Thank You!

The Story.  We heard about it here first.  One of our own from a town about 30 minutes south of us.  So young.  Could have been one of my sons.  I didn't know him personally.  I don't know his family.  It doesn't matter.  He died for me.  He died for you.  He died fighting the war on terrorism.  He's our brother.

His body was flown into our local airport yesterday afternoon.  Center street was lined with hundreds and hundreds of flags.  Streets lined with people who wanted to show their respect.  Every soldier should get this welcoming home and recognition and respect.

My boys.  Understanding the solemnity of the occasion and the respect required.

Boys not much younger than the young man age 21 who sacrificed so much for us.

Beautiful.  Tears streaming down our faces.  Our flag.  A symbol of the cost of freedom.

 It begins.  Police cars escorting the fallen soldier and his family.  They cover both lanes causing people to pull off and sit quietly in the cars.

As they pass us, and before heading onto the Interstate to travel south, they pass under this flag that has been strung across the road.  Beautiful.  Tears streaming down our faces.  Hands over our hearts.

God bless America, land that I love.  To the fallen soldiers and their families they have left behind, God bless you, and thank you!

Petunia!

Dear Miss Petunia,

I must beg of your forgiveness.  For years I have not liked you.  There.  I said it.  I have thought you a boring flower that everyone had in their yard and was the same lame colors.  I wanted more.  I wanted exotic!  I wanted spectacular!

Having many little natives and much responsibility I have come to appreciate your quiet, simple, easy, forgiving ways.  If I forget to water you, you don't shrivel up and die at the first sign of distress.  You are hardy and make a spectacular come back..  If one of The Natives steps on you, you bounce right back.  When Levi rides his bike over the top of you, you carry on and act as if nothing has happened.  When I've not been nice to you, you've been nice to me.

I have noticed over the last few years that you have been trying out some new colors and fashions.  I'm excited that you are experimenting and want to encourage you to keep experimenting.  I will support you and plant you all over my yard.  That's if you'll forgive me........ please?  Please forgive me for being snooty in my pick of flowers.

Humbly,
(re)Gretta

Rain? No Problem!

Once upon a time there was a little boy who liked to ride his scooter up and down the sidewalk in front of his house.  One day, it started to rain.  It rained and rained and rained.  The little boy wanted to ride his scooter up and down and up and down the sidewalk but the rain kept getting into his eyes.

The little boy ran into his house and grabbed his swimming goggles and put them on.  He went back outside and rode his scooter up and down and up and down the sidewalk.  Problem solved.

The End!

A Better Post

My friend Gerberta wrote a much better post than I about the yard sale fundraiser that we did.  You can read all about it here. 

Miracles. I Believe In Them.

Cancer.  It's an ugly word.  It is no respecter of persons.  It doesn't care what age you are, male or female, rich or poor.  I hate it.

When you watch someone you love fighting cancer, and it is a fight!!  You want to DO something.

So we did!  A yard sale.  A community came together and showed their support for someone who my kids call grandpa and grandma.  A local school teacher and her husband who is the crossing guard.

I wish I could write up a post about how much the children love their crossing guard.  How during the holidays he dresses up as Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or a Leprechaun.  How he knows all of the children's names and tries to get them to smile.  How almost every Sunday he plays a game of dominoes with Mr. C that they've kept a continuous score for years.  How he takes The Natives to ball games.  How when he drives past my house and yells at me to, "SMILE"!  How he laughs and jokes at everything.  How I can tell he is in tremendous pain by that jut of his jaw but he still tries to joke through the pain.   How he tells Henny Penny that she is growing up to be a beautiful young lady.  How he loves to hear The Natives play the piano and makes Mr. C play for him when Mr. C loses to dominoes.  How on days when he should be home in bed he grits his teeth with that stubbornness of his and though he can't walk the children across the cross walk, he can greet them with a smile while sitting on the corner in a chair holding the cross walk sign.............. but I can't.  I can't do it justice or Grandpa Don justice I should say.........

I can't talk about the miracle that happened and the amount of money we were able to raise and do the miracle justice either!  All I know is that I am surrounded by such good people.  People who inspire me and my arms aren't big enough to go around!  I believe in miracles.

A miracle my Dad says, is when our Heavenly Father lets you know that He is aware and answers your prayers.  Small and simple things.  We don't think of them as miracles but they are!  I witnessed a big one last week when a community came together and another big miracle when we did the yard sale again yesterday with all of the donated items left over from last Friday!

