Happy Birthday, Seth!

From God's Hands To Yours

“A Miracle”, it is said
of each baby girl and boy
Sown from seeds of Love
that parents can enjoy.
Babies are perfection.
Made in His own image,
this sweet little one
has only just left Father
for this earthly home.
So treat him like a treasure
for that is what he is.
Little tiny bits of Heaven
having traveled very far.
Nourish him gently.
Like plants, he will grow
Creating such loving memories,
Heavenly Father deems it so.
A child is His precious gift.
So innocent, loving and pure.
Sent from Heaven up above.
From God's Hands to yours.

Mother's Day 2010

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to ALL women - for we are Mother figures to those we come in contact with, even when we don't realize our influence. Blessings and Honor to all the wonderful women in my life.

If I had my child to raise over again
I'd finger paint more, and point the fingers less.
I'd do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would take care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.


And a special blessing on the five who made my life as a Mother complete. I love you all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIANNE!

I didn't forget to post yesterday for DiAnne's birthday {which she shares with our brother}; I just don't know where to begin to tell her and everyone how wonderful I think she is! She is always the first one there in a crisis to offer up her help; she is always the one to think about family holidays, birthdays, funerals, weddings, and try to get a group, a floral arrangement, a gift, or a celebration together! She has untiring energy to participate and enjoy activities that her kids or grandkids are involved in. If there is a worthy cause, she is the first to sign up. She volunteers for and works hard in endeavors of the Church callings that she is called to. She does so many things for neighbors, friends, family and and her loving actions are well-noted by everyone. There is never a time when you call her, that she doesn't try to help. We all love her for the many attributes that she shares with us all - her tenacity, her stubborness, her ability to give and give, when others would be tired; her thoughfulness, her faith in things not seen, and most of all for her presence in our lives.

I wish I had copied the words from a card that I gave to her. It said everything that I felt. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sis. I love you for all you've ever done or tried to do for me. And as long as tomorrow is Mother's Day, Happy that too!

Happy Birthday, Wayne!

A while back, I asked my niece to provide some info on her Dad [my brother] for a spotlight I was doing. When I read this, I thought it was so impressive, I wanted to share it here on his birthday. We all love you, Wayne ~ You truly are AWESOME!!

Dad was a bomber pilot in WWII. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands southwest of Alaska from whence he sortied against the Japanese naval fleet and air forces. He was shot down on Sept 11, 1943, and managed to land with his crew in China where the Russian forces gained custody of them. They were taken into Russia and for the next year were shuttled around until repatriated by the diplomatic efforts of the USA. He and his crew, for many more months, were then routed home through Turkey and North Africa. It took many decades before the USA would publicly recognize and award medals to these Russian-detained MIAs. The secrecy was maintained as part of the agreement with the USSR in order to obtain their release.

Dad bellied in a P-51 Mustang at HAFB, when the landing gear failed to engage. It happened between wars, so to speak. WWII was over and the Korean Conflict had not fully ignited yet. He was flying with the Guard at the time.

In 1951, he reactivated with the newly formed US Air Force because of Korea. He was sent to New Mexico to train and then his unit was shipped to France in '52 to hold against the incursion of the USSR into Europe and to help build up the USA presence in western Europe after WWII.

During the war in Viet Nam he was assigned to fly C-130 aircraft based in the Philippines into the conflict areas of Nam. He has many great (?) stories of that year 1967 - 1968 of flying payrolls in, flying bodies out, landing in blinding gunfire, and taking off in the same.

He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force medal among many awards that he has. You have seen the medals showcased on his living room wall. His grandson, Miles, made that beautiful life story on DVD of Dad and he is a WWII buff of the highest order.

Hope that this helps a little bit and that maybe you have picked up more info from other sources, too. I love talking about my dad but every time I do I realize how very little I know about him. He is a great man and a great father. I am very lucky.

Love,

Vicky

2 Very Long Months...and probably NOT worth the wait!

It's just been so crazy here in LIFE the past 2 months. Nothing monumental ~ I just haven't had the band width for any creativity! I crave that natural flow of writing down my thoughts and feelings; but down deep, I feel like I just can't organize them enough to put them on paper. Even my horoscope says it all: Geniuses of all stripes look to their dreams for guidance and inspiration, and so should you. If there's some complex conundrum weighing on your mind, now is the time to plumb the depths of your subconscious for a simple answer. You may want to keep a pen and paper by your bedside to write down any midnight inspirations. That big brain of yours is never really inactive!

