This is the time of year to focus in on what we are thankful for, and I feel extraordinarily blessed.
I am thankful for the freedom to worship God openly and freely.
I am thankful for a really wonderful, loving, smart, and funny hubby.
I am thankful for 4 exceptional children. ( who will all be with us for Thanksgiving)
I am thankful for our parents and extended families.
I am thankful for life long and new found friends.
I am thankful for our two little wienie dogs.
I am thankful for our home....and lots of other things.
I am so thankful to live in the USA!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I will be busy in the kitchen soon and wanted to publish this post before Thursday.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Thought for the day
I wish I could give proper credit to the person who wrote this, but I have NO IDEA who did. It's worth contemplating. Too often, I waste away large portions of my time. Don't we all?
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day in your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In it's place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good. "
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day in your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In it's place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good. "
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Happy 30th Birthday Karl!
Thirty years ago, this very day, ( at 5:14 a.m. to be exact) our first born entered the world. As any parent will attest, there is NOTHING LIKE the birth of a child, and when it is your first, you realize how utterly indescribable the experience is. It's the exact moment when you discover that you have the capacity to love this little baby more than you could have ever imagined. Life changing!
We were YOUNG! I look back on the pictures and realize how much we look like kids ourselves. But, we had read lots of parenting books, and had a number of friends who already had kids so we considered ourselves ready.
We obviously didn't know everything, but we loved figuring it out as we went. It has been a grand adventure.
We have loved parenting you Karl and have so many fun, meaningful, and adventuresome memories and stories about you. (We will relive them over Thanksgiving when we get to celebrate with you in person.)
You weren't afforded the luxury of being an only child for long. In fact, you will never have a memory of life without siblings as they followed along pretty quickly. But you took on being an older brother with gusto.
You are one of the most unique and gifted people we know and you have delighted us in unimaginable ways throughout your entire 30 years. We are so proud to have you as our son and love you immeasurably.
It gives us such joy to see you using your gifts and skills to accomplish GREAT things and we can't wait to see where your "investment" leads you. You have so much to look forward to as you begin this 30th year!
Have fun opening up your gifts and celebrating with Laura! We can't wait to hear all about it!
We were YOUNG! I look back on the pictures and realize how much we look like kids ourselves. But, we had read lots of parenting books, and had a number of friends who already had kids so we considered ourselves ready.
We have loved parenting you Karl and have so many fun, meaningful, and adventuresome memories and stories about you. (We will relive them over Thanksgiving when we get to celebrate with you in person.)
You are one of the most unique and gifted people we know and you have delighted us in unimaginable ways throughout your entire 30 years. We are so proud to have you as our son and love you immeasurably.
It gives us such joy to see you using your gifts and skills to accomplish GREAT things and we can't wait to see where your "investment" leads you. You have so much to look forward to as you begin this 30th year!
Have fun opening up your gifts and celebrating with Laura! We can't wait to hear all about it!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Frogs and Princes
This is a post that I give complete credit to William L. Coleman for. He has written a number of books on relationships and the chapter titled Frogs and Princes is still the best advice. Someone gave me similar advice when I was young and I think it's solid advice.
"Try to imagine this: What if the man you marry never changes? Suppose he becomes frozen in time and always remains the same. Could you be as happy with him at age fifty-five as you are today?
Too many people get married believing that they can change their spouses. They believe in miracles, but unfortunately they think they are the miracle worker. It's nice to have that much faith in oneself, but they need a reality check.
Very seldom are any of us successful at changing someone else. Read that sentence again. The person you marry is basically the same one you will see across the breakfast table twenty or thirty years from now. Frogs don't turn into princes. Skunks stay skunks all of their lives. And yes, angels tend to remain angels.
If anything, try to picture each of your partner's character traits increased by ten percent. People who are easily irritated while they are dating become more easily irritated after they get married. Bad tempers become fierce tempers within a year or two. Crude and rude have a way of degenerating into sloppy and obnoxious.
Only fairy princesses believe that they can take a self-centered guy, marry him, feed him, love him, give him lots of attention, and change him into a cool dude. But then fairy princesses still believe in magic wands.
Are there exceptions? Son't some wives change their husbands? Sure, but Halley's Comet comes around more often than that.
Love who you have. Work with him the way he is. Learn how to enhance his good qualities. Accept him lock, stock, and barrel and the two of you can become the great romance of the century.
Love his quirks. Don't struggle over the toothpaste tube. Get two tubes and squeeze your own however you like.
Never sweat the small stuff. And remember, most of our differences really are small stuff.
Make room for his foibles and habits. We all have them. You keep yours. Let him have his.
Dare to love him as he is . Love wears better when it is accepting, free of manipulation."
We all have things that get on one another's nerves from time to time. None of us are even close to being perfect. This article was written for a daughter, but it would be just as true if written to a son .
I "married up". I am one lucky gal. My hubby is a terrific guy! He always has been.
"Try to imagine this: What if the man you marry never changes? Suppose he becomes frozen in time and always remains the same. Could you be as happy with him at age fifty-five as you are today?
Too many people get married believing that they can change their spouses. They believe in miracles, but unfortunately they think they are the miracle worker. It's nice to have that much faith in oneself, but they need a reality check.
Very seldom are any of us successful at changing someone else. Read that sentence again. The person you marry is basically the same one you will see across the breakfast table twenty or thirty years from now. Frogs don't turn into princes. Skunks stay skunks all of their lives. And yes, angels tend to remain angels.
If anything, try to picture each of your partner's character traits increased by ten percent. People who are easily irritated while they are dating become more easily irritated after they get married. Bad tempers become fierce tempers within a year or two. Crude and rude have a way of degenerating into sloppy and obnoxious.
Only fairy princesses believe that they can take a self-centered guy, marry him, feed him, love him, give him lots of attention, and change him into a cool dude. But then fairy princesses still believe in magic wands.
Are there exceptions? Son't some wives change their husbands? Sure, but Halley's Comet comes around more often than that.
Love who you have. Work with him the way he is. Learn how to enhance his good qualities. Accept him lock, stock, and barrel and the two of you can become the great romance of the century.
Love his quirks. Don't struggle over the toothpaste tube. Get two tubes and squeeze your own however you like.
Never sweat the small stuff. And remember, most of our differences really are small stuff.
Make room for his foibles and habits. We all have them. You keep yours. Let him have his.
Dare to love him as he is . Love wears better when it is accepting, free of manipulation."
We all have things that get on one another's nerves from time to time. None of us are even close to being perfect. This article was written for a daughter, but it would be just as true if written to a son .
I "married up". I am one lucky gal. My hubby is a terrific guy! He always has been.
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