Growing Beans

I promised Grace I would not call and tell anyone this story but I need it for my records so it is on the blog.

Today Grace asked me if I really believed that beans can grow on our legs. With confusion I told her no, that cannot happen. "But Mom, last time I was sick and my legs hurt really bad you said that they were probably growing beans. "

Poor girl, it has been quite some time since she had growing pains, what a long time to ponder such a thought.

Ah, to read a good book!

The other night my sister-in-law was in town and was a bit surprised to see Trevor wandering around with a book, reading as he walked. We had an event to go to and every moment that we would let him, he was reading. She asked if that is something he usually did, and yes it is. I laughed that she was so surprised since this is something that is common place in our home, beginning with our first child. Today as I looked out the window to see if Alexandra was walking home yet I saw her coming up the street. I ran to get the camera and got a couple of shots through the window as she walked up the driveway. This is for you Christy.


By the way, today Trevor asked me why Santa brings so many fun things when I don't want so much clutter in our home. When I pointed out that Santa usually brings the things they need his response was, "Oh yes, like books. Yes, I NEED books. I cannot find any thing I haven't read in the house." Ah, what troubles to have.

Celebrating Christ

I love Christmas. I never enjoy the holiday shopping or the crazy driving as you get closer to malls but I love what Christmas really is. Our family has been studying the birth and life of Christ that we may feel a deeper sense of why we celebrate. Oh this spirit I feel every time I hear one of the sweet songs about his birth. I always hope to pass this love to my children and I never stop being touched at the placement of the nativities that they create every year. Yesterday we pulled out our decorations and as I was busy in other areas of the house Grace was very busy setting up my nativity in the art niche and hers on the side table, so much the same as the older children have done in years past. Truly they know the real meaning of Christmas.

A journal entry

This morning I awoke feeling such a deep sense of sorrow for my many area's of lacking as a mother. There are so many things that I am not doing that I know I should. I have come to realize that I do not find joy in the little things like I used to, or should, and in place there is so much stress and frustration. Yes, I have discovered that my sugar intake is so damaging to me emotionally/spiritually, however so are all of the little, simple things, that I have allowed to become a back burner item. I am sick with sorrow as I look at my sweet children who seem to so quickly be growing older as I struggle with my weaknesses.

As I laid in bed I realized that I didn't want to sleep any longer, I need to write these things down, and begin now to take back my world, to accept the joy around me as I recommit myself. Oh that my children will forgive me and recover from my wasted moments. I always worry that I am taking away from them some future joy and yet I know that I can be forgiven and grow and perhaps they will see this and grow from it as well. They are such sweet spirits, so different and so amazing. I hope we give them what they need to fulfill their full potential, to accept all the blessings awaiting them.

Off to read my scriptures.

Scardy Dog

We have the most amazing thunder and lightening storms here in Houston and this morning brought the power of the heavens upon us. I awoke to a flash of light followed almost immediately by an amazing burst of thunder. I knew Grace was sure to join us in our bed and as suspected she did, however, so did Baxter. I laugh because he is so afraid of thunder and this morning it took at least 10 minutes of petting him before he stopped shaking. I love that Grace will run to us for comfort. She is such a snuggle bug and it was so cute to watch her trying to console Baxter seeing as she had come to us for the same need. Such a sweet soul. :)

Music to my ears!

I think most of you know that I am the Primary Chorister at church (music leader for 3-11 year-olds) and tomorrow is our Primary Program. We've worked all year learning and perfecting one new song every month and tomorrow is the big day. So ... this morning we had our practice run through and the kids were awesome!!! I am so excited for tomorrow, the kids are so well prepared and so good at following the cues. I am so proud of them already and they haven't even preformed yet. What a sweet treat it is for me to work with them all year.

Tomorrow I will present them with a bag of candy, (kisses, hugs and a candy corn mix) that will have a card attached with a message: All year you have 'grown' in your singing and today we have reaped the sweet 'harvest' of your music. All my 'hugs and kisses' to you, Love Sis. Will

I had to write that card down in my blog because I am laughing so hard at my total cheesy-ness.

Morning Beauty

Our family room is two stories tall and on the east wall, close to the top, is a large, long set of windows. The view from these windows is so different from the rest of the house as you only see the ever changing skies. I love what I notice, while in my house, that normally seems to slip from sight. This morning as I strolled down the stairs I looked out and saw the most beautiful sliver of a moon. What a beautiful world we have been handed, and what a treat to see such a beauty as I begin my day.

