A Shocking Demise

The Victim

Sometime during the night of December 20th, my evening sleepwear, which included warm,fuzzy socks , polar fleece pants, and a long-john top conspired with static electricty to put to death the innocent alarm clock. They carried out their devious plan on the morning of December 21st when I touched the snooze button. The clock is absolutely, certifiably, undeniably...DEAD. Unfortunately, until warmer weather returns, the perpetrators will not be punished. Warmer weather will allow them to be placed in solitary confinement for at least a few months.

A Little Culture for the Left-brained Family Members

My parents met in October their freshman year of college. They were married the next July. They had me the following July. Then my brother came 2 years later and dad graduated from college. Mom wasn't able to finish college. My sister arrived 18 months after my brother while dad was busy in medical school. The next brother came 3 years later, just as my dad was graduating from medical school. The last brother arrived during my dad's residency program. That's 5 kids in 11 years, all while the husband was either finishing college, medical school or residency. That did not leave mom much free time to pursue anything but raising children; using her out-of-this world awesome sewing, cooking, homemaking skills to save money; fulfilling many different church callings; teaching her children about different cultures and art; making sure everyone's homework was done; dealing with a medically-complex child much on her own because dad was busy; and many other things.

So, as soon as most of us were out the door and on our own, it was finally Mom's time to pursue her passions. Some things were not new (her knitting really took off and now she teaches classes at an annual knitting conference and Boise) and others were new. One of those new pursuits was learning to play the harp. She started 15 years ago (I think). She didn't play for groups much at first, but now she plays with an ensemble the performs quite frequently.

It's great that we live close enough that we can go listen to the group play. After last night's performance, Dave said "I'm amazed at the number of songs that they had to know how to play." Now maybe he understands why there are varsity letters available for the arts. We all really enjoyed listening to the music.

C is Caring, Christmas, and [C]arma

Mrs. S knew her 4th grade class had a problem. Someone in the class had a bad case of "finders keepers, losers weepers". This keeping of found items was causing quite a bit of contention in the class. Mrs. S knew that she had to address the problem and, so, she called a class meeting. She started the meeting by asking the class members what should be done when someone finds an item that doesn't belong to them. Most class members agreed that the item should be turned in to the teacher. The culprit, on the other hand, stated that if the item was of any worth certainly the person who lost it would have taken better care of it. Mrs. S. could understand that thinking. For she once was a little girl who had had the same thoughts. So to illustrate that she understood how difficult it can be to make the right choice and return the lost item, she shared a story from her childhood. When she was in 1st grade, she couldn't think of anything that she wanted more than an Avon Gingerbread Perfume pin. She asked for one of those pins every Christmas, birthday, and anytime the Avon Lady came to her mother's door. Her mother always said no. One day, in her 1st grade classroom, a little girl lost her Avon Gingerbread pin. Mrs S (age 7) found that pin. Oh what a happy feeling welled up inside her once she was in possession of that pin. Now, she knew exactly who that pin belonged to, but she figured that the little girl must not want it anymore or she would have taken better care of the precious pin. So Mrs. S decided to keep it. She did keep it for most of the day, until she realized how sad the little girl was about her lost pin. So, she made the right choice and returned the pin even though she knew that that was probably the last time she would own an Avon Gingerbread Perfume Pin. After sharing the story, Mrs. S's fourth-graders talked a little bit more about how it feels to lose something and also how it feels to have that something found and returned. Mrs. S. finished the class meeting and didn't think too much more about it. A couple of weeks later, one of the girls in Mrs. S's class asks for another class meeting about "finders keepers, losers weepers." Mrs. S questions the girl about the necessity of the meeting. The student replies that she has something for Mrs. S. The meeting is called and the little girl presents Mrs. S with an Avon Gingerbread Perfume pin from 1972. The very pin that is pictured at the start of this post. Apparently, after the first class meeting that little girl went home and told her mom Mrs. S's story. The mom immediately got on e-bay to see what she could find. Once the cherished pin was found, the mom ordered it and the little girl was able to present it to Mrs. S just in time for Christmas. This is a true story and happened just this week at one of the schools I work at. This is a true example of caring and the Spirit of Christmas.

"The Brown's" Might Be Our New Name

Me: "Just one lonely piece of mail?"

Carson: "Yep. It's a reminder that our warranty on our washer and dryer is going to run out soon."

Me: "Not even one Christmas card?"

Carson: "Nope. I guess we'll have to change our name to Brown....you know, like Charlie Brown. He checks the mail every day and never gets a card."

C is for Cookie and Caring

Katelyn shows caring by making cookies--usually for her friends.

They are very fortunate friends.

Why Do They Drive Miles and Brave Sore Bottoms? Because They Care.

When I was growing up, we never lived very close to either set of grandparents. I was always kind-of sad about that. We did get to visit them, but it was usually just once a year. Now I realize that it was a job and a half for my mom to get all 5 of us in the car and drive to visit the grandparents. I also understand why we only went once a year.

Dave, on the other hand, lived at least in the same state as his grandparents and would get to visit with them at least a couple of times a year. He has many found memories of visits with both sets of grandparents.

But both of us have memories of grandparents coming to important events as time and distance allowed. Having parents come to an event is one thing (I mean they're expected to show up for important things), but when grandparents arrive...well, that just tells a kid how important they really are.

We are so fortunate to live close to both sets of parents, our children's grandparents. And these grandparents are just plain awesome about coming out and supporting all of the various activities--even if it means giving up Gonzaga tickets or juggling it around various important CEO meetings. Their support means so much to Katelyn and Carson and they know just how much their grandparents care.

Doing Their Duty (Because They Care)

I'm not sure when the change happened, but sometime between when I was in elementary school and my kids were in elementary school, teachers no longer were responsible for playground supervision. Instead, the responsibilites shifted to playground supervisors. Or, in the words of Katelyn when she was in 1st grade, "duties". When asked who the duties were, she said, "You know, the ladies with the dark sunglasses." Oh, and what do they do? "They do their duty." Yes, Katelyn, they do do their duty. They are out supervising in all kinds of weather, from blazing heat, to drizzly rain, to freezing cold. Heck, they are more reliable than the postal service these days. And they do their job because they care and because they enjoy being around kids. Oh sure, you will find a few grizzly, grumpy supervisors (that's what we call them now, not duties). But the majority of these folks are good-natured, patient, and doing the best that they can. Yet, often times, their service goes unnoticed and unthanked. I bet it's especially frustrating at this time of the year when the weather is so rotten to go unnoticed and unthanked. So, if you are making thank-you gifts for your child's teacher, maybe think about making one or two extra and leaving it for the supervisors. They really do care about your kids.

