That's what I got July 29 at about 4:00 p.m. after being with my mom and sisters for a lovely birthday lunch in Novi.
My sister drove me home and when she pulled into the drive way I was greeted by A LOT of guests waiting to wish me happy birthday. I was so shocked I sat in the van with tears running down my cheeks. My sister said, "I think they're waiting for you to get out!"
As I focused farther and farther into the crowd and I started realizing just who came to help me celebrate turning 50, I became even more overwhelmed.
It was awesome to see siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends from church, other friends and neighbors all gathered in my back yard.
Apparently it was a month long effort by my dear one and the older kids. Wayne made a list and told the girls to make it happen and let him know how much it was going to cost.
I found out one of my daughter's friends stored quite a bit of the food at his house even though it was Ramadan and he was fasting! What a guy.
Other neighbors pitched in by hiding the necessary tables and chairs, grill etc in their back yard. Some friends loaned Wayne a canopy to keep the sun off everyone.
The kids and their significant others pulled it all together including grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and when it was over, I did not have to lift a figure in the cleanup! Another gift.
It was an amazing party and I'm grateful to be so loved. Thanks everyone!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Alone time? What's that?
I still need to change my profile but we had a big change happen August 21. All of the younger children went to school outside of the home.
Our oldest child was born a little more than 28 years ago. In the years following her birth, I can count the number of days I have been alone in the house. And, in the house we currently live in, I can count it in minutes!
That's a lot of years of not being alone!!
And, even though the four of them are in school, the older ones have not yet returned to the college campuses, and so I have still not experienced 'alone' time. However, I have had some time to myself. What have I done? Cleaned.
I have a week and half left before every is gone for at least a little while every day. I want the house to look great (and a little less lived in) when I decide to put my feet up and read a good book, or watch a video. (That's another thing I can probably count fairly easily- the number of videos I have seen all the way through.)
I am looking forward to having company over for hot chocolate or tea and being able to have a conversation with a friend. I hope I still speak adult.
I am looking forward to going to the library and bringing home some books that don't come from the middle school shelves.
I am looking forward to napping, baking, writing, shopping and rediscovering me.
I wonder how long it will take me to adjust to alone time. We shall see.
Our oldest child was born a little more than 28 years ago. In the years following her birth, I can count the number of days I have been alone in the house. And, in the house we currently live in, I can count it in minutes!
That's a lot of years of not being alone!!
And, even though the four of them are in school, the older ones have not yet returned to the college campuses, and so I have still not experienced 'alone' time. However, I have had some time to myself. What have I done? Cleaned.
I have a week and half left before every is gone for at least a little while every day. I want the house to look great (and a little less lived in) when I decide to put my feet up and read a good book, or watch a video. (That's another thing I can probably count fairly easily- the number of videos I have seen all the way through.)
I am looking forward to having company over for hot chocolate or tea and being able to have a conversation with a friend. I hope I still speak adult.
I am looking forward to going to the library and bringing home some books that don't come from the middle school shelves.
I am looking forward to napping, baking, writing, shopping and rediscovering me.
I wonder how long it will take me to adjust to alone time. We shall see.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Proud Mom and Dad
Son, Josh, graduated from Air Force ROTC Field Training on Sunday.
He was in Alabama and Mississippi for one month with very little contact with the outside world. The contact he had was in the form of mail and the bus trip from Alabama to Mississippi and back. Other than that it was 33 days of entrenchment.
My dear one and I were able to fly down to be with him on graduation day. It was an impressive ceremony and you could certainly see how well trained these cadets are.
It was a little intimidating being there because I witnessed all the saluting and stiff walking that was going on. At one point the color guard got yelled at (over the loud speaker) because a tassel on the Red, White and Blue was touching the ground. She fixed it rather quickly and continued her march.
It was a wonderful couple of hours filled with many, many stories. I figure since he was gone for a month, he'll likely have a month's worth of stories to tell so that should keep us gagging or laughing for a while.
Proud of you, Josh!!
He was in Alabama and Mississippi for one month with very little contact with the outside world. The contact he had was in the form of mail and the bus trip from Alabama to Mississippi and back. Other than that it was 33 days of entrenchment.
My dear one and I were able to fly down to be with him on graduation day. It was an impressive ceremony and you could certainly see how well trained these cadets are.
It was a little intimidating being there because I witnessed all the saluting and stiff walking that was going on. At one point the color guard got yelled at (over the loud speaker) because a tassel on the Red, White and Blue was touching the ground. She fixed it rather quickly and continued her march.
It was a wonderful couple of hours filled with many, many stories. I figure since he was gone for a month, he'll likely have a month's worth of stories to tell so that should keep us gagging or laughing for a while.
Proud of you, Josh!!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
You know you're camping when . . .
...the paper plates blow onto the ground and you brush them off and use them anyway.
...you have to walk 100 yards to use the bathroom or shower and you do so willingly.
...you smell like campfire smoke for 5 days even after a showering on each of those days.
...your children spend hours together with no electronics and actually get along really well.
...your 16 year old plays Yahtzee with you and you use real dice and a score card that you have to fill out yourself.
...breakfast is eaten on the bed because the picnic table is wet from last night's rainfall.
...the s'mores taste better than ever, dripping with melted chocolate and gooey marshmallows.
