Thankful is my heart....

I am so thankful for my Yada Yada sister's. I have been truly blessed by finding an amazing group of women to share my blessings and my trials with. It is a random group that became of by being put together in a small group at a church bible study and we enjoyed each others company so much that we decided to keep meeting for bible study and coffee (of course). It is a great time of fellowship and they have become dear friends. It is so comforting to have these ladies (aka...FRIENDS) in my life. They have helped with my transition here in Idaho and filled the giant hole in my heart from leaving my Michigan friends and family behind. Thank you YaDa's-you ladies are a treasure!!

Healthy kids!!

I am ever so thankful that God has blessed me with three wonderful healthy children!! They are my world, and I love them dearly!!

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good: his love endures forever.

My husband. . .

Is so wonderful!! I am very thankful for him. I am thankful we have all those hard years out of the way and just enjoy our life together. I am thankful that he loves to cook and does dinner more than I do these days, helps run the kids around, helps with laundry, loves me when I am not so loveable, loves my family, puts up with my dog, . . . there are just so many great things about him, I could never list them all. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am blessed!

Important Message . . .

I interupt this thanksgiving blogging season to bring you a very important message. . . My baby girl is transferring to BSU and will be living at home with us!!! Yipee!! Hip, Hip, Hooray!!! I'm just a little excited, can you tell? Good thing you can't see the happy dance I'm doing.

Well now, if that's not something to be thankful for!! Woot, Woot!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Thankful for facebook

I know it is a silly thing to be thankful for. I have really enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and classmates of the past couple of weeks. Reconnecting with these people of my past has brought back a lot of great memories.

Thankful this day....

I am thankful I have a job to go to this Monday morning. Not am I only thankful for having a job, I am very thankful for the job that I have. I work with some really great people. My boss is the nicest dentist in the world (everyday) and we have really great patients.

Psalm 118:24
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I am Thankful for. . .

The wonderful family I married into. I am treated as a daughter, not an in-law. I talk to so many people who talk about their mother and father in-law like they are a disease or a burden. I am blessed to have such a great relationship with Ron's family and my children have been truly blessed by their relationship with Grandma and Grandpa.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching

What are you Thankful for this year? I have been pondering Thanksgiving, as I am feeling blue about not being surrounded by our usual family group. Yes, we are very fortunate that Ron's brother is fairly close and this gives us family to celebrate with. . .a family we did not have the opportunity to spend holidays with before our move, and are very happy to have this opportunity now. However, I am still blue about not being with my family or Ron's family back in Michigan. . . full of Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, and lots of cousins. We are in a new season now, and must find new purpose and new traditions.

I was doing a little research to help me with my attitude toward this new season and found the following on Bible.com. Thought I would share with you all.

Thanksgiving is one of our main national holidays here in the U.S.A. A good question to ask is "Are we as Christians celebrating it the way the Lord would have us celebrate, or have we compromised with the world?" Have we lost the emphasis on thanksgiving and prayer and shifted it to a gluttonous feast of food, drink and games like those in the world have done? God wants us to enjoy family, friends and feasting, but leaving God out of the day breaks His heart. More and more the media is referring to this holiday as "turkey day" instead of Thanksgiving Day. They also eliminate the object of who we are to offer our thanks. We are just to be "thankful" we are told. Who should our thanks be directed to? The object of our thanks for our many blessings, should be directed to the Lord God. It should not just be a general "thanks."
The first American Thanksgiving was celebrated less than a year after the Christian Plymouth colonists had settled in the new land of America. The first Thanksgiving Day, set aside for the special purpose of prayer as well as celebration, was decreed by Governor William Bradford in July 30, 1623. There were harvest festivals, or days of thanking God for plentiful crops. During the Revolutionary War, eight special days of thanks were observed for victories and for being saved from dangers. On November 26, 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation for a day of thanks. Our national day of thanksgiving was proclaimed by President Lincoln in 1863 with these words, "a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father."
Today we still celebrate this national and legal holiday, but are we celebrating in the right manner as Christians? Are we forgetting the main purpose of this day is prayer and thanksgiving as we feast and fellowship? The Lord is not opposed to our feasting and our gathering of friends and family to dine, but if our only prayer is to ask God to bless our food are we not forgetting the real meaning of this day? God delights in blessing us as His children. However, do we, as His children delight in blessing Him with our prayers and thanks? Do our celebrations revolve more around the meal and the football game that follows, than around the discussion of the things we should be thankful for? Many are worshipping the idol of ball games on holidays instead of focusing on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Not that watching games are wrong in themselves, but many have forgotten the Lord and have replaced thanking God, praying and reading the Bible with watching games, drinking and eating. Let us ask God to forgive us and truly celebrate this day in real thanksgiving and prayer.

