tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43898215626400959852024-03-12T21:32:20.270-04:00A Marianna Moment...uniquely inspirationalMarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-86943207454309110212017-06-24T23:22:00.000-04:002017-06-24T23:28:56.463-04:00Morgan's Scout Camp ExperienceThis blog entry is by Morgan. It is to satisfy one requirement for the Communications Merit Badge, which is a required merit badge in the BSA. The following articles and information are his words and efforts.<br />
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Hi! My name is Morgan. I'm writing this blog for my communications merit badge. I want to share about my most recent experiences at scout camp. There are three parts I will write about, so please sit back and enjoy.<br />
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<u><b>Part One: My Favorite Merit Badge</b></u><br />
My favorite
merit badge class was Welding. We learned about different machines and
types of welding. We learned that welding can be a dangerous job, so we
learned about things to wear to protect yourself while doing welding. We
made a really cool statue by welding together two metals to form a
fleur-de-lis, which is a scout symbol. It's really heavy! I'm proud of
it though.<br />
This class took a while to complete because we only had one machine to work with and six students learning together. We had to take turns! I got my turn on the last day of the week. I had two friends take the class with me, Anthony and Jacob. They had a good time too and also made statues. I would highly recommend this class to other scouts looking at a class schedule for scout camp.<br />
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<u><b> Part Two: The Silver Tomahawk Tribe</b></u><br />
The very best part of camp for me was when I was called out by the Silver Tomahawks. They are a group of older boys who want to serve others at all times, like the scout oath says. It is a lot like the Order of the Arrow, but our area has a unique situation that allows for two groups to function the same way. Only one group gets to be named "OA", so the other is called The Silver Tomahawk Tribe. I was elected by my troop to participate as a Silver Tomahawk. All the scouts at camp sat together in front of the river, and the chapter chief stepped forward. He called my named first out of everybody there. One of the tribesmen came to get me and take me to the front where the chief was. All the others who were elected were also called. When we were all gathered, we were taken to the woods for our ordeal. To be elected, you have to have attended at least 3 scout camps, be at least 1st Class rank, and have received your camping merit badge. I am still new to the tribe, so I have a lot to learn, but I'm really excited to participate with them. They are some really cool guys!<br />
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<u><b>Part Three: Why I Think You Should Be a Boy Scout Too</b></u><br />
Scouting teaches you to serve other people at all times, to put others before yourself. When you can think like this, it makes you feel good about yourself. It teaches you how to work and become productive in our world. In this way and others, scouting prepares you for life. While you learn, you also make new friends and grow into a good person who knows how to have fun. There are a lot of opportunities to learn what you WANT to learn and to be recognized for the good things you do. Where else can you learn to ride horseback, to canoe, go repelling, do some kayaking and camp cooking all in the same week? If you would like to have awesome experiences, I encourage you to visit this website (<a href="https://beascout.scouting.org/">https://beascout.scouting.org/</a>)and find a scout unit near you. Good luck and Happy Scouting!<br />
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-Morgan Bailey, T107Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-45956362408654497302015-09-25T13:38:00.000-04:002015-09-25T13:38:34.684-04:00Random ThoughtsI'm having a 'blah day' today and since putting your thoughts on facebook rarely produces anything positive, I figured I would flush out my feelings on my blog. It's easier, since pretty much only Mama reads it anymore anyway......and she's been waiting since November last year!<br />
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So anyway, I have random thoughts. Stupid things keep me from sleeping well, keep my feelings stirred up (frequently in a negative way) and seem to need a little purging now and then. That almost ALWAYS gets me trouble (and likely will this time too) but its a risk I guess I just have to take in hopes of a good nights sleep at least for one night. Make sure you're sitting comfortably and grab hold of the armrests...it might be a crazy ride!<br />
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<u><b>Thought of a Random Nature #1:</b></u><br />
People suck!<br />
Yeah that is a nasty sounding phrase, especially if you dig into it and recognize the likely true meaning it holds, but truth isn't always pretty, and I can prove it!<br />
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Told ya.<br />
Why do people have to outdo each other? Why can't we all just BE, instead of having to be MORE THAN YOU? I hate that one-upping mentality.<br />
And why is necessary to be rude to others? It's bad enough when the rudeness comes from a stranger (such as people coming in the herb shop telling me I don't know my job), but when its loved ones being rude to those they are bound to by blood..... come on... really? *sigh*<br />
I have to stand by that statement: people suck.<br />
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<u><b>Thought of a Random Nature #2:</b></u><br />
My grandkids are adorable. They are the cutest, sweetest, most entertaining and loving children. Ok Jarom is, but Sierra is only 2 months old. It won't be long till she's loving and entertaining too. And what makes them THE BEST is how much they love ME. No conditions or expectations out of them... they just love me, period. Babies must not be people yet. They aren't in the "suck" category at all.<br />
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<u><b>Thought of a Random Nature #3:</b></u><br />
Cats are stupid.<br />
Yes I said it, and I'll say it again. Cats are stupid.<br />
Not for a second do I mean they aren't intelligent. On the contrary! They are very intelligent! They are the royalty of spite! Seriously! And they start it at an early age. Example: we have 2 kittens. They aren't even full grown things yet, but as soon as they decide we humans aren't treating them like the royalty they clearly know themselves to be,.... they run their little selves into a corner, or under furniture, or in some hidden area of the house and THEY POOP! Why do they do this? It doesn't get them anything they want, in fact, it only makes their problems bigger, yet they do it to spite me every time. They don't even care WHO has disrespected them......punishment to humans is imminent! I so totally understand why the Chinese eat cats.<br />
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<u><b>Thought of a Random Nature #4:</b></u><br />
Celery does not belong in chicken pot pie. NO IT DOESN'T! Stop putting it in there! For real... celery can go in dressing for Thanksgiving dinner or you can eat it fresh and raw. That's all!Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-89173973731899939212014-11-16T21:50:00.002-05:002014-11-16T21:50:24.796-05:00Manti's Wedding<br />
I'll have to post this saga in segments. There is just too much info to do it all at once. Besides, I took approximately 500 pictures from the time we left Georgia. Picking which to post and resizing for this blog... takes time and energy. I'm low on both.<br />
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Anyway, the wedding specifically is the point of this post, so here we go!<br />
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Sheryl had asked me to make her a white buckskin dress for her wedding dress to wear at the temple. I had never met her face to face, so making her a dress was near impossible until I could meet her. We drove for 3 days to get to Albuquerque. I slept a night and the next day, Sheryl came to help me start working on her dress. I started working on it on it Tuesday. Wednesday we had somewhere to be, someone to meet, ...stuff to do. So we worked together. The motel housekeeping was stunned to see the mess we made in the floor, but thankfully she vaccuumed it anyway.<br />