I'm grateful for all of the miracles in my life.  The 'small' ones where when I lose something and say a prayer asking for help finding the item, it is found and for the 'big' miracles in my life like this past week.  They're all big miracles if I really think and ponder.......  but I'll leave that thought for another day.

Horse Power

Kristen went gallivanting off on a magical adventure a few weeks ago.  The magician who was to whisk her off on such an adventure contacted me and asked if I would watch and care for the horses while Kristen was away.  Since it was her birthday....... I said that of course I would.

Off to the barn I trotted with several Natives in tow.  I'm not sure who Levi is talking to or what about and the camera that was supposed to be carefully carried to take photos of newborn kittens.......... apparently was being used by a traitorous Native.

It would appear that we are all headed to say hello to the horses as they wait oh so not patiently for their night time feeding but look closely at the littlest Native.  Another horse of a different color has caught his eye........

He sees the tires and is in awe at how big they are.  Imagine standing next to a tire that is almost as tall as you are!

He can't contain himself.........  He must climb on and see life from a different vantage.  Newborn kittens are but a memory.  Who cares about newborn kittens when there is a tractor full of horse power to ride on???

It turns out the newborn kittens didn't like being noticed earlier in the day and mama kitty moved them else where.  Other Natives were bummed but not this one!  He spent the whole time I was feeding sitting on this tractor with a huge grin on his yes, I'm wearing jammies in the middle of the day face!

Maybe Auntie Kristen will take him for a ride someday................

It's Not A List. It's A Contract. Binding.

Lists.  I used to make them.  I used to make lists of lists.  I am a lover of lists.  You would think that I would appreciate Levi's love of lists.  Being a mother of many natives a lot of lists don't get finished.  Not everything gets checked or crossed off.  We all know this means it gets put on a new list for the next day or the alternative that I prefer, sweep it under a rug or just close the door.  Levi still thinks if he covers his eyes and can't see me that I can't see him.  I like to think that applies with lists.  Just close the door and if I can't see it, it doesn't exist.

Lists for Levi are not beautiful.  Well, they are to him.  To Levi they are a written and signed with your blood contract.  See?  Not beautiful.  Levi will walk around ticking things off on his fingers.  Lists.  Must haves. 

Levi:  What's for dinner?

Me:  Pizza

Levi:  (the list and ticking off with fingers begins) I want cheeeeeese,  pepperooooooni,  meeeeeeat, sauuuuusage, cheeeeeeeese, pepperoooooni, meeeeeat, ...............  

It goes on and on and on until you go and buy/make the pizza and it is done to his satisfaction.  Cheese, pepperoni, meat, sausage.  Don't mess it up.  There are no screw ups allowed on the lists. 

My very favorite (HA!) are lists sent home from school.  Example:  Levi is going on a field trip today.  A picnic!  Yippee! How fun!  A list of items that we parents could contribute and help with the picnic is provided.  The list must have been read in school because Levi knows everything on the list.  Caaaaaaaaaarotts, cheeeeeeeeeese, craaaaaackers, graaaaaaaapes, etc.

I put some crackers in Levi's backpack this morning and then spent the next half hour trying to explain to Levi that we didn't have to bring everything on the list.  Not to worry.  His teacher and other students would bring the other items.  He didn't need to bring EVERYTHING ON THE DANG LIST!!!

He wasn't buying it.  Neither was I.  I had crackers already to send.  I wasn't going to run to the store and buy all of the other stuff on the list although if I were a good mum I would have the night before because IT'S ON THE DANG LIST and I know better............  signed and written in blood.  Not a list.  A binding contract that would mean my beheading if I didn't comply.  

End result:  Levi is off to school on his field trip and I am sitting here headless.  

The end!

Levi Says...........

We had a nice storm blow in the other day.  Levi got a stick, some string, and made himself a 'kite'.  He spent hours outside flying his kite.  This 'kite' is also a flag.  Bet you didn't know that!  Yes!  If you put the same garbage bag on a golf club that you've taken from your daddy's golf bag and ride your bike while holding your golf club, the garbage bag makes an awesome flag!  The garbage bag has been a toy of choice for years for Levi.  The SM would like his golf clubs to be a toy of choice for him but more and more of his clubs go missing............

