We had this great 10-year-old cat named Jack
who just recently died. Jack was a great cat,
and the kids would carry him around
and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him.
He used to hang out and nap all day long
on the mat in our bathroom.
We have three kids, and at the time of this story,
they were 4 years old, 3 years old, and 1 year old.
The middle one is Eli. Eli really loved Chapstick. LOVED it.
He kept asking to use my Chapstick and then would lose it.
Finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom
I keep my Chapstick and explained he could use it
whenever he wanted to, but he needed to put it
right back in the drawer after he finished.
That year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around
and try to get ready for church with everyone crying and carrying on.
My two boys were fighting over the toy in the cereal box.
I was trying to nurse my little one at the same time
I was putting on my make-up. Everything was a mess,
and everyone had long forgotten that this was a wonderful
day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.
We finally had the older one and the baby loaded in the car
and I was looking for Eli. I searched everywhere and
I finally went into the bathroom. There was Eli.
He was applying my Chapstick very carefully to Jack's ... rear end.
Eli looked right into my eyes and said, "Chapped."
Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right
their little bottoms do look pretty chapped. And, frankly,
Jack didn't seem to mind. The only question to ask at
that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done
that to the cat's behind or the hundredth!?!
And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever
because it reminds us that no matter how hard
we try to civilize these glorious little creatures,
there will always be that day when you realize
they've been using your Chapstick on the cat's butt.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Old Man
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of
groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a
lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.
The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car
and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet
away..
I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm,
walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a
few steps towards him.
I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The
young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac
Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old
gentleman saying,
'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with
a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking
lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he
went back to his car and again looked at the engine.
He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it
would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me
coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're
having a problem.'
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood
myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking
around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be
right back... I drove to the station
and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached
one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered
to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and
appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up and thanked
me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine)
I spoke with the old gentleman.
When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring
and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I
nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'
He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa,
Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal ...
He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was
over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics
lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet,
but was stopped by me and I told him I
would just put the bill on my AAA card.
He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had
his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket.. We all shook hands
all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife.
I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the
station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own
jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for
the help, but they refused to charge me
One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the
card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they
were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was
leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had
given to me. I said I would and drove off.
For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took
the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name
of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his
name.........
'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over.
I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that
on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed
help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to
greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.
Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America ...
Thanks to those who served....& those who supported them.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the
Mall. If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in
front of them!
Remember, Freedom isn't Free, thousands have paid the price so you can
enjoy what you have today.
groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a
lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.
The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car
and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet
away..
I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm,
walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a
few steps towards him.
I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The
young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac
Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old
gentleman saying,
'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with
a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking
lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he
went back to his car and again looked at the engine.
He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it
would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me
coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're
having a problem.'
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood
myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking
around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be
right back... I drove to the station
and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached
one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered
to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.
The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and
appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up and thanked
me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine)
I spoke with the old gentleman.
When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring
and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I
nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'
He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa,
Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal ...
He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was
over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics
lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet,
but was stopped by me and I told him I
would just put the bill on my AAA card.
He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had
his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket.. We all shook hands
all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife.
I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the
station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own
jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for
the help, but they refused to charge me
One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the
card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they
were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was
leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had
given to me. I said I would and drove off.
For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took
the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name
of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his
name.........
'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over.
I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that
on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed
help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to
greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.
Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America ...
Thanks to those who served....& those who supported them.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the
Mall. If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in
front of them!
Remember, Freedom isn't Free, thousands have paid the price so you can
enjoy what you have today.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
New Beginnings
Our adventure in California is coming to an end and I can honestly say I'm happy about that. Although there was a few fun and happy moments, it's been mostly filled with drama. More drama than any one person should have to deal with. I'm not gonna dwell on that though; I don't need negativeness taking up anymore of my time. We'll be heading out soon, within the next week, to start driving back to Washington. Our plan was to settle in Oregon again but like always, plans change and we have an opportunity that we can't pass up in Washington. I'm so very excited to see my friends and family again! You have no idea how much I've missed them! And I'm in definite need of a girls night out. The kids are anxious to see their friends again and to go back to the school they love. I'm going to try to vlog our drive back up. It will be posted on youtube if I get it done. Jason has to drive the RV and I'll be driving the car; the kids will be with me, so that part is gonna suck. It's hard not having someone there on a long trip.
Well I better start getting the RV packed up. We're going home!!
So Cheers to new beginnings and the road trip we're about to endure; to getting outa this hell hole and seeing the people we love again!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Just a moment of your time....