So far CVSD has focused on these character traits Respect, Responsibility, Citizenship, Gratitude and Caring.

Character Trait of the Month: Caring

Some say "Don't sweat the small stuff", but I say "Sometimes, it the little things that count." David did all of the laundry last night. Now, that's caring.

PS I had already sorted all of the laundry and had directions about temperature for each pile. Everything came out just fine.

Infatuation

This girl

Was completely infatuated with this boy

And wanted to spend all of Thanksgiving either here

or here, if we were eating.

Thanks, Carson, for being such a good sport. Your dad and Uncle Dan have taught you well.

Perpetuating the Myth

(picture courtesy of some website full of flu shot images)

I got my flu shot on Tuesday and now I'm sick. Not fully sick, just partly sick. I have a sore throat, headache, and feel like I'm walking around in another universe.

Maybe it is just the power of suggestion since the nurse told me that I might have mild flu-like symptoms.

I think next year I'll go back to just letting my own immune system do its job and take my chances.

No more flu shots for me. They make me sick.

Snow Day?

"Is it a 'snow day' today?" was the question my son asked as I woke him up this morning to get ready for school. "No, it's not a snow day; but, there is snow outside." I replied. "Dang. I guess I'll get up and get ready for school," he said. Yep, this morning we woke up to snow. The first significant snow fall of the year. If the weather-guessers are right, we should have snow on and off for the weekend.

What Holiday Do We Celebrate This Month?

The other day I was reading a blog about ideas/concepts that we assume everyone knows. The blogger asked for input on what things we assume everyone knows. Well, I assumed everyone knew what holiday we celebrate in November. Then this conversation happened... 2nd grade boy in health room with stomach ache. There is only 40 minutes of school left. He has no fever, nor does he look ill. I figure they must be doing something in class that he isn't interested in. Me:"What are you doing in class right now?" Boy: "We are learning about Pilgrims." Me: "Oh. Who are they? What have you learned?" Boy: "I don't know. It's not very exciting." Me: "Well, why do you think your teacher is having you learn about Pilgrims?" Boy: "Not sure." Me: "So, what holiday are they associated with?" Absolute blank stare. Me: "What holiday do we celebrate this month?" More staring. "It usually involves turkey, mashed potatoes, stuff like that." Boy: "I have no idea." Me: "Have you heard of Thanksgiving?" Boy: "Oh yeah." Me: "Go back to class and see if you can make a connection between the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving." So my assumption is that most people in the United States know about Thanksgiving. Although, you would now be hard-pressed to find any sort of representation of it in the stores. We move right from Halloween straight to Christmas. I find that disturbing because I believe that Thanksgiving should be one of the most important holidays. Not because it revolves around a huge meal and lots of football games, but because it should give us pause to stop and reflect on the things for which we are grateful. Gratitude is one of the forgotten virtues. I'm so proud of my sister-in-law for trying her best with her sweet little kiddos to spend time this month focusing on gratitude.

Home of the Free Because of the Brave

This is my Grandpa Bud. He fought in World War II. He didn't talk much about his time during the war. Sometimes I can get Grandma to talk about his service and I love it when she does. I have no doubt that my grandpa was proud to be an American and proud to have served his country. If my grandpa were alive today on this Veteran's Day, this is what I would tell him... Grandpa, thank you for sacrificing your time and talents to serve our country. Thank you for believing in our values, ideals, and freedoms enough to fight to protect them. Thank you for providing our family with a legacy of love of country more than self. Grandpa, because of your service and the service of so many other brave men and women, I can wake up in the morning and pray openly to my Heavenly Father without fear of reprisal. I can keep my scriptures out in the open without fear of who might see them. Because of your service, I can worship how I want to without fear that the government will step in and not only close down the church, but arrest those who are worshipping. Grandpa, because of your service we have been blessed to live in a land of relative prosperity, and when compared to some other countries, luxury. Because of your service, we have the opportunity to travel down any education or career path we see fit to pursue. Grandpa, because of your service my heart is filled with joy and gratitude on this Veteran's Day. I am grateful to all of those who still serve in the Armed Forces, who wake up every day ready to fight for and protect our country. I am grateful to those who are in foreign countries fighting against those forces who seek to totally destablize and destroy our country. I am also grateful for those in our society who recognize and honor the importance of your service and the service of other veterans and those currently serving. Grandpa, I love and miss you. I hope that we are doing enough to make you proud of us. I hope we are doing enough to honor your sacrifice and service to our country. Grandpa, I do love the United States of America. Thank you for serving Her.

Did You Get to See Her?

The CV theatre department wrapped up their production of, Wait Until Dark last night. The show was fanatastic. I was particularly biased towards one performer and thought she did a wonderful job. Katelyn played the part of Gloria--a bratty 12-year old girl who helps the blind Suzie. I know Katelyn is a good actress because she really sold the "bratty" part of her character and if you know Katelyn, you know that this is about as far from her personality as one can get. She also got to practice knife-throwing, so if this acting thing or criminal justice (her current career choice) don't work out, maybe a knife-throwing career? Katelyn really is in her element when she is on-stage. I love that she has found something that she is so passionate about. I think it's great that we have a right-brained child even though she lives in a house with left-brained people. Although, we did decide that Carson and I were "middle-brained" since he enjoys, and is good at, writing and I enjoy much of the arts. Dave? Well, he's an engineer for a reason. The next show is Sound of Music and Katelyn is gearing up to tryout for the part of Leisel (sp?). That's the part she wants, but she says she'll take anything just to be part of the show. So, if you missed this last production, be watching for information about Sound of Music. The run dates are in March. Come and see what a great job these high school kids do.

