Without even thinking

I know this picture is a bit blurry,  I know it's hard to see her face,  I know it's really not even a great picture. What you don't know is, I was almost running to keep up with them.  She was falling a sleep on his shoulders and it just tickled me so,  I had to snap this shot. Now that I think about it all, maybe this is why I wanted to share this little moment in time with you. 

The beautiful fall colors. The warm sun beaming down. 

It was just one of those perfect days. 

We spent a full day hiking in the mountains that day.  She was so tired after all the walking and climbing, she finally had had enough.  Like most good men, Mark carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.  When he is with her, ''the apple of his eye'' his burdens are light, his worries are few. Without even thinking, he swept her up, placed her there without missing a beat and we kept moving on.  ~ Just like we always do. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                                                Communal Global

My 3 Boybarians

52 weeks of happiness

ABC Wednesday

A Lesson in Friendship

It seems strange to me I'm just getting around to posting again after letting another two weeks go by.  Things are settling down around here but, I guess sometimes things like these just take a while. 

So the short story today is: I heart faces is holding another photo contest. The theme for this contest is Friendship.  As we all know, friendship comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. You just never know where you'll find it. 

 When I think of friendship, I can't help but think of Tommy. He's the hippy on the right. The man with the bandanna around his head, holding the red cup.  Tommy is my brother George's friend.  He has been around for. . . well. . .I guess, forever. The other guy in this photo, holding the yellow cup, is my brother George's son. . .Little, Bigger George, as I loving call him. 

 The  one thing I always think of when I see Tommy is how genuine he is. What you see is what you get: a true, loyal friend. 

 I will never forget the action Tommy took when our father died. He cut his hair, shaved, bought himself a suit, arrived at the mortuary early, before any of us got there and waited outside for his friend George.  

Tommy told me that night. . . when I saw him standing there waiting: "I don't want anyone of you walking in there alone tonight. Your father was better to me then my own father and I will always be grateful for that."  In his kindness, Tommy offered to walk in with me because, Mark had gone to be with my mother. I told Tommy I would be okay, I had my kids with me and then I remember Tommy saying; "I'm just going to wait right here for George. . . so I don't miss him and he doesn't have to walk in alone. " and my heart filled with love that night. . . and I'll never forget the lesson in friendship a man named Tommy taught me without even trying the night of October 2, 2009.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

52 weeks of happiness

My 3 Boybarians

Communal Global

Yadda Yadda Yadda

Have you ever had a week. . . or two. . . that you just wanted to yadda yadda yadda over?  Those weeks that the hours and days just seem to run into each other because the stress of that time seemed to be more then you can handle.  

You know those days, we all have them. 

Those times when life seems to be going well and then suddenly, "yadda yadda yadda" your heart skips a beat, you hold your breath for days, time stops and the hours run into each other until someone says, "With a few changes and yadda yadda yadda things will be okay."

That was my week last week. 

 I felt so over whelmed and tired I wanted to "yadda yadda yadda" over it all. . . just to get through. 

So here's what happened; the doctor said Mark must have had a little virus maybe a month or so ago.  Then silently that little virus turned into something we never knew could happen. We didn't even notice any of it at first. Suddenly Mark ended up in the hospital for what seemed like weeks. . . but, it was only a couple of days. 

And yadda, yadda, yadda he will be fine and most importantly, the beat goes on.  

~Thank God~

Mark, Me & An Anniversary . . .

A life time ago on this day, I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, a church filled with family and friends.

I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for.

He said, "He didn't care. He would marry me anywhere.  He only dreamed of a wedding that would make me his wife." 

I Heart Flowers . . .Just Because

This week on I Heart Faces the challenge is flowers. 

These are flowers Mark brought home for me last week. . . just because.    I'm not sure of the name of these, but I sure did enjoy them. 

The Big One

It's you know who's birthday today.

No, not mine. 

Mark, Mary Elizabeth, Matthew, Kathryn and Stephen



The one on the left holding Liz. I'm not going to tell you how old he is. . . 

But, I will tell you he is MUCH older then I am. 

MUCH older! 

It's like. . . WOW!!!!

Even though he is getting up there ~ I still really like him.

An August Up Date for "One of my many Cuzzins"

Are you kidding me? It's September all ready!

The whole month of August seems to be a great big jumble in my mind.

So now what? How do I sort it all out? Where do I start? What do I do?

WHAT DO I DO???

Should I pick up in September? 

OR

 Do I go back to where I left off?

MMMMMMMMM

I think I'll go back. . . Gee, that really was not as hard as you were making it.

Let's see where should I start?

The beginning of August. . . Brought us to another birthday. . .  for Anthony.

11 years old

This kid just maybe the easiest kid in the world to please. If he is asked how his birthday went . . He will eagerly reply with a huge grin and even more delight 

"It was the BEST BIRTHDAY ever! "

and we ask

"???EVER???" Better then the last Best Birthday ever?

There is an ever bigger grin accompanied with an even more enthusiastic

"YES!!!!"

and so it was

The Best Birthday Ever!

Of course the usual crowed would never think of missing the "Best Birthday Ever".

I think these boys can smell cake from miles and miles away!

When "The Amazing Trips and Henry" heard we were hosting the ''Best Birthday Ever" they just couldn't resist and had to stop by. 

