Gonna try this newfangled mobile thing and see how it works! Wish me luck!
Happy Hanukkah from all of us!
Bright and early one summer morning 12 years ago a sweet little bundle of joy arrived after more than two days of grueling labor! Greatly due in part to the loving and helpful hands of a wonderful doula I might add…
She was my introduction to motherhood and having my heart forever walk around outside of my body.
She is a mini-me in so many ways and yet her own unique self.
She is creative and artistic.
She is smart and witty.
She is my right-hand helper.
She makes me proud.
I love her so.
Happy Birthday Thing 1!
25 years…Sounds like a really long time, when you phrase it that way.
That’s when my littlest sister was born.
Emmy.
Emmadelphia (Pronounced like Philadelphia).
Or more commonly called by me, Mert.
She shares my Grandma’s name and birth month (and consequently got the emerald jewelry…). And she’s feisty, just like Grandma was.
So I’m hankering for some yummy birthday cake and ice cream today, to celebrate Mert’s quarter of a century.
I remember when my Mom was in early labor with her, we walked at the hospital. We must have walked 25 miles around the basement walking track. Oh yeah, and Dr Miller always thought she was a boy from the ultrasounds. Emma was a boy until she was born. That’s when I first knew that ultrasounds weren’t always very accurate. lol I remember holding her, how tiny she was. And feeding her in the middle of the night so my Mom could rest after that difficult birth. ❤
Love ya Mert, Happy Birthday!!
We have Mother’s Day, we have Father’s Day, we even have Grandparent’s Day. But what bout those pesky brothers and sisters?
Today is National Siblings Day. A relatively new holiday (and not officially recognized yet) it is merely a teenager, 14 years old. But for those of us who grew up tolerating annoying little sisters and brothers, or bossy big know-it-all sisters or even the over-protective brother, this is momentous. We finally get a day set aside to reminisce those wonderful memories of growing-up with other little people under the same roof.
I have three biological siblings and many more non-bio siblings that have joined the family over the years. Most of my memories are naturally of those whom shared the same roof as I, even if for short periods of time. I had the torturous experience of growing up with two full-time siblings until I was an advanced teenager…then came Mert. Periodically we had Billy & Mike for summer visits.
Those mug-shots are from somewhere circa 1990-ish.
Most of my memories about growing up with my siblings involved some sort of fighting or disgruntlement. There were many grave injustices, which of course always happened to me... There were “clean up the room” fights, and “who does the dishes” fights, and “why did you cut my doll’s hair off” fights, and no one will ever forget the “why did you paint my Bon Jovi Scarf” epic fight. The “stay on your side of the bed” fight was a regular occurrence in our case, my sister and I always shared a room except for a few brief moments in history.
There were astonishing amounts of “why do I always have to do all the work” statements and plenty of rolling of glasses-clad eyes and sighs… oh the sighs. But there were those tender moments…
*crickets*
Surely, there were tender moments?? Right??
Ah yes, but those came later. Much later. Grown adult moments. Holding each other’s newborn babies, or getting birth announcement phone calls. Being in the wedding party. A sweet hug after a long absence. Rejoicing in one another’s joys. A strong embrace in moments of grief. Sharing an inside joke, or a good laugh after a stinky fart…(outside mind you). And copious amounts of adult beverages.
The Fab Four
Now look at us, all grown up!
They are mine. I am theirs. We cannot deny each other, we are stuck with one another for life. 😉 *evil laughter*
I love them & miss them all. Even my “new” siblings who joined in along the way: Missy & Matt & Kathleen & Sean & JOHN!!
Today was Thing 1’s pinewood derby “Grand Prix” race. She spent a lot of time sanding and painting her car. Applying her decals, picking her number…
She picked out the paint…hot pink body and blue swirly decals inspired by the auroras. “Dancing Souls” was the name she gave her ride. When we checked in we were way under weight. A quick trip to the garage and help from Dean to get her up closer to the weight max…
still more weight….
Then there were 34 racers registered!
The field: 34 very original cars.
There were 4 heats and Thing 1 placed 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 4th. Her top speed was 120 mph (they have a nifty computer that adjusts car speeds to what they would be for a full sized car!!). But sadly, that wasn’t enough to bring home a trophy, the fastest car belonged to another girl topping 204 mph! She’s my kinda girl!
Finish Line
Overall it was a fun learning experience. We learned a lot about competitive Pinewood Derby racing! Next time we’ll have a few tricks up our sleeves!
Oh, and GIRLS RULE!
A lot can happen in a single decade. Things you never even dream about. Life can really morph in ten years.
Mine certainly has.
Emma R. Wadkins May 27, 1926~January 29, 2005
When I look back and ponder how death affects family dynamics, sometimes I laugh, and others, I cry. My Grandmother was the type that could really pull things together, or throw a huge monkey wrench into the works, if she wanted to. She was full of vim and vinegar and I loved her dearly.
When your family Matriarch passes on, and the reality hits you that you are now standing in the place that your Mother once occupied… and she in turn is now the “Great” Grandma and Matriarch of the family… your mortality hits you squarely between the eyes. Holy Smoke’ms comes to mind!
I remember my ancient Great-Grandmother W, the lines on her face, her slight frame, yet it seems there was something feisty inside. I don’t remember my Great-Grandmother B, there are only photos of her in my mind and stories. My Grandmother has only held one of my children, her Great-Grands. My children do not have memories of their GG-ma, only Thing 1 and these are limited, bolstered by my stories to her and photos. My sister’s children have those precious memories, I hope that they value them, for they are indeed precious.