With this in mind, my intention is to share some of the things I am thankful for between now and Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for . . .
All of the great holidays I have had the pleasure to share with my family all together and complete. I have AWESOME memories from these simple holiday get togethers and thank God for my awesome family!!!!

Psalm 107:1
Oh give thanks to the LORD for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Enjoying Fall....

Fall is upon us (okay, now it's almost over) and we have made it through another soccer season!! WooHoo! Zach really showed great improvement as goalie and I even got to were I didn't hold my breath when he got shot on. Talked with the varsity coach at parent teacher conferences and he commented on how impressed he was with how Zach handled the position and really took ownership, he's also the Biology teacher and Zach is doing well in the class also. RMHS varsity soccer team took the state academic championship, way to go guys!! Jake sat during all of the games wishing he had tried out for soccer, so maybe next year I'll have them both out there again. Jake has been working hard at basketball "conditioning", now this week he is doing tryouts.. .I'll keep you posted.

So what shenanigans have the guys been up to. . . most of their free time is spent at the skate/bike park working on their moves, and don't mean picking up girls, just bike stuff. . . atleast I think??? And when they aren't at the ramp park, they are in the garage working on their bikes.

Also we took a drive out into the dessert to do a little target practice, not quite as much fun with out Nana (aka Nanny Oakley)

Zach has begun his driver's ed adventures and Jake will start in January...Wow, I can't believe my babies are all grown up. They continue to keep me entertained and busy. We're just missing Becky and Jordon and looking forward to seeing Becky over the holidays.

My Goblins. . .Yes they are too old, what are ya gonna do??

Election Day. . .

Praying for our country on this election day!

Correction. . .

Oops! What kind of doggie mom am I?. . .it was Bailey's 7th birthday not her 6th. Seems like she's still my precious little pup. . .time flies! I guess our pets are not immune to the superfast aging like our kids. Good thing as adults we stop aging. . . What? Why are you laughing?. . . a girl can dream.

Happy 6th Birthday Bailey!!

Yes, our sweet Bailey is a Hallowiener

Weekend in Wyoming

Last weekend we went to Wyoming to visit with Ron's brother Brian and his family and to help with their new house Brian is building. When we got there, Brian had decided he was taking the weekend off and didn't want to work on the house. Ron did talk him into helping him with a few small things he could not do alone.
This is the view from the front porch of Brian's existing house. (This picture does not do it justice-it is a totally breathtaking sight.) It will be the same view from the new house as he is building it right next door.

This is the moose we saw in the river along the road between Idaho Falls and Alpine. He turned to leave by the time I got close enough to get a decent picture.

We had a good time although it was too short. The boys love spending time with cousins and were only in the house for meals and when we made them come in for bed. It is nice to spend time with Brian now that we live closer, but his wife, Kim, was gone for the weekend so I only got to visit with her for about an hour before we left.

I Want My Mommy!!!

Do you ever have days where you just "want your mommy"? I talked with my mom this morning and I just wanted to reach through the phone and be with her. It's been a rough year to not live by my parents and I wish like anything I could be with them to help them through these difficult days.

Grizzlie Soccer - Improving!!!

Just got home from another soccer game. Tonight we had our second game with the first team we played this season. Last time we lost 0-7 or 8. Tonight it was 1-2. Wow, they really did a great job tonight. And that goalie, he has really improved and did a FANTASTIC job.

Fall Catch Up

I know, I haven't been doing a very good job at keeping my blog current. I feel like have been very busy. Doing what you ask, I don't know. So I've been trying to consider what it is that has kept me from blogging, I'm still not sure but here are a few pictures of the current events around our house.

