This one is for my Brooke :)

Ever meet someone and have it be absolutely ZERO effort to be their friend? Have it feel like when you see them you CAN'T WAIT to squeeze them and squeal and giggle and perhaps jump up and down? It happens. Sometimes. . .

Sometimes you are given a small dose of what it might be like if you died and went back to heaven and were greeted by your 'old friends' and you all went, "Oh my goodness did that just happen?????"

Sometimes you get that. Sometimes you get with people you want to pretty much strangle from the minute you meet them. :) FACT. You have to learn to deal with those people too. :)


My Brooke. Gosh dangit. I met her and just was lit up with this powerful LOVE RUSH! for her! Instantly. Powerful light shock through the heart.

She is one of my people. Period. Call it what you will, she is in my 'tribe' and I love her like air itself. :)

She thinks she is old enough to go off to college. Ha! Like away from my town, ward, state.... I'm pretty sure she is just kidding and will really be sitting by her wonderful mom and stellar grandmother on Sunday for the rest of her life and I can just look across the chapel and get a dose of that LOVE RUSH for her every week of my life.

Nah. Thats not going to happen. :)

And that is not what I would wish for her.

I wish I had ten hundred million thousand dollars. I would give it to her and she could buy a private jet. Come home on Sundays.

I don't.

For some reason we never have money. Its this bizarre reality Marc and I sort of stare at and go, "Really?" What don't we know? Haha.

To be honest. We don't really care. I mean it would be nice to do things I sometimes see other people do...but it is not what we are about.

We had to decide what we were about about 25 years ago.

We decided to raise FREAKING AMAZING HUMANS. Period. :) Its working out pretty okay so far. No one is in prison. :)

I don't have money to give to my Brooke. So I think I will send this beautiful child away with a blog post.

Just for her.


Its about BOYS.

What in heck to do with them. And when. And why. And how. And in what order.

This one is for you my darling Brooke! You are a light. One of my favorites.


Girls... We LOVE to DREAM.... Get all crazy mental. Plan. Future hop. Follow our hearts.

I'll tell you. All that stuff you read in the classics, the romances... All you have watched in movies....

That stuff? Yes. It actually is real. You CAN dream. You can. You can try to re-create those little sweet moments from classics across the board.

But, I am going to tell you a few secrets. :) Hopefully they help you as you navigate your journey through it all.



YOU WILL SEE IN THEM WHAT YOU WANT TO

When Prince Charming shows up and your dang feet go straight up to the sky, you lose your balance and all of the sudden you are looking straight up at the clouds asking yourself, "What happened?"... You will see it him what YOU want to see. Sorry. Its true. You will. You will manifest ON him what you are looking for. He will REFLECT what you are looking for in yourself and in your future. And this is not a bad thing, its actually GOOD. You will have a unique power to INSPIRE a man in your life. You NEED TO set high goals and raise the bar as high as you can. REMEMBER to recognize this and ask yourself if he actually HAS the qualities you are looking for or if you are decorating him with them in your mind...

But MAKE SURE he DOES have the quality YOU want and not just a mirror of you.

CAREFUL Watch your step on this one... Make sure it is HIS steps you see not yours.

BOYS ARE STUPID

This one is my favorite! ITS SO TRUE!!!

Boys ARE stupid. So are we. We are all just fumbling around like a pile of idiots trying to figure out how to get back to God in one piece. Yes, boys are STUPID. Therefore, DO NOT HAND OVER YOUR DECISION MAKING ENTIRELY TO THEM. I had a lot of roomates who would come back to the girl pile at the end of the day and say crap like this, "He prayed about it... he said H.F. told him we were suppose to get married." Yeah? Okay. Well, big whoop. When there is a girl that looks like you and has the personality like yours... Let me tell you.... EVERY BOY IN THE ENTIRE LDS church will try to navigate those feelings to their personal gain. You are a STUNNER in every way. TRUST YOUR OWN INSTINCTS woman. You are hard wired to receive REVELATION just like he is. DO NOT MAKE A COMMITMENT unless you are SO SURE in the answer you have received you would bank Carson's life on it.

