast too.... then 5 more behind her, in case I need more trauma in the future.

I guess the good news for me is I don't have to keep experiencing this trauma over and over again. One traumatic teenage phase is quite enough for me. Except living it vicariously through her. You gotta love teenagers!

Perspective...

Just in the midst of wondering WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! Trying to get perspective on my life and all of my many blessings (and why I can not just be cheerful and do the chores, instead of having horrible feelings of being "the maid").... I find a link to this blog and the sweet story of this family and their baby's 30 day fight for life!

www.jaycefieldsted.blogspot.com

Thanks Sister Roche for sharing it on your blog... I hate to cry and it has kept me in tears... but what a sweet story and glimpse of Heavenly Fathers Plan.

I know he does have a plan for me. I am so grateful for His love for me, and the Atoning sacrifice of His Son for me! So grateful, I should live every moment in my life in full gratitude... instead of constantly searching for perspective. Shame on me, but a good lesson for me to learn today!

Random Ramblings (oh how I hate to ramble)...

I have been lost in posting lately. I don't know if it is un-inspired or nothing eventful going on (that hasn't stopped me in the past, I have posted about sleeping dogs), or just too busy, or maybe the "Mary Poppins syndrome" (not wanting to post about anything but uplifting and positive stuff, I said I wouldn't do that, but I tend to)

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NOT sure what my problem is?

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I am learning in my old age, I can't multi-task like I used to. I used to pride myself on being able to keep so many balls in the air... I could really take on allot. I really had a "bring it on attitude" too. I could do it all, and with a smile on my face.

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Now, I am overwhelmed easily! If I try and tackle too many things at once, it's like a big plate... and only so many things will fit on that plate before something begins to fall off. I have hurt some feelings, and felt like I let myself down so many times because my intentions have not adjusted to my abilities. But I am learning to say no, a little. I have to. I have to come to terms with what I can do, and what I can do well... not just all I want to do. So many times a day, I find myself remembering stuff I should have done, or meant to do. I tease my sister for being a list maker... but it looks like a list might do me some good. Oh I dread lists!

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So this past month, I have been trying to take better care of myself. Not an easy feat for me at all. But it is on my plate now (some other things like keeping my house in perfect order, and trimming my roses and getting my yard in shape are falling off the plate for now). And I am working allot, so I am trying to fit that into who I am as well. And trying to keep a vision of what I should be doing in my life and for my family vs what I am actually doing, or not doing.

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Then when school started, I really tried to make time everyday to listen to Jacob's ramblings about whatever, just be a good listener. So everyday, I give him space and time to unload after school. Surprisingly, most of it is worth listening to... but after about 4pm it gets to be just rambling thoughts of a teenager. I really wish I could teach him how to unload some of his thoughts in a journal or a blog... because they are important to him. But just not always thoughts I should fill my plate with, or things anyone should have to endure. His thoughts include strange noises and reaction to others thoughts with noises! He is really noisy! It's weird and hard to explain! (they are like half word phrases with sounds like UH! and WAH! emphasised at the end of them... it's sad, but we find ourselves telling him to be quiet all the time... hence my effort to give him special time to be listened to... it's hard and it sucks all my energy).

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So with all that said... by the time Jim gets home, my listening skills stink! I am so bad! Last night he was telling me about his day and something about a $700,000.00 stress job he had to load with the boss watching him run the crane onto a huge lowboy! A something pound, something horse motor with, something coils..... blah, blah, blah... not meaning much to me... until...

He sent me a picture (you can see how big this is compared to him in the red shirt on the left)... so now I really wish I had been listening better. I had my brain on trying to figure out what to fix for dinner at the last minute, because I hadn't planned anything at all... and how to get it done before they had to run out the door to mutual. And then how I would cope with being left alone by myself again with the mess to clean up without feeling like the maid all the time. And feeling like I need perspective again!

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Why do I keep losing perspective???

Is it the empty nest thing coming up on me? I think I am okay, not depressed, pretty happy!

I have SOOO MUCH to be grateful for, and I am sooooo Grateful for all of the blessings in my life! I have a great life! A good kid. We have work and everything we need at home. A loving family, happy dogs. Good health!!

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Okay, this might be a clue why I have not been posting... I hate random rambling!

FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!!!

I will try again tomorrow!

Happy Anniversary!

(sorry Mom, he ripped off the beautiful red tie you bought him before I could get our picture... it is georgous on him though)

Yesterday was the 6th year anniversary of our 2nd marriage.

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As it would turn out, we celebrated on Friday night and went to the Temple and to one of our favorite restaurants... looking back at last years post, we had the same idea for dinner. It really is good food. The difference this year (we are getting smarter in our old age) is that we shared a meal. I am loving that Jim will actually do this, it's always plenty of food, and it really helps me out when I am trying to lose weight... plus the added bonus that it only costs us half as much to eat out together, yeah!

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It was a great night out, a great place to be together to celebrate what was such an eventful reunion for our family, and I really loved that we had a great talk about our past and future together. Talks like that with my main man, are better than chocolates and diamonds any day!

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Thank you eternal companion... I love you!