Just A Dream

Today is my birthday. When you've got little ones at home your own day seems to fall by the wayside! That's ok. I actually forgot it was today until Savannah wished me a good one this morning. "Oh yea, I almost forgot!" I've been getting phone calls and well wishes on my Facebook page. I am so blessed with my friends and family.

Hubby has to be gone this week in training so yesterday he spoiled me. I woke up to a beautiful light blue and white beach cruiser bike. He even got me a basket for it! I just love it. I have always dreamed we would live in some small town with a sweet Main Street filled with shops, a florist and a bakery. I would ride my bike into 'town' to buy some french bread and flowers for the table. Of course the town is beautiful with benches, flowers planted all around, friendly neighbors and the like. I guess I see it as a cross between Hale, Maryland from Runaway Bride and the sweet town in Practical Magic. We live in our cute Cape Cod styled house close enough to town so that I can ride my bike to go pick up groceries and put them in my basket. When I shop, all the people know my name because they know everyone in town 'cause it's a small town. I can park my bicycle just outside the shops without locking it. While the girls are in school I ride to the police station to bring Hubby and his partner lunch (it's just the two of them and the only 'crimes' they deal with are the occasional teenagers causing a rucus) and help them wash the one and only police cruiser. Small towns. My new bike is a good start! Thanks honey for contributing to my dream! Till then, I will continue driving everywhere, buying groceries at a superstore and riding my new bike through our neighborhood. I can still dream, though.

Hair

I have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with my hair. It is very rare that I find a style I like and thus, make a return trip to the salon for the same cut. Right now, unlike my blog photo, I have about shoulder length hair that I am growing out from said photo. I didn't mind the cut and even that grew out from a very disastrous cut I got before that grew out. I am fickle when it comes to my hair. Hubby, on the other hand, loves it when my hair is long. He is very vocal about this. In the early years of our marriage many of our arguments ended with me at the salon cutting off inches and inches of my hair. But now, sometimes I do it just because I want a change. Thank heavens we've matured.

As a kid, mom kept my hair on the shorter side. I remember the Dorothy Hammill cut I wore for some of elementary school. I also remember mom giving me perms at the height of the home-perming movement of the late '70s. Don't tell anyone but my dad and uncle (both cops at the time) each had perms too. It was a weird time. My first day at my new elementary school, when I met the kids I would graduate high school with, mom put foam rollers in my hair and I went to school with very out of control curls. It took a long time to live that one down.

In Junior High I wanted long hair very badly but didn't want to take care of it. I hated the knots and sessions of brushing out tangles. Off it went. By the time I entered high school I had made peace with my hair and it had grown out considerably. It was the big-hair eighties and I was rockin' the big bangs and the tease comb and hair spray! My hair was long and I always had it curled, bangs teased high. When I didn't want my hair down my back and across my shoulders I wore it in a pony tail with my bangs 'down', a little "Grease-like" as in Sandy, not Rizzo. I even liked "Danny-ish" boys to complete the look. I met my future hubby in my long curls and big bangs. He said I looked cute.

As a newly-wed, I didn't know where me and my hair fit in. It was the grunge season. Hair was supposed to be long, straight and um, gross. I could not do that! So, I went though many more fazes with my hair. Short, medium length in a bob, long again, but straight, bangs, no bangs. My color even changed. As a girl I had blonde hair. As I got older it got darker to dark blonde/light brown. I highlighted. Then I colored it reddish brown for many years. Right now, as I age, it gets darker. No, I haven't found any gray hair, yet. Hubby is getting a lot of gray but it makes him look distinguished. I don't think it will have the same affect on me. So I color it. Right now it's a deep brown which I think looks good on my fair complexion and blue eyes. I'm sure I will change my mind.