Would you say that POSITIVELY you know you are suppose to marry this guy and that you are so true you would bet darling Carson's LIFE on it.

If not, GOOD GRIEF GIRL, BE BRAVE, BE COURAGEOUS, BE HONEST. Step back and THINK. No amount of any certain quality you have been looking for will EVER SUBSTITUTE for your own judgement for your OWN life. God set you up to figure it out. Listen VERY closely to the INSIDE of your brain.

Follow it, even if its painful. Even if its SO PAINFUL you don't think you will ever recover. FOLLOW YOUR GUT. Period.

CAREFUL. Don't be stupid.



DON'T DATE ANYONE YOU WOULD NOT MARRY

FACT: We FALL IN LOVE with the people we date. Therefore ONLY date men that you can marry in the temple. Its time to stop that child like acceptance thing. Don't do it. You are done with that. You are WAY to wonderful.

ONLY DATE BOYS WHO CAN TAKE YOU TO THE TEMPLE. PERIOD. Eternity is a freaking LONG time. Plan well. :)

FIND YOUR 'PERSON'

My lovely.... Marry your person. Do you know what I mean by 'your person'? Marry the person you would call FIRST if someone died, you crashed your car, you burned your house down, or when you don't feel safe and you need help ASAP.

THAT is your 'PERSON'.

He is also the one who you will want to call and celebrate with, talk to about the things in your life that hurt you the most, and will want there when you are your VERY HAPPIEST.

THAT is your 'PERSON'

He is the one who will help you. Watch over you. Accept you. Inspire you. Built you up and never tear you down.

THAT is your 'PERSON'

You will know who he is if you can sing at the top of your lungs TERRIBLY. Talk to him while you are on the pot ( What? Its true!) and help you figure out what in heck happened to your prives after a baby's head comes out! :)

THAT is your 'PERSON'

Trust me on this one baby girl.

FIGHTS ARE A FILTER

Don't be afraid to fight with your prospective husband.

Its actually an EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY in sheep's clothing.

Fight fair.

But go ahead and fight. You will LEARN EVERYTHING you need to know about how LOW of a person he is. He will show all his cards in this situation. His ugliest, his meanest, his most selfish, his most infuriating, most maddening flaws of character... all. ALL of it will surface.

Okay.

Now take that fight and times it by a million.

If you can still live with it....

Marry him. If you can't...... Don't.

WE SEE LIFE AS WE ARE.

All of life happens between your ears. Its true. You can 'act' or be 'acted upon'but the reality is this. We don't see life how IT IS. We see life how 'WE ARE'. You will never marry anyone BETTER or WORSE than you are. FACT. Therefore, you should work on being YOUR VERY BEST self. You will marry your EQUAL. So WORK ON YOU. Find your joy in life and your talents. Develop them. Be autonomously happy irrespective of someone else. When you do find him you will ADD to each other rather than TAKE.

WATCH WHAT HE DOES, IGNORE WHAT HE SAYS.

Baby girl...

As we wrap up, I will tell you this is the most important one. . .

Watch him.

Sure, listen.

BUT

WATCH WHAT HE DOES COMPARED TO WHAT HE SAYS.

E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.

You need to know is RIGHT THERE.


Everything about who he REALLY is will manifest itself in HIS ACTIONS.

Especially towards Y.O.U.


You and I had a short chat Sunday that illustrated this point a little. Someone who HAS BEEN THERE. Chose you. Still chooses you. Is YOUR PERSON....Well, those ones... Sometimes you have to let the Lord have them for a while so he can refine the rough edges and teach him how to be a killer husband and father.

Let the Lord have him.

He knows what He is doing.

That I DO KNOW my Brooke.

And sometimes the best things have the highest price tags.

Don't be afraid to 'pay up' and I can guarantee you....

You will be SO GLAD you patiently waited upon the Lord and his blessings.