My Creation

Grace recently went to a birthday party and we decided to make her friend a little bag that she could use to carry 'make-up' in or use as a ballet bag. I took Grace to the fabric store and she picked out the most glittery, stretchy, fabric. I was so unsure that I could sew with that fabric and what I could possibly use for the trim. Trevor helped us by finding the perfect trim and my mothers sewing tips came to mind to help me put it together. I am so tickled at how it turned out and I have enough fabric left to make a bag for Grace too. Thanks Mom for telling me years ago to use tissue when sewing stretchy fabric! I even put a liner in, yea!

The Bag


And the liner ...


Here are the little make-up and bath items we put in the bag. We wrapped each item in white tissue paper with a pink ribbon and placed them in the super sparkly, girlie frilly bag before wrapping it all up. Oh, so fun.

Grace loves little dogs

Yesterday we discovered, by the barking, that our neighbors have two new little dogs. I found Grace and Trevor peeking through the fence at the little dogs, enjoying the sight of our new neighbors. Trevor and I left Grace by the fence and after a little while Grace came in and said:

"Mom, will you climb the fence with me and play with the dogs. One of them is really nice and the other one is just a little afraid so it barks a lot. I don't know if they are boys or girls though."

"Grace, did you climb the fence and play with the dogs?"

"Yes. But it's okay, they didn't bite me"

I'm so glad they were nice and I am laughing because I didn't realize that Grace could climb the fence by herself.

Non-Toxic Cleaning

I'm so excited to find a good cleaner that is not toxic. I tried using baking soda and vinegar to clean our tubs and it worked wonderfully! I hate how sick it makes me to clean with the softscrub with bleach so I am thrilled to find something so basic that does such a wonderful job!

Texas Living

Last night I walked to the mailbox to drop in a letter going out and so enjoyed the cooler, dryer weather of the evening. I decided to check and see what the temp was when I got home, 86 (feels like 88) and 75% humidity. Hmmm, I guess I'm acclimating more than I thought.

On my walk, we use the community mail boxes so we don't have it right in front of our home, I pondered on an oddity of Texas that is at the forefront of my mind right now. My brother and his wife are looking at settling down to open an optometry practice and Texas is one of the states they are considering, which is such a funny thing to me. Roaches, the giant repulsive creatures that are not afraid to show themselves, are everywhere here and I have found that at night they tend to be on the sidewalks and not in the street. I guess they like having the cover of grass so close to them. In turn I have learned to walk in the street rather than on the sidewalk to prevent a heart attack on my part. I began to wonder why the roaches in California stay underground and do not show themselves to the general population. I don't remember taking walks at night wondering what creatures may be in my path that I might want to avoid. I don't mind the toads, the snakes I've seen are only small but the roaches, oh how they disgust me.

Beautiful Music

I was scrolling through my blog and realized that I missed the piano recital. Saturday, May 30th (5 days after Alex's accident) Alex and Trevor had their first piano recital. They have been taking piano for about 2 1/2 months and it was so fun to watch them perform. They both were recognized for their hard work and Alex managed to play both sides with her right hand. I am so tickled that the children are learning to play the piano, it is such a wonderful talent to have and I love to listen to them play. The same night they both played at church for the ward talent show.

Way to go kids!

It's not all fun and games.

Alexandra has to do her physical therapy exercises 5 times a day and even though she has been strong throughout most of this trial the home exercises do not seem to be a strong point.

I usually try to put the more positive things in here, the things I want for our family to remember for the years to come, but I think that it is important for us as we look back, to remember that the trials in this life, even the miracles, are not without natural strain.

The other day Alexandra was, oh let's say, less than charming as she got angry with me for pushing her too hard. Her fingers hurt, she wants them to work now, she is frustrated with the activities she cannot do with her siblings, frustrated by the time she has to put in doing what should be such a simple task. She is a strong girl but lets face it, this stinks. I know that we are learning and growing so much that when we look back we will be able to clearly see how this experience has benefited our whole family. I think it is also important to accept that sometimes it is hard, that we feel weak and tired, and we cannot control all that is before us. This is what humbles us and when our children's children read our journals they will be able to see that we are still people with weaknesses that have witnessed the great things that our lives offered us despite our shortcomings.