As women we are so strange about our hair. My girls are even beginning their own hair-identity. Savannah has always had it long but just a few days ago got it cut into a bob. Bethany will either be cursed or blessed. Her hair is curly, curly, curly. I love it. She may not. You don't see men freaking out about their hair like we do. They don't color or cut, grow or worry about their hair (usually). I just want Hubby to have it on his head, not long, not too short. If it's receeding, oh well (his isn't) just go bald. But us women? Nope. Wigs, falls, fake pieces make millions of dollars for their makers. I never see toupees advertised on T.V. So, I must make peace with my hair. It grows quickly. I'm in the midst of it now. Just one question. At what age is long hair no longer flattering and I should wear it short? Just wondering.

National Day of Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, Our Lord Jesus Christ,

Lord, I pray, on this our National Day of Pray for our country. I pray for our president. Lord, give him wisdom to turn to You for strength and knowledge. Lord, I pray that he knows You and if he doesn't that he will come to know You through people he comes in contact with. Father, please send people to be an influence on our president's life; remind him that America is indeed a Christian nation and to never turn his back on Christianity and therefore You, again. Please protect his family and cause them to have a relationship with You.

Father, I pray for those men and women serving our country in wars right now. Lord, please protect them, give them strength to get through their difficult tasks. Cause them to turn to You for strength and protection and for a relationship with You. Please be with their families as they are separated and concerned for each other. Come alongside these families and be there for them filling their needs during such a difficult time.

Lord, I pray for the citizens of America. Lord, so many have turned from You or never have even known You. I pray for this to change! Lord, cause our citizens to want a relationship with You! You have promised that if America would change her ways You would be faithful to forgive her. We need this now. Heal our relationship with You for we were indeed founded on Christian principles with You as our backbone. Forgive us for taking You out of our schools, courts and other institutions. Please heal our financial state and to, from this point on, handle our country's finances the way You would have us.

Father, please strengthen the American family. The state of the family shows the state of this country and Lord, our families need You. Without strong, healthy, two-parent families this country fails. We are in a crisis because of the state of our families. Divorce is at an all-time high, children are being born out of wedlock, even our country's leaders are redefining what a family is, allowing even same-sex marriage. Lord, we need to turn from our evil ways! Please forgive us for such sins. Marriage is Your institution and You designed it for a man and a woman, only. Forgive those of us who even have a relationship with You and yet say nothing as our country descends into such debauchery.

Lord, I pray for this country, my home. I love my country. Please be with her in this age and forever. Change us. Strengthen us. I pray America comes to know You as her Lord and Savior. Amen.

An Apron, A Garden, a New Show

Hello? Anyone home? You whoooo? Can I come in? Don't worry about the house... it's just me!

Well hey there! I've missed you all, again. Yep, it's my own fault... I know it is. But I'm here now!

Life has been crazy and good but busy! I've got 'company' comin' out a my eyeballs! Hubby's Dad and step-mom were here last week and we had a great visit with them. This week his Mom and step-dad are here! What a blast! I do love 'company'! Gives me a good reason to scrub the house. Once they're here, though, I don't stress about it. If they saw it clean when they first got here, well that's good enough!

This is mine and Bethany's birthday month along with Mother's Day, my mother-in-law's birthday, my dear friend Linda's birthday, my parents anniversary and of course, don't you know, I just had to be a May bride! May breaks our bank! Last weekend Mom and I celebrated Mother's Day by going to an event at church. We had a great time! I love some good worship time, great food, good messages, and even shopping! There were about 12 vendors selling their wares! Mom bought be a cutie-patootie apron for Mother's Day. I am an apron girl! I wear them all the time to cover spills, dirt, cleaning products, and, um, diaper stuff. I wear them when I'm entertaining and have even been know to forget to take them off when I pick Savannah up from school, which produces the mortifying sound, "Moooom! How could you forget to take it off?!" So, thanks, Mom! Your granddaughter will love it!!!

Yesterday I bought flowers for the front yard (petunias are the best for our area) and then vegetable plants for our garden. I have a garden every year, in every house we've lived in. I love getting out there and planting, pulling weeds, and watering. I love to teach my girls about life through the garden. A garden shows God's provision for us! This year we got a late start so instead of using seeds (my preferred method) I had to use the plants that are ready to go. I am so late because our weather has been so weird! Really, we had snow in the first week of April!