I love you with my whole stupid heart.

Mama Reeves

TEN ACTUAL, REAL LIFE, USEFUL, PRACTICAL AND SPOT ON TIPS FOR "BACK TO SCHOOL".

TEN ACTUAL, REAL LIFE, USEFUL, PRACTICAL AND SPOT ON
TIPS FOR “BACK TO SCHOOL”

No one has said anything better than Joe Fox.( F. O.X.) from “You’ve Got Mail.”about the begging of Fall and the ominious school year attached to said season. This quote is the quitessential Autumnal observation of all time.
Joe’s on line personna sends this wish to his secret friend in response to a discussion about Fall,
“ I would send you a boquet of neatly sharpened pencils.” Pure genius. He just captured the entire bittersweet conundrum that is ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ time for all parents and children.

Nothing feels quite so assaulting to the parental eyeball as the first sighting of the “Back To School” signs in the retail establishments I frequent. I feel like those reminders are a theif, a blaggard, or a purse snatcher that needs to be run down and caught for daring to invade my ‘summer’s respite’. . . That first sign IS… A proverbial stab to the parental eyeball…


“BACK TO SCHOOL!” “Come and get em’!!! Come one, come all….” “Got your pencil top erasers right here folks”! “Binders!” “Composition books!” “ Pee Chee folders!” “Number 2 Ticonderoga pencils!” Lined Paper! Unlined paper! Mechanical Pencils! Non mechanical pencils! Permanent Markers! Dry board markers! You want em’? We got em’!!!

The internal response of every parent in existence? The mental visual? How about HITTING THE BREAKS IN YOUR CAR GOING 50 MPH?! No! No! No! AVERT THE EYES!!!!! And while you might be ready for the kids to go back to school, you are not ready to SHOP FOR IT! If you don’t see it then it is not real….KEEP WALKING! Pull your cap down and AVERT! ABORT! FLEE!
Yet, you did. You DID see it….. BUSTED.

They win. Again. The acrid assurance of retail’s injection to the brain… You now begin to PANIC internally, although externally going about your shopping in calm mildness listening to the ‘easy listening’ rhythms bleat across the white tile floor and bounce up to the flourscent bulbs occasionally flicking their rancourous distain for your presence… You MUST fold. You MUST participate. You MUST add ‘Back to School Shopping’ to your summer. . . You L.O.S.E. Goodby Summer. Hello Fall.

As a mother of 3 mostly GROWNUPISH small ones, who now out weigh and out ‘height’ me by YARDS AND scales worth of weight and tallness… These are a few tips to assuaging the mental battle between the visual assault of the ‘Back To School’ signs and the mental posture of retaining what is left of summer and your last ounce of summer ease and relaxation.
The internet seems to like to give you “10 tips” for nearly everything of late. I shall follow suit:

Tip 1: BEAT THEM.
That’s right. Beat them. Get there FIRST. FASTEST. AND WITH FURY. If you see a fellow parent meandering the isles near ‘Back to School’ items looking non chalant. Don’t fool yourself. THEY are your competition! It may stay your own cranium cabinets, but if they look ‘parental’ you ARE in a race! No mistake! So GET THERE FIRST!!! I mean AUGUST 1ST. Do it. Just bite into that bitter last slice of mealy summer watermelon and DO ALL THE SHOPPING by Aug 1st! Why? You will avoid about 70% of all potential problems with this stragety. You WILL get the cutest, cheapest lunch box. You WILL get the last bizarre/random/unique/annoying request of the pre-calc teacher like . . . Find the secret sticky notes on isle 11 by the yarn and mega flashlight in POLKA DOT GREEN. You WILL beat those other parents to it and save yourself the eye tick indusing PAIN of shopping at 3 other stores.. Get it over with. NOW. Keep all supplies at home in your personal vault until Sept 1. Then, REVEAL. As you finish up your summer plans you can pass those isles like a 7 year old with first dibs on riding the foot bar on the cart. Just run and jump up and yell, “SUCKERS!” as you fly by this same isle late August. “I finished 4 weeks ago!!!!” “Woot!” “Woot” !!!!!

