For the record…Lincon’s first haircut was at 4 months. I love how all three of my kids are so different in so many ways!  :) Madi is the show-off, Linc is the shy one (until he’s comfortable around you) and Trent is to go-getter!  Love them all for their uniqueness!

Look at that fuzz!

And the after…note his black eye from falling into the frame around the bed.  Poor baby…

And a bath to wash away the hair.  He LOVES bath-time.

Today was one of those mornings where everything was rushed.  I ended up taking Madi to school twenty minutes late.  the boys and I walked her in.  As she was getting ready to walk away her principal came in and said hello to her.  He greeted her with a hug and they chatted about Thanksgiving for a minute.  Linc, Trent and I told her good-bye and this is the conversation that followed.

Principal: “She is so sweet.”

Me: “Aw, thank you.”

Principal: “I have to tell you about her the other day.  I was out at recess. I love recess.  Anyway, we were playing four square and she went above and beyond trying to make sure everyone was inculded and had a turn.  It was just so sweet.”

Me:  ”Thank you, we talk about that kind of stuff often.”

Principal: “Well, you guys are doing a good job.  She is so sweet.”

As rushed and chaotic as my morning was I was reminded that I am more concerned about my children’s character than where they fall academically.  All that stuff will come eventually.  What matters now, is that we teach them to be kind, loving, accepting,generous, and all of the other traits that shape a well rounded person.  And I know there will be mess-ups along the way, but right now I’m thinking so far so good.  What a nice thing to hear this morning as I dropped Madi off at school

As Thanksgiving is approaching, I am sitting here realizing I have so many things to be Thankful for.  I have an awesome husband, healthy kids, a warm home, food in my pantry, a fairly steady income, wonderful friends and family, clothes, vehicles, phones, internet, tv, and all those other extra things that I think we so often take for granted.  Even with the year I’ve had, I can still have ALL of these things to be thankful for.  No one said life were going to be easy, but its the little things that remind me that even in the dark times there is a silver lining.  Sometimes it’s right there in front of our faces, and sometimes we have to look a little deeper to find it.  Either way, I know I am blessed and I am thankful for those blessings!  I hope with the busyness of the holidays we all take a little time to remember these things  :)

I think this marks the record for my life for losing three people in four months.  Death is not an easy thing.  No one said it would be.  We lost Ginger in August, close friend and neighbor Marty six days later, and my Nana passed away yesterday.  Wow.  My Nana was an awesome Grandma.  We had a very close relationship while I was growing up.  We spent lots of time at her house, playing cards, going on walks, to the park, out for ice cream, to the zoo, movies etc.  She always put us first when we came to her house.  I remember that big ol German pancake thing she use to make us for breakfast every time we stayed the night there.  And cheese and tomato sandwiches.  They always tasted better when she made them.  I remember just going out in her garden with her and walking around looking at all her pretty flowers.  Her garden always looked amazing. It had little paths we could walk along.  I remember always going through her jewelry box looking at all that bling bling stuff.  When she started showing signs of Alzheimer’s I just chalked it up to aging.  Even though it became clear it was obviously more than that as time went on.  She’s always lived in California, but she made lots of visits up here when she was still healthy and we went to visit her quite often too.  The first time we saw her after she had been living at the care home was very hard for me emotionally.  To see my nana that way was so unreal.  That was when it really hit me that she was suffering from Alzheimers.  I could tell she knew who I was, but she didn’t know my name.  She just held my hand, smiled and kept saying I love you.  Her hands still felt the same as I had remembered as a child.  Smooth and soft.  We visited for awhile.  I would ask her questions and she would give simple answers.  The next time I saw her, it was bad.  She couldn’t talk anymore.  She just made noises.  I fought back tears the whole visit.  To think she was so bright and cheery and smart and then to see her that way broke my heart.  I had a feeling that at that time it would be my last time seeing her.  I said my good-byes then and walked away with tears.  So the last month she had been slowly going downhill so we knew the time was getting close.  Yesterday around four she took her final breath.  I Love you Nana, thank you for the wonderful memories.  

Ugh….Can I get a break?  Probably not.  I feel like I am being pulled in so many directions emotionally right now. It’s crazy.  I cry a lot and my mind is constantly going.  When I wake up in the middle of the night I can’t just roll over and go back to sleep because my mind keeps going.  I’ve learned lately when I am mad I cry, when I am overwhelmed, I cry, sad, I cry, happy, I cry.  What the heck?  Do I need to get my tear ducts checked?

Again, not really sure where exactly this blog is headed.  Just a vent I guess.  It’s hard to know how much I have grown in my faith, and how close of a relationship I have with God, and then to be criticized for it.  Or, told what I believe is wrong.  I will stand firm on what I believe because I know it is Truth.  Who are they to say what I believe, or how I worship is wrong, when it is all Biblically based.  There maybe some reading this that might be part of the they, but I don’t really know who reads my blog. It might not be said to my face, but it may be though.  I thought that way for a chunk of my life too.  If one would  just take the time and really study the scripture, not just pick and choose verses you would see that its not those little things that determine our Salvation.  I still believe in and worship the same God, Jesus.  Still believe in the virgin birth, crucifixion and resurrection.  It is by Grace we have been saved.  There are no if’s after those verses about grace. Grace alone.  And to say that there are do’s and dont’s to follow after the Grace part is like a slap in the face to Jesus for dying for us.   We are not saved by grace and works.  We are saved by grace.

The sermon at church yesterday nailed this subject right on the head.  If you want to hear a great sermon check out www.albanygrove.com and click on Gatherings then Audio.  Then 11/15.  Ok thats enough of my venting for now.  I love having a blog where I am free to express myself!  I like getting things out in writing….

My niece Raelyn is 6 today.  Happy Birthday sweet girl!  Hope your day is great!  Hard to believe my niece and nephews are growing up so fast.  Time for another little cousin.  Hint- hint.  :)

Madi and Amanda have been friends since before they were born.  Diana and I met in lamaze when I was pregnant with Madi and she was pregnant with Amanda.  We ended up in the hospital and having our beautiful girls on the same day.  Madi and Amanda love to have playdates trading off at each others houses.  Yesterday it was our turn.  Here are a couple of pictures I took of the girls.

I just realized BOTH of these dresses are courtesy of our friends the Larsons.  Thanks Betty, Svea and Emma!

Two very proper girls ready for tea!

I can’t believe it’s been 11 years since Russell popped the “question.”  I can still feel his hands trembling and my heart racing as I realized what he was doing.  Makes my heart melt all over again.  :)  Eleven years… We’ve been through lots in the last 13 years and none of it (no matter how hard) I would want to change.  It’s those hard things, the good things, the bad, sad and ugly that shape us into who we are today.  We have grown closer in our relationship with each other, as individuals, as Christians, as parents, and as friends.  Hard to believe that was way back when we were just 19!

Gabriel is TEN today.  I’ve been telling him for awhile now how excited I was when I turned ten.  That meant I was a decade!  Well, today he is too.  He is such a sweet little boy who has grown up so fsat.  I remember when he was born…My first nephew.  Doesn’t seem like ten years ago.  Happy Birthday to an AWESOME Kid!  love you bud!