We have had a new family program we are all enjoying immensely! It's called America: The Story of Us. It's on the History channel on Sunday nights. We make Savannah sit and watch with us. (she really enjoys it too!) It's about the founding of our country from the very beginning. We're up to the beginning of the Civil War. Of course, the program showed the horrors of slavery. At this point Savannah could barely stomach it. She was shocked that this once happened in our country. She knew about slavery but the show really replayed so many injustices and, as she thought of all of her African American friends, it made her cry. She didn't want to watch. We made her and told her we all need to know what happened so it is never repeated. She learned about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, about Frederick Douglas and his slim escape on a train to freedom. I highly recommend America: The Story of Us.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

All Play and No Work!

When I was growing up there were a few times my little brother and I would go to bed, say on a Thursday night for school the next day. Homework done, ready for another day of school. 7am would come and instead of being awaken for breakfast, getting dressed, catching the bus we would wake to our dad bursting into our rooms like a kid himself announcing we were going to Disneyland instead! I mean, could you imagine anything more exciting as a kid? We would head off to breakfast (blueberry pancakes are the only way to get you ready for a day at Disneyland) and then head to the park. Missing school to be with our family and spend the day together, no TV, no computer (ok, there were no computers then) and no work was just a perfect fantasy.

On Friday, Savannah came home from school with an amazing report card. Great grades and evidence of a lot of hard work. We woke up this morning (Monday) and surprised her with a trip to Disneyland! I could really see why my dad loved to do this! We had a blast, Bethany discovered it for the first time and it was precious. We hit all the major rides and even had time to have lunch and do a bit of shopping.

I am so grateful for days like today. For the entire day to spend as a family with no TV, work, computers and even cell phones. Savannah wasn't as excited about missing school as my brother and I were (she loves school!) but was just thrilled with her surprise of where we were going! This day will help get us through all the days of homework, getting up early and tests to come! Way to go Bug! We are proud of the hard work you have put in!

Where the Heck I've Been...

Well, hey there Peeps! I have missed you all sooo much! Life around this here place has been nutty! Last we spoke was three weeks ago! Oh my!!! I have neglected all my Peeps and I am hearin' from you all! I'm gettin' lectures from my mama, Hubby's friends are wonderin' if I'm alive and all you readers in Twitter-Land are threatin' to boycott! Ok, ok, I'm here!!!

In late March I went with Savannah and her fourth grade class to Coloma and Sacramento. We spent one night up there so it was pretty much a turn-around trip. Coloma is where gold was discovered in California so we got to see Sutter's Mill and even pan for gold. All of the 20 kids found gold! Imagine how much gold is still up there!!! I can easily see how the gold rush got started! The next day we went to the capital building in Sacramento. It was wonderful to see! We even had a private tour of the governor's offices. Afterwards we went to Old Town Sacramento to see an old schoolhouse from the mid-late 1800s and then a train museum. After dinner we headed home! Whew! It took me the entire weekend to recover!

Easter was next! We went 'home' (where I grew up and where we last lived) and the girls got to have 2 Easter egg hunts and we had dinner with family. Savannah's Easter break was great, although we spent most of the week at home it was warm enough for the girls to have lots of play time outside.

Hey, did you hear that? That ringing. There it is again. It's the sound of grandparent's phones all over the west ringing off their hooks. It's Law Enforcement's Baker to Vegas relay run this weekend! I can just hear all those phones ringing and the begging of parents asking Nanas and Papas to babysit their grand kids! Hubby has run this race several, several years in a row. A few years he's gone without me (I was home with a baby) and come home right after running. Last year though, I went with him. It's a huge endeavor for whoever plans it! Law Enforcement agencies from all over the west (and even some points east!) participate. It's really awesome. Hubby and I take this opportunity to have a trip just the two of us. It's perfect because we are in Las Vegas, about 3-4 hours from the girls in case something goes wrong (it's more for my piece of mind, I'm a nervous nelly of a mother!) and we have plenty to do for a few days. This year we are taking a few extra days for ourselves! We are going on Saturday and returning on Tuesday! Oh boy! We are excited like kids in a candy store. We've been planning this for months! Vegas is ok, we don't really do the Vegas thing so we've been checking out things like going out in the desert on quads, going in a hot air balloon over the Grand Canyon and maybe even river rafting. We shall see! One thing that is there in Vegas is the CSI experience. You get to pick one of three crime scenes to investigate and solve. I am going to do that! I love crime scene investigation (remember, there's law enforcement all over our family, it was bound to rub off on me) and I'll get to pretend! I'll let you know if it's worth it!