Tip 2: GO MEET THE TEACHER.
Granted if you have a high school student, you will likely have to pass on this opportunity. However, if your child is still in elementary school , you need to rip off the bandaid and just go DO IT. There is one single reason why. If your childs teacher meets you and you make it known you are paying attention to what the teacher is doing. THEY WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE to you. Working with your child the rest of the school year they will have a mental note of who you are and if they will be expected to perform. Simple as that. On the flip side, those students that do not have a initial parential connection with their teacher do not fare as well and are not treated with as much reguard as those students who have an advocate. You may not like knowing that but it is true nonetheless.


Tip 3: EVERYTHING
Send your child with EVERYTHING they might need if they were left unattended the first 3-4 days of school. Fact is, there are many many ‘behavior’ issues to resolve those first few days and your child may take a second seat to a teacher trying to solve behaviors of other children that might not be safe for others. An example of this is packing a water bottle in their backpack. If they have what they need they are less likely to have to wait and therefore become stressed. Don’t pack snacks with peanuts in them until you know whats up with that classroom and its peanut particular residents. Even giving them peanut butter in the morning and sending them to class with ‘peanut butter breath’ can be life threatening to other classmates. So be considerate


Tip 4: SUCK IT UP
Seriously. You need to TEACH them how to deal with dissapointment, confusion, communication errors, unfairness, etc… That is partially what they are in school to learn. The rest of their lives they will be working with or associating with people they would not necessarily ‘CHOOSE’ to spend time with. They will have to know how to deal with these people. Consider it an opportunity to help your child deal with stressors while they have you to GUIDE ( not solve ) them through it championing their issues. They will not always have you to do that, and while they do, take advantage of it.

Tip 5: EVEN STEVEN
When dealing with all things ‘Ego’ like “He doesn’t like me”, “She made fun of me”, “He called me FOUR EYES”… This sort of fodder can be sorted out very quickly with one stragety. Introduce to your child the principle of ‘Even Steven’. Look out for someone else who might be having this same experience and go help them feel better. If you are being left out… Find someone who is being left out and go include them. If you are being made fun of,… find someone who is being made fun of and go say a kind thing to them. If you are being ignored…. Go find someone who might be feeling ignored and listen to them. You get the drift. ‘Even Steven’ means it creates BALANCE and it also introduces being ‘others centered’ to your child. A life skill they would do well to incorporate in perpetum.

Tip 6:
STINK PREVENTION a.k.a. OLFACTORY OVERLOAD a.k.a. SOAP IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
Do everything you can to make sure they do not stink in anyway, form or function. This includes your pre-teen or adolescent who refuses to be told what to do. Introduce this acroynm to them early in life and teach them to self assess throughout their formative years. W.A.T.C.H. “Have you checked your watch? Wardrobe. Armpits. Teeth. Cleanliness. Hair. School is difficult enough, don’t let them show up smelling like a pack of wet dogs.

Tip 7:
HIDE NOTES FOR THEM
I don’t care if you have a senior in high school or a college student. A note from mom or dad is a homerun on a long day of academics. It can be a nice quote or just an ‘I love you’. Any kind note from a parent can be a day changer.

Tip 8:
ALLOW WANDERLUST
Allow the summer weather and wanderlust to continue through the first week of school. Set up good habits but don’t be a drill sergent. It will be cold soon enough and there will be zero options of going out to enjoy the park and outdoors. Don’t bank the afternoons entirely with structure. Allow for the shorter days to introduce themselves naturally.

Tip 9:
GRATITUDE
Teach your child to be grateful for the education that is given. Instead of waiting until ‘teachers day’ or the very last day of school. When something effective happens between your student and their instructor remind them to write a thank you note, college, kindergarten or grade school. This infuses your teacher with energy and reminds them that not only you, but your child, is watching what they do and grateful for even small successes.