The Power of Cheese: It Can Take a 14-year old Boy to His Knees

This is a picture of Carson on the day he decided that he hated cheese. He was at his Aunt Kim's wedding and his Grandpa Whiting was in charge of him because Dave and I were in the wedding party. I'm not sure exactly what happened. My dad swears he only tried to feed Carson a little piece of cheddar cheese, but since that day, Carson has hated cheese. He really does. He will sort-of tolerate it on pizza and in a grilled cheese sandwhich. He does his best to scrape it all off of the lasagna noodles. Anything else that might have cheese, he will not even consider trying. He will choose to go hungry if the main dish contains cheese. No macaroni and cheese dinner has ever been tempting enough to lure him in. So what happened last night? Well, as I was preparing dinner, he wandered in and asked what I was making. I said "scalloped potatoes and ham." He said "Mmm....sounds good." I should have stopped right there and asked if he knew what scalloped potatoes were, but I thought, don't jinx it. Maybe he is ready to give cheese another try. (I was making cheesey scalloped potatoes. I know, I really should have just stuck with the white sauce, but then I wouldn't have the rest of the story). Dinner is being served and Carson says, "What's this? It looks very cheesey." I responded that it was the scalloped potatoes. He said, "I thought you said we were having scallops and potatoes." Ding. No wonder he thought dinner sounded good. Dave and I procede to eat and Carson dishes up a small serving. He then sits and stares at it until Dave and I are finished. He then states he is full. "Full?" I say. "You can't be full. You haven't eaten anything. Just eat 3 bites and then you can be done." (Did I mention he is 14?!) He then pulls out a SLICE of potato, cuts it into 3 pieces, and stares at it again. He stares at it for 3 minutes. He says "I can't do this. Oh man, I can't do this." With some encouragement, he finally eats the 3 miniscule pieces of potato, which he has scraped all of the cheese sauce off of. He then again declares himself full and he leaves the table before we could say anything more. Fortunately, he is 14 and not 2 so there were no temper-tantrums. Instead, we got a lot of laughter. He also knew that this was going straight to my blog.

Juggling and Delegation

1,978 students. That is how many students attend the 3 schools that I cover. I am grateful that not all 1,978 have medical problems that require my daily attention. But there are more than a few who do require a trip to the office at least once a day. This is where the juggling comes in. There is at least 1 student in each school that I should be seeing at least once a day. So my work life is scheduled to the minute. I know just how long it takes me to drive between schools. I have become very good at phone triage and troubleshooting so that I do not have to leave one school unexpectedly. (side note...I will leave one school and travel to another school if it is necessary. Unfortunately, this often requires me to reschedule and flex with the situation. Fortunately, I work with very patient and understanding staff members.) But at times the juggling just doesn't work. I physically cannot be in more than one place at one time. When that happens, I have to delegate. I have to delegate nursing tasks to the secretaries. I don't like that I have to delegate. I would much rather I be the one who is dispensing medication. I want to be the one who is helping the students with diabetes monitor their blood sugars, watch them give their insulin, teach them about counting carbs, etc. I want to be the one who is caring for the sick child in the health room. I want to be the one who helps a student suffering an asthma attack relax enough to effectively use his inhaler. I want to be in a building full-time so that I can help a child who is coming out of a seizure. I want to be there so I don't have to find out about all the scary things that happened while I was at another school. I want to be all of those things. But I can't. I'm spread too thin. I have to rely on the secretaries to do those nursing tasks that the legislature has deemed appropriate for delegation. I am blessed to work with good secretaries who take on this huge responsibility. But I hate that they have to.

I'm That Kind of Mother

(I'm the kind of mother who lets her boy dress as a "sinky sunk" [stinky skunk] and her daughter as a "beautiful princess".)

I'm the kind of mom who does not indulge her children very often. I'm the kind of mom who believes that you better be throwing up, seriously injured or bleeding profusely if you want to come home from school. I'm the kind of mom who usually parents by tough love and natural consequences. I'm the kind of mom who has been known to make her high school-aged child walk home from school (3 miles) after said child missed the bus. I'm the kind of mom who makes her children follow through on their committments, even if something way more fun or interesting comes along. I'm the kind of mom who is pretty serious and who the kids used to refer to as "the one who does all the work." I'm the kind of mom who is getting better at listening to the whole story before dispensing judgment. I'm the kind of mom who is learning to laugh at spilled milk--even if it is on the brand new couch that has only been in the house for 30 minutes. I'm the kind of mom who is discovering friends definitely have a greater pull than parents do when children reach teen-age years. I'm the kind of mom who seems to be enjoying her children more and more each day and realizing how quickly time is flying by. I'm the kind of mom who actually drove her high school-aged child to the bus stop and waited in the car with said child until the bus came just so the child would not get wet standing in the rain. I'm the kind of mom who can be quite silly (ok, weird) from time to time. I'm the kind of mom who has been known to break out into song when certain phrases are said...Oklahoma; Where are we going?; Who are you?...to name just a few phrases. I'm the kind of mom who wonders if I have done enough.

A Couple of Shout-outs

Here's what I have for you today.... First, my friend, Lindsey, is having a give-away for a Pampered Chef grill press. If you love paninis or the ability to cook frozen chicken in record time, go here to enter. Second, CV high school's fall theatre production begins a week from tomorrow. Our own resident thespian will be performing. This year's fall production will be Wait Until Dark. The show runs Nov. 4-9. Tickets are available at the door, cost $8. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. These kids do a remarkable job at performing and set production. You will be impressed if you come. That's all for today.

Just Call Me Smacktalk

(Carson emulating his Uncle Dan, who Carson watched every Friday night at the high school football game)

"Just call me, Smacktalk," said the 3rd grade boy as I called his name for vision/hearing screening.

"Smacktalk?" I inquired.

"Yep. Me and some other boys formed a group on the playground and we all have to have 'tough' names," he told me.

Inwardly I started smiling and thought to myself, "that is exactly what little boys should be doing. Forming groups and giving each other 'tough' names out on the playground."

Outwardly, I replied, "I like your real first name. That's what I'm going to call you."

"Ok," he said and we proceeded on with his vision/hearing screening.

That is what started this past week; a week that highlighted the differences between boys and girls.

A few days later, I read this hilarious post by my friend Jessica, who continues to discover that boys are just different creatures. Reading her post, reminded me that boys not only like to make messes with foodstuffs, they also find ways to make themselves into superheroes--this usually involves permanent markers--while girls would prefer to find mom's make-up and make themselves into princesses. When Carson was little, he found the markers and made himself into Darth Maul--not exactly a superhero, but oh well.

Anyway, more differences popped up all week long, culminating in a staff meeting on Friday where the principal shared some news from a conference that she attended, where the guest speaker presented on...wait for it...

Boys and girls learn differently!

OK, so I shouldn't be so snarky. I should actually be glad that someone in the educational setting is finally starting to realize that boys and girls are different and that perhaps they way we have been teaching lately is not the best way for our boys to learn. So now that she has this information, let's see if anything changes.

This Day is Such A Special One--It's Birthday Time for Him

Today, Dave turns 40!

