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7.28.2007

"Don't Rain on My Parade..."

I've become obsessed with the Standalone Player from my Myspace. I am listening to it right now. "Walk This Way...just give me a kiss! ...like this...!" I found it on Rachigga's space and thought...WOW more than ONE song!!!!! I have changed my list, like, 20 times this past week alone. I love it. Aerosmith...the Beatles...Judy Garland...John Denver...Ella Fitzgerald...Rascal Flatts...Barbra Striesand...Carol King...of course there's Babbie Mason and Chris Tomlin and Mercy Me, too. I have come to see how incredibly eclectic I truly am! I have always said I love all music.

But I have come to see something else. I NEED these songs. We all know that music is very therapeutic...calming and exhilarating all at the same time. It transcends all language barriers, all generational "gaps" so to speak. For me, it is an incredible life source. Music. Singing. Singers. Musicians. All there just to lift me. To encourage me. To make me wanna dance. To make me wanna cry. To make me wanna shout for joy. Makes me wanna sing along! And I do, believe me!

Anyone who knows me, knows I will sing along with just about anything and anyone. Not a huge Opera sing-a-long person, but I have been known to rap a little. Usually by myself. Or with Rachigga...she made me do this "thing" and then recorded me on her phone. Evidence...oh well!

And let me tell you that when I find a recording I haven't heard in, like, forever...I change my player asap!! Like an EARLY recording of Judy Garland singing Stormy Weather. Or Gene Kelly's Singin' in the Rain...you better believe I included it! Music is beautiful. And old and new and wonderful and awesome and most definitely an obsession.

Most importantly...it is a gift. A joy. Anointed. Holy. Reverent. "Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre." Psalm 81:2 Oh how I love to worship through music. My absolute joy...my very essence. It excites me...getting close to that place where only Priests were allowed to go! I get to go there! And I love it there.

I know that Rascal Flatts or Andy Williams isn't praise and worship...but for me, their words lend themselves to lifting my spirit and bringing me to a place of peace. Their words encourage me, help me, allow me to see the place where I am at that moment and I can move from there to a better place.

I know, my interpretation is very broad, but...well...oh well! I can reminisce and Get Happy about Mayberry with Me and My Gang, (Would You Go With Me?) and then sing some good ole Mountain Music as I exalt my Wonderful Maker because He Can Work it Out Alright...and this is just The End of the Beginning! And I can do it all from the Boondocks!!

Have a Happy Day!!

7.23.2007

Fantastic...

Yesterday was...fun. It was full. It was fantastic. It was fantastically fun and full.

First...church. Awesome...sorry no "F" word here :~). We had a missionary guest "window" with Angie (George) and Berna Cruz. Awesome. Worship was awesome. Really awesome. And moving. It seems that whenever we have a missionary guest...worship that morning is awesome. Really awesome. And moving. I am in awe of my worship partners, Chief and our precious little church. BDILE is ALWAYS in the back with the little ones and she never has the opportunity to experience the sevices. I am in awe of her. I don't know if I could do that week in and week out never being a part of worship or hearing a sermon. So...this Sunday is a "fifth Sunday" (you know, a month with five Sundays in it...duh) and there will be no nursery. No Children's Church. So BDILE can have some corporate worship time of her own!

Anyway...church was awesome.

Second...family picnic. Awesome. My cousin just bought a house and this was the first time all of us had seen it. So adorable...so cute...so her. LOVED IT!!! Had fun with family and good food...of course...and laughing. FUN.

Next...Graduation and Birthday party for JH...his parents are good friends, we are in a care group together. (Although we DO have direction...Chief will NEVER live that one down, will he?!?!?!) FUN FUN FUN!!! Again, good food, good fellowship...we were there SIX HOURS!!!!! Yep...SIX HOURS!!!! TOO much laughing...if THAT is even possible...we definitely had fantastic fun!