Tip 10:
THEN LET GO
Allow your shoulders to slide back into place in yourback… tell the temples on the sides of your head its okay to decompress. Take a deep breath and just go to a quiet place and listen. Yes. Listen. Listen to the sound of quiet. The little birds outside perhaps…. The quiet ticking of your watch… Things you have not heard in the summer months. Walk around your space or your home or your houseboat ( I include this because I wish! )… Note the amount of dirty towels; Pool towels, grassy towels, beach towels….. Look through all the foggy handprints at the seams of the sliding doors…. Count the shoes in the entry… They are all beautiful in their own way today. All. They represent, not only the chaos of another summer come and gone, but the LIFE you have nurtured and grown in your own small but signigificant sphere of influence. . . The close of summer for the kids begins when that school bell rings… But, remember, it doesn’t acutally end for you until September 23 at Summer solstice. . . So forget being a ‘stay at home’ parent! Go be a PLAY AT HOME parent! Enjoy YOUR OWN summer!

~ MY STORY ~ For those who give one. :)

Someone said something to me that frankly ticked me off. :)))) I know. Unusual and rare. :))))

So. I decided to tell you all about what it is like to have an autoimmune disease. Mine? Lupus.

There are some holes in the story.

Let me fill them in for ya.

I have edometriosis. I have had several extensive surgeries to remove cysts and growths on my ovaries and abdominal cavity.

I have had my gall bladder removed. I have had my adrenal glands burst. I have had ulcers. I have asthma. I have had pneumonia more times than I can even count. I have had bizarre rashes and skin issues. I have had migraines and a couple seizures and my neck has been locked into a beyond excruciating place for about 15 years.

I was diagnosed with Lupus and I told them to stick it. I didn't buy it. I just have endometriosis and they are full of it.

I was wrong. I have Lupus.

Straight up.

After my third child was born. My beautiful daughter Lily Anna. My left adrenal gland hemoraged. I was admitted to the hospital 2 days after she was born. I went home. Then the adrenal gland on my right side burst. I went back to the hospital for 4 days.

It was the single worst experience of my life to have my long awaited for newborn baby girl away from me when my milk came in for her. I was so freaked out to have her at the hospital I sent her home with her dad and stayed at the hospital alone.

It was agony.

I now have daily issues with pain in my feet, ankles, hips, shoulders, neck, arm, elbow, wrist and fingers. EVERY joint in my body is incredibly painful. I'm freaking EXHAUSTED all the time and I don't sleep much. I cope okay. I muster up a bunch of grit and I do the most important things first. One of which includes 2 jobs and repeat request to do public speaking.

The family management stuff. All of it.

If I had a shred of energy left I do a bit of writing and go walking or jogging.

That is my story right now.

The latest is a sinus infection. Which I have about 6 times a year. (except in CA i did not) which will turn into pneumonia, which will turn into intense antibiotics, which in turn will shred my guts and give me stomach GI problems and a fierce yeast infection.

Its a riotious amount of fun.

This time, I was at the doctors office and they gave me a flu shot and my body WACKED out. I itched ALL over for 2 days. Did not sleep and then became every bit as sick as I would if I had the flu. The week of Christmas was spent in bed 24/7.

I get pleuritis ( swelling of the lining of the lungs ), and pericarditus ( swelling of the lining of the heart ) on repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat. repeat... Which both feel like someone is stabbing you in the chest or like something heavy is sitting on you.

EVERY single time I get either food poisening or the stomach flu I end up in the hospital on an IV. I literally begin retching every 10/15 minutes and it does not stop. It is agonizing and I become completely dehydrated.

I am just now surfacing from the last big flare up....

b.a.r.e.l.y.

I did not tell anyone in WA that I had Lupus for about 7 years. I kept it a secret. I did not want people to judge me based on it. I wanted to fulfill callings in my church and be available without someone feeling sorry for me.

An example? I was the ward activity chairman (when they still existed). I would put together an event and execute it. I would LITERALLY fall apart at the end and it would take me at LEAST week to get over it if not more.

