My thorns have roses!

I was reading this book and came to a part that I can totally relate to. It had a picture of a long-stemmed red rose with prickly-looking thorns. A caption read, "We can complain because roses have thorns, or be thankful that thorns have roses." That makes so much sense to me. I have a choice to make. Either I can look at the thorns and complain, or I can look at the "roses" and be thankful that I have family and friends that love me. I can complain that God allowed Jay to die or I can thank Him for the time I had with Jay and His assurance that I will be with him again. I choose to see the roses among the thorns.s.

My Grandkids:)

We ran away yesterday and went to Silver Falls State Park. We had lunch and played in the creek. It was fun to climb trees, use sticks for pretent fishing poles and chase squirrels. I don't know why we waste money on toys. It was more fun just taking pictures. This is Caleb. He is the most adventursome. He also has a hearing problem. He just didn't hear me say STOP. DON'T GO ANY FURTHER. But isn't he cute?

This is Connor. He is the bigger of the two but a little more cautious. He did catch the biggest imaginary fish with his pretend fishing pole. His little eyes just twinkle with onryness. They are double trouble.

This is princess Kenzi. She is cute as a bug. She thinks she can do anything her brothers can do. And she does. She started walking at 9 months and can say lots of words. I think she is super smart and sassy. It is fun to play dress up with her. I hope she likes it when she gets bigger. Her mom tries to put cute barretts in her hair but that only lasts about one minute. Cute, cute, cute.

Flowers and Family and Friends

You know how fun it is to walk thru a garden and hand pick a beautiful boquet of flowers and arrange them in a jar to look at and enjoy? And to think that God put each flower in my world for me. That is also how my life is. I have hand picked friends to put with the awesome family that God has given me. It amazes me how He put each and every person in my life. How some are the family that He gave me at birth and others are the family that He helped me choose by marriage. And the friends are the ones He put in my life for whatever reason. Either to counsil me while having my nails done or to sit by me at a ballgame or help me with wedding plans. Some might just be the chemical rep that helps me or the accountant that knows more about me than I do. It might even be a lady whose blog I read daily for inspiration or the wonderful guys who work for me. Each and every one is a blessing that I am so grateful for. And just like flowers, I love to look at them and be in awe that God choose each one for me.

Serenity Prayer

Do you know how it is before you have kids, you think you are busy? Then you have two or three or four and you think that you are really busy. And then you think, what did I do with all my time before we had kids? Then they turn into teenagers and you can't imagine it getting any busier. And again you think, what did I do with all my time before all the ballgames and what nots? Well, I am at a point where I thought I couldn't possibly get any busier. But now I have all my mom jobs, nana jobs, wedding plans and run the farm, build the houses, etc. Mow the lawn, do the payroll, answer questions that I don't know. Talk to people, change this, fix that. That's when I remember this prayer. I think it was written for me. " God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things that I can not change, the Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference." Amen to that.

Farm Chicks Fun

The past week-end was filled with family, friends, food and fun. We went to the Farm Chicks Sale in Spokane Washington. It was so much fun. The fairgrounds were overflowing with everything fun, funky and fabulous. There were seven of us girls that went. We laughed a lot. Ate alot. Shopped alot and had a great time. The rules were that we couldn't come home until the pickup and suburban were full or we spent all that we had brought. And so, we managed to do both. It was my 48th birthday and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It also would have been Jay's 50th birthday. I have spent the last 30 plus years sharing a birthday with the one I love. And this year I missed him with all my heart. I'm sure he was smiling down on me saying "You go girl." But I would have traded everything to have spent it as we have so many times, just the two of us, the kids and a pizza. I love you to the moon and back again Jay and miss you more than you could ever imagine.

Drivers License

Well, today was a milestone. Taylor got his drivers license. I am sure that he was 6 inches taller when he came out of the DMV. He had a smile from ear to ear. It will help with the to and from trips to town. Even tho it is only 8 miles, after you make the trip 3 or 4 times a day it uses a lot of fuel and a lot of time. It is kinda sad too that he is growing up and doesn't need me as much.

The Control Tower

For a pilot, the control tower helps you with take off and landings. It also guides you thru storms when visibility is low. If you are lost it can bring you back on course. In some cases it can guide you when you can't see at all.
Jay is with Our Heavenly Father in the control tower now. I look to them daily to guide me in the right direction when I can't see what is ahead of me. I ask them to help me to get safely where I am going. They help me with take offs when I'm not sure what I am doing and help me with soft landings at the end of the day. I am glad to have total confidence that I can get thru any storm with Them in the control tower.