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We worked Tuesday until suppertime, then Wednesday we were busy. Thursday, she had a lot to do with other arrangements, but she jumped back into it with me and nearly finished it. Friday, I did the last couple things to it and handed it over. She likes it I think :)</div>
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I was super thankful to Mama for making Manti's shirt. He's pretty pleased with it too. Of course, his modeling talent needs practice....</div>
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Saturday morning, they went to the Albuquerque Temple at 10am. They had an interview and some time there together, and then they got dressed in their wedding clothes. I was walked to the sealing room where I waited. I was so moved watching my son walk in to the room and sit down next to me to wait for his ceremony to begin. I cried. And of course, it was moving for me to see Sheryl in the dress she and I worked so hard on.</div>
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After the ceremony, we all went outside and waited for the couple. It seemed to take forever for them to come out! Later, Manti told me that the reason for that and for the hassle he gave me about making the dress "just right" was because the temple president was getting a picture so he could use it as a guideline to show other women that may wish to wear a buckskin dress into the temple in the future. I was wowed to think that little nobody me helped him have a visual standard to set for others in the future. Talk about an honor! And thank goodness I didn't know that beforehand! I would have stressed even more and doubted myself through the whole thing!</div>
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They did come out, and look at that smile!<br />
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Her family came too and were there for pictures. This one is of all the kids (well, except for 2 of Sheryl's siblings that are missing from the pic because they couldn't make it). That's a lot of family! <br />
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This little girl is Sheryl's baby sister. Jared has claimed her. Seriously... he says this is HIS girl. He held hands with her, took care of her every 'need' and cried when he had to go home to Georgia and leave her in New Mexico. The boy is lovestruck! He had me print this picture out so he can keep it in his room with him and look at it....constantly.....and remind us that she's sooooo pretty. <br />
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So next was the reception. The cake was decorated like a traditional Navajo wedding basket. That ceremony happened later and because it was dark and a brand new experience for me, no pictures were taken (by me, at least). They told me they wanted to put their wedding clothes back on and take a picture of themselves, so maybe that will happen. They were absolutely stunning! But back to the reception....<br />
They posed for a moment for a picture... <br />
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And then they went after each other. Both had chipmunk cheeks filled full of cake they had crammed into each others mouths. It was quite a funny moment. There IS a video of it in existence and we're going to try to get that available to show too.<br />
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The Navajo ceremony was gorgeous and awe-inspiring and memorable and.... purely awesome! It was so wonderful seeing them bind their families to them, and we were overjoyed to be included.<br />
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I'll say this:<br />I've learned that we are a ceremonial people. No matter what culture you are, what religion you claim, what race you are,....doesn't matter. We all are ceremonious. We have ceremonies for weddings, for baptisms, for deaths,....and its how we value those ceremonies and live up to those promises made and love and support offered that will guide us to be the people we truly are. We put on faces all the time, but those faces aren't always true indicators of WHO we are. Our value of those ceremonies does indicate who we are....really!<br />
Think on that next time you find yourself in a ceremonial situation. What value do you place on this event? What does you level of value at that moment tell us about who you are?<br />
Something to think on :)</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-49410987079394682932014-08-24T18:27:00.002-04:002014-08-24T18:28:16.178-04:00Cicada Obsession<div style="text-align: center;">
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This is Jared. </div>
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Isn't he cute? </div>
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He looks so sweet and innocent, sitting underneath that huge tree, playing with ....</div>
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umm... whatever he is playing with.</div>
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And then,....</div>
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he stands....and gently turns around to face me....</div>
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I'm sure it's just temporary.<br />
It's a boy thing, and they grow out of it, ... right?<br />
RIGHT?????<br />
That was yesterday.....<br />
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This nightmare is today.</div>
I won't even show you the one he put in my hair.</div>
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Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-54205781966683240962014-07-29T00:22:00.000-04:002014-07-29T00:29:23.491-04:00Baby Homecoming<span id="goog_1716939970"></span><span id="goog_1716939971"></span>I am so tired, I can't believe I'm blogging instead of sleeping! But I'm blogging, because my family should get to see these "firsts" photographed. I wish you could be here. You would be eating up this baby love!!!<br />
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We kept it quiet. We've known since last week that Jarom would be coming home today. We didn't advertise it because he's become rather popular with people who are anxious to meet him and have fallen in love with his photos... that's not to say that the rest of his family are any more popular than they ever were, but JAROM is! So to protect him and his parents from the accidental insensitivities of people, we just didn't announce when he was coming home. It was very nice having it strictly a family moment.<br />
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So this morning, representatives from the company that will be supplying him with oxygen came and got his system installed and notes all over the doors to tell people about the use of oxygen. (oh yikes,...they heat with propane in old space heaters,... hmm...) So the oxygen guys left and shortly after, Mesa and John packed up a diaper bag for the first time and headed to Atlanta. They went through some last minute preparations and training info with the hospital staff and Mesa packed up all his belongings (he's gotten quite a collection! He's popular with the nursing staff too!) Then they started home. When they left the hospital, Mesa called me and I loaded up my gang and we went to her house. I had a key, so we went inside and I started cooking. I made teriyaki chicken, rice, green beans, French bread and a citrus fruit salad. I got a frozen key lime pie for dessert. It was all SO good. It got done about half an hour before they got home, but that was ok....it meant I could sit on the sofa and stare out the window watching for their car...yes...30 minutes and I barely blinked. When I saw their car, I yelled THEY'RE HERE!! and jumped up with my camera and ran out the door. I was on their porch before they were on their road! I took a few pictures of them first getting him out. Then I got pics of him settling in,....pics of him with his uncles...pics him trying on new hats....pics of him cuddling up with his grandma and going to sleep..... So time to share!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nfAZaGlJwI/U9ciJzz2vzI/AAAAAAAACBc/g4-4v0wakEk/s1600/UncleMorganWHO.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nfAZaGlJwI/U9ciJzz2vzI/AAAAAAAACBc/g4-4v0wakEk/s320/UncleMorganWHO.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kuvTBxHR_EM/U9ciq-Z84lI/AAAAAAAACC0/lLWvk_G1CgM/s1600/GrandmaLove1.