I keep saying yes, because it is what I WANT. I want to live and be engaged and at church I want to give 100% every single time I possibly can.

That is my story.

I had a significant remission 2 times. The first was in Portland and I ran my first 10k. The next was after the stress of moving to WA eased up and after a few years I ran a Ragnar Relay race. 15 miles in 2 days. I am sure I will have another one soon. Stress needs to take a hike for a significant amount of time to give me a shot.

Soooooo. My first born baby will be in the middle of the ocean for 2 years serving a mission and I'm an anxiety case, so I'm thinking it might be a while :)

I deal. I hope. I ask for help from my husband and kids and just freaking keep it together as best I can.

What people do not see is the pain.

I have a wicked beautiful smile. :)))))))))))))))))))) What? I do.

People often ask me this question, "How are you so happy all the time? You always seems so cheerful and filled with light."

Funny.

I'm a giant HOT MESS all.....the.......time...... and people ALWAYS say that...

Its true though.

Here is why.

I get it. I understand what is important. I am literally FORCED to humble myself in the face of priorities that will take me away from my center of clear function... I CANNOT get full of myself or be miserable for what I do not have when all I want is to be well enough to make a sandwich for Carter or feel good enough to talk late into the night with Adam or play little pet shops with my Lily.

I am immeasurably blessed by my ill health.

It sucks, sometimes I feel picked on, but I know more than most people of what it means to actually SUFFER and when some inconvenience comes along, I see it as just exactly that... Inconvenient. Annoying but not a deal breaker.... A deal breaker is coming home from New Zealand from my mission to have surgery.

Not raising teens, or driving carpool or my laundry.

That stuff is a pain. But, not really.

If you are always in pain. EVERYTHING is a pain and you are so freaking beat down adding one more thing is just not that big of a deal.

Soooooooo. Don't pity me. NOT THE PURPOSE of the "Lupus" week. I don't do pity. I do "suck it the freak up". Pity is not for me. However, I do want those in my life to do the math when they ask me for stuff.

But, if you do love someone who struggles, maybe you will consider their lack of attention to your relationship or your 'parties' inoffensive by definition from now on.

That "Spoon Theory" is extremely accurate. http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

When they are gone, they are gone and that is very literally IT. There is nothing left. So be wise in asking for them and respect it if your loved one says no. Its not a personal assault. Its a desperate measure for them to make it to the next day.

Fact. God gives me more 'spoons' than I have everyday and my faith in his plan for me is the ONLY thing that gives me the courage to keep squaring my shoulders and pressing forward every moment of every day. Its Him, not Me. Every dang time.

True,

Debi

A H.U.G.E. Thank you to JOHN DAVIS !

Our year in California was colored by many things. We were thrilled by the beauty of the state, the groundedness of the people and frankly the spectacular vision of big sky. We are NW fold through and through, but oh how nice it was to be with our family and a kinder welcome we couldn't have had. Allow me to share part of it that was a stunner. Adam finished his Junior year in track with remarkable progress here in WA. As we hit our stride in CA Adam was achieving his goals quickly and successfully. A facebook page with a family of throwers invited him to join them. He found a 'throwing family' and soon a volunteer coach. Yes, you heard me correctly. A VOLUNTEER coach. And THIS was him. See photos above He offered his time, his home gym and came to coach at all of the meets. Just a magnificent gift!John Davis loves this sport so much he offered his time voluntarily to the Empire Throwers and kindly to Adam. Adam was succeeded in breaking the Windsor High School record for shot put. He won the Twilight Classic, The Viking Classic and the Redwood Empire and remained the North Coast Section leader throughout all the competition. He placed 1st in the regular season and qualified at the "Meet of Champions" and to the State Tournament at U.C. Berkeley. He also set the record at Windsor High School. Adam was also able to secure a full scholarship to Utah Valley University for track and field. What a blessing it was to know John and to have his wisdom through the whole experience. Thank you John!