And now, some more of Levi's wisdom:

I'm sitting downstairs when I hear a loud crash. A second later I hear Levi say in a quiet voice: Oops. I better clean dat up.

You've never been put in your place until your special needs son says, "Woman, be quiet"! Only you can't be quiet because you bust up laughing wondering where in the world he came up with that one.....

Levi walks in the room and says, "Momma, you aw gorjuz". He then snaps his fingers and points at me and then walks out of the room.

Levi is teaching Mr. J the alphabet. "See Mr. J? 'K' kuh kuh kuh for x-ray!" Poor Mr. J........

Levi walks out the door in shorts, a t-shirt, his batman cape, and snow boots. "Levi, you need a coat. It is cold out there!" His reply.........."No I don't. I'm Batman!"......as he walks out the door and closes it in my face...

Levi had a meltdown this morning so was put in time out. While sitting on a chair he got mad and threw some stuff on the floor that was next to him. I told him, "Levi, you get down and pick that stuff up. That is no no." He said, "I can't. I'm in time out"! ........Another leave the room fast so he doesn't catch me laughing. Can't win with this kid!

Me: Wow! Levi. Go upstairs so I can change your diaper.
Levi: Otherwise I be stinky?
Me: Yup!
Levi: Otherwise I feel bad like a rotten tomato?
Me: Yup!
Levi: I don't wanna feel bad like a rotten tomato...... 

Levi: For my next birfday I'm gonna be 11 and then I'm gonna be 18! Cuz I want bazagna and birfday cake!

Levi playing the Wii with his siblings says to Henny Penny: Now it's up to you baby!

Levi looking in the mirror at himself: Why is that nostril there? There's a hole in my face.

UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) person talking to the kids about safety:

UDOT asking Mr. J: What does a red light mean?
Mr. J: To stop

UDOT asking Henny Penny: What do you do before you crossing the road?
Henny Penny: You look both ways.

UDOT asking Levi: What do you wear when you are riding a bike?
Levi: Clothes

  

A Little of This and A Little of That

Peek a boo!

I see you!

Zoe is four months now and a crack up.  She has so much personality.  Now that she has all of her shots I've been able to take her outside for walks.  She has gone on three now around the neighborhood and Oh Nellie!  If all of her training goes as easy as her leash training has gone thus far, I'm in for an easy breezy picnic.  I'm all for smart dogs who pick up on things quickly.

The other day I pulled out onto the Interstate headed south to look at some landscaping ideas.  I knew the name of the place where I wanted to go and had an idea of where it was located.  About the time I pulled on, this truck also pulled onto the Interstate in front of me.  Wood Stuff!  Wahoo!  That's where I was going.  The sign on the back of his truck says, "Follow me to Wood Stuff of Springville".  Well, indeed I will and thank you for the personal escort.

We've since had this truck come to our house and pay us a visit full of garden soil that has been hauled to our various gardens by the male Native's.  Much preparation, digging, planting, etc. has been going on around these here parts.  We've hit a bit of a road block as The SM and I try to decide how we are going to proceed with finalizing a berm we are building by the swing set.  We've differing opinions.  My idea is the right and correct idea.  My job is to help The SM see the error of his idea and come around to seeing the brilliance of mine.  

The SM got more bees last week and our yard is now buzzing and happily flitting along.

It has been freezing cold the last two days so they haven't been as active as they are normally.  I feel their pain/cold.  I want to crawl back into bed and pull up the covers with a good book too!  

But, there is much work to be done.  When you have a whole yard filled with these blossoms, they aren't going to pollinate themselves, dishes and laundry don't wash themselves, dust accumulates, meals don't cook themselves, beds must be climbed out of and made.

Not so bad when this is the view you see while washing those dishes that don't wash themselves.  Aw!  Who cares about dishes.  Let's go look at blossoms in my yard!

The different blossoms on the fruit trees fascinate me.  The Asian Pear blossoms are more open and dainty like crepe paper and the stamens are also more open and hang like diamonds in a chandelier where as the blossoms for the apples are more closed and the stamens are in more of a clump in the center and stand straight out.   Fascinating.  Me standing around in my yard taking photos in my pajamas with a hat on because I have "went to bed with wet short naturally curly (messy) hair and woke up looking like a rooster at a punk rock concert"..........  not so much.