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kuvTBxHR_EM/U9ciq-Z84lI/AAAAAAAACC0/lLWvk_G1CgM/s320/GrandmaLove1.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZw4BwaG0p8/U9ciq-ofohI/AAAAAAAACCw/9JjihEETb3w/s1600/GrandmaLove2.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZw4BwaG0p8/U9ciq-ofohI/AAAAAAAACCw/9JjihEETb3w/s320/GrandmaLove2.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iZ4PWokP2w/U9ciqw0P8jI/AAAAAAAACCs/MHjj9jIkvR8/s1600/GrandmaLove3.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9iZ4PWokP2w/U9ciqw0P8jI/AAAAAAAACCs/MHjj9jIkvR8/s320/GrandmaLove3.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW6af1d919A/U9cirV-cFjI/AAAAAAAACC4/29F6kZuLYlg/s1600/GrandmaLove4.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xW6af1d919A/U9cirV-cFjI/AAAAAAAACC4/29F6kZuLYlg/s320/GrandmaLove4.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgYV4B3qZrQ/U9cirth2CsI/AAAAAAAACC8/PC6wdziVrpM/s1600/hat1.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZgYV4B3qZrQ/U9cirth2CsI/AAAAAAAACC8/PC6wdziVrpM/s320/hat1.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xEesvHYFi4o/U9cir0RiTGI/AAAAAAAACDA/LsOEwlnuPLY/s1600/hat2.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xEesvHYFi4o/U9cir0RiTGI/AAAAAAAACDA/LsOEwlnuPLY/s320/hat2.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3o98prgItFo/U9cisKb__bI/AAAAAAAACDE/a30DZEZRCWo/s1600/hat3.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3o98prgItFo/U9cisKb__bI/AAAAAAAACDE/a30DZEZRCWo/s320/hat3.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDJbQW7KDZI/U9cjBZKtf7I/AAAAAAAACDk/hPs3njbRpPQ/s1600/swinging.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zDJbQW7KDZI/U9cjBZKtf7I/AAAAAAAACDk/hPs3njbRpPQ/s320/swinging.jpg" /></a>Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-62954675000151101332014-07-22T22:54:00.003-04:002014-07-22T22:59:47.074-04:00Scout Camp--It's Easier!After all the craziness of pregnancy, a baby came, and more craziness followed....I'm lucky to still have something I'm calling sanity! I have to just let that stuff sit a bit and decide later what to say on that subject,....or maybe I'll wait till the little man comes home and THEN put something on here. Seriously...enough drama and difficulty and stress for 14 lifetimes! So moving on to a different subject:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Morgan went to camp!</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaZZq43Ep_I/U88dqW-lAKI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/f-yzuQ_C_n4/s1600/10428678_10204231838661408_6862779468637347947_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yaZZq43Ep_I/U88dqW-lAKI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/f-yzuQ_C_n4/s1600/10428678_10204231838661408_6862779468637347947_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is him and his best friend, Adrian. This is the same expression Morgan has had on his face for 2 weeks now. Yes,.. he is happy! He has almost everything he ever wanted in life right this minute! I did say ALMOST....horseback riding happens on Wednesday! <u>Then</u> he'll have everything he wants.</div>
<br />
Morgan has a very thoughtful scoutmaster who has taken a good many pictures and shared them. I think that has made all the difference for me. I still have moments I think to myself "what have you done? That blonde streak in your hair is affecting you too much!" (Ok the blonde hair is another blog entry....we're not talking about that one just yet.) I have always had such a hard time letting my babies out in the world where the mean people are that thrive on hurting innocent people. And everytime my kids have gotten out of my sight and reach, its happened. Of course, its also happened right under nose....and we're not talking about that either....so I'm trying to be a grown-up here and let the kids have more experiences without me hovering as much. Besides, I'm getting old and nobody has gotten me a hovercraft or a hover round,...so hovering is slowing down.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Back to the subject,... look at this boy.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xg2VbRd6cbk/U88euzzRUJI/AAAAAAAAB8g/5Rvg8pZ5AKQ/s1600/10408045_10204238925838583_7338010189733758107_n.jpg;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xg2VbRd6cbk/U88euzzRUJI/AAAAAAAAB8g/5Rvg8pZ5AKQ/s1600/10408045_10204238925838583_7338010189733758107_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ycY0v0txKU8/U88exEj3SHI/AAAAAAAAB8o/bcL0vHEw7Yk/s1600/10494551_10204238935998837_6991583270062783152_n.jpg" imageanchor="1m;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ycY0v0txKU8/U88exEj3SHI/AAAAAAAAB8o/bcL0vHEw7Yk/s1600/10494551_10204238935998837_6991583270062783152_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
See how comfortable he looks supporting and safeguarding his patrol mates? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gDOQbUQdEw/U88e0YCMSHI/AAAAAAAAB8w/Xy7mTSAejw8/s1600/10544308_10204238928918660_8949367342457991370_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gDOQbUQdEw/U88e0YCMSHI/AAAAAAAAB8w/Xy7mTSAejw8/s1600/10544308_10204238928918660_8949367342457991370_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And they are giving him the same support so he can find out if the sky is the limit.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ0Gn9gkNbQ/U88e3CZWYfI/AAAAAAAAB80/WI3se8svun8/s1600/10518643_10204236740343947_7961703294633110532_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ0Gn9gkNbQ/U88e3CZWYfI/AAAAAAAAB80/WI3se8svun8/s1600/10518643_10204236740343947_7961703294633110532_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Check him out.... TREADING WATER! <br />
*Pat on the back for Uncle Roger*</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yC6CITqxBt0/U88fCBYxgLI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/DM5GCp6lbCo/s1600/10559763_10204238923878534_7460173965766779132_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yC6CITqxBt0/U88fCBYxgLI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/DM5GCp6lbCo/s1600/10559763_10204238923878534_7460173965766779132_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1L7LWf_nbyQ/U88e5hsj7oI/AAAAAAAAB9A/mc0kUbODf-o/s1600/10557385_10204238919038413_3872043737215476505_n.jpg">
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1L7LWf_nbyQ/U88e5hsj7oI/AAAAAAAAB9A/mc0kUbODf-o/s1600/10557385_10204238919038413_3872043737215476505_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
This does not look comfortable...nor comforting.... it does seem necessary because look what happened next!!!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uj4vcDX5jYA/U88hZUJiE0I/AAAAAAAAB9k/w7HsZrjoles/s1600/10544346_10204238902197992_8028866442309609537_n.jpg"></a>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qMSbbNtNcqs/U88hgWs5vKI/AAAAAAAAB9s/LXy3yMuZzD0/s1600/10516601_10204238905078064_498105723796577903_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qMSbbNtNcqs/U88hgWs5vKI/AAAAAAAAB9s/LXy3yMuZzD0/s1600/10516601_10204238905078064_498105723796577903_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--uWZxQUaT_I/U88e_2z_TCI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/GxwqkYbaJnY/s1600/10419959_10204238906158091_3478278876033578734_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--uWZxQUaT_I/U88e_2z_TCI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/GxwqkYbaJnY/s1600/10419959_10204238906158091_3478278876033578734_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And he's in a basketweaving class, as well as woodworking and art and swimming and horsemanship. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o9p5dNb3NCY/U88jCRsMzLI/AAAAAAAAB94/GmNhInmXZUI/s1600/10408677_10204238956759356_6690750180712844577_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o9p5dNb3NCY/U88jCRsMzLI/AAAAAAAAB94/GmNhInmXZUI/s320/10408677_10204238956759356_6690750180712844577_n.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RczEVkwSPNM/U88jHJ7ZI7I/AAAAAAAAB-A/O-VCy9MCq5w/s1600/10448832_10204236941268970_145030776939286129_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RczEVkwSPNM/U88jHJ7ZI7I/AAAAAAAAB-A/O-VCy9MCq5w/s320/10448832_10204236941268970_145030776939286129_n.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<br />