All in all it was a fun-filled, fantastic day...have I said that yet? Still, the absolute best part of it all??? We spent the ENTIRE time...the ENTIRE day with our precious Rachigga. She actually rode with us from church to family picnic to home to party to home. It was a wonderful day. It was good to watch her "socializing", to hear her laughing. No Antonio (yes, I said his name...no need for that confidentiality any longer, right?) talk. No crying...I believe for the first time in a month. We left home together, we came home together and all went to bed immediately upon arrival. We were tired. It was a good tired.

So...after a fantastically full, fun day?? Cleaning. And getting ready for Happy and NC fan to arrive in ten days!!! MORE FUN!!!!! TEN DAYS, BFF...TEN DAYS!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

7.18.2007

"A birdie with a yellow bill sat upon my window sill"

So...when I was preparing for my grandma's funeral, I had purchased these really colorful petunias as centerpieces for the tables for the luncheon. I had hoped that people would take them home, but BDILE was the only one who did. So, I ended up with A LOT of the little seedling packs. For Mother's Day, I was given (well, actually I picked them all out, but it WAS my gift from Chief!) two hanging pots and four ground cover roses. We planted the petunias and roses about a week later and then hung the hanging pots on the front porch. They were really pretty, and I loved them.
Soon after, about a month, I thought I saw something in one of the hanging pots. Like feathers or something. I blew it off, and went on my way. About a week later, I noticed that the plants were already dead...the hanging ones...much to my dismay. The ones we planted in the ground were flourishing, but these were gone. I was going to have Chief take them down...but, again, I noticed something in the pot. Feathers. Weird. I told Chief he needed to check it out, but another couple of days went by. I stuck my head out the door one morning to "check the weather" and was startled by the head of a bird in that pot!! It scared me a trifle...but I then realized it was a morning dove! That little thing had made a nest out of my hanging pot!!! These pictures are the babies now hatched and gone. No sign of the mother...or the father, he actually sat in the nest with her a few times. They never made a sound or moved when we were all looking at them wondering what in the world... BDILE took pictures of the mother sitting in the "nest", but I don't have them...I think the babies are beautiful and they were so "fine" with my being out their with my Mom taking pictures of them! It was really cool!!
Now the pots are filled with dirt and dead flowers...I almost do not have the heart to remove them...maybe we will have another family move in!

7.13.2007

For he's a jolly good fellow...

His name is...well, I guess in the spirit of the blog, I cannot tell you his REAL name. But...BSE is who he is. He loved Cheerios when he was little...so I put the "o's" on the end of his name, and it stuck. He was such a cute little boy. Blonde and full of fire. Of course I do not have any pictures on my new computer of him (or of anyone else for that matter), but I will try to get some on a flash drive and post them before I finish this completely!

So...Cheerios turned 29 last Wednesday. Yeah...29. He was born after 18-1/2 hours (you better believe I count that half hour!!) of intense labor...on MY birthday! He was beautiful. My son. My very own little boy. My first child. His life changed my life completely. Totally. Gratefully. I was a single mom...he was the love of my life...then. And, in a way, he still is today.

Let me tell you about Cheerios. There is this bond between mother and son that goes beyond most comprehension, and unless you are the mother of a boy, it is difficult to understand. We were instant companions. I loved every minute I was able to spend with him. Oh...there were THOSE days...the ones where you wonder "what in the world am I thinking" thinking I could be a MOM?!!?!?! Believing I was the world's worst Mom ever, still, he would cling to me and hold on to me and love me like no one ever dared to before. He was adorable and a pain and sweet and frustrating and cuddly and precious and way difficult to get to obey, but he was MY SON. And I loved him with my whole heart and soul.
For 2-1/2 years, he was mine and mine alone...then he looked up into the eyes of the only man he would ever know and called him Daddy. It was heart warming. And scary. I would have to "share" him with another person who wanted to be called parent and now his love would be divided. But...not to worry...it was God's perfect plan. We were even closer. The two had become three. Then four...then five and we all loved one another even more! Hard to believe love can be that encompassing...but it is.
Cheerios is not only an incredible son and brother; he is now a wonderful husband and father. A hard worker and a prayer warrior. A Pastor and a worshiper. He is a "born again, blood-bought, spirit-filled testifyin' child of the King!" To coin a phrase. He is tons of fun and he cracks me up! He sings these little made-up songs just to annoy us...but we all end up laughing so hard we cry. And of course, he is the Green Bay Packer's SECOND greatest fan...I am the first!!! (Although HE would beg to differ!!) He is deeply in love with not only his beautiful wife, but with his Savior; and he loves to preach about Him. And he is GOOD at it. People love him...he is easy to love. He is easy to like! He is a beautiful soul and I love him incredibly.
Happy Birthday, Cheerios. And here's to MANY more we can share together!!

