It's Nice to be Missed

It's so nice to be missed :) Besides the bazillion hugs & kisses, I came home to this wonderful wallhanging in the kitchen. It's a good 4 feet long and has lots of 'missed you' messages. I know that they spent a lot of time & effort making it and I am just so thankful that I have such great kids.

After I take it down, I plan on saving it and using it if & when I'm not feeling appreciated LOL! I'll just unroll it and say "hey, remember when I was gone...."



















Yep, it's good to be home

Going Home

I'm going home. Not my 'real' home, at least not anymore. But it's my original home. It's the land where I was born - where my sisters & brother grew up, where I lived till I was 3. After all these years, it's where my family still is.

Funny, but it's hard going back. (besides the fact that I am TERRIFIED to fly - and I make NO secret of it!), not because I don't enjoy the visit and the memories and seeing my sisters & other family members, but it's hard leaving. Not the country, it's hard leaving mom.

So for those that know me, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers while I'm gone. And say a prayer for David too. He is such an amazing guy. Our business is run by both of us - he's going to have a double load on the business front while I'm gone PLUS, he'll have the weight of doing all the school driving (20 minutes each way 4 times a day - normally we each drive one shift) Not to mention the after school activities, the meals, shopping, laundry - everything. He is going to have his hands very full. I never hope for 'less business' at the shop, but I hope that this upcoming week is a relatively quite & non-crazy one.

Another Birthday

27 - how can that be???




My firstborn, the one I had when I was barely 19, is now 27. She was so beautiful when she was born. Not just the obligatory "what a cute baby" comments from family, but from people that didn't have to make any comments. People remarked about her non-newborn looks. There was no dried or wrinkled skin, no puffyness, none of that... after 24 long hours of labor, she came into the world looking like she was a good 4 weeks old. Bright eyed and ready for the world.

I had no clue what to do with this beautiful little girl - afterall, I was still just a young girl myself wasn't I? In hindsight, she probably taught me more in that first year than I taught her.



I think the hardest part of having a new baby was having to go back to work when she was 2 months old. I remember the day before I had to go back to work,I cried like I've never cried before. I was very, very lucky that 'Oma' offered to watch her while I worked. That was such a blessing. She took care of her like she was her own. I remember sometimes feeling a bit jealous that my mom was spending the time with her that *I* wanted to be spending. My mom always appreciated that I let her watch "the baby" and when Jes was much older, my mom said that it was such a gift that she'd be given. It wasn't till years later that I fully realized that my mom had given me a wonderful gift too.


Both of my parents had a very special bond with J & K. I wish that my last 4 had had the same opportunity. This is my dad "opa" with Jes. He just adored her!


So, flash forward 27 years...
Jes has grown into the most amazing woman. She is still as beautiful, well, no... she's even more beautiful now. She is amazingly smart (and yes, I know, all parents say that about their kids, but she really is!!!) & talented. She has done so much with her schooling & her career. It's just beyond what you would imagine your own child could do. Her siblings adore her & she has a close & very special relationship with each & every one of them. She is married to a wonderful guy, has a beautiful house (the girl decorates like a Pottery Barn designer!) she can run a Cavalier to over 200,000 miles!!! (and I'm happy to say, she now has a brand new car!) and that's only the 1/2 of it.

I am so proud of the woman that she has become. Happy b-day Jes. I love you.

Our Grand-dog

Isn't she pretty?

She's staying with us for the weekend. She loves playing with Shelby. They start wrestling around 6 a.m. and continue on and off all day long. By the end of the evening, they are both spralled out on the floor - exhausted. Our grand-dog tries to play with Hailey, but Hailey's an old lady now (she's 11 or 12) and has no interest in romping around on the kitchen floor. She sits on her bed and watches all the fun, oh, and growls when they get in her space.

Our grand-dog loves to have her belly scratched. I've noticed that when I pet her, she's quick to flop over and is ready for a rub.
This morning when David took her out for a walk, he said that she tunneled through the deeper piles of snow in our front yard with her nose. He said it was funny to watch her each time burrow and come up with a pile of snow right on the tip of her nose. She's a cutie.

David's Birthday

So he's 14. Hard to believe. I remember when he was born. My tubes had been tied & I never thought I'd have any more children. I was done. I had the 2 best kids in the world - why upset something that was just right? But my life would not have been complete without the last 4.
Our (David & mine) dear sweet generous parents helped us to financially take a gamble - $12,000+ out of pocket. Odds for success: 15-25%. We beat the odds.
What a blessing he has been. He is sweet, he is sincere, he is kind and he is naive. He loves his family, loves God, respects his parents, & adores all of his sisters. He has no problem teasing the younger 3, but will take up for them in a hearbeat. He looks up to and so respects his older two sisters. So much so that when he talks about them you can see the glow in his eyes. J & K have always doted on him. They helped feed him, changed his diapers, sang to him & played with him. They have earned that special spot in his heart. When he talks about them it is with admiration & respect. He wants to grow up and be just as successful and 'neat' as they are.















This is Jes & David at Christmas. I have pictures of Kristin with the girls at Christmas, but not one of just her & David - but if I did, you'd see that same happy glow. He loves it when they come "home" and adores them both as much now as he ever has.


I can not imagine life without our only son. Cast in the middle of 5 girls - he handles it so well.


The 'little guys' all make eachother gifts for their b-days and this year was no exception. Shauna made David a keychain that said "you rock". Elizabeth made David a 'door hanger' (it was supposed to be a bracelet, but she knew he'd never wear it, so she changed the title to 'door hanger' Anyway.... She ran out of letters. She wanted to spell "best brother" - but had no t,h,e or r. So she came up with 'best bro'. Great! Except that she strung the letters backwards. When David opened the gift, he said "cool! best orb!!!" (mom, what's an orb???)
Elizabeth offered to restring it, but Dave asked her not to - he wanted to remember it just as it was.

That's my guy.