I don't have a sappy birthday post to write. He wouldn't appreciate it. He thinks too much PDA is not a good thing and if not careful, this blog post could be full of mushy stuff.

I don't have a big birthday bash planned. He outlawed it. He really doesn't like to be in the limelight.

Up until 1 hour ago, I didn't even have a birthday present. He really didn't want anything. Well, OK he did mention one thing, but telling you about it would fall under the "PDA"/mushy catagory.

So, Man, I just want you to know...in 9 months I'll be 40 and I'll expect A LOT!

The War

We are car shopping. Well, actually, I am car shopping. David has given me carte blanche to "buy what makes me happy." Isn't that great? Just go and get whatever I want as long as it makes me happy and my hubby won't give me any grief about the purchase. I should be running to the dealership. Except, he knows I am too practical to buy what makes me happy. Thus, the war. Only the war is not between the hubs and me. Nope, the war is between my head and my heart. My heart is all about the sports car--Honda S2000 or Mercedes E350 cabriolet. My head, however, is all about being fiscally conservative and weighing all the costs--insurance, up-keep, gas mileage, the budget, etc. I blame the desire for a sports car on my dad. When I was in high school, he had a Porsche 944 turbo. I got to drive it a few times and...I LOVED it. The cornering, the flat out speed. It was to die for. I always said that someday I would have a sports car, maybe not a Porsche, but definitely a sports car. Everyone talks about men buying sports cars during their mid-life crisis. Well, my husband bought a PlayStation 3. That leaves me with buying the sports car. But I just don't think I can pull the trigger. I guess that's why men usually win the war.

A Cure for What Ails Me

You want to know what cures Monday"itis"?

Waking up and finding Tuesday. A good, hard, early-morning run. And realizing that my hormones have now re-established a happy homeostasis.

I'm Not Sure I Really Matter

So that statement is probably a little melodramatic. Maybe I have Monday"itis". What I should have said is "I'm not sure that my job really matters." I used to believe the school nurse mantra "Every child deserves a school nurse." But the longer I am at my job, the less impact I think school nursing really has on a student's education. Matter-of-fact, I think I do very little that improves a child's education. And I am starting to feel a little guilty about the salary I am paid to do a job which I am not sure does anything to improve the state of education for children. If I were a better person, I would probably just quit. But my husband thinks husbands and wives each have a responsibility to provide income for the home and quite frankly, we have grown accustomed to the extra income and benefits. And I have to admit, that being on the same schedule as my kids is a huge factor in my deciding to stay put. I do recognize that I probably make a difference to the 4 diabetics that are in my schools. And interacting with them is a highlight. And I do enjoy meeting with my advisory group on a weekly basis. But are those interactions enough to justify my salary? Does my job really matter? What is the cure for Monday"itis"? I hope that is all this is because it is too early in the year to be feeling dragged down by my job.

Holy Inappropriateness

Dear ESPN Magazine: What were you thinking? Did you think that somehow it was in good taste to put 6 naked women on your front cover? Did you think that I would be inspired to be a better person by looking a centerfold picture of Julia Mancuso? I guess I am supposed to be grateful that you had the water polo girls turned sideways with a water polo ball strategically placed or Julia Mancuso carefully covering certain areas of her body. But guess what? I'm not at all pleased or grateful to have received your "Body Issue". And yes, I do think this issue is worse than your competitor's swimsuit issue. I also found it quite telling that in your "advice" column Johnny Weir states: "Dressing sexy...is no longer seen as a bad thing: it shows empowerment." So, I guess you are sticking with the ole' stand-by "sex sells". Well I have news for you, it won't be selling issues in this house any longer! And don't even get me started on the fact that the only naked athletes you chose to feature were the ones with a ridiculously low amount of body fat. These athletes do not represent "normal". Sincerely, An Unhappy Customer PS The only article that I read with interest was the one about poop. The article that contained this line..."So if you're appalled, or even just grossed out, by a magazine full of beautiful athletes interrupted by a story on poop, good news: It means you're normal". Well, I'm standing proud to be a little odd because I was more bothered by the naked athletes than I was about the story on poop.

Happy, Happy Birthday Katie B.

Dear Katelyn,

Where has 17 years gone? We are so grateful that your beautiful smile and sweet spirit has blessed our home so much. You've heard your birth story so many times, I won't bore you with it again. But here are some excerpts from my journal that I thought you might enjoy...

First is how I felt when I found out I was pregnant..."I am so excited to go through all the body changes, but nine months seems like such a long time to wait before I can hold the new little life in my arms."

Then you finally arrived. Here are some words from that time...

Our little Katelyn arrived on 4 October at 2:11 a.m. She has her daddy's dimple on her left cheek and she has the longest eyelashes. She makes the cutest faces. I can't hardly put into words how I felt when they placed Katelyn in my arms. My whole body is filled with so much love for my little baby girl. I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father allowed her to come to live with us and I am so happy that she picked David and me as her parents.

Her daddy sure is a proud papa! He can hardly put her down. Matter of fact, when he took her to the nursery, I didn't see him for an hour. It is a good thing that Katelyn decided to come when she did because her daddy was more than ready to have her here. Katie B. we love you so much and feel blessed every day to be your parents. Thanks for being such a great kid. PS. You pinked up quite nicely after this picture was taken. Being stuck for 3 hours tends to make little babies a little oxygen deprived and look a little pastey for their first picture.

A Wild Hair

Last night as I was getting ready to leave for a RS presidency meeting, Dave was rounding up the kids to take them "shopping." He said something about going to Best Buy. Sometimes he does that...takes the kids to Best Buy to play the video games. When I arrived home, I discovered that we are now the proud owners of a PlayStation 3 and Madden 11 football. I'm chalking this impulse buy up to his "almost 40" status--he'll be 40 in 3 weeks. Glad it was only a PlayStation, but I'm sure the new TV will be coming shortly.

A Change in Perspective

What do you see when you look at a dandelion? Do you see it as most adults...a weed that is the very bane of our existence? Do you spend all spring and summer grumbling as you try tirelessly to extinguish the dandelion's life?

Or do you see the dandelion from a child's perspective...one of the most beautiful flowers around? A flower that you can't wait to gather handfuls of to proudly bring home to your mother to show how much you love her. Do you see it as a magic puffball full of wishes just waiting to be released by one full-cheeked blow?

