ME MORE ial Day

For the past 36 years of my life, Memorial Day has meant

• an extra long weekend with the Mr. at home.
• a good excuse to eat hamburgers and fries.
• another reason for the girls to wear their 4th of July outfits.

But things are much different around these sticks.

The day began with a beautiful 5 mile jog. Not like its a beautiful piece of cake for me to get this body moving that far....but the scenery is beaut. I still struggle for every awkward step...but at least I am doing it.

I have to first master the downhill sprint. I always think of those cartoons where Jeri's feet get moving faster than his body and he has to skid to a stop. That is kinda what I look like. I was going so fast by the time I got to the bottom of the hill...that I didn't pay much attention to the quaint cemetery. But as I was scuffling at a snails pace at the end of the 5 miler...I noticed something different.

This cute, humble cemetery was completely transformed. I was mesmerized by the over the top beauty of it all. It was filled with flowers of every kind, balloons, flags, loved ones meandering around (not the deceased loved ones...hopefully).

Golly gee...I thought ME MORE ial Day was about me and having an extra day off. But these Utes made me stop and pause. All the sudden, I wished I was standing at my own sons grave...adorning it with mums, balloons, flags and such. It reminded me of standing for the first time by his isolete in the NICU. Some one gave me a tip to make a name card and have things to adorn his bedside. It was an outward action of an internal feeling. This is exactly what these people were doing. Showing their ancestors and loved ones...what their heart feels.

I wandered through the graves...not only to catch my breath...but to see if I could feel any connection. I made it up to the last section and there was "baby row". I stopped and read each one...

I cried...

Cried for those mommies and daddies who couldn't hold their little ones....

Cried for those babies who didn't get to experience this life...

Cried for me whose baby was so far away....was anyone standing there and reading his grave marker.

Thanks for teaching me that Memorial Day is not about ME and another day off...but about our fallen heros and extending that to our fallen loved ones. sniff sniff

I was humbled once again.

Later we packed up the family car and headed south to Happy Valley, the land of my in-laws. A great gathering of the Vance clan to honor their dear Daddy's birthday and Memorial Day too.

The cousins ran around for hours...Nanna and Grandpa have a great grandkid house outdoors...huge wraparound porch....big play yard complete with 3 separate climbing, jumping, swinging things. Hammocks to get torpedo spun by your big favorite uncles...scaring me half to death to see these babes tossed like no salad spinner could do. Happy Memories.

Mom of Moms

(Nanna and 3 out of 5 of her boys)

The biggest blessing my family has received since moving to the Beehive State...has been growing closer to hubbys BIG family. Having grown up in Texas for 20+ years...his parents...and many many siblings have migrated to the frozen chosen state of Utah. Hubby was always being dragged to my many many family events....most in the lovely East Texas region. Some don't even have teeth there...but thank goodness mine does. I have to remember to pronounce my parents name as "Heeeeeel" ...or no one will no who I am talking about. In most parts of the country "Hill" will sufice.

So now holidays consist of me gathering this livley group together for a shin dig at our homestead. Actually the family gathering was hubbys creation. He called his dear mom and invited her over for a Mothers Day dinner. He said he didn't care if any of the other 4 siblings could attend...but just wanted to honor her. He even called a few days later to ask what she wanted HIM to cook. Remember it's Mothers Day for me too...so no cooking here.
(Nanna and some a her 12 grand daughters)

She requested his famous Texas Fajiatas. He planned, shopped, and cooked the meal. He even set up a cute picnic outside in the beautiful weather.

Ok so I helped fru fru it up a bit with tablecloths...chargers....vases etc. Still it was HIS idea.

Lynn doesn't get around great right now....after having her knee operated on...but she hobbled up and down our hilly terrain and enjoyed the festivities. We had a full spread...think Pappasitos for all you dang TEXANS.