We only get a short time on this planet, you would think that we should spend that time trying to make the best of it and make everyone around us feel loved and needed and important; but unfortunately that's not what very many people do. Instead they fill the world with hate and constant negativity. Which boggles my mind because it takes so much more energy to do that than to just be a decent, loving person. I can't even comprehend how anyone could think that putting someone down would be more help to them than encouraging them. It's so hard on your mind and soul.
If only we could all just take a moment and realize the things we say and do and the consequences of those actions. I think the world would be a much better place.
If only we could all just take a moment and realize the things we say and do and the consequences of those actions. I think the world would be a much better place.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Unmotivated LA
I haven't been a very good blogger lately. I thought there would be more adventuring this summer but, of course, I was wrong. We are still in LA, but we haven't done too much. The kids and I went to the LA Zoo, Santa Monica Pier, and we've gone to some parks and the beach. We've mostly been working on starting up a computer repair business. We're leasing a building and have done a ton of work to get it going but it looks like it's not gonna go very far. The "friend" of the family that helped with getting the building is now trying to get us kicked out of it because he can't do anything with it himself. I've noticed that a lot of people are extremely selfish and only interested in what they can get out of a situation. It's pretty sad. I'm not sure what's next for us. I would really like to go back to Oregon/Washington to visit with family and friends. I miss them incredibly! I feel like I'm losing myself here. I haven't done any of the things I love to do. (ie. painting, photography, spending time with friends, etc.) I'm really hoping that will change soon. I miss it all! This is kind of a pointless blog, but at least I got one done; I don't have much motivation lately.
Here's to finding myself again, more adventures, and happily ever afters.
Cheers
XOXO
Here's to finding myself again, more adventures, and happily ever afters.
Cheers
XOXO
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Which is better at capturing memories, photographs, film, paintings or in written form (e.g. diaries)?
Every one of those has their own special way at capturing a memory. I love all of them for that.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The LA Life
We didn't get a chance to get to the Pier this last weekend; we were a tad busy getting a NEW CAR and whatnot :P. I love it! We did however go check out the yacht my father in law has been re-building. It's beautiful and the view from the docks was amazing. My brother in law took the kids out on the little boat and they had a blast. I also got the kids school stuff taken care of. The schools here are insane! We are used like 2 class per grade and here there is 5-6 class per grade.
We started a major project today remodeling our RV. It's going to be a major project; ripping out carpet to put tile down, building a huge cabinet, wallpapering, painting and changing all the curtains and fabrics. But it will be epic when we are done and much more comfortable to be traveling in. So far LA has been a little stressful, a little crazy but a fun and exciting experience. I can't wait for more!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Long drive!
Tuesday morning we got everything put away in the RV, said bye to my parents and headed to town to run some errands and visit my niece and great niece before we left for California. We finally got outa town in the afternoon, stopped in "HappyRock", Oregon to see my brother and his family and by evening we were on our way south. Around 10ish pm we stopped at a rest stop in southern Oregon for the night. It was pouring and Jason didn't want to risk it going through the passes then. Which was a good idea, since it was snowing in the passes when we drove through them the next day. Shasta Lake was gorgeous though! We stopped for gas pretty often since we only get 5-10 mpg in this rig. We also stopped at a few rest stops to let the pups and kids out to run around. Over 1000 miles is a long way to go! Having the gps helped so much with finding our way to gas stations and back on the freeway quickly. By 5:30pm we were going through Sacramento. With my phone battery dying and the laptop already dead, the rest of the day was pretty boring but the kids kept themselves busy with coloring, games and watching the road. At 2am we finally arrived in LA [after almost getting lost twice]. The kids were already passed out but woke to see their uncle and grandpa finally. I got the kids settled back in their beds, visited a little and then passed out myself (sometime after 4am). It was such a long day and sleep was amazing!
These first couple days we're just trying to get settled in but we'll be taking the kids to Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach this weekend. I'm so excited!!
These first couple days we're just trying to get settled in but we'll be taking the kids to Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach this weekend. I'm so excited!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
If you could go & help at a place which had suffered a natural disaster (e.g. earthquake) what would your role be & what would you do there?
I would definitely love to help families with shelter/clothes/food, anything they need to be safe and warm. That's most important.
Road Trip
Tuesday, April 20 2010, we'll be taking the RV on the road. First stop is a couple places in Oregon and then a stop in Bakersfield CA and then a final stop in LA. Depending on how everything goes, we'll be in LA for a month or so and then we'll be back on the road again. Taking the kids to Disneyland, Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and more. It's going to be quite and adventure and a whole lot of fun. And I'm going to do my best to blog the trip. [I know I'll be taking a ton of pictures.]
See ya soon! ♥
See ya soon! ♥
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
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