Up until last week, I viewed the dandelion as most adults do. That is until I was watching a video called Celebrate What's Right with the World. The video is narrated by a photographer from National Geographic. One of the clips he talks about was his photographing a field of dandelions. He talked about how during his photo shoot, he was thinking that he shouldn't even be wasting his time. That the pictures of dandelions wouldn't be that fascinating. And then he got the shot. It was spectacular. It caught the puffball and the sunlight just right. In that instant, as he was describing his photo, I realized that even dandelions have worth. I just have to change my perspective.

I wish that I had had this metaphor in my head as I offered up my challenge to my 6th grade advisory students. The imagery might have helped them live up to the challenge. My challenge to them was to put the word of the month, RESPECT, in to action by showing respect to someone that they don't particularly like or get along with. To do so will require them to change their perspective and realize that everyone is of worth. I'm looking forward to meeting with them tomorrow to see how the week went and if they gave my challenge a try.

It Started Bad, But Then It Got Better

I felt a little like Eeyore this morning. I was still in the funk from getting annoyed at church yesterday. I know I shouldn't get annoyed at church, but I did. I really wanted to type up the whole scenario of why I was annoyed, but every time I have started to type, the sentences don't come out right. I'm taking that as a sign that I shouldn't give any more details.

So, I was gloomy and grumpy this morning. And I felt a little spiritually empty--probably because I got annoyed at church. During my 20 minutes of quiet, I read my scriptures and then I prayed. I prayed that somehow today I would feel that connection to my Heavenly Father. That there would be some way He would communicate with me that I'm doing okay and He knows my needs. Probably one of the more selfish prayers I have uttered in awhile with the exception of the part when I repented of feeling annoyed at church and asked to be forgiven for my negative feelings.

Then it was time to go to work. Going to my first school of the day was difficult because I really didn't want to be there. To me, the atmosphere of that building was just as gloomy as I felt. But the time there was quickly spent and it was on to another building.

As I was putting things into my car, it happened. Heavenly Father let me know that I was someone and that He hears my prayers. The event was small and insignificant and some would even question if it really was an answer. But I know it was an answer to a prayer uttered a week or so ago. A prayer that I really hadn't been thinking much about. It was a prayer about a missing running glove. A glove that I had turned the house and car upside down looking for. There, in the space between the passenger seat and door, kind-of tucked under the seat, was my glove. That glove was just what I needed to feel that connection to my Heavenly Father again.

After that, the day just got brighter and I felt the gloomy funk lift. What a blessing to have a Heavenly Father who loves us.

20 Minutes

I found it. I wasn't even looking for it. Matter of fact, it took me a couple of days to notice it. But last Friday I discovered that I have 20 minutes of absolute peace and quiet between the time the kids are out the door to school and I need to be out the door to work. It is absolute stillness. I love it. I gives me time to read my scriptures, say an uninterrupted prayer, and plan for the day. Pure joy.

Props to WalMart

A few years ago, our family made the decision to pay cash for almost everything. About the only thing we put on a credit card is gas for the cars. We have a little envelope system that keeps each catagories cash. We have an envelope for clothes, haircuts, groceries, and miscellaneous expenses. Once the envelope for the month is empty, no more buying. And no robbing one envelope to pay the other. When we made the switch, I really started paying attention to how much we were paying for groceries. I also started cutting coupons (but I never really got into the couponing craze). I also did a lot of comparison shopping and found that WalMart just couldn't be beat. I know that there are many people out there who refuse to go to WalMart and some even have criticized me for shopping there. But it works for us. Shopping there allows me to feed our family and the dog--the grocery budget is used for people food, hot lunches @ school, and dog food. So I was sad when, a year ago (or has it been 2?), I finally made the decision to go "wheat free". I was sad for the obvious reason of having to give up all that is yummy and delicious, but also because WalMart didn't carry any gluten-free products. That meant I had to shop other stores and spend more money to accommodate my new dietary restrictions. Well I almost did a little happy dance right in the middle of the WalMart aisle on Saturday BECAUSE they have started carrying gluten-free products! And they are cheaper then at the other stores. Granted, it is still a limited selection, but it's progress. So thanks WalMart for rolling with the times and improving your gluten-free offerings. Now, would you please bring back Cinnamon Life? My boy is really missing it and it's way more expensive at the other stores.

Whew, We Made It

(And yes, the brother is taller than the sister even though she is slouching)

We made it through the first week of school!

Katelyn was so happy. She was glad to be back in the groove of hanging out with friends. And she couldn't stop saying "I'm finally an upperclassman." She also really likes being able to drive to school each day.

Carson, while he will never admit it, was a little nervous the first day of school. The only reason I believe this to be true is because he could not eat breakfast that first morning. Let me tell you, right now, the boy is eating us out of house and home so for him to not want to eat breakfast was a good indicator that he might be a little nervous. And really,who wouldn't be going in as a freshman in a school with almost 2000 students? He was glad to see his friends in most of his classes. And he managed to figure out how to catch the bus after missing it the first time.

I wish that I had survived as well as these two. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I was a zombie by 9:00 p.m. David was not too happy about that and told me on more than one occassion, "You get up too early." Well, excuse me buddy, but it's going to take me a couple of days to work back into working full-time and still having wife/mom stuff to do when I come home--like cooking dinner, grocery shopping, getting last-minute school supplies, laundry, etc. Fortunately, by Friday, I could feel my body re-adjusting and next week should be better.

Other Summer Happenings

There were really some fun times to be had this summer--even if a couple of teen-agers (who will remain nameless) state the opposing view.

The first...the house got a makeover. OK, maybe this one wasn't really all that fun. But it was definitely needed and the house looks so much better.

AND maybe some day you'll get to see the pictures of the house and all the other fun things. But for today, Blogger won the battle.

Anyway, other fun times that are noteworthy...

• playing at the river with friends (Oh, why won't you let me add a picture, Blogger?)
• attending the Carey family reunion where the "Knobnosters" beat the "Monster Trucks" in a rousing game of softball

• cousin Skyler coming for the week
• someone getting a "real" job--thank you Golden Arches
YAY, Blogger decided to let me put up a picture!
• Dave and Katelyn going a Mariners game to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma Graham's 44th wedding anniversary. And where Dave discovered that teen-age boys are DEFINITELY starting to pay attention to a certain teen-age girl.
Another successful picture(s) added!
• 2 summer birthdays. Hello 39 and 14.
• wrestling camp and a wrestling retreat.

20 Years, Man

It's been almost like paradise for 20 years.

Thanks for being...