Back to Baby Steps

Today and yesterday have been exciting for our family in healing from Alexandra's injury. Yesterday she had her post-op appointment that kept us at the office for three hours. Our sweet daughter was such a trooper while we were in the hospital on Memorial Day awaiting surgery that came at 2:30am on Tuesday morning. She had a strength about her that was so much deeper than anything you'd find here on earth. During this appointment, however, she had too much time to ponder on the more miserable parts of that hospital stay, primarily the pain of having her bandages removed again and again throughout the day. When the surgeons assistant began removing the splint that covered her hand for the last week fear began to set in and by the time the surgeon came in to remove the covering on the stitched side she was not well. I felt terrible that I was not more prepared for this as she had been so strong before. I was so thankful to the surgeon, giving her enough time to emotionally recover before proceeding. He then required her to look at her injury, telling her that she must face what is in front of her. He pushed her to curl her fingers, something she thought she couldn't do because of the pain she initially felt. I was so excited when she got her hand in a cupping shape, I could have leapt for joy! She later commented on the joy she felt when Dr. Levaro showed her that she could do more than she thought.

If yesterday was wonderful, today was amazing. (Dr. Levaro's favorite word he uses to describe the integrity of Alex's bones, arteries, ligaments etc.. and their rapid healing) Alexandra was pushed to bend her fingers at the joints and close her grip. Once she realized that she could press through the pain and actually accomplish the task set before her she would jump ahead of the therapists guidance and do it over and over. I loved watching her stare at her hand with such determination, biting on her tongue, as she pushed her fingers even farther, and then get giddy as her hand, fingers shaking, were curling more than ever. She is so excited to be made whole and is has no plans to take it slowly. Yesterday, as we waited for the surgeon I asked Alexandra what she saw as the best case scenario "That my hand will be totally healed when he takes this splint off. I know that is not realistic, but I really don't want to have a cast put back on." Well, the wound is still there but she has no cast and she is thrilled to begin the healing.

As I was telling Ken about her therapy I realized that we take so many things for granted. Even the slight movements of our hands are such great accomplishments. I am so thrilled to be able to walk up stairs to tuck my children in at night, or stand in the kitchen stirring up dinner, even to read to my children, and laugh when I am happy. So many little blessings that we think we are owed, become great treasures when we are without. Oh how thankful I am for this great miracle being played out before us. Thank you for all of your prayers, I know they are heard, and we certainly feel it in our home.

Memorial Day, a day filled with lessons of Love and Service

Much to our surprise this day turned out to be a wonderful example of love and service. Our spirits have been filled in ways we could have never imagined.

First we had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy breakfast provided by the Young Women for their girls camp fundraiser. Before the breakfast they had a flag ceremony that was wonderfully prepared and deeply moving. After the flag was raised, then lowered to half mast, Chris Farrell spoke on the importance of Memorial Day, the importance of remembering those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms. Satan is always trying to destroy those freedoms, to destroy what is good and it is important for us to teach our children, to raise them in goodness and service so that they may be great examples of good.


We then were treated to a delicious and filling breakfast provided by the Young Women and their leaders. Pancakes, eggs, fruit, bacon, orange juice, oh my! I loved how the leaders allowed the girls to so fully participate in their fundraiser.


Alexandra loved making all of those pancakes and shared with me later how generous our ward had been. I still cry, feeling such a great love and support for our youth from our ward family. When I asked her how that made her feel ... important. Oh how wonderful for her to know how important she really is to people whom she doesn't even know well. It was such a wonderful teaching opportunity, for her to know that even though she may not know everyone, that we all as the adults pray for, and have such a desire for, these wonderful youth to move through such a trying time in their lives with grace and strength.

Shortly after breakfast Alexandra had an accident in which her fingers on her left hand were badly crushed. Our day of work and movies turned into a day spent in hospitals awaiting surgery. The fear I originally had when I got the phone call was replaced by a sweet blanket of peace and hope when we said our first prayer, asking for understanding and a miracle. It is amazing how such and accident can bring so much spiritual learning. All that was done for our sweet daughter was clearly directed by God. The sweet reassurance we felt as we drove to meet her at the hospital; the powerfully direct priesthood blessing she received; the move to the Children's hospital directed by inspiration, which in turn caused her to have a hand specialist do her surgery rather than a general surgeon; the surgeons guided hand; and on and on. Our surgeon has commented to me twice that he 'amazed' by the integrity of the inter workings of her hand. He is surprised that the nerves were so well in tact. He is thrilled that she not only kept her two middle fingers but should have a full recovery. Clearly, the miracle we prayed for was granted to our little (big) girl.