If you had a part in making sure this little boy went to scout camp, I hope you can see some of the return on your investment. I'm so proud of him, and so thrilled for him. Tomorrow his dream comes true and he meets the horses. I'm sure he will be sad to have to come home this weekend!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9Qv3dqURmw/U88jzJn6ErI/AAAAAAAAB-I/MewbQNy4H8U/s1600/10559834_10204238924918560_441458360954987619_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D9Qv3dqURmw/U88jzJn6ErI/AAAAAAAAB-I/MewbQNy4H8U/s1600/10559834_10204238924918560_441458360954987619_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>
</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-82815253554350007952014-04-12T11:26:00.000-04:002014-04-12T11:26:08.364-04:00Baby Bump<div style="text-align: center;">
It's finally happened....Mesa is starting to show. Let the gray hairs move in. I guess I'm ready :)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
15 weeks</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IvDhTpEOUQU/U0lZE8sDgDI/AAAAAAAABqA/qKpD6RiI-4Q/s1600/021514-15weeks.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IvDhTpEOUQU/U0lZE8sDgDI/AAAAAAAABqA/qKpD6RiI-4Q/s1600/021514-15weeks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<br /></div>
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17 weeks<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCS_OK-ECJo/U0lZH4epfxI/AAAAAAAABqI/eXjvT6cPUqA/s1600/17weeks.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCS_OK-ECJo/U0lZH4epfxI/AAAAAAAABqI/eXjvT6cPUqA/s1600/17weeks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
20 weeks<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4WEdmmqvyi4/U0lZLoUJ06I/AAAAAAAABqQ/b-nLZKkLgwI/s1600/032314-20weeks.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4WEdmmqvyi4/U0lZLoUJ06I/AAAAAAAABqQ/b-nLZKkLgwI/s1600/032314-20weeks.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<br />
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23 1/2 weeks
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCJ8_cwLOVI/U0lZQ0nP1VI/AAAAAAAABqY/Bew-qTd1C4s/s1600/resized23.5weekspt2.png"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SCJ8_cwLOVI/U0lZQ0nP1VI/AAAAAAAABqY/Bew-qTd1C4s/s1600/resized23.5weekspt2.png" height="240" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ1EF1_Gr4U/U0lZUW9JAwI/AAAAAAAABqg/B1XLvSAOPGI/s1600/resized23.5weeks.png"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ1EF1_Gr4U/U0lZUW9JAwI/AAAAAAAABqg/B1XLvSAOPGI/s1600/resized23.5weeks.png" height="240" width="320" /></a>
</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-4849908105095146532014-04-03T11:49:00.004-04:002014-04-03T11:49:36.436-04:00JaredismMy boys are too funny. I don't know where it comes from. I am NOT this funny, never have been.<br />
<br />
Anyway,...the story goes like this....<br />
<br />
Generally there are 4 Sundays in a month. At church, we have a schedule of how classes are taught for those 4 Sundays and it is routine as clockwork. On occasion, though, there is a 5th Sunday in a month. This is usually a time when we combine all the classes for several age groups (not including the small children) and we are taught by our Bishop or other area authority.<br />
<br />
Last week, we had just such a class....a 5th Sunday and our bishop taught us. He said that our entire stake was asked to have this same particular subject as lesson material, and he proceeded to counsel us against pornography. Mesa was sitting next to me on one side and Morgan on the other (Tommy was home sick). During the class, I looked at Mesa and she looked at me....we shook hands and agreed we would both stop looking at porn (and giggled since neither of us care anything about it anyway). That was the last I had thought about it, because it just isn't an issue for our household.<br />
<br />
On our way home from church, my little boys got started....<br />
Manti and Mesa were such uncommon children, rarely fighting and not obsessed with body noises and functions. Morgan and Jared are so opposite Manti and Mesa at this age.<br />
<br />
So as we drove, Jared is teasing and harrassing Morgan about the "mustache" he has suddenly developed (it isn't on his face,.... don't ask). I can't get Jared to understand that it is rude to talk about that and keep making a big deal out of it. He does it to embarrass Morgan, but its gotten annoying. So as we drove and he starts picking at his brother, I speak up and tell him that we had class in church that day, and the bishop said we have to stop talking like that.<br />
<br />
*silence in the car*<br />
<br />
Jared finally says, ... very softly.... "really?"<br />
<br />
I said "YES REALLY! It's rude and the bishop taught our class today and said so! He said the stake president wants that kind of behavior to stop too! Right Mesa?" [She says "yep, I heard it too!"] and then I say "You heard it too, right Morgan?" and Morgan nodded vigorously while blushing a deeper red than he was already.<br />
<br />
*silence for another moment*<br />
<br />
Then Jared says ever so softly,....<br />
<br />
"Did y'all rat me out?"<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5ZdVe-Tq5E/Uz2C5JejUkI/AAAAAAAABng/1iryADSbqkM/s1600/LilJared.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5ZdVe-Tq5E/Uz2C5JejUkI/AAAAAAAABng/1iryADSbqkM/s1600/LilJared.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></center>
<br />Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-53683865886679786322014-04-01T14:56:00.002-04:002014-04-01T14:56:28.553-04:00My Egg BasketWe have a great cub scout program. I'm really enthusiastic about it. We have good leaders (besides me, of course lol) but not all are quite as enthusiastic as I am. One of my best friends (Sara) is scout motivated also, and she and I were talking about some motivational ideas we had. One of them was to award the leaders with a walking stick and then from time to time, award them a trinket they can hang on their staff. So to get that started, I'm making the sticks. Morgan needs to do a family project for one of his merit badges, so he's helping me with it (the whole family is, actually).<br />
<br />
Yesterday, Morgan and I went out to our muscadine vines and started cutting out briars and scrub trees that had started growing up in them. We haven't pruned those vines in a couple years now, so they were pretty crazy. Morgan had a small hand saw and I had loppers. Together we cut out a bunch of stuff, and some of it was big enough that we got some walking sticks out of it. YAY!<br />
<br />
So I sat a chair out there where we cut those things and Morgan and I stripped the bark off of 2 of them. It was a pretty day yesterday, lots of sunshine....I have a sunburn now..great... but anyway,... it was a lot of fun for Morgan and I, but very exhausting too.<br />
<br />
At one point, I had to sit down and rest. I had a drink, had my tools by me, had my hot pink chair...I was good....and then I realized the stems and twigs and things I had Morgan dragging off to a burn pile also had some muscadine vines and tendrils in them.<br />
<br />
*LIGHTBULB*<br />
<br />
I took a few of them and wove some wreaths, thinking these would make great dreamcatchers or could be a door wreath, whatever I wanted. I did 4 of them, in different sizes. The smallest one caught my attention....it made me think of a basket top. Next thing I know, I've spent 2 hours cutting pieces of those of vines we had trimmed and rapping them around themselves, sort of like a birds nest. I'm so proud of it!<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pHUy3c5SKzE/UzsKpWkbOnI/AAAAAAAABmk/gTWNhkrJYRM/s1600/eggbasket2.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pHUy3c5SKzE/UzsKpWkbOnI/AAAAAAAABmk/gTWNhkrJYRM/s1600/eggbasket2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></center>
We also have chickens. We've had these same chickens since last fall, and not one egg. These are Ameraucana hens, which means they lay colored eggs...when they lay. Well 3 days ago, they started laying! We've gotten blue eggs (kind of greenish blue) and some that are like brown eggs, except more of a pinkish brown. COOL! So to test out my basket, I had the boys put some of the eggs we got from our chickens into the basket.<br />
<br />
<center>
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Perfect! I love it! Only cost me a little bit of skin I had to pay to the sun gods.<br />
<br />
Today, I am so stiff I can barely turn around in my chair. <br />
<br />
<br />Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-20487339977336314912014-03-23T16:51:00.003-04:002014-03-23T16:51:32.258-04:00Doing Some LaundryI'm not wanting to air out any dirty laundry, but I do need to get some "laundry" in the hamper and out of my head.<br />