A loving husband

A very patient man

A terrific dad

A hard worker

A goofball

A good sport

The "fixer"

An even keel to steady my craziness

A great "cheerleader"

A faithful friend

I love you.

How to Reward Honesty?

I had to take the cars in for oil changes today. Let me digress from the story just a moment to mention how great it is to have a 16 year old. No more having to wait at the oil change place or get some friend to come pick me up. Nope. I just get Kate to follow me down to the oil change place and give me a ride home.

OK, back to the story. Oil change for the cars is usually pretty uneventful. Today was mostly the same except that there was a lady out front of the store who appeared to be very down on her luck. She tried to talk to Kate as I went into the store to give them the keys for the car. Kate didn't really respond. When I came out the lady and I made eye contact. I couldn't really ignore her so I asked if she was OK. She said, "No. I really need a beer from the store" (editor's note: there was a gas station right next door to the oil change place). I said I couldn't really help her with that and then drove out.

I thought about that lady the whole time Kate and I were out doing errands waiting for the car to be done. I said to Kate that maybe I should have bought her the beer just for the fact that she was honest about what she needed. I continued to stew about my decision to just drive away without offering anything to her. Then I decided that if she was still there when we returned to pick up the car I was going to offer her to buy her a water or a Gatorade. I felt pretty good about that decision.

Unfortunately, she was no longer in front of the oil change place when we got back. I feel kind of bad that I missed an opportunity to help someone and didn't think of the water or Gatorade idea until after we left the first time. Now I'm wondering, what would you have done?

Montana 2010

This year's summer vacation was pretty low-key. We spent the week at my grandparent's place on Flathead Lake. We were surprised to find that my Aunt Judy and her family were there as well. Katelyn had a great time getting to know her cousins better--especially since they were teen-age girls (Jordan is 17 and Christina is almost 13). I'm not sure Carson enjoyed the harassment, but he at least endured it well. We spent one day up in Glacier, where we saw more mountain goats and big horn sheep than I have ever seen. Usually these animals are shy and avoid visitors, but as you can see these animals were all about being seen.

The rest of the time we spent just hanging out by the lake. Carson has mastered the art of skipping rocks and spent a lot of time seeing just how far and how many skips he could get. Katelyn enjoyed riding the wave runner. And believe it or not, the two of them even went out on the wave runner together. Katelyn started off driving. Then being the nice sister, she traded spots so Carson could drive. It was all of about 2 minutes before he managed to throw her off and she said she was done.

We finished the week by going down to Seeley Lake and participating in the Seeley Lake triathlon. Dave and Carson were a relay team and finished 1st in the men's relay. I did OK, a little slower than I had hoped to do. But we had a fun time.

Are We There Yet?

I'm pretty sure that I am ready for summer to be over. The summertime ADD that I relished at the beginning of summer has worn out its welcome. It has left me feeling as if I have accomplished nothing and that my brain is turning to mush. I have tried a few things to combat the mushiness, but only feel that they have been mildly successful. I have read a few books here and there--some stretching the brain more than others. Books I have enjoyed this summer: Jesus the Christ (read not in its entirety, but by subject depending on what I wanted to study); Dracula (because Carson was reading it); and Bourne Supremecy (read for mindless entertainment). I, of course, continued with physical endeavors to keep a good oxygen flow to the brain. Dear Brother who is in medical school: Can you tell me if there really is any research that demonstrates that physical activity really does protect the brain against deterioration? Activities engaged in this summer: running (training for a fall 1/2 marathon); biking (only triathlon of the summer is coming up this weekend); swimming (to be ready for aforementioned triathlon); weed pulling; boot camp; and hiking. I also tried a few things that encouraged creativity. This mostly involved tinkering around with recipes to make gluten-free treats that are worth eating. Oh and I also made a killer pulled pork to serve at a RS bbq. I pursued these action items because I continue the dream of opening a gluten-free bakery and a BBQ joint. But even with all of those things, I still feel like my brain was on hiatus this summer. I need to get back to my job. Not because nit-picking and band-aid applying requires much intellectual development. No, I need to get back to my job because I need the schedule and structure. Those things keep my mind engaged and working as I try to multi-task and balance all that needs to be done.

I Got the Bird Today

Dave and I went for a bike ride this evening around the Saltese loop. On the way home, we got the "bird". It was given to us by some guy driving a beat-up brown Chevy pick-up. The funny thing is Dave didn't notice it at all and I only noticed it because I glanced up just after he passed me. If his flipping us off was supposed to upset us, it certainly didn't work. I wasn't mad or offended. He's flashing of the sign certainly won't keep me off of the road. I wonder what he was trying to accomplish. I am sure he was trying to show his frustration about something, but frustration about what I am not sure. Dave and I were riding single file. We were as far to the right as possible (the road did not have any shoulder to ride on), and we were riding at a relatively decent pace. I hope that his giving us a "three finger salute" brought some sort of peace to his life. He must have been having a really bad day. And I'm grateful that he only felt the need to give us the finger instead of trying to hit us.

Happy Birthday Boy

Today you are 14. Happy birthday little buddy. I can't believe that you are 14 already. I can't believe that you are going to be a freshman! next year. I really don't know where the time has gone. I still feel like there are so many things that I should teach you before you leave. Yes, I know you still have 4 more years at home with us. But really, that is just about as long as a blink of the eye. I wrote a list of things I think you should know. Did you know that I am a "list" person? So is your dad. Those two things weren't on the list, but maybe they should be. Anyway, the list...

1. You should know that I am going to miss driving you to school each day. This last school year I really enjoyed doing this for you, even though the drive was only about 5 minutes. Sometimes we had the best little talks in that 5 minutes.
2. You should know that I am also going to miss not having you at a school that I work at. This is the first time in 8 years that I won't get to see you at some point during the school day.
3. You should know that high school is a clean slate. Make sure that you make a good first impression.
4. You should know that first impressions really count. Right or wrong, people place a lot of value on their first impression of you.
5. You should know that your dad and I will always be here for you. We will do our best to help you.
6. You should know that you are the only person I will play basketball with. Shooting hoops in the basement has been a lot of fun for me. Even though I'm really bad at it and I don't like to do things that I am really bad at.
7. You should know not to ever let the fear of failure interfere with the possibility of success. Yes, sometimes the learning curve is steep, but the rewards of accomplishment are often great.
8. You should know that I have been so impressed with how well you have done keeping up with the kitchen-cleaning duties. You have set a very good example for your sister to follow when she has to start resuming some of her kitchen responsibilities next month.
9. You should know that the word "gospel" means good news. And with good news comes peace, happiness and joy.
10. You should know that by living the gospel teachings, as found in the Holy Bible and Book of Mormon, you will find the most happiness, joy, and peace. I know this to be true. I know that living a Christ-like life and trying to always do God's will, will not always be easy. But it will always be worth it.
11. You should know that when I was 18, I received a special blessing. That blessing said that one of my greatest gifts and blessings would be my children. You should know that you truly are a fulfilment of that blessing.
12. You should know that you were not sent to this family by accident. We needed you in our family. We have many things to learn from each other.
13. You should know that I know some day you will make a terrific father. You have the same natural ease around children that your father and Uncle Dan have.
14. You should know that no matter how big you get, you will always be my "little buddy".