What is deeply touching is the love and service shown to our Alexandra, and our family, for the second time today. We have had numerous dinner offers, and Grace and Trevor were well cared for as we focused our attention to our oldest daughter. The calls of concern, the prayers being offered, the quiet conversations of love and concern that never reach us directly. All of this is felt by our family and we find strength in the love we are shown. This goodness is clearly the work of the Lord's servents and it has been such a blessing to us to feel his hand in such abundance.

Behold you little ones ...

I recently had a deeply spiritual experience that caused me to realize that I have such little understanding of what truly great beings my children are. I look at these wonderful, talented people and wonder what I must have done to be so blessed to be their mother. As little ones we think we can see who are children are, what their talents and gifts are, what they might offer this world. As I have seen my children grow I am realizing that my parenting is just guidance as they become someone much bigger than myself. My children often amaze me with their goodness, service, and deep understanding of a Father in heaven who loves them. I learn more than I teach, am blessed more than I can give, and have a much better understanding (although still small) of our Lords plan for us, through these, my glorious children. I am so grateful for this moment of spiritual understanding, I look at my children in a way of wonder and amazement more than ever now.

Our Little Ballerina

Grace had her recital today and it was so darling. She and I went early (1pm) for her to practice and do her hair and 'make-up' with all of the other girls.




By 2:30p she was all made up and went to sit and watch the other girls practicing. She was so darling, so nervous and already a bit tired. I could hardly get her to eat or drink anything because of her nerves and was so grateful that her teacher took her out of the auditorium to stretch and relax before their big number so she could laugh and giggle with the girls.



Ken's Mom, Dad & Stepmom, Sister Jessi and brother-in-law Chris, all joined our family to support our little Grace. She was so excited all day, asking if it was time to get ready yet. As soon as her dance was over she came and sat in my and Ken's lap, curled up in a little ball, to watch the rest of the dancers. Oh how fun this day was for us. Thank you Gracie for all of your hard work.

Mothers Day

Oh what a beautiful gift Mother's day is. I didn't want to journal my day until now because it is one of those days that I love to ponder in my heart, savor even, before I put it into words.

Ken is a wonderful husband who listens to my desires and makes them happen. I am not a women who wants dinner, jewelery, flowers etc... and I have learned that if I want Mother's Day to be even more magical than what they try to make on TV then I need to ask for it, in detail. What is most wonderful to me is that Ken hears what I want them makes it better than I could have come up with.

We went to church in the morning and the children did the most beautiful series of songs. I am the music leader for the children and they made me cry. They sang 'Mother Tell Me the Story', 'Mother I Love You', and 'Love is Spoken Here'. My friend Julianne had substituted for me in April while I was in FL and came up with some darling hand movements to go along with 'Mother Tell Me the Story' that made it even more precious and I had Alex and our friend Ana sing the mother's part. Oh what a joy that was for me. Alexandra was so nervous but she couldn't have given me a better gift. One of my favorite songs to sing to the children at night became a beautiful gift they sang to me. Ahhh, what joy.

When we got home we gathered in the living room for the children to give me their homemade cards. Their cards were a series of cards in a lovely box, several written by each child, each one listing two specific reasons why they appreciated me. Ken followed up that night by pointing out that it is easy to forget all of the things I do for them. I cried after I began the first one. The love that the all three had in their eyes while they crowded around me to listen as I read each one filled my soul. Oh what a gift the Lord has given me, I am so blessed.

I enjoyed my nap while Alexandra and Grace made cookies that I later took to some ladies I visit teach and then I snuck in for a visit with a dear friend. When we got home Ken grilled up dinner (a dinner he thought up-my least favorite part of cooking :)) and we enjoyed our wonderful family time before bed.

My children are my soul, my family the greatest gift I could have ever hoped for. Mother's Day for me is a time to reflect, to take a moment out of my busy schedule and remember how much joy I find in all I do when I am focused on my eternal goal. Oh thank you Ken, Alexandra, Trevor and Gracie.

Oh My!