But mostly we had full hearts as we spent it with his parents, his brother Jermey (or Uncle J as the kids call him ) and his brother James and family We even got to meet their newest creation...Carter James tell me he won't be a western star someday.
(Golly Gee...wish I could use photoshop better and fix that complexion...I must have forgot my makeup that day. YIKES)

Thanks for being a great Mom, Nanna, and Mother in Law.
We love you.

Easter Rewind

Are you wondering if I have completely given up all hope here.
How could Michelle not have dolled her 4 darlings all up for their annual Easter parade of new dresses.

I spent days scouring every store to find the perfect complementay but not matching dresses for each girl...find the right shoe (those can be hard to find around Easter and not look nurse like)

I actually bought 2 sets of dresses and brought them all home to decide. After much deliberation and condsideration...I decided to be wise. I would do an Easter rewind. Or lets say I dressed them in vintage. Does it count to say vintage if the dresses are only 3 years old. Anyway it sounds better to say vintage...than hand me downs. So Reagan grew into Madisons dress when she was 7....Riley grew into Reagan's dress from when she 4...and Avery grew into Rileys dress from when she was 1 1/2.

Poor Madison was the only one who was not in vintage. She has to get all of her clothes new. Reagan and Riley think that is soooo SAD. They get to open a whole new tote of clothes for them each season and Masdison doesn't. Lets just say I must have been crazy a few years ago...because Reagan had 2 1/2 totes of vintage Spring clothes....Riley had 2 vintage totes of clothes...and Avery scored with 3 totes of oldies but goodies.

Poor Madison has to go shopping with Mom.

The biggest bonus was no one up here in the North has seen these beauts before.

So here is to my part to saving for a rainy day.

Can I be done now????

Where are my credit cards.

Right of Passage

(This pic was taken today in front of Daddys pretty flowers...we are giggling because she is trying to stand on her tipie toes to look as tall as me...so I stood on my tip toes to get her back...pathetic how it only gained me an inch.)

So last week I had a new experience...that doesn't happen much around here in my "Groundhog Day" like life.
I was invited to attend a class with my eldest daughter on Tuesday. This was something I was looking forward to with her. So as it always goes...she got sick and had to stay home from school...with the swine flu just rearing its piggy head around these sticks...we couldn't take any chances.

But as the morning went on...I determined it was the asthma monster rearing its ugly head. So I medicated her all up...which usually gives her a nice jittery feeling and announced that we were still going to the class.
The excited jittery feeling was lost as I announced those words...she immediately went back to a sullen state. She has become a good faker...when she needs to.
I called my trusty neighbor who has no young kids at home to come listen to baby snooze...so daughter and I could attend our class.
Off we were to our exciting MATURATION class for all 5th grade girls. We were some of the first to arrive and we watched as 45 other nervous and excited girls entered the room. Some seemed to have no idea what to expect. Most felt comforted to have Mom sitting next to them. A few had no womanly figure to hold onto...where were those moms anyway.
The nurse began and there was several snickers as she showed a cartoon drawing of girls development...the word breast buds really got them giggling. No one was laughing at the mention of hair in the nethermost region.
We went on to watch a very informative movie about menstruation...I forgot that is what its really called....I had just taught MTV about having a period.
When it was all said and done...it was a good day. MTV and I had some one on one time...she cozied up to me in the meeting like a dog wanting his head scratched and I obliged...back scratching the whole time.
The girls reluctantly took their "goodie bags" full of deodorant and multi size mattress like pads. Not many dared to peek in, until they got home.
I asked MTV what she learned...and she said, "Nothing, I knew it all already".

I patted myself on the back for giving her all the appropriate information she needed for her age. Feeling all proud of myself...I then heard her say "she learned it all from the American Girl book I gave her".
WHAT!!!! I had a heart to heart with her before I gave her that dumb book....and she gave that dang book all the credit. Oh well...I guess this is the beginning of a long process of getting no credit and only blame for everything wrong in her life.
1 down and 3 to go....Heaven help me!!!!
Or maybe its hubby who needs the help...5 menstruating gals in the house someday. See how I used my new word....menstruation. From now on I will use that phrase at all times to embarrass my ever changing daughter.