I hope you have a terrific birthday, Carson. I love you.

PS You should know that I almost made it through typing this whole list without crying. I'm sure you know by now that I am a crier

Summer Jobs

Corner lemonade stands, mowing the neighbors' lawns, weekend car washes; kids just trying to make a few bucks for the summer. Do you remember what some of your summer jobs were? Some of my favorite memories are working at Mickey D's during the summer months. The town I grew up in was a thoroughfare to the beach. During the summer was always busy. And it usually meant out-of-towners, which meant a whole new batch of guys to flirt with. So much fun.

I don't know if Katelyn and Carson will remember their summer jobs as fondly, but for the past few years they sure have been hard workers during the summer. There was their 3 year run as "farmers" selling produce at the farmer's market

A job which brought in a good profit for them, but that they decided was "too much work".

So in an effort to avoid so much work, they both chose not to do a booth this year. Nope, instead they opted for these summer jobs:

Bucking hay (see haystack photo above)

Building a deck And helping Grandma Whiting organize her sewing room (Katelyn needed a few more $'s than Carson because of cell phone expenses) My hat goes off to them both for doing such great work. They haven't indicated any regret in giving up the farmer's market, but to me, it seems like they have worked a lot harder this summer.

Ways Children Keep You Humble

It seems like there is an endless amount of ways children can draw attention to your flaws. When they are toddlers, they decide to throw amazing, out-of-control tantrums at the most inopportune times just so they can see how you are going to handle all of the unwanted attention. Seriously, haven't you just about wanted to crawl under a rock when one of those screaming fits rears its ugly head. I mean, you are in a no-win situation. You get the "eye roll" from those who wonder why in the world you aren't doing a better job of controlling that monster you call a child. Or you get the "pity smile" from those who have been there, done that. Either response makes you feel like an utter failure as a parent (well, at least that's how I felt more often than not). Then they get a little bigger and become more verbal. This leads to more direct attacks on your flaws. I once had a 3rd grader tell me my lips were really gross (I have chronically chapped lips, no matter what treatment I use). And then they turn into teen-agers and really know how to cut you to the quick. Recent conversation involving son, daughter, and me... Brother to sister (sister says she's not hungry and doesn't want to eat dinner): What? Is getting a "muffin top" your biggest nightmare? Me: It's my biggest nightmare. Daughter to me: Mom, you already have a muffin top. Thud. That was me falling down several notches on the self-esteem scale. When I asked her later if she would ever consider saying that to her friends, she said "No way." I then asked why she thought it would be OK to say such a thing to me and she had really no response. Maybe she had heard her dad say to me when we were discussing cosmetic enhancements (I have always wanted to have a nose job)..."Honey, I married you with that nose. But I would be OK with you having lipo because that wasn't the stomach you had when I married you."

Ding Dong the Fish is Dead

(Humming the tune Ding Dong the Witch is Dead from Wizard of Oz): Ding dong the fish is dead Which fish? The freaky fish. Ding dong the freaky fish is dead. When Carson was 10 he really wanted a fish tank and fish for his birthday. So we got him one. I was hesitant because of the up-keep that goes into fish tanks, but David and Carson both assured me that Carson could take care of the fish and the tank. Well, guess who was cleaning the tank every 2 weeks? Me. Carson did help on occassion, which I was very grateful for the help. But last year, I was fed up with cleaning the dang thing so I turned it completely over to Carson. I had to just keep his bedroom door closed so I couldn't see the state of the tank. Slowly, the fish began to die. Except for this one fish. It was a hot pink fish. It was tenacious. It held out for a very long time. Every week I would ask if it had died yet (I was desparate to get rid of the fish tank). Every week, the same response, "Nope. Still going strong." We started to refer to it as the "freaky fish" because we couldn't believe it was still living in such squalor. Then last night, I heard the most welcoming words, "Hey, the freaky fish finally died." Carson sent him to a watery grave. But now I think the fish is haunting our pipes because they started "pinging" right after the funeral.

My Brain is Afflicted with Summer-time ADD

I really, really like summer. And it has very little to do with the fact that I have a summer birthday. Matter of fact, I really don't like birthdays. Not because this past Saturday I entered into my 40th year of life--that doesn't bother me. I am not sure what "almost 40" is supposed to feel like, but I feel great. With the exception of a few melancholy moments when I realize that Katelyn will be a junior next year and Carson will be a freshman. The years just seem to be going faster and faster. No, the reason I don't particularly enjoy birthdays is that I always have some romantic notion of how my birthday should be all about me, with family and friends entertaining me, and it never works out that way. Then I wind up feeling guilty, ashamed, and immature to think that somehow my birthday should be exclusively about me. No, the reason I like summer is because it gives me time to allow my brain to flit from one random thought to another. And since I don't have to be organized and task-oriented in the summer, this randomness of thinking is refreshing. Strangely enough, I also find that this unstructured thinking leads often to moments of great inspiration. And sometimes funny converstations. Example: I have been trying to think of a way that I could determine which of Carson's friends he would most like to spend time with this summer. If you just flat out ask him, well you don't get much of a response. So I tried to go about it in a different route. I asked him if he were on a deserted island who would he want to be stranded there with. He said...."Probably a girl." At first I was caught off guard by his response. Then I laughed and told him that was a totally appropriate response for a 14 year old boy. Unfortunately, it didn't fulfill the my goal of determining which of his friends I should call to get them to call Carson to invite him to do something. Still working on that. Here are some other random thoughts for today:

• Little Roo got a compliment today from a random stranger. I thought it was very nice. Then I got thinking about how many times I have missed giving a compliment. Was it because I was too busy? Was it because I felt awkward or that it might not seem sincere?
• Then I thought my conversation with my friend Jessice R. at boot camp this morning. She is a terrific mom. She has 5 kids. I don't know how she does it. I should have told her I am impressed by all she does. So Jessica R. if you are reading this, I apologize for not passing on the compliment earlier. But I do think you are a good mom, raising wonderful childrent.
• Then I thought of my friend Jessica A. Another awesome mom who is just discovering the joys of raising a boy. She is also super talented when it comes to home decorating. Again, late on the complimenting, but please know Jessica A. that I think you rock.
• Final random thought for this morning was...how do you go about opening an ice cream store? I think the community of LL is definitely lacking in this area. I don't mean a franchise. I mean a store similar in feel to The Scoop on the South Hill. Where do you even begin. And if I can't do an ice cream store, how about a genuine BBQ pit?