Because of Nana and Papa (my mom and dad) coming to stay here with the girls I've been doing some spring cleaning. Ugh. It's one thing to have company here while I'm here, it's a whole other ballgame when I'm not here! I've been cleaning blinds, organizing drawers and closets and pulling stuff out we don't use for a garage sale. More ugh. But one suggestion I'm following is putting all of our sheets inside one of the matching pillow cases. What a trick! My linen closet was a mess before thanks to little curious hands and now it's soo organized! Mom will be impressed!

I will be posting some pictures from Easter (girls in new Easter dresses, is there anything more adorable?) and from the fourth-grade trip. I'm just having some difficulty with my camera! Plus, I will have Hubby take some of me solving some CSI crime in Vegas! I will also take some of him running out in the middle of nowhere! I just don't get running but he loves it. If I'm running someone had better be chasing me...

All Things 'Mom'

Ok, I don't have a ton of time to blog today but I've got some great things to tell you, so, pay attention!! Haha! I'm feeling like all things 'mom' are swirling around me today! Bethany is officially 22 months old! She's two months away from being two! I can't believe it! Sometimes I feel melancholy about them growing up and sometimes, like today, I am thrilled for each milestone reached, each bit of time passing. Let's face it, Bethany's 'babyhood' was a bit of a trial! She tried what she could to get away with anything, she tried (and succeeded) many new things, she tried to be like her big sister, she tried (and usually succeeded) to pull the wool over her daddy's eyes, and she tried her mommy's patience! Oh, and just this morning she tried to get out of her car seat (and almost succeeded) coming home from taking Sissy to school. She calls Savannah Sissy. Savannah wanted her to. Savannah wanted to be a sister for so long that when Bethany came along all she wanted to hear was 'Sissy'. The 'trial' has been worth it!

My mother-in-law sent me some great 'mom' quotes today that she thought I could relate to... oh, yeah, I can relate! She'll get to relate in a few months when we fly back there for vacation and she gets her granddaughters all to herself!

Real mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sand box

Real mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids

Real mothers know that dried play-dough doesn't come out of carpet

Real mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up

Real mothers know to panic when the house is quiet

Yep, that about sums it up! My favorite is the one about the sticky floors and filthy ovens! I cook constantly. My kitchen is always in use. My floors and oven show it. But my family is happy and always wants to know, "What's for dinner?"

The last 'mom' thing to share with you is about an owl. Her name is Molly and she is a barn owl. Her husband (because they can't have babies without being married, duh) is McGee. They just became parents to Max and are awaiting four more owlettes to hatch any day now. A man named Carlos provided an 'owl box' fifteen feet in the air for them and then he put a web cam in too! Children all over the US have been watching and learning all about owls! Ok, you caught me, not just children. When Max was born you would've thought he was my baby. I cried. I can't help but to check in on them every once in a while to see what they're up to. Sometimes Molly stands up to stretch and you can see baby Max! Oh, squeals of delight! McGee brings them food and visits at night. Otherwise, he parks himself in a tree nearby to keep watch. I told you he was her husband. That's what my husband does, anyways. He provides food, protects us in our nest and visits at night.

You can go watch all about Molly, McGee and baby Max (who is soon to be a big brother) at

http://www.ustream.tv/theowlbox it's addicting, your floors will stay sticky and your oven a mess, don't say I didn't warn you.