I cannot believe that I haven't posted in almost a month. I feel overwhelmed with all that I want to say and haven't yet so here is our last month in a nutshell.

We went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as a family for the first time and had a wonderful wet time.

We met up with Sarah, Brian and Timmy in New Orleans (see post below).

The kids and I drove to FL to spend 5 days with Elice, Brayden, Jared, Camille and Jackson.

Came home to the opportunity to foster an abandoned puppy and took it much to our hearts joy and sorrow (she just got adopted).

We enjoyed time with our friends at an Elders Quorum BBQ and have had every Saturday booked since. I think we are free the second weekend in June. :0

Mother's Day was wonderful!

Our lives have been filled with so much joy, and some pain of leaving loved ones behind for the time being. I feel so blessed to be so busy with service, learning, and family time. I cannot wait to take a moment to expand on each of these wonderful memories. I'd hate to forget the blessings that are such a rich part of our world.

Oh the gift of others

For those of you who know me well, I am very touched by music and probably because I tend to be so tender with my feelings. I love this clip because it is such a beautiful reminder that God has given each of us gifts. Our world has become such that we feel it is our privilege to judge others. That must be a temptation of the adversary. I know he is constantly pushing me to judge myself and I am shocked a the number of times a critical thought will jump into my mind about someone I don't even know. I do not have the gift to know peoples hearts as Christ does but I do have the knowledge to know that we are all children of God and it is truly our responsibility to treat each other as such.

John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

May we all try to be a little more Christ-like in how we view others. I know as we do so our lives become so much happier. Enjoy!

(sorry I cannot embed it, just copy the link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Happy Easter

This particular Easter has been a time of pondering for me. There is so much pain in the world around us, and especially for several people close to me and I feel my heart ache. Yet I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and has a plan for us. I know this as I study his scriptures, I know this as I pray to him and strive to develop a deeper understanding of my relationship to him, I know this as I feel his sweet love for me and my family from those around me. The Lord loves us and knows that for us to grow and become the great and valiant spirits he sees us to be that we must suffer trials, we must be refined. Through this refining, we have the gift of Christ by our side, having suffered all that we could possibly suffer, and yet he is always there beside us, unlike his last bit of time on this earth before he was crucified. I love this video that I have found and wanted to share with those who are dear to me. What a gift we have been given, true joy is possible, it is accessible, it is ours to have. I feel so grateful to know that our Lord, Jesus Christ, was willing to suffer and die for us, that we may have the eternal blessings that we could not possibly obtain for ourselves. Oh what a sweet feeling it is.

May each of you feel the spirit of Easter, the love of our Savior Jesus Christ, as you ponder and find joy in his sacrifice for each one of us.

Sarah Time!

Last weekend we were able to meet my sister Sarah and her family in New Orleans for a quick visit. Brian had a business trip there so Ken, the kids and I drove out Friday night and returned home Sunday. We had a wonderful time with Sarah, Brian and Timmy. They flew in late but still had enough energy to come by the hotel and play with the kids. I loved that I had dinner alone with them before they saw the kids so I could play with Timmy and enjoy chatting with Sarah and Brian for a few minutes. On Saturday we spent the day at the zoo, went and saw my mothers childhood home, and then back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool.

Oh what a joy it was to be around them. I feel so blessed to have such amazing family members, so full of goodness and love. Sarah and Brian are so patient and soft with Timmy and the love they have for my children is so apparent. I gain so much from their example and ache for my children to be around them more. Sarah is such a great aunt for Alexandra. She is the perfect example of Christ like love, loving people for the goodness she sees in them and overlooking the little faults. Trevor loves how Brian plays and lets the kids know they are an important part of the group. It is hard for me to come home not live near them.

Oh and Timmy, what a pure joy. That child never tires. He is so full of life and personality always moving and loving the attention of his cousins. And how they love him! I love that he wants to walk everywhere and that water is the peace of his life. (mine too) It was fun to watch the kids each bond with him differently but equally deep. What a wonderful opportunity for us to be with my sister and her family. I'll be crying all week. :)

Great Job Trevor!

Trevor worked hard and finished his bear requirements for Cub Scouts but since we'll be out of town for pack meeting his leaders were kind enough to recognize him during the den meeting last week. Ken did a fire safety FHE on Monday for Trevor's last requirement and it was the kids favorite FHE this year. (Probably because they think their dad rocks!) Of course Grace is still tramatized by the thought of fire but at least she knows what to do.