A few weekends ago as I was getting ready for my day I heard sirens, so Nosey Nora that I can sometimes be, went to look out my bedroom window and noticed the fire trucks were coming into our neighborhood. I shouted down to Ron, "they're coming into our sub" as I ran to Jake's room to look out the window, I saw a house on fire a couple of blocks away, as I shouted down to Ron again "it's a house" he was telling me he saw a field on fire. Well we were both right, a house under construction was a total loss, an unoccupied house nextdoor to it was severly damaged, and it jumped the street to a field and the strong winds moved it very quickly, threatening several other houses along the way. By the grace of God, no occupied homes or people were harmed. It turns out it was a case of arson caused by a couple of boys in the neighborhood. It was very scary and could have turned out much differently, and much more tragic.

A common site from our back yard on a Saturday morning, is that of hot air balloons against the backdrop of the mountains. This is always so beautiful to see. A couple of weeks ago, while I was driving Zach to work, Ron and Jake noticed a balloon that was closer to us than usual and it appeared it was going to land in a field next to a school by our house, so they went to watch it land. Here are a couple of pictures from that day.

And of course, soccer continues to keep us busy. Last night was a much better game to watch. They did loose 0-1, but they all played a much better game. Zach has been playing goalie, exclusively, and seems to be getting better each game. He is struggling with a teammate that doesn't seem to trust him and is always in his way. These are the times the ball gets past him and they get scored on. His team has not been very supportive of him and always yell at him when the other team scores. I guess they don't realize it went past all of them before it went past him. It is hard to be the goalie mom, I hold my breath alot, and find I have to bite my tongue when rude spectators also want to blame the goalie. Anyway, last night there were a million shots on goal that Zach did stop before the one that got by during the last 3 minutes. Great effort Zach!!

As I sit watching these games, I am in awe at what a beautiful stadium we have and what a beautiful view of the mountains.

E4D. . .What??

I just returned from the D4D Technologies in Richardson, TX (Dallas) where I attended E4D University. Okay what am I talking about, right? D4D = Dream, Design, Develop, Deliver. E4D = Empowering Dentistry. The E4D is a CAD/CAM unit that will make it possible for us to do same day crowns for our patients. They come in for a crown prep like usual, but instead of an impression, we scan several images of the prep and then design the crown on our computer, then mill it right in our office. No more temporaries. Well once again, I am out of my box with the computer stuff, but it is really cool. We did a lot of scanning and designing and actually milled a couple crowns while we were there. Learned about staining and glazing (also out of my box, an artist I am not). We should be getting our unit installed at our office in the next couple of weeks, I can't wait!!

Go Jump off a Cliff

So this is what they do at college??? Becky went cliff jumping with a bunch of friends at school. It looks so beautiful, but I don't think I could do it. Are you sure that's Northern Michigan??? Looks like Mexico to me.

Blessings. . .

I did not intend to make my Idaversary (Idaho Anniversary) post a sad thing, I am very happy about my move, it was just very difficult. I consider myself blessed that I have great friends and relationships to miss. I have fantastics memories and those relationships are a huge part of who I am today. I am also very blessed with a great group of new friends, the Yada Yada prayer group, without them I would not have done so well. Thanks ladies, your great!!

Grizzlie Soccer Update

Yipee, they did it!! The JV boys won their first game last night 3-1. They have had a really rough start, so this was Awesome! Go Grizz!!!

One Year Down

Well we have officially lived in Idaho for 1 year as of the 27th. In some ways I can't believe it has only been a year and yet in other ways it seems like we've been here a long time. I have to say I love living here. I love the weather here, I love my job here, I love my bible study friends. That said, I miss my old house, I miss working with Hope, We really miss our friends. . .A LOT!!!!! I miss having "couple friends or family friends" I miss going to the store and knowing half the people I see and at least recognizing most of the other half (that said I can go get my groceries alot faster now). I miss going to the games and knowing the kids on the field, knowing wether or not they can do better, or if they are playing the best they ever have , knowing the parents in the crowd. I miss going to church and having a personal relationship with my pastor, I miss my pastor knowing my name, how many kids I have, how many brothers and sisters I have, wether or not my parents live close or far, etc., I miss having friends at church, knowing almost every person sitting around me, being missed if I am not there. . . the list goes on, and on, and on. . . and I haven't even mentioned family. . that is too much to describe.