We had a lovely evening celebrating Laila's and Grandma-Great's birthdays at my sister-in-laws home on Jan. 31st. It was great having everyone get together and observe Grandma watch all the young children with all their exuberance for LIFE.

Connor had a birthday party with friends from school this year, and because of sickness within the family we didn't get together as a group. Gary and I both ended up with pneumonia! Curt's birthday was next - no fanfare there either. All the family trickled in during the day of Wood's birthday with another year's worth of wishes and a piece of the YUKKIEST birthday cake from COSTCO. The cake itself was about 2in thick, with about an inch and a half of frosting that could have been rolled off the cake like carpet! I swear, that must be the way they put it on! Nasty.....

Connor was big brother, John, in the school production of Peter Pan. What a kick that was! The PTA President and volunteers initiated it - with over 175 kids from Kindergarten-6th grade participating. They had a months worth of rehearsals twice a week, furnished their own costumes, and did such a FABULOUS job. They performed 2 nights, and both shows were so totally packed that people were standing, and sitting on tables and the floor. I think Connor enjoyed it enough, he may try to do it another time. He's also very busy with his Karate and progressing towards earning his blue belt.

A few of us got together at Olive Garden to celebrate with family for the "Quarterly Birthday Cuzzin' Dinner". Then Easter was upon us. My kids and Grandma-Great got together over at Heather's for an Easter Egg hunt and my birthday.
Heidi made the most marvelous coconut cake with whipped cream frosting ~ kinda made up for that one we all choked down for Wood's birthday!



Curt and I were able to take Grandma-Great to a session of General Conference. What a phenomenal sight to see all the Saints pouring in and out of the Conference Center; the dissidents on each corner and across the street, proclaiming their thoughts and exhibiting their Christ-like behavior, by deriding the members as they walk past them {Yeah! That's the way to 'win friends and influence people'}; and to counteract those people, a group of young adults singing hymns.

Whitey gave me a most awesome birthday gift - something every Mom/Grandma loves at any time. A blanket with all my favorite people to SNUGGLE with. Thanks to all who made the last 2 months memorable.

Day 6 and Counting......

Happy Birthday, Curt!

Today my youngest son is . . . well, another year older and wiser! He's at the age I remember . . . well, so many years ago! But at least I still remember them, and him!

Here he is with the JOYS in his life, his two daughters. He loves them with all his heart, as they do him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Curt. Hope YOUR day and the year Twenty-Ten is inspiring, rewarding, and AWESOME!

THIS GUY IS EIGHT!

Love this boy - he finds such joy
In everything he sees and does
He makes us laugh, he makes us gasp
At funny remarks and questions he asks

He loves making paper airplanes with G'pa
He loves his G'ma's tuna sandwiches
He loves wrestling and rough-houseing
He loves his cousins and friends
He loves his Playstation 3
He loves being the center of attention
He loves getting his remarks in on any conversation
He loves excelling and progressing in Karate
He loves that he is John in the upcoming school play, 'Peter Pan'

He is growing up into such a man, being almost as tall as his Mom!
He's handsome and smart, with gold for his heart
And we love him with all of ours!

Happy 8th Birthday, Connor-Man! Hope your day is filled with FUN & good wishes from family &friends.

Valentines Day thoughts of LOVE ~ Celebrate!

It seems that nearly everything that can be said, has been said simply or eloquently, in a way that can seldom be improved. Please respond with one of your favorite quotes or a thought about love.

Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. ~ Ice T

Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. ~ Franklin P. Jones

Songwriting, Poetry, Movies, Novels - they all have a one common denominator...LOVE!

I guarantee there’ll be tough times; I guarantee that at some point, one, or both of us is gonna wanna get out of this thing; But I also guarantee, that if I don’t ask you to be mine, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life... because I know in my heart, that you’re the only one for me. ~ Runaway Bride

I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you. ~ John Smith from Pocahontas

This kind of certainty comes, but once in a lifetime. ~ Bridges of Madison County

Someday, when I'm awfully low, I will feel a glow just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight. ~ My Best Friend's Wedding

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with a person, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. ~ When Harry Met Sally

You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you, Peter Pan. That's where I'll be waiting. ~ Tinkerbell from Peter Pan

Truth is, I gave my heart away along time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back. ~ Sweet Home Alabama

Loss has been part of my journey, but it also taught me what was precious. ~ Message in a Bottle

I know you; I walked with you once upon a dream. ~ Sleeping Beauty

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more; that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. ~ The Notebook

You are the only person that can make my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. ~ The Hot Chick

If I tell you I love you, can I keep you forever? ~ Casper

I am someone else when I'm with you, someone more like myself. ~ Original Sin

In these dreams I've loved you so, that by now I think I know what it's like to be loved by you. I will love being loved by you. ~ The King and I

Hearts will be practical only when they are made unbreakable. ~ The Wizard of Oz

I love you. You complete me. ~ Jerry McGuire

Follow this link to witness the ultimate LOVE from a Heavenly Father who heard and answered prayers.