There was Gracie who told me she was the oldest of the children; She said, she was the oldest by at least a year. Strangely enough, she is the baby of the Amazing Trio.

There was Elizabeth who has never seen a camera in her life and just didn't know what to do.

There was William, who became Mary Elizabeth very good friend.

AND

 Last but not Least, there was Henry....Who does not share his Oh Henry Bars . . .

There was a soccer game and the men were ready to rumble.

The competition was fierce.

In every nook and cranny in the great yard of Graceland there was something going on. 

Ideas and friendships were being formed. 

The celebration was grand.

There was an obstacle course to test the highest skills. 

Testing balance 

Speed

And Endurance

The skills were amazing! 

Until! 

It was Kathryn's turn.

AND

She got stuck!

Soooo,

Like the good sports they are

the Winners decided to sit on her.

Until...


It was time for cake and Gracie decided it would be best to just roll her away. 

There was cake, fireworks, presents and stuFF and that was the end

 of the "Best Birthday Ever" for  2010.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

And then it happened

There was a comment  left  by One of many cuzzins!

"And where have you been? What's going on down there? Let's go girlie, post an update!

~R :)" 

MMMMMMMMMMMM

  ~ Where have I been? ~ 

That's a good question. . .

Alrighty, here goes. . . You READY?

August was one of those months. . . Those busy months filled with this, that and the other thing! Just one of those "Topsy Turvy" months. You know exactly what I'm talking about. We have all had them. 

To start off with, August is usually the time I get our class room together for school. 

I take all the books we don't want and put them in a pile. Then I take all the books we do want and put them in a pile AND then. . .  I walk away and I let the pile sit there for days because I think, "Why am I doing this again?"  I also think, Maybe I should just set fire to this room and start over FRESH!

 But, then I think 

No, rebuilding would take to long and the smoke would give me headache.   

I then do the same thing with all our papers from last year: I take EVERYTHING we did,  put them in folders and boxes, I make sure all our important papers are properly recorded  and then  I think. . . WOW! We did a lot of work last year.  I put all this in piles on my desk and then. . . get over whelmed and walk away. 

AND then I think. . . Why am I doing this again? Maybe I should just set fire to this room and start over.

No, that would just be to messy and the smoke would give me a headache.

I still have lots of work to do here. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Both cars died! 

But, have no fear!  MacGyver ((A.K.A Mark)) laid the healing touch on them. We are back in business! That man can fix anything. I don't even worry about these things any more. I usually just say, "Oh, you'll fix it." and then go about my life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's when August really happened. People and animals were going down all around me. I spent my days taking care of the injured, wounded and sick.

Kathryn fell down the stairs spraining her ankle badly and "tweaking" the growth plate.  

At the orthopedics office we are waiting forever ~ For a laugh, I whip out my phone and take her picture.

 Kathryn was not amused! 

This fall left her on crutches for more then a week. Today she is walking in a boot and seems to be healing quite nicely. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But! Wait! I'm not finished.

The very next day I am out running. I am on my fifth mile at a very slow pace. 

I am wondering "Why am I doing this again?" 

I have a little over a mile to go  . . . 

Matthew calls.

I dropped Matthew and Stephen off at 6 A.M. to work up at the vineyards down the street. They were cutting vines preparing for the grape harvest. The phone had one of those panic rings. . . I stopped and answered:  "Hello"  Matthew says "Hi, Mom. What are you doing? I say, "Running." " What happened?"

He replies with a cool. . . "How do you know there is something wrong?" I say, "I just do." "Is Stephen okay?"

 

"Well, Stephen cut his finger and it's pretty bad." I tell him, I will be there as soon as I can. 

I was off!  

I ran home,  ran through the door grabbed the car keys, called Matthew told him I was on my way. Pick up my sons. . . take them to my mothers and miss my father terribly. He was the one who always knew what to do in these situations.  

I make some phone calls . . . Our doctor is not in the office today. (( of course! )) I find out the best place to take Stephen is the new medical center down the street. I am told they could handle all kinds of things. I get there, pay my $75 fee ~ they say they will bill for the rest later. 

We see the doctor: She says, "Oh! I can't touch this." and sends us to the emergency room.  

I think. . .  Should I ask for my money back or should I just leave right now for the emergency room? 

I left for the emergency room but I think of my $75.00 often.

At the hospital we are waiting forever. . . I whip out my phone for a laugh and take Stephen's picture. He tried to smile and didn't mind very much. He even thought it was a little funny. Five stitches later and lots of care, he is fine and his finger has healed nicely. 

The next week, Matthew started his college classes at the local college and I think I am so glad he is still home. I get him settled in his school life with books and supplies.

Both dogs were sicks and the fun still did not end. 

This guy hit us hard! 

Alex

Don't let that Opie Cunningham face fool you; He packs a mean virus that should be feared far and wide. Rummer has it. . . He even gave his own mother strep throat. His own mother! 


I really shouldn't say anything. . . because you know, It almost seems like gossip and he is a child and all. . . AND I really don't like to point fingers  ~ I'm just say'n

THE KID GOT US ALL SICK! 

So, my Dear Cuzzin. . . Here's your update. . . Thanks for noticing. . . Thanks for asking.

Love!