I think back to those last couple of weeks we were in Gaylord, and am in awe at how much we were loved by some really great people. They just showed up and helped, and helped, and helped. . .I LOVE YOU GUYS!! I remember pulling out of my driveway for the last time, and thinking what am I doing?? Why am I leaving these awesome people?? Those last few days and the 3 days it took us to get here, and the weeks to follow were some of the sadest, most difficult days I have lived through. I look back and can't believe I made it through. . .but for the grace of God.

So here we are now, and we are getting into the groove. But I am sure it will never be as deep a groove as we had in Gaylord. We miss you, We love you, Please come visit!!!!

Becky's New Car

Becky has wheels again. So now the prayer is that she will be able to get a job at school as she now has a way to get to an off campus job, because on campus jobs are very difficult to get.

It's Back.....

Back to school that is. Back to shool = back to routine. It's funny how when school is nearing the end I look forward to not having a rountine for awhile, and then a few weeks into summer, I can not wait for routine. I have been busy the last few days with trips to the mall, getting haricuts(well I paid for haircuts anyway), and weeding through closets to get rid of the many items that no longer fit and/or just don't get worn.

I have been having mixed feelings as school approaches because my baby is going to high school. . . how is that possible? But on the other hand (the much smaller hand, of course), We are getting that much closer to the emptynest. I actually think it will be much the way it is with summer, some days I can't wait for it to get here, and then I am sure a few days or weeks into it, I will want them all back in the house.

Help....

I need an interpreter! My boys are speaking a new language and I have no idea what they are trying to say. Does anyone know how to speak grunt?? They do, however, still say things like...can you, will you, can I, do you have any money....unfortunately, I hear that loud and clear. Ugh!!

Blue Devil Soccer

Well, I guess I am not totally done with the Blue Devil. Our "like a son" Jordon will be playing on the Gaylord High School JV Soccer team. I am so glad he is continuing to play, this was one of the things Zach and Jordon loved to do together.

We have a Grizzlie in the house

Zach had soccer tryouts this week, and he made the JV team. It will be so nice to be involved in soccer again. So I guess its time to get rid of the blue and gold and pick up some purple and gold, eww! Atleast the logo is friendlier than the Blue Devil. . .even though that is more fitting for my boys attitudes these days. Go Grizz!!

To Grandmothers house they go. . .

Zach and Jake recently had the opportunity to go back to Michigan and spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa. They also got to go back to Gaylord for a couple of days to reconnect with friends. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!!!

While there, they found some old water skis in Grandpa's shed and talked Grandpa into taking them out water skiing. They spent a lot of time with their cousins, Austin and Cameron, and got to see other family as well. They enjoyed their trip very much.

Zach trying out the old water skis - he even looks like he knows what he is doing

Zach and Jordon. . . a couple of characters
Cousins, Austin and Cameron

The guys spending time with Great Grandma Harsh

Gone FIshing a.k.a. Ahhh....the day to myself

The guys took off for a day of fishing yesterday, so that meant I had the whole day to myself. What is a girl to do?? Dishes, laundry, sweep and mop, vaccuum, painted a night stand, ran some errands, watched a movie and took a nap. I love fishing!

Photo memories

I was looking for a picture on my computer and ended up finding alot of old pictures. Good times with family and friends. I will be posting them randomly in a slideshow at the bottom. I don't know if I will just combine them all, or do seperate slideshows. We'll see how it all works out, this has been a little tricky for me to acomplish, but I will push through.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

August 8, 1959

December '07

Wow!! 49 years!! Thank you both, so much, for everything you've done. I am blessed to be the 4th child (a.k.a. #4, Lil' Guppie) of these two wonderful people. God has placed many trials in their path (me being one of them) and they have been a great example of "for better or worse", "in sickness and in health". . . Thank you for that! I LOVE YOU!!

Family

I recieved something in my email today that really touched my heart, as I too, have truly AMAZING nieces and nephews (as well as amazing Aunts and Uncles, cousins, sisters, brother) Anyway, I thought I would share this with my blog readers. I pray you are each blessed with amazing people in your families, that make you smile from ear to ear when you think of them.


Something to Contemplate
By Mary b. Seger NP PhD


We are Family
[I got all my nieces and nephews with me!]
~Bernard Rodgers and Nile Rodgers
Recorded by Sister Sledge

The soul is healed by being with children.
~ Fodor Dostoevsky

I love the song and lyrics to We Are Family, I got all my sisters with me… I do not have any sisters. I do have four fantastic brothers who have married extraordinary women and they have become my sisters. They have given me the most incredible nieces and nephews anyone could imagine. I recently got to spend time with these incredible children over the Fourth of July. Actually, some are now adults. My, how time does fly!