7.09.2007

Mamma Mia...

Well, here we are after dinner at Carrabbas. Kind of like Macaroni Grille, very nice and good food! We had a nice relaxing day today...breakfast at the hotel, the mall, dinner and then we played Battle of the Sexes, a new edition. Hard questions...the guys won! Duh...they had CHIEF! Anyway...it was good...and it was hot.



Here are the Three Cabelleros...or the Three Amigos...or the Three Hawaiians...WHATEVER! I can't believe they actually coordinated their clothes!! Funny, funny guys!!! Gotta love 'em!


Well...it's off to breakfast with Lisa...the guys a golfing! Stay tuned!!! It's our last day!!!!

7.07.2007

First Day of VACA!!
















We are having a blast!!! This is Chief getting ready to go on Kolber's boat. He had a blast! And he got burned! OUCH! And here is Chief taking a picture of Tom-Tom taking a picture of Chief. Clever...huh? (PLEASE!)

Here is Tom-Tom hooking up to ski...he is definately a natural!

BFF...Chief is SO ready to go boating with you and Poppy!!









Tom-Tom IN the water...Tom-Tom ON the water!












The Cottage is beautiful, and so is the lake...and it was a beautiful day and we were SO tired and Kolber's fed us wonderful food!!


We have a beautiful suite and we are very excited to get out tomorrow to see some sights...maybe! We will be sleeping in and having care group devotionals in the morning. I LOVE vacation!!




So...it has been a very FULL day...catch ya on the flip-flop!!

7.03.2007

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom -I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

I copied this from BDILE's blog...she copied it from someone's myspace. She added a few things to her list...http://zech-n-lily-r-blessings.blogspot.com/ I guess I needed it today... and I can definately take much away because my children are all grown and having children of their own. Some of these things I don't think I have ever done...like forget the words to a lullaby...maybe once...things change as the children grow and become adults, yet, some of these things NEVER go away. I still wake up in the middle of the night...but now I pray because I know that I was awakened for that reason. I still cannot believe I can love someone this much...and hurt so deeply for them when they are hurting. Like now. It's such a deep pain...a gut-wrenching, weeping-til-you-fall-asleep pain. The I-wish-I-could-make-it-all-better kind of hurt. But I can't.

My precious Ra-Chigga. My precious angel-girl. She and The Mighty Hunter have decided to take a break for the next couple of months. She decided. She hurts. Deep. And yet, is at peace. And I wait with her, cry with her, sit with her, laugh with her and pray with her. And for her constantly. Not a decision that came on the spur of some fleeting moment...a long-time aching decision prompted by her passion for her Savior and her need to be yoked with someone who shares that same passion. She is afraid, yet calm. Hurting, yet at peace. She does not quite understand the peace right now, but thankfully has a brother, a sister-in-law, a sister and a brother-in-law (and Chief and I) who will lift her and hold her up before our heavenly Father who adores her. And friends and family within the reach of this journaling who will lift her up and understand her longing to be at peace and to be happy in her life. We all love The Mighty Hunter...our most fervent prayers go up for him.

As a mom...the most difficult thing for me to grasp onto over the many long, yet fleeting years is that there is someone who loves my children even more than I. How is that even remotely possible???? But He does...and I know He loves me just as much, even when I cannot find love for myself...He can. And He will love her through this...and so will we.