Happy Birthday, Laila-Bug!

Our lovely Laila-Bug turns 5 years old today! She is growing up so fast - and thinks she's big enough and old enough to go to school like her cousins. But, she also loves staying at home and entertaining Seth. She will go to Kindergarten this fall, and excitedly showed me all the paperwork for the Pre-K registration that just came in the mail....addressed to her and the 'Parents of'.

Your smile bridges the years between us
I am young again ...
discovering the world through your eyes
You have the time to listen, And I have the time to spend.
Delighted to gaze at familiar loved features ...
made new in you again
Through you ...
I'll see the future
Through me ...
you'll know the past
In the present we'll love one another
As long as these moments last.

Hoping you have a wonderful birthday, and a year of many accomplishments. I love you to Heaven and back!

December 25th, 2010 * 364 days until Christmas ...

Christmas Wishes from Someone too Lazy to Send Out Cards!

This
Xmas,
I would
like to put
up a tree in my
heart, and instead
of hanging presents,
I would like to put the
names of all my friends.
Close friends and not so close
friends. The old friends, the new
friends. Those that I see every day
and the ones that I rarely see. The ones
that I always remember and the ones that
I sometimes forget. The ones that are always
there and the ones that seldom are. The friends of
difficult times and the ones of happy times. Friends
who, without meaning to, I have hurt, or without meaning
to have hurt me. Those that I know well and those I only know
by name. Those that owe me little and those that I owe so much.
My humble friends and my important friends. The names of all those
that have passed through my life no matter how fleetingly. A tree with
very deep roots and very long
and strong branches so that
their names may never be
plucked from my heart. So that new names from all over may join the existing ones. A tree with a very
pleasant shade so that our friendship may take a moment of rest from the battles of life. "May the
happy moments of Xmas brighten every day of the new year". These are my sincere wishes.

December is such a busy month......sigh! I was able to see Connor get his Green Belt in Karate a week ago, and enjoyed seeing Skyla's Christmas program at school. They sang Christmas Songs from Around the World.

Congrats and Cheers to both of them! We are so proud of you.












Thanks to Heidi for helping Kloyie, Skyla and Laila decorate ornaments to put on Grandma's tree. I've decided to have them do something like this each year, and then just have a special tree with Grandchildren ornaments. They had paint, stickers, and rhinestones to decorate with.

Little known facts about St. Nick and his origin.

Today is St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas lived in the fourth century, and he was the archbishop of Myra in Lycia (which is now Turkey). There are all kinds of stories about him, but one of the most famous is that there was a poor man who could not afford a dowry for his three daughters, which meant they would have to be abandoned to prostitution. St. Nicholas didn't want to humiliate the man by giving him charity in public, so he left purses of gold in the man's house at night — according to one version of the story, he dropped them down the chimney, and in another, one of the daughters had set out her stockings to dry and the gold was put in them.

And so St. Nicholas, the bringer of anonymous gifts, inspired Jolly Old St. Nick, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated in many European countries and in American cities with German influence like Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. On the evening of November 5th, children put out their shoes, and on this morning, they wake up to find those shoes filled with small gifts from St. Nick — chocolates and cookies, fruit, marbles or other small toys.

D - E - C - E - M - B - E - R

D - Devotions
E - Everyday
C - Creates
E - Eternal
M - Meaning
B - By
E - Establishing a
R - Relationship (with Jesus Christ!)

Sometimes it feels like our days are full to the brim and that we have no time to squeeze in devotions. But, no matter what time we have to give (5 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour...), we need to do it. Sometimes our struggles in life look much bigger than they really are because our perspective is out of whack. We fail to remember that our God is BIGGER than any of our problems in this world. We feel defeated. So, we need to have the True perspective. Digging deep into God's Word will help us get just that - that God is BIG enough to take care of us and our measly problems!

TaYLoR Turns SeVeN!