<br />
My mother in law was with a man a few years ago. They claimed they were married, but there is no evidence anywhere that we can find to prove it and a lot of things that make it appear they didn't wed. Anyway, they were both older and needed a companion more than a spouse, so that's likely all they were. He had his house, she had hers. Hers was in the same yard as mine, so we saw a lot of them. One day 11 years ago, something happened....he hurt me in a unique way. Physical wounds are long in the past, but emotional wounds just aren't healed the way I thought they were. My sharing this here is my effort to spit out some of that bile that I'm strangling on so it won't weigh ME down so much.<br />
<br />
So what happened back then is over and I truly don't want to repeat all those details right now. My mother-in-law believed me and it put quite a wall up between the two of them. A couple months later, my mother-in-law died. At the funeral, I tried to heal some more by telling him I was sorry for the bad feelings that had developed because of that experience. He told me HE FORGAVE ME! I went to pieces all over again.<br />
<br />
Like I said, it's been 11 years since that happened. I've put it behind me. He has passed away and to my knowledge, nobody interrupted his path to wherever it was he chose to spend his eternity. I've moved on.......but then yesterday happened.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, my last customer of the day came in at 4:45pm. The shop closes at 5pm. The man asked his questions and chose what he wanted to purchase. He wanted to write a check, and that was fine with me. I felt VERY dis-inclined to give him a senior citizen discount that I will automatically give to most people who are anywhere near that stage of their life in my view. He paid full price. As he wrote his check, my heart started speeding up...and he started talking non-stop. I couldn't see the name on his check, but I had a sinking feeling I knew who this man was. He kept talking and it took the entire 15 minutes for him to write that check out! I watched for his signature to tell me I was wrong about who he was,....and finally I saw it. I was right. It was the son of that horrible man. He wreaked of the vilest brand of cigarettes. He walked hunched. His hair was wild. He kept looking at me in the eyes like he was implanting his words in my head. He talked about his father and how wonderful life was when the man was around......I fought nausea and nearly threw up before he left. Jared was there with me and he got real pushy and sold the man one of his camp cards....to which I thought to myself "GOOD FOR YOU!"<br />
<br />
When he finally left, my knees buckled. I called Tommy and told him and he didn't know what to say. I hung up and got started counting down my drawer,...only I couldn't think straight. I started to shake and to sweat. I felt like a tornado was starting up inside me and it swirled around and around feeling more and more violent each moment that past. I finished up and then sat down at the desk to log out of my time schedule and fell apart. I cried and cried and cried. My poor little boys stood there next to me trying to figure out what to do. Both put an arm around me and leaned their heads on my shoulders while telling me it would be ok. I had no idea how I was going to drive us home.<br />
<br />
It was a terribly long night last night. I finally had to ask Tommy for a blessing. He gave me one of the most fantastic blessings I've ever had. I was so stunned by the things he said....and so appreciative. You can email me to ask about it if you want to know.<br />
<br />
I'm ok now, but so tired and so emotionally drained. My thoughts are exhausted and I feel like I ran for my life yesterday, complete with tired leg muscles and aching feet. I know I'm ok, and I know I'm not over it. I guess trauma is one of those things you never get over, you just find a place in your mind to stash it so it doesn't stare at you every time you open your eyes. It let's you not have to constantly face it and try to undo it if you just deal with it in small pieces every once in a while.<br />
<br />
All in all, I can say I know things about myself I never knew before. I know things about my boys I never knew before. I know things about my husband I was unsure of before. And I know things about God I never fully accepted before now. Life is so much more than face value.Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-45317502017701772014-03-22T11:41:00.000-04:002014-03-22T11:42:45.087-04:00The Silence in My MindWe have 2 vehicles. One of them has suffered a malfunction and is quietly sitting at my house waiting for attention. One day it will get it. The other is my Durango, so that means we have to plan ahead for travel needs each day.<br />
<br />
Manti works at Target. I work at Robins Herb Shop. They are maybe half a mile apart. Manti has to be at work at 7:30am. I have to be at work by 9am. On days we both work, he drives me to work and drops me off and then goes on to his job. I go inside, find a comforter we keep at the shop, recline my chair and lock it in place, prop my feet up on the other chair (shoes off of course), set my phone alarm to go off at 8:35am and I go to sleep!<br />
<br />
At least, I try.<br />
<br />
Today was tough. My mind had too much to say. I've had to force words out of my head before, and it was hard. I'm not successful for long periods of time,...so this was a challenge. Today, it sounded something like this:<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">"Shhh....stop talking. You can do this. Hush........ Seriously, hush. ..... You're worse than the kids, just be quiet and stop telling yourself to be quiet. Listen to the birds. Birds...haha...Thunderbirds? What's another bird car,... umm... ok I don't know and I shouldn't be thinking this. SHHH!"</span></b></span></i><br />
<br />
A bird chirps.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>"BIRD! Oh,... shhh...right....shhh"</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>"hmmm hmm hmm.... Marianna HUSH! Humming is no different than talking! Shh!"</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>"car.. car...car...SHH! Two birds....SH! ---------------- ----------------</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>------------- ---------------------- look how long I could be quiet for! HA! oops...."</b></span></i><br />
<br />
A bird chirps. Another bird chirps. I might make it. The 2 birds must be talking.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>"What time is it? WHAT? It's only been 5 minutes? *sigh* GO TO SLEEP MARIANNA!"</b></i></span><br />
<br />
traffic noises, 2 birds continue,....<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>"hmm... argh! no singing!..........................ok, I'm doing it............that hang nail is really kind of sore...wish I wasn't thinking about it! shhhhhh shhhhhhh shhhhhh wonder if I can shush myself to sleep.....shhhhhh shhhhhhh shhhhhhhhh Whoever invented the shush anyway? That's not exactly a calming sound. In fact, if you hear it enough it will drive insane. I WOULD KNOW! ............</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>.................... ........................ ........................ ......................... .......................... hmm SHHH......</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>............................. hmmmm hmm..................... ...........................Wonder if SHHH............... ......</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>......................... ...................... ...................... ten minutes, keep it up................... .......................</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>..................... I'm so awesome....and that was a failure, so no I'm not SH! ....................... ...........</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>................... ............................ ............................ .......................................... so sleepy..................</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>............................. .............................. ..............................and SHHH!................ shhh.................</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>................................its working!............................ shhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhhhhhhhhhhhsshhhh....</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>15 minutes.... shhh, quit looking at the clock! shhhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shhhhh</b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i><b>............... .............................."</b></i></span><br />
