Thirty seven years. It's hard to believe. I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve a man like my husband. He loves me unconditionally, supports me in whatever I face and believes in me when nobody else does. Thanks so much for being everything and more than I ever dreamed of. You make me a better person. At the risk of sounding really sappy, you complete me. Yea, that sounds pretty sappy but oh well, too bad. It's a perfect description of my relationship with my husband. Happy Anniversary Mike!

My Dad built this snowman for me. Yes, that adorable little girl is me! As you can see, whatever my Dad did, he did it all the way. He had no time for doing something halfway. But I'm not referring to just the building of snowmen, how he kept his yard, or or how serious he took his job as an usher at our church. You see, my dad had a heart bigger than the grand canyon and he filled it up with love. Unconditional love for his God, his wife, his family and his friends. Oh yes, and for life in general. He loved every minute of every day. My dad .... words just fail me. I still feel him here with us, that great big smile and that great big heart. Simply the best!

I became completely overwhelmed tonight as I was turning out the lights. I have pictures of my 4 grandsons hanging on the family room wall. They are all from younger days. Time sometimes feels as if it is literally slipping through my fingers like sand. The feeling of love for those four boys was almost stifling. I have often reminded young mothers to take time with their little ones because it all changes so quickly. I was reading from one of my books by Bob Benson and as always, he was able to say exactly what I so often feel.

Skipping Rocks

It was a bright, sunshiny morning -
the first of ten days off for me -
and I was out in the yard early, working on a wall down by the lake.
Knee-deep in pleasant, warm water
I could hardly have been happier or more at peace.
Patrick came down and began to throw rocks in the water.
You don't have to teach little boys to throw rocks - they just seem to be born
with the skill and the desire.

He wanted me to stop and play with him.
"Teach me how to make them skip."
"In a little while," I said, "let me get a little more of this wall built."
After a while he got tired of waiting and started up the hill to the house.

I figured he'd be back in a few minutes,
but later in the morning when I went up for a drink he was in the bed with a high fever.
It turned out to be a very serious illness
that was to spread through the whole family -
not to mention my vacation.
It took some of us to the
hospital and all of us to bed.
Fortunately for us it was all over in a month or so,
having run its course with no lingering effects.
And there have been other days and other chances
to skip rocks with Patrick.

But I can still see him trudging up that hill -
a long pull for his short legs and I'm reminded that you never know
they're coming back -
there aren't any guarantees,
and the only time you really know you can skip rocks is when you're saying
"in a little while."

Ten years ago, my son reached down as I lay on the couch, and gave me a big hug.
He was leaving for the evening, out with friends.
A few hours later the phone rang and the hospital told us to "hurry".
I can honestly say that my kids and my grand-kids are never in my way. They are always my #1 priority. Because I've learned......
you never know.

It is amazing to me that life is such a circle. We start out so dependent on our parents. Mommy and Daddy clap as we take our baby steps and we smile. We are excited about our accomplishment. We grow up, learn how to take care of ourselves, hold jobs, have children and grow older. My mom was always clapping for me. She was one of my biggest supporters, along with my dad. She called me this morning. She was facing her first morning of getting ready for her day by herself. Six weeks of hospital and re-hab and now she was alone to shower and dress and get herself to her meals. She was feeling a little fearful about the shower and wanted me to come and be there in case she struggled. She did great. I think she surprised herself. I found myself telling her how proud I was of her and it made her smile. I stopped short of clapping for her but I was clapping inside. Baby steps are part of every chapter of our lives. I'm glad God has blessed us with people that are willing to clap for us. Without that it would be a very lonely way to live. She has almost come full circle and I'm going to clap for her til she reaches her home.

Made a quick trip to D.C. Had a good time but it was sooooo hot. Hard to do a lot of sight-seeing. I was determined to see the Holocaust Museum and the Viet Nam Wall. Saw both. So glad I did. Both left me speechless. I was dumbfounded also at the lack of response I saw out of so many school kids walking through the museum. For some of them, it didn't seem to make any impact at all. I realized so many live in a video game world, nothing seems like reality. They see so much violence in t.v. and in games, they seem to have developed a very casual attitude to such things.
I also saw the W.W. II memorial. It was beautiful and I felt an unusual closeness to my Dad while I was there.

Mom will be returning to her apartment tomorrow. We are very excited for her and very thankful for her recovery.