Peanut, Pouty, Pink, Princess, Perfection - these are all words to describe TaYLoR. So much like her Mom-with sass, sarcasm, teasing and wanting to look pretty. Dancing her way through life, admiring butterflies and dragonflies along the way, learning to read, to subtract and add, using the computer, enjoying crafts and art with her Mom and Aunt Heidi, bossing & wrestling her little brother, making and losing friends {as they move away}, excelling in baseball and soccer, and mostly growing from a cute little girl into a young girl with potential to win over and/or break hearts!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy, TaYlOr McKeNzIe!

Thanksgiving Hope for 2009

The month of November is rapidly coming to a close - and what with all the posted 'thankfuls' on Facebook and blogs, I would be remiss if I didn't at least acknowledge the love and thanks in my heart for wonderful family, friends who always seem to be there to lift my spirits, and the ability to still be able to work when so many are out of work. As I drive past the Downtown Urban Center and Pioneer Park, and see those who are standing out in the cold without warm coats, sleeping on the cold ground with only a blanket over them, warming their hands by breathing into them, and wondering where their next meal will come from, I become more aware of the thankfulness that I have for a warm home, the choice to sleep in a bed {or out on the front room couch}, opening a fridge that has an array of good things to eat, being able to jump into a hot bath/shower and wash the previous day off, and knowing that there are many who love and appreciate the things that I try to do for them. I am thankful that we are able to enjoy freedoms that a lot of other countries do not have; the opportunity to participate in religion or spiritual partaking of choice; to voice our opinions {however menial or unimportant they may be to some}; and to be able to feel and tell others how much they are loved and appreciated.

So, as this month comes to a screaming end, and we approach the end of 2009, as well, I want to let all those who read this know, that I appreciate the comments and insights that you give to me. Each one of you adds to a level of my consciousness about what in life is truly important. Family is the BEGINNING and the EVERLASTING. There is no one who will come to your aid faster, or cover your back like family. It seems that at this time of year, as families are looking to join together, there seems to be feelings of hurt, or unresolved issues that makes one or another feel that they don't belong, or don't want to participate. I wrote a poem some 12 years ago that was inspired by just one of those situations, and again 2 years ago, when I posted it here.

As much as we try to keep PEACE within circles of friends and family, it seems that there is always room to tell them that we love them and appreciate them. Please take time to mend fences and tell people you love them and are sorry.

In keeping with the importance of family - BIRTHDAY wishes to all of the gazillion birthdays in my sister's family, especially Denice and Whitey! They are my nieces, but they are also my sisters. I love you both. Taylor turned 7 years old yesterday, but we are getting together tonight for a celebration with family at her house. Pictures to follow....

DAMMA

After I posted my thoughts for Weston's birthday, a friend from way, way back, in the Land before Time, sent me a little ditty that he wrote in my honor:

Along the Wasatch, I swear its true

There lives a Grandma whose name is Sue

She writes words of comfort in her spare time

And shares them with family and friends online

She dotes on her grands and makes them feel needed

And shows off their pictures and projects completed

Many call her Mom - even more stand in awe

but one sums her up with the great word "Damma"!

Thanks G.....

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Where your eyes don't go a filthy scarecrow waves its broomstick arms

And does a parody of each unconscious thing you do

When you turn around to look it's gone behind you
On it's face it's wearing your confused expression
Where your eyes don't go.

- They Might Be Giants, Where Your Eyes Don't Go

Happy 3rd Birthday, Weston!

Weston actually turned 3 years old on the 23rd, but they were out of town, so we celebrated on Sunday night. They were worn out from traveling, their luggage hadn't even been unpacked, they had laundry to do before morning, Taylor had the largest set of infected tonsils I've ever encountered, and Weston was underwhelmed that I had got him what I thought was the perfect gift - but his Mother also bought him the same thing! So it's off to the WalMart to exchange for something else.

This Three Year Old Boy…Weston

What do I say about this three-year-old boy?
I could say that he has the most gorgeous hazel eyes
I could tell you about the pout that turns my heart inside out
I could tell you how we understand only about half of what he says
I could try to imitate the noises that he makes with his trucks, tractors, airplanes, and power tools
I could describe to you the joy I feel – when he throws his arms around my neck or grabs my legs and say’s “Hi Damma!”
I could tell you what a great helper he is
I could tell you how he finds joy and entertainment in the simplest of things
I could tell you about how much he loves to ride in the boat or on the 4-wheeler or on a tractor
I could tell you about his fascination with bees – until he got stung
I could tell you about what a TEASE he is
But the thing I want to tell you is that I LOVE this little man and LOVE having him in our family. He brings a smile to my face even when he’s being naughty
He makes my heart warm - knowing that he loves me too.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET 3 YEAR OLD BOY!