Hanging out with children and young adults fills my soul. Being “Aunt Mary” is a role I cherish almost as much as I cherish the role of being mom to my Stephanie. I want to look at the roles of the aunt, uncle or grandparent; relationships where you are once or twice removed from the role of the parent.

When was the last time you hung out with children or young adults? Summer in Northern Michigan is a time of family gatherings. Do you have one planned this summer? I would ask you to take the time to visit family this summer. Find those children and young adults related to you and begin to develop or expand the relationships you have with them. If your family is far away, how can you enhance your aunt/uncle/grandparent relationship with pictures, letters, cards or email?

The relationship one can develop with a child who is not your own can be a delight for both individuals. I speak from both sides. I had the best grandma in the world. The unconditional love she gave so freely to my brothers, my cousins and me has remained with us, even though she died many years ago. We still miss her. The love and laughter I receive from my Godmother/Aunt Joan makes me smile whenever I think of her. As an adult, hearing the voices of children calling me “Aunt Mary,” makes me glow with love.

Over the Fourth of July, I was determined to get to know Josie. I had not been around 3-year old Josie very much, so she was not so sure who this “Aunt Mary” was! I decided to take my brother, her father, over to introduce us. After the introduction, Josie stuck out her hand to shake mine and I believe we will be friends for life. The next day came the sweetest words from her lips: Aunt Mary.

I was also able to spend time over the Fourth with my older nieces and nephew. . .I was reflecting on how much I love these kids and the joy they have brought me over the years. I was thinking back to Thanksgiving almost ten years ago, shortly after my divorce. Stephanie was with her father. My sister-in–law had invited me to Okemos to spend Thanksgiving so I wouldn’t be alone. It was a long drive, in the darkness, missing my daughter. As I stepped out of the car, I saw three little girls running towards the car, calling “Aunt Mary, Aunt Mary”, ready with hugs all around. As I entered the door, Shanna and Stephen were there with more “Aunt Mary’s” and more hugs. I spent the weekend surrounded by their love and knew I would be okay.

I also love watching my daughter spend time with her aunts and uncles. The love and support they show her is wonderful to behold. The wisdom they offer, different from mine, is helpful as she enters into the adult world. . . .

Blessings abound if we only seek them out. Find a child or a young adult and begin or enhance your relationship. You will change their lives and they will change yours. The love and joy you feel will radiate out into the world and make it a better place.

Only an Aunt can give hugs like a mother,
can keep secrets like a sister,
and share love like a friend.
~Spanish Proverb

Blessings to You,
Mary

AC - On or Off????

So having central air is new to us, as living in Northern Michigan it was not a necessity. We tend to go back and forth with having it on at night time. It does seem to get cool enough some nights, but I am having a horrible time with my allergies and I feel this may be part of my problem. Also there is a crazy builder who starts banging his hammer at 6:00 am. Our neighbor mentioned to Ron one day, "we heard your air kick on and off last night. . .we just open our windows at night time" so now I think he does not want to be a bother to the neighbor....meanwhile my eyes are swollen, my nose is all stuffy and runny at the same time, and my throat is itchy. Ugh, what to do?? Sorry for the rant this morning, but I did warn you not to get your expectations up for this.

May God Bless you and you all have a fabulous weekened!!

Revolving Door

So our house has had a revolving door this week. Ron had to go out of town for a couple of days, Jake came home from his month at Grandma and Grandpa's, and Becky left to spend a few weeks with her Dad before heading back to school. It was great to get Jake back home, but I was very sad to see Becky go. These are the times I regret moving SO FAR away. Jake had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa and got to spend time with his little cousins, but was ready to be home. . .he won't say he missed us. . .but he's glad to be home. SO. . .now it's getting back into the 4 person family mode again. . .meaning it's all boys against mom. . .pray for me!!

Here we go

Okay, so here we go. I now have a blog. This is something I have been wanting to do since we moved, to attempt at staying connected to family and friends. I warn you, computer stuff is not my thing, so we shall see what comes of this. Those of you who know me well, know this is WAY out of my box. It will be a work in progress and may take me some time to get it up and looking good, but it's worth a shot.