Ah, but enough of the sappy stuff….
My Grandma was a lot of fun. She was talented and opinionated. She was dedicated. She was handy with a gun and a hammer. She believed in doing a job well. She was a good cook when she wanted to be. She was meticulous in her crafts. Her sewing and leather work were simply amazing, as was her handwriting.
Grandma taught me a lot of things, some by proverb and some by example. Mostly she taught me a lot about family, what to do and what not to do. I miss her and I wonder how different life would be if she were still here? Yet I don’t wish her back. Each of us has a time, a season for everything under heaven. I am thankful for our time together.
Love you Grandma.
Today is our one year anniversary in Alaska!
This was our first glimpse at the beauty surrounding Homer last June.
June 2013 overlooking Kachemak Bay
We’ve seen all four seasons cycle, bears, moose, a wolf, a few caribou, and so much beautiful scenery. One never grows weary of it all! We’ve been awed, inspired, stuck in the mud, stuck in the snow, on adventures we never even dreamed of… Alaska is a good fit for us. Being surrounded by nature, learning, exploring, living and loving…. a great way of life!
We are looking forward to new adventures this summer! Spending time at the beach searching for treasures beyond measure, maybe doing a little fishing… who knows??
To all of our loved ones, we miss you and send you lots of loves!! XOXOXO
(Photo credit: rich115)
This year, my birthday falls the day before Thanksgiving. I have been thinking about both of these days a lot lately. Dad always sent me a card, and usually a gift with it, occasionally a phone call as well. Some of the best gifts he ever sent me were canned salmon and moose meat. Last year for my birthday he sent me 6 pints of canned salmon. This year, there will be no card from my Dad, my “first” birthday without him. But I hope to make the most of it, perhaps even spending the day out at his cabin (if the weather cooperates). I will enjoy the day with a few of the most important people in my life, wishing the others could be with me too.
The First Thanksgiving, painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Then comes Thanksgiving. Which is the one of the holidays I’ve spent with my Dad, so special in its own right. We do observe Thanksgiving as a day of special thanks to YHVH, a time to spend with friends and family, making special memories. I have to say that I’ve not been overly excited about preparing a big meal or doing a big “thing”, in part because I’ll be missing Dad and the rest of my family that I’m usually with during Thanksgiving. But as I sit here and type out these words I find myself looking forward to new memories, special friends and my babies. What’s not to get excited about? My “first” Thanksgiving, we will raise a toast to Dad and our new friends, our “old” friends (dear friends!) and our family near and far.
Hanukkah also begins on my birthday. As you can see, there is a lot going on that week! We will be busy for certain.
Life goes on.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Two of my three siblings have birthdays this month. For three days they are the same age, and yes, they are getting older. 😉
I miss them. My “little” brother isn’t so little anymore. And my Seester, well, she is missing from me. I long for the day she can come up here to visit. I so much want to share this land I love with her and the rest of my family.
I wanted to make sure that they both know that I’m thinking of them on their special days. 🙂 So here’s to you Bryan Jopuss and Cletus, Happy Birthday and I love you bunches!!
The Fab Four
Grief is one of those words that means so much, yet still not adequate in its definition. It’s an action, a state of being, something that we do and yet just happens to us, that is not one-size-fits-all. We all grieve differently.
Some people are doers, they express their grief by busying themselves with doing good things to remember those who have passed on and to help those who remain.
Some people get lost in their grief and need others to come along side them and walk through the grief with them. Maybe even to pull them out of their despair.
Some people ignore their grief and suppress it, only to have it rear its ugly head later as unwanted anger or resentment.
Some of us are all of the above I guess. You can’t really label grief entirely.
Love is another such word. It is an action, a state of being, it is not simply an emotion, no OSFA definition to the word or how people apply it in their lives. People express their love in various ways. Some are doers, some are “talkers” (who like to express via words rather than deeds), some are touchy-feely types who want to hug you all the time… 😉 We are all different and even different in various times and circumstances.
When someone is grieving and they express their desire to do something to honor the loved one, and/or the surviving loved ones, it is a disservice to deny them. If I’ve learned anything from my bereavement doula training it is this, people need to express their grief. Don’t shut them up. Help them to do so in beneficial and appropriate ways.
This does not mean to take advantage of generosity of course. There has to be a delicate balance.
Growing up I was greatly influenced by my Grandparents who believed that one should not take “charity”, as they called it. If someone offered to do something for you, or give you something, you should not take it, you could buy it from them, but not accept a gift. However, they would have been highly offended if someone didn’t accept a gift from them. Smacks of double standards to me and this mind-set is one that is quite contrary to Biblical thinking in my understanding. Certainly there is truth in not taking advantage of good-hearted individuals. Yet the whole of the “new testament” is about helping one-another. Feeding others who have no means at the time. Giving, helping, doing for others. Selling your own goods to help a brother/sister in need. All of this “charity” stems from a heart of love. How do you tell someone to not show their love? I can’t imagine that. Yeshua (Jesus) says that this is how the world knows we are his disciples, by our love for our brothers. It is the heart of the entire Law.
Now abides these three: Faith, Hope and Love (Charity), but the greatest of these is love.
Expressing our love during times of grief is paramount to the healing process. I want to honor my Father, do things that keep his good name alive, to keep his heritage alive because I love him. I guess I’m a type of doer in this regard. Many people are. I can’t imagine how I would feel if someone told me I couldn’t do that. It’s out of that place that I gratefully accept the love and honor that others give to my Dad, in his memory, to me and to others. And in time, I hope to return the love and honor to them in whatever ways possible.
Alaska on my mind... 