ENTER John Davis and the CALIFORNIA windfall for Adam

Our year in California was colored by many things. We were thrilled by the beauty of the state, the groundedness of the people and frankly the spectacular vision of big sky. We are NW fold through and through, but oh how nice it was to be with our family and a kinder welcome we couldn't have had. Allow me to share part of it that was a stunner. Adam finished his Junior year in track with remarkable progress here in WA. As we hit our stride in CA Adam was achieving his goals quickly and successfully. A facebook page with a family of throwers invited him to join them. He found a 'throwing family' and soon a volunteer coach. Yes, you heard me correctly. A VOLUNTEER coach. And THIS was him. See photos below. Imagine and individual such as this entering your training program and helping you. Would you say no? Ha! jKn9sZNpKV0/VCGcJyXB67I/AAAAAAAAf8c/1M9mNkSn-eU/s1600/jd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

Mayfull Balley

This is a letter to my Maple Valley

My friends

My flowers

My cold rushing waters

My bright red fall leaves

My carpets of pink petals

 

 

Oh, how I wish I could untwist my chest and dry up

Fact is, I'm so blessed to have lived here and to have been loved here

Even the 8 years are a gift, few have been given.

 

I've never ever felt quite this much true pain about leaving a place. You see, I have moved 36 times in 42 years. Yep. Its true. I went to 4 elementary schools, and 3 high schools.

 

I'm great at moving and closing up those painful parts F.A.S.T. before they overwhelm me

 

In fact, I've mastered it.

 

Until now....

 

Because of every single thing that made up my life with my family has flourished here. Bloomed and been nurtured into maturity.  All of it.

 

Band concerts

Halloween Costumes

Thanksgiving Dinners

Family Nights

Late Overs

Walks

Snow sledding

Making apple pies

Cleaning the garage

Running

Playing games

Laughing with friends

Crying with friends

Making flowers grow

Midnight bookworm hours

Flus and Fevers and Bandaids

Popsicle sticks in the grass

Painting bold colors

Baby Bunnies

Jokes

Writing

Wellness

Canning Fruit

Hugs and Kisses

Teaching

Scrambled Eggs

Sam the Dog

Piano practice

Basketball

Drums

Dolls

Sewing

Baking Bread

 

 

My life is made of a million of these 'things' here in Maple Valley

 

The problem is I can only take 6 with me physically.

 

The memories I will take as I race away in a painful few days of hectic 'checking' and fixing and survival mode, and intense adulthood. All those will be with us forever.

 

Its sounds so prosaic, but its true.

 

Forever is real.

 

I never thought I'd leave.

 

Fact is, in my heart and soul I never will.

(Mayful Balley is what Lily called this town when we first moved here)

Mayful Balley

We love you all

and

Take you with us

Forever 

 

 

 

Gag Me With An Apron ~ Mother's Day is EVERYDAY at My House :)

Ever read that quote:

 "Don't wait for someone to bring you flowers, 

PLANT YOUR OWN GARDEN"?

I love that quote.

I love how it applies to Mothers in particular.

M.o.m.s.

Mothers Overtly Maximizing Starstatus

Lets face it ladies. Mothers Day is totally out of control. Admit it. We gouge the system.

It is time to just ' be' a mother.

Not a. . .

SUPERHERO

A mom who is flawed and imperfect and normal.

I was talking to a dear friend last night and I said,

"Well, if I am going to work from home now. then

I have to prove to myself 'I AM SUPERMOM'

and prove to myself that my kids are not picking up a price tag for my job.

It came out of my mouth and then I realized how absurd it was. Sadly, my brain does not always churn out logic. I make a myriad of decisions based on sentimentality alone. Truth

SUPER MOM?

Sounds E.X.H.A.U.S.T.I.N.G.

I am already exhausted.

. . . and if that is true, then what is left of me to actually be 'present' for my family.

Exactly. . .

NOTHING

SO

Here is my beef with all the 'Mothers Day Hu Bub'

WHY ARE WE ALL WAITING?