See, summer-time ADD. I just have random thoughts that go round and round in my head. During the school year I completely ignore them because I don't have time to get off-track and distracted.

Toddlers and Teen-agers

Have I ever told you my theory regarding toddlers and teen-agers? No? Well my theory is that toddlers and teen-agers have the same brain. Well, not exactly the same brain, because teen-agers have more experience. But sometimes, I would swear their thought patterns, teen-agers and toddlers, are the same. And recent brain research would indicate that this theory might just hold water. So, if you are a parent of a toddler and you find yourself repeating, "This is just a phase. We'll make it through", you might want to remember that phrase for when they are teen-agers. Because, I promise you, you will see many of the same behaviors repeated...

• random temper tantrums--yep.
• various ways of saying "I do it myself"--definitely
• moments when you say "What were you thinking?"--oh yeah
• daily messes--certainly, except toddlers usually aren't as sassy when they are asked to help clean up.
• afternoon naps--Hallelujah!

But just like with toddlers, you quickly learn not to mess with the afternoon naptime of a teen-ager. They get very grumpy! And they are a lot harder to put to bed earlier. But I really love my teen-agers. And for the most part, they are very good. And when they are taking an afternoon siesta, I just want to cuddle up to them and hold on to them forever. But my recent attempt at gently hugging a sleeping teen generated this response, "Why do have to look at me or hug me when I'm sleeping?" See what I mean about not messing with a sleeping teen?

Kate and the Life Lesson

This is Kate...

She's 16. She needs a job.

This is why she needs a job...

I wish I knew how to make this bigger, so in case you don't have a magnifying glass available at your computer...that's her cell phone bill for $92.20. When she got the cell phone, the agreement was she would pay us $10/month for her line and any charges accrued due to going over her texting limit.

The last 2 years she has had a great summer job. She and her brother sold produce at the local Farmer's Market. It was hard work, but they made a nice little profit. At the close of last year, she said she wouldn't be working at the Farmer's Market because she would be 16 and would have a "real" job.

So far, no "real" job has materialized. And she wrinkles up her nose in disdain at the mention of fast food emporiums. Personally, I rather liked my high school job at McDonald's. I learned some valuable life lessons--how to multi-task, how to interact with the public, etc. As well as some great sayings..."If you have time to lean, you have time to clean"; "If you have time to talk, you have time to stock".

Anyway, back to Katelyn. She's 16. She drives. She's great with kids and running errands. Until a "real" job becomes available, she is available for hire.

The Hot Rod and Kate

I'm not sure what precipitated the action taken today, but David decided that Katelyn needed to learn how to drive a stick shift. So he took her out for a drive in the Honda. It is funny how differently the two of us (Dave and I) refer to the Honda. I call it the "baby car" and he calls it the "hot rod". Thinking about learning to drive a stick shift reminded me of the time I taught my brother Dan to drive a manual. For the most part, he is a pretty unflappable guy. But almost running into a fire hydrant while trying to turn a corner caused him to stop the car, get out, and refuse to drive for the rest of the day. After a couple of hours (or maybe the next day), we practiced again. This time the results were much better. Good thing, too, because he needed to drive a manual so he could drive his Jeep or his Mustang. He had a rough life. So Katelyn's lesson must either be going very well or very poorly because they have been out for almost an hour. Let's hope for well--makes for a much more pleasant evening when she's not all moody.

Day 6: We Hitchhiked and Laid on the Beach

Day 6, already?! Well we had to finish like we started...with a hike. This one was an 11 mile round trip hike with the promise of a waterfall about half-way through.

We drove all the way to the top of Waimea Canyon. The trailhead was supposed to be right before the Kokee lodge. Well we went to where we thought it should be. No trailhead. But there was a little break in the bushes that looked promising so we started bushwacking. I was getting a little concerned, so I sent Dave on up about 50 feet to check things out. And lo and behold, a beautiful wide trail with no need for bushwacking. We laughed so hard once we got on the right trail. We're still not sure how we missed the correct trailhead.

The vegetation and scenery was spectacular. We hiked towards to the NaPali Coast. We paused at about mile 3 to pose for a picture.

Shortly after this picture was taken the week of living mostly as a fruititarian and the walking began to wreak havoc on my GI system. And I became a woman on a mission--to finish the last 8 miles as fast as I could. You can bet Dave and I had some words all along that last 8 miles as he insisted that I couldn't take care of business before I arrived back at the ranger station. I told him we'd just have to see how things progressed. And then proceeded to almost kill him as I practically raced up the 1500' elevation gain (don't worry, that was spread out over the last 3 miles).

We did happen upon some mountain goats along the way. But fortunately no hunters even though it was hunting season and the ranger told us there were hunters out on the trails.

There were some vistas to hike to, but due to the urgency of GI issues, we did not hike to them. It will definitely be something to do the next time we go. And unfortunately the promised waterfall was dry because of the drought Kauai is having.

The trail popped us out onto the Waimea Canyon Road about 2 miles from our car. And even though I was feeling better about this time, we decided to hitchhike back to our car. We were picked up by a guy visiting from Germany and had a nice little chat the two miles down to our car. Side note: I need to work on my listening to foreign accent skills because I only understood about half of what he said.

Anyway, after we finished we decided to hit the beach. So back to Poipu State Park we went. I decided that I just wanted to lay on the beach. Dave snorkeled for one last time. I had about 2 hours to just bask in the sunshine and think.

I discovered how truly blessed I am. Blessed with a husband who works so hard for our family. Blessed that we could take this wonderful trip together. Blessed in so many other ways. But I also realized I need to do a much better job in giving back. I'm formulating a plan.

Sunday we woke up and left paradise. But we returned to our daily paradise with our kids.