Officially a Bear!

Spring Break

Spring Break was just over a week ago and I think I am mourning it's passing. This year has been an emotional roller coaster with Alex starting middle school and Trevor being on his own for the first time, and in the newly built neighborhood school. So .... spring break was a welcome retreat for me and the children. I felt like we all regained the strength we have felt to be such a challenge as we face the world around us. It was such an escape and a bonding time. I hate that school has started again so I will relive our Spring Break joy through the blog.

Monday:
We caught up on some much needed shopping. Alexandra volunteered to keep Grace home with her to make cookies while Trevor and I found a new suit for him. Trevor and I really enjoyed our date and went to the craft store to buy paint by number kits once we found the perfect suit. It was so nice to have that one on one time with him.

Tuesday:
I'm so glad we had those paint kits! Alexandra got sick the night before so we used Tuesday as our 'recovery day' and sat in the breakfast room sunlight as we painted the day away. Trevor realized that the kits were a little more intensive than he cared for so he took over the art project I was doing and I enjoyed his paints.

Wednesday:
Ahh, what a beautiful day! We went to the Houston Arboretum and had a wonderful walk enjoying the world around us. It was so peaceful and the weather could not have been more kind, 70ish with a wonderful breeze. We saw some of the most beautiful things of nature. We even enjoyed a whole slew of snakes, one of which even came across our path so we could see his many ways of moving and we giggled as he couldn't decide if he wanted to come toward us or scoot away. We took our packed lunch and met Ken at work. They have a beautiful area between the buildings with tables, water art, and beautiful landscaping, which is where we enjoyed laughter and sweet moments of conversation with Dad.(I love this flower picture. Grace loves to pick flowers and this one lasted only long enough to take the picture. As soon as I finished putting the lense cover on Grace showed me her new treasure, freshly picked.)

We couldn't end our day there, however, and finally took the kids scriptures to the bookstore to be engraven with their names. I love how Alex and Trevor both have their distinct desires as Alex had her full name printed but Trevor just wanted the initial for his middle name. They were both so sure of what they wanted, I love it.

Thursday:
Yea, we made it to the zoo. What was really fun is Herman Park was finally finished with their construction so we were welcomed with the beautiful park rather than the barriers we became so accustomed to. Of course, we were able to directly see the lake now and took advantage of the opportunity to rent a paddle boat. Oh it was so fun. Alex and Trevor sat in front, steering and laughing while Grace and I watched from the back. About halfway into our allotted time we all switched seats, much to Alexandras dismay as she feared capsizing, and managed to stay upright. Oh how Grace loved to mimic her siblings power in directing where we went. We finally made it to the zoo and I was so impressed with how well the children worked together to decide where we went. They all picked 2 exhibits they wanted to see and Trevor was so valiant in making sure that everyones desires were met. We even got a funnel cake, the Texas sugar rush.



Friday:
Haha, I laugh even thinking about this day, as it truly was an adventure. Ken had taken the day off so we planned to go to the Safari park in Houston, packed our lunches and made it out the door just in the nick of time. (Alexandra had her first babysitting job that night and we had to be back in plenty of time). Between the drive and the wait in the car line it took us just over an hour to find out they took cash only but there was an ATM just over 3 miles down the road. On to plan B, thanks to Trevor's idea and our GPS for getting us there, we went and played games at Chuck-e-cheese. It's funny how much fun we had be it a simple game trip or a major trip to see the safari animals.

So there you have it. No major trips out of the state, just a wonderful opportunity to enjoy being together! We all enjoyed it and I loved seeing the stress and worry melt from our childrens minds. Even Grace was fed by all the time and attention with her sibilings.

(I'll post pictures when I can figure out how to put them in between the text)

Starting a Blog

Thanks to my brother Henry I am finally starting a blog. It has been quite the process this morning but I think I may have figured it out. I guess what I really wanted with a blog is to share the things I think about but don't often share with others. Mostly I want a memory for my family and to be a little more connected with those who bring joy to my world. With that being said I'm ready to start my first post. (not the first post Henry was kind enough to start, haha)

My very first post.

Hey, it's not as dead as most everyone's blogs. I have thought of starting up my own blog but I'm afraid I won't be as diligent as Fran is keeping everyone up to date, then I'd feel lame having a blog. So, I'll just post here.

Maren