<br />
FINALLY! I fell asleep.<br />
And at 8:35am, my phone alarm went off. It startled me so much that I jumped and slapped at it. I nailed it perfectly, hitting the snooze button evidently. I was back out before I could even think to shush myself. At 8:40am, my phone alarm went off again. This time I came around enough to think about picking it up and shutting off the alarm correctly. I looked at the clock and though "I have enough time to fix a bowl of grits, brush my teeth and get the drawer ready for a business day."<br />
<br />
And that was last thought before 9am when someone emailed me and made my phone chirp an alert sound. I nearly fell out of the chair with instant realization I was asleep and it was time to BE OPEN!<br />
<br />
No worries, I opened the shop first and THEN I ate my breakfast and brushed my teeth.<br />
<br />
My biggest question right this minute is..... did I get this from my mother or my father? Surely I inherited the incessant chatter in my head!<br />
<br />
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<br />Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-1104404659258429582014-03-07T20:56:00.001-05:002014-03-07T20:56:22.743-05:00Camp Card and Little ScoutsI now have 1 cub scout and 1 boy scout. Summertime is approaching, and THAT means summer camp is coming too. I've been quite content with taking my boys to cub scout day camp and participating as one of the volunteer leaders. I've done it for 5 years now (6 if you count that year Manti got to go)....but this year is different. This year, Morgan gets to go to BOY SCOUT camp, and that's very different.<br />
First difference,...I can't go :( <br />Second difference,...that trip is a full week of overnight with way more people I don't know and only a few that I do know or that know him.<br />
Third difference, ... that trip is in north Georgia.<br />
Fourth difference, .... it costs $305 for him to go PLUS he has to have some specific equipment.<br />
<br />
*GASP*<br />
<br />
Jared's camp will cost $55 and I can handle that ok. It's the big number for Morgan that is taking my breath away. If I could go too, that would be SO much easier on my heart, but....<br />
I did get Manti to agree to volunteer as a leader, but leaders have to pay $120 or something like that also. It covers their meals and a few other supplies. Manti refuses to pay for it (and I wouldn't ask him to) but says if his cost is covered by the ward budget, he'll go. I was told the budget will cover one adult and they planned on giving it to someone else already. (That someone else just volunteered a few hours before Manti.)<br />
<br />
So I'm back to gasping and fretting.<br />
<br />
The pack committee chairperson is one of my best friends. She looks out for me :) She got us permission to sell "camp cards" and the proceeds from it get put towards the cost of whatever scouting needs the boys have. So if they sell more than they need, the remainder of their personal proceeds can be applied to uniforms or books or other scouting gear they need. And these cards give them back 50% of whatever sales they make. Sounds good so far, right?<br />
<br />
These little cards cost $5. That's it! Takes a lot of $5 bills to earn up enough to pay for camp, and remember they only get to keep half of that. So it's a bit of a work-out to say the least. The boys talked to my boss last week and got her permission to set up a table inside the shop and sell their cards from there. Yesterday and today, they did it. We put a table out next to the register counter. They wore their uniforms and set up their little card folders and we made 2 pages to go on the table as explanations if people wanted to read them. The boys set out one card each and they sat at the table ALL DAY LONG. They have their sales pitch and they've sold a few cards. Not quite enough to make much of a dent yet, but they are working on it. Out of 40 cards, they only have 23 left. That's not adequate in their thinking, so they are taking another tactic. They wanted to make a commercial that I could put on facebook for my friends and our neighbors to see. So we did it. It is so funny I can't stop laughing. And you should see the out-takes! They are hysterical, but I haven't tried uploading them. They should probably be pieced together into one video by someone who knows how to do that. They are truly funny though, I promise! In one of them, Jared introduces himself as Morgan LOL!<br />
<br />
Anyway, I had to put this on my blog so my Mama can see it, so everybody enjoy my little entrepreneurs!<br />
<br />
And if you want a camp card, let me know! (Actually I think you can use Dicks Sporting Goods anywhere there is a store, and Publix coupon is good anywhere in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Don't know about the rest.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FQhCtyup2k&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FQhCtyup2k&feature=youtu.be</a>Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-23542781809891172172014-02-17T20:39:00.002-05:002014-02-17T20:39:35.777-05:00The FortThe previous post tells you how our Sunday began.<br />
THIS post will tell you how our Sunday came to an end. It seems to me to be a cartoon from start to finish.<br />
<br />
I'll preface this story by saying my children are very giving and forgiving and anxious to be friends with anyone and everyone....in their own ways of course. Morgan is extremely social and wants to experience every friendship he can find. When he was a toddler, he would ride in my grocery cart and start up a conversation with every single person he could get to respond to him. I did say EVERY person,...that wasn't an exaggeration! Jared wants friends too, but his shy streak is so extreme that he will likely NEVER make the first move towards a friendship, but he WILL be right there waiting for it to land in his lap.<br />
<br />
All four of my children have a naive streak, probably because of being homeschooled. I'll take that....it leaves a sweetness in them that I am not willing to give up. So anyway, my little boys don't understand a bully. They just don't get what drives them. They will sit and brainstorm about one trying to figure out why in the world they want to act that way when being friends seems so much more fun. I love it that they are so totally baffled by that. Sadly, one of the bullies in their world is a cousin. The kid is their age and somedays is a great person for them to play with. And then there are all the other far more common days where he needs to be dropped off at the pound.....in another state!<br />
<br />
So yesterday afternoon, after the whole ordeal with Morgan "betraiting" Jared, the two boys went outside to work on their tree fort. They worked for hours...literally! After a few hours, Morgan came in and told me how Jared had just "gone off" on said cousin. I get an ear full and I won't even go into it...it just makes me mad. Turns out that cousin thinks building a fort sounds fun, so he and his buddy are going to build one too.,...and the limbs Morgan and Jared are using look easy to use and better what they have handy. So they start taking the limbs away from Morgan and Jareds fort. The boys got upset and Jared saw Morgan start crying. That was all it took....Jared tore out after these older boys and laid into them and demanded their stuff back. He got it too LOL! Ultimately though, that just meant these boys were going to do other mean things to them.<br />
<br />
I have long since gotten fed up with this kid. He has stolen things from us and another neighbor, tore up Tommy's equipment, called the kids (and Tommy and I) some rather foul names, shattered the boys by telling them there is no Santa, shot at them with bb guns and airsoft guns, thrown rocks at them, hit them with sticks,....<br />
<br />