...you take the time to enjoy the sunset.
...the bug noises keep you awake the first night and lull you to sleep on subsequent nights.
We had a great time, but boy is it good to be home.
...you have to walk 100 yards to use the bathroom or shower and you do so willingly.
...you smell like campfire smoke for 5 days even after a showering on each of those days.
...your children spend hours together with no electronics and actually get along really well.
...your 16 year old plays Yahtzee with you and you use real dice and a score card that you have to fill out yourself.
...breakfast is eaten on the bed because the picnic table is wet from last night's rainfall.
...the s'mores taste better than ever, dripping with melted chocolate and gooey marshmallows.
...you take the time to enjoy the sunset.
...the bug noises keep you awake the first night and lull you to sleep on subsequent nights.
We had a great time, but boy is it good to be home.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Down Time
Last week was our annual family summer vacation. This is only the second year in the
past 11 that we have not all been together.
Son Josh is away for field training in Alabama and could not
come and daughter Amanda was working so she got to stay home with the
mutt.
Twelve years ago one of the home schooling moms sent an
email saying that her parents were moving and the house she grew up in was
going to become a cottage and let us know it was available for rent.
While the children have dubbed it the Ugly House for reasons
unknown, it has become our haven. Fittingly, it in is Grand Haven.
To say it is a cottage is a bit of a stretch. The only thing
that makes it cottage-ish is the fact that there is a beach nearby.
The “cottage” is actually a three story, 7-bedroom home with
a wrap-around screened in porch on which there is a bench swing hanging from
the ceiling. It is close enough to
the beach that the older kids can get there easily but far enough to keep the
younger ones safely away. (Getting to be not such an issue anymore).
A short walk takes you to the top of the staircase that
leads down to Lake Michigan. It is
the sunset spot. From it you can see one of the famous Lake Michigan
lighthouses.
On Sunday, after Mass, we take the
“stair” photo and the change in the kids from year to year is so cool to see.
This year there were no tears as we were packing. But there is the promise of next year to hang onto and so the countdown to Grand Haven begins again.
Telegraph Cruise or Bust!
As we were driving the last 3 miles home from a week at the cottage, we spotted the car buffs who were out all up and down Telegraph Road watching the muscle cars that were being shown off by their owners.
Our tenacious one was curious about what was going on, and after I explained it to her she asked if we could go watch for a while. I told her we could go after supper.
After we were all unpacked she spotted the empty boxes and asked if she could have two of them. Her mental wheels were spinning. She knew that the folks on Telegraph had places to sit and food to eat and so she got creative.
She glued a box lid down to make a table and then she took another box apart and glued it to the first and cut a hole at one end creating a wagon-type handle. Then she packed her snacks (fig newtons and Oreos) and grabbed a towel to sit on.
She realized she would need pockets for her snacks so she put on her hot pink bathrobe and she was ready to go. My dear one and I walked over to Telegraph with her and crossed to the median to sit in the shade. She laid out her towel and bathrobe for seats and proceeded to eat her snacks and watch the cars.
She asked her daddy to carry the box home as the noise created by dragging it was a bit much. :-)
We were only there about 15 minutes but I'm quite sure she'll remember it as a great time!
Our tenacious one was curious about what was going on, and after I explained it to her she asked if we could go watch for a while. I told her we could go after supper.
After we were all unpacked she spotted the empty boxes and asked if she could have two of them. Her mental wheels were spinning. She knew that the folks on Telegraph had places to sit and food to eat and so she got creative.
She glued a box lid down to make a table and then she took another box apart and glued it to the first and cut a hole at one end creating a wagon-type handle. Then she packed her snacks (fig newtons and Oreos) and grabbed a towel to sit on.
She realized she would need pockets for her snacks so she put on her hot pink bathrobe and she was ready to go. My dear one and I walked over to Telegraph with her and crossed to the median to sit in the shade. She laid out her towel and bathrobe for seats and proceeded to eat her snacks and watch the cars.
She asked her daddy to carry the box home as the noise created by dragging it was a bit much. :-)
We were only there about 15 minutes but I'm quite sure she'll remember it as a great time!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Losing It!
I'm not really sure what my problem is lately, but I have locked my keys in the car twice in the past few weeks (once with the engine running) and almost locked them in a third time.
The engine running time was especially unnerving since I didn't notice until I came out of the store. Thankfully AAA was close by and fast.
I could blame the kids for distracting me but I've been driving with noisy kids in the car for a quarter of a century and it was never an issue.
I never used to carry a purse and now I have a wristlette. I wonder if the actions of having to, first remember to get the purse, and second to actually reach over and pick it up off the floor, throws me for that big of a loop?
I finally put the extra fob in my purse just to be on the safe side. I don't like having to have a back up system. This getting old(er) thing is not all that fun.
The engine running time was especially unnerving since I didn't notice until I came out of the store. Thankfully AAA was close by and fast.
I could blame the kids for distracting me but I've been driving with noisy kids in the car for a quarter of a century and it was never an issue.
I never used to carry a purse and now I have a wristlette. I wonder if the actions of having to, first remember to get the purse, and second to actually reach over and pick it up off the floor, throws me for that big of a loop?
I finally put the extra fob in my purse just to be on the safe side. I don't like having to have a back up system. This getting old(er) thing is not all that fun.
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