Why are the moms all WAITING to validate their existence, choice, role as mothers?

In my opinion, we should already be doing this ourselves.

EVERYDAY not just ONCE A YEAR

Women.

Just.

Give it up.

Let go.

Do this foryourselfeverysingleday.

Don't

just

WAIT

Stop watching everyone else surf/dance/run/play/dress up/date/travel/relax.

It is okay to just run ahead and fly a little every now and then.

Not everyday, mind you, cause sumbuddy's gotta do all that stuff in yer house the way

YOU

LIKE

IT

DONE

P.R.O.P.E.R.L.Y.

We must accept that to be happy that stuff has to be done right :) Right? :)

So...

Teach the kids and the hubs how to treat you everyday. Everyday they should thank you. Everyday they should honor you. Everyday they should be aware of your contribution.

It is absurd to imagine they will get it if you don't take time to explain it to them.

Did you just assume they would figure out how to tie their shoes if you didn't repeatedly show them 

OVER AND OVER AND OVER?

Why not?

Because, . . . they don't have any experience right?

Well.....

You need to provide them the experience of being respectful, courteous, polite, grateful, adoring, helpful, aware, conscious, and DIALED IN to what you do for them and what it means to have a mother who loves them, sacrifices for them, and blesses their lives with support.

Wait. Hold on. That is not what you were told. Right?

We are suppose to humbly just serve until our fingers are raw and one day hope for perhaps some token of appreciation from those we give our lives for. If we just

W.A.I.T.

They will get it one day... Right?

One day, probably during their mission farewell, they will mention us. They will express it. They will articulate their gratitude and find the words we have been waiting all our lives to hear.

I am so THANKFUL for my mom.

FINALLY!!!!! 

Hey, you knew if you waited long enough SOMEONE would finally say it!!!

Phew, THAT WAS WORTH IT.

*

Um, NOPE.

*

Fact is WE MAKE LIFE BEAUTIFUL. Period.

We see the stuff men miss. We know the stuff about our children no one else does.

We are amazing.

THEREFORE

Why do we need someone else to tell us that?

Does the ocean only become extraordinary when we quantify its grander with adjectives?

No.

The ocean is not waiting for 'ocean day'.

So the crux of the point I'm making is this:

Moms CHOSE to be moms.  We are not victims of motherhood.

We chose to make you. We chose to bring you here.

We know it.

We are glad we did it.

We are AMAZING.

Period.

(This is my mom. She taught me many things.

 Mostly, about what kind of mom I wanted to be.

I am grateful for that!)

 I remember a church talk several years ago. It was a Mother's Day' AMONY. 

1. It went on FOREVER....seriously.

2. It was filled with phrases like 'women are the most precious, wonderful, under appreciated...etc....

3. It was meant to inspire us and make us feel FINALLY appreciated.

Instead, . . .   It made me think this:

" Good holy motherhood, enough already, I want to stick hot needles in my ears .

 Enough! I am getting SO SICK OF MOTHERS and... I AM ONE!!!

 Imagine what the the rest of the congregation feels, SHEESH!  Gag me with an apron."

 

"I would suggest to the saints that the sermons of the church be short, and if not filled with life and spirit may they be shorter still."

 

BRIGHAM YOUNG

It is a fact that each one of my kids 

ADORES ME.

That is not an accident.

They have been taught to.

I deserve it.

They know it.

I don't need the one day 'mom o' rama'

I feel it everyday.

Every. Single. Day.

IS

MOTHER'S DAY 

at our house.

Fact is, there would be no Y.O.U. and no H.O.U.S.E. if it was not for 

M.E.

Okay to be fair, I wouldn't be a mother if it was not for THEM either.

It is the single greatest experience of my life.

I get it.

I absolutely honor, respect and revere knowing this single truth.

EVERYDAY.

Don't get me wrong I LOVED 

the lilacs, and french perfume and love letters...

but...

Getting to be their mother IS the reward.

I AM

a

MOTHER.

Today and EVERYDAY.