So "Mama Bear" struck and out the door I went. I found where the boys were building their lean-to fort. It's technically not our property anymore, since family land borders were redrawn and divided up between brothers. The little kids didn't know that,...so I told them. I also told them (loud enough the 2 pains in my backside could hear me) that they needed to play on the opposite side of our property where they aren't affected by those 2 nasty boys. Morgan said "Mommy, they are hiding right there in those bushes!" I said quite loudly, "I know they are, and I hope they know that not only can I see them, but I'll also see them the day I call the police to come out here and deal with them for trespassing and bullying the kids and tearing up property and anything else I think of when it happens." Yeah, I got told on.... *insert an eye roll here* I'm in Mama Bear mode, remember?<br />
<br />
I told the boys to take down their broken limbs and branches. Drag them in the wheel barrow across the property and to follow me....I'd show them a better place. Off we went. And yes,... I know what I'm doing :D<br />
<br />
There is a wooded area to the side of our property that we rarely do much with. I showed it to the boys and sent one after rope and one after limbs. They drug nearly every broken branch across our yard to this spot in the woods. They gave me some paracord and tied it around some trees in a circular shape. Then I took the limbs and sort of wove them together around these trees. Then I had the boys use their pine limbs with lots of green needles and fill in the "basketry" I had woven. I wouldn't let them cut anything off other trees, but privet hedge is nasty stuff that tears up lawn mowers, so I sent them after pruning shears and had them cut privet and bring it to me. (That was good thinking on my part....they weeded my herb garden LOL!) Privet is flexible, so it helped tie all those limbs and branches and needles together. We left an opening so they have a door. Then it was a little too dark to mess with and I had them come in. Today though, some of the same bratty behavior started, so I went out to help them a little more. They souped up their walls with lots of pine boughs and I let them get an old wooden chair and stool to put out there. Then I let them move a stack of firewood out there and build a stone fire ring. No fires right now, but this fort is big enough they can both camp out there when it gets warm,...and the firewood will be there waiting for them. It could use a roof, but we'll wait on that for tnow. It is surprisingly well done! Hard to see the kids when they are inside of it! They filled in the walls pretty well. I was proud, so I took pictures.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXoXzzwQeaQ/UwK3AQeG8tI/AAAAAAAABY8/fTMW7ZaXdQo/s1600/fort1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YXoXzzwQeaQ/UwK3AQeG8tI/AAAAAAAABY8/fTMW7ZaXdQo/s1600/fort1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>
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The moral of this story is,....don't mess with Mama Bears cubs.....cuz she can build a better fort than you and she'll enforce trespass laws AND tell your daddy what she thinks of you AND cause you to get grounded AND anything else she can think of! :)Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-18759881901987620122014-02-16T13:13:00.003-05:002014-02-16T13:13:36.566-05:00Wake Up CallIt's Sunday, and we missed church. Why? *sigh* Well....... the short version is that Tommy has been installing new walls, floor, and shower after ripping out the old from our bathroom. We've been bathing out of the sink for about a MONTH now and he's desperately trying to finish it for us...and his back is charging him overtime for every minute he puts into it. So this morning, he couldn't stand up straight to walk to the bathroom. This also contributes to another problem,... Morgan is a pre-teen....he NEEDS a bath! (I think I'm going to ship him off to Mesa's for a bath later today!) Add to that a little problem with Jared who has battled a stomach bug for a few days and still feels a little nauseated....and then Manti got hurt at work and suffers residual symptoms from a concussion,.... so this mom is worn out and is just gonna stay home.<br />
<br />
After I got done putting my "lotions and potions" on Tommy's back and informing the boys what they could make themselves for breakfast, I finally got to go back to sleep. It was nice...until about 11am.<br />
<br />
That's when it started....<br />
the yelling....<br />
the smoke...<br />
the child jumping onto my bed and getting in my face so I'd wake up....<br />
<br />
Let me stop right here and say,... I do love my boys.<br />
<br />
The story goes like this:<br />
Jared got on my bed to tell on Morgan. Last week, we had a rather pronounced ice storm and a lot of trees and branches have come down because of it. We even had an earthquake because of it! Well, we've cleaned up most of the branches on our property, but the boys wanted to leave one because the branch fell right against the tree and made a perfect lean-to shape. Jared desperately wants to build upon it to make himself a play house. He had talked Morgan into helping, but Morgan wasn't helping. He was actually having a shouting match with Manti in the kitchen where the smoke was happening...but I'll get to that in a minute.<br />
Jared is upset and he tells me all about the limb he wants to build a lean-to on and how he got that promise out of Morgan but Morgan wasn't keeping his word and Jared was devastated because his brother had "betraited him." He doesn't like having a "betraitor" for a brother!<br />
<br />
He wasn't happy when I laughed, so he left my room and went to the livingroom to cry about my insensitivity, I guess.<br />
<br />
The next noise to get my attention is Morgan, who keeps chanting "EXPLAIN - GUIDE - DEMONSTRATE - EXAMPLE!" followed by Manti who says "You're right, but I'm NOT DOING IT!" The giggles started forming in my mind and then bubbled out of my mouth till I had to call Morgan in for a talk. I asked him to tell me what the EDGE method was. So he repeated it "explain - guide - demonstrate - example." I laughed again and told him he was a little mixed up, he switched the d and g and used the wrong word for the last e. "Explain - Demonstrate - Guide - Enable." That started Morgan yelling at Manti again for telling him he was spelling it right when it was wrong.<br />
<br />
Now stop here for a moment,.... this is not a true fight. These kids keep laughing in the middle of their screams and yes, occasionally somebody got smacked or something thrown at them, but they were playing as much as arguing----everybody but Jared. He's genuinely "betraited."<br />
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Back to the story:<br />
I was really proud of Morgan, because the EDGE method is a scout term. It is a tried and true guide to teach anyone anything. In the boy scout handbook, one of the requirements is to teach another person a skill using the EDGE method. It's something I learned when I went to Woodbadge, and I find opportunities to incorporate it into things I do quite often now. It works! So my kids have been picking up on it and incorporating it also. *PROUD MAMA*<br />
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I had to call Morgan back from his shouting match with Manti and ask him what he was badgering Manti about. He tells me that Jared asked him to help build the lean-to, but Morgan has never done that before and isn't sure what to do. Manti has built lots of them and KNOWS what to do. He's a scout, and a scout is "helpful, courteous and kind." [insert another motherly laugh at the expense of my oldest son] That means Manti needs to go outside and EXPLAIN - DEMONSTRATE - GUIDE - and ENABLE his two younger brothers so they can build the lean-to and Morgan can keep his word.<br />
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Manti is cooking. I yell across the hallway to him "what's burning?" Manti says "I HAVE NO IDEA! Morgan keeps pestering me!" Who knows.... probably some cleanser on the burner wasn't rinsed off well yesterday when the stovetop got wiped down. I don't know, but no fire. It stopped too.<br />
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If you know Morgan, you know he can't stand still for 2 seconds, not even when he's going to the toilet, so he had left the room by now even though we were still talking. He yelled back at Manti his EDGE method definition and then told Manti it was his fault that Jared was crying. Manti yelled back that it was Morgan's fault because HE'D made a promise and not fulfilled it. Manti said "YOU are the one who betraited him!" I had to fall back on my pillow laughing all over again.<br />
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I know I'm the responsible adult in this situation, and that I should step in and find a compromise and utilize a teaching moment.... don't judge me.... you would have laughed too.<br />
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So now, my 2 little boys are outside trying to lean pine limbs against a tree so they can have a cone shaped lean-to playhouse, Manti is in his room stringing beads and trying to rest, Tommy is STILL in bed and I'm thinking I sure hope the crazy house I get put into has some hot pink furniture and soft stuffed fox toys for me to curl up with when I get there.Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-40085077706146896622013-12-29T22:39:00.003-05:002013-12-29T22:39:31.165-05:00BRAG!That's exactly what I'm doing! BRAGGING!<br />
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Background info:<br />
For Christmas, I gave Mesa some round looms to learn to knit with. Morgan gave her a box full of yarn so she had supplies. She and I learned how to do it with the included directions and she had knit a newborn size hat before she left my house that day. It was really neat and just the creative type things I get into. I tried really hard NOT to get myself a loom because I wanted Mesa to feel good about herself doing something creative that her mother (who is always doing creative stuff) can't do. I couldn't hold out. I had to get myself a loom. I was a good girl, I got a totally different kind from Mesa's so she can be better than me at round things and not get intimidated. (Yes, I really worry about that.)<br />
Well Christmas was Wednesday and today is Sunday. I had gotten a skein of yarn and made a narrow scarf last night. It took me 4 hours and I used the whole skein. It wasn't quite as long as I would have liked, so I looped it on my neck and pinned it with a brooch Tommy had given me 24 years ago for Christmas (awwww) and felt pretty good about myself at church today.<br />
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After church, Jared was determined that HE was going to knit too! Do you see how big that word<br />
D E T E R M I N E D is? I was ready to rip out hair! That was just after one hour of his nagging me! I had some stuff to take to Mesa and my loom does flat panels. I figure it could probably do round ones too if I'm creative with it, but I haven't done much yet so why tax myself and hate knitting on the second try? I went to Mesa's house and we traded one flat loom for one round loom. I showed her how to do a flat panel and then came home and showed Jared how to use the round loom. I only had to show him one time. Look at this kid!<br />
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<br />Seriously...He is so proud of himself, as he should be! I'm just as proud. He's also won out....he'll be getting his own loom asap!Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-73996582910255508932013-12-20T20:49:00.004-05:002013-12-20T20:49:47.106-05:00SURPRISE!You probably thought I had neglected my blog,...maybe even figured I had forgotten I had one...or perhaps I just felt you didn't need to know anything in my life anymore....right? wrong.<br />
In fact,... back a few weeks ago, I got a text message from Mesa and the whirlwind began then.<br />
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<i><b>What whirlwind?</b></i> ... you ask....<br />
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<img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-umXIEfnMxbI/UrTzVdKXp8I/AAAAAAAABSs/yQ8R0SpV9C0/s320/MesaPregTest.jpg" width="320" />
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That's what I got on my phone. Two pink lines means that in August, we should have one pink baby too.<br />
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Do not call me Granny, Grandmaw, Grandma, Gran Gran, Mawmaw, Nana or anything else. I'm not old enough for such language! I'll wait for the baby to start talking to me and tell me what my name is. *shivers*<br />
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So your mind is reeling with questions, right? I'll answer a few:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Due date is August 5th. </li>
<li>Yes, morning sickness has struck....hard.</li>
<li>If you ask her what she wants, she'll say "a duck", because in reality, she doesn't care so long as it is healthy.</li>
<li>Is she excited? Like a little Justin Bieber fan!</li>
<li>Is John excited? yep.</li>
<li>Am I excited,............ ummmm....... </li>
</ul>
Well, let's say it this way, when there is a baby in my arms, I'll be thrilled. Between now and then, I see a belly full of stress and worry. I have PCOS and it has caused me difficulties with every pregnancy except MAYBE Manti. Mesa has exhibited several of my symptoms already and has had a little spotting. So I have concern there. I feel like they as a couple are very ill-prepared for such an adventure, but as I have said for nearly 2 years now,....this isn't MY lesson to learn or my reward to earn. I have a hard time shutting my mouth and letting go, but I really do try. I worry myself silly and I do too much...and a baby is going to increase all of that for me. But the good news is.... I have till August to work through that and find my excitement too.<br />
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Now before anybody scolds me or preaches at me, I am NOT disappointed or upset and I am NOT downplaying this special time for Mesa and John. I'm just feeling cautious and concerned and motherly worry for the health and safety of my daughter.....and my unborn grand-daughter (yep,...that's what I'm guessing at this point.)<br />
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So there you go! <u><b>SURPRISE! </b></u><br />
<br />Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-82353952791681070802013-11-01T12:56:00.003-04:002013-11-01T13:01:35.076-04:00Road Trip- Part 1This story will be a little heavy on the pictures, so I'll tell it in 2 parts.<br />
Part one started with a special scout camporee. This particular camporee we attended to support a patrol mate of mine from my session of Woodbadge training. His name is Al. While we were at Woodbadge, there were a few times we needed to adhere to the "buddy system" and Al happened to be MY buddy. He's a great guy and I admire how he talks about his family. That man LOVES his family!<br />
So anyway, this camporee was a part of Al's project (also known as his "ticket")...to prepare it and document the planning and to provide a guide for others to follow in putting together future camporee programs in his district. I don't live anywhere near there, but Al invited all of our patrol and it just so happened that I got to go....AND I got to bring the whole family! (Everybody but Mesa that is.)<br />
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Off we went to the North Georgia Mountains to the Woodruff Scout Reservation where pitched a few tents and hunkered down for our first night of camping.....where it promptly dropped dramatically to 26 degrees!!! No I'm not joking! Tommy was on a cot. Manti was on some animal hides and blankets. Morgan was in a tent with his buddy, Adrian (where I had to help him remember how to sleep INSIDE a sleeping bag! go figure!), Jared was on a narrow air mattress and I was on a good sized air mattress with the best sleeping bag EVER! We were fine, but boy were we surprised at the temps! We survived, but wow!<br />
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It was a great camporee (a first for me and Morgan and Jared!) and I got to spend it with two of my best friends (Sara and Tommy) and my favorite boys. What a blast we had!<br />
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BUT....the story doesn't end there!<br />
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Sunday morning, we got to experience a "scouts own" service, which is a non-denominational religious service planned and prepared and presented by the boys themselves. That was first for my little boys too. After we did that, we took down our tents, packed up the car and headed....<br />
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NORTH!<br />
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Yep, north....to Cherokee North Carolina. It was a nice scenic view all the way. From all the walking during the camporee, I could barely get my legs to work so I got Tommy to drive me around like Miss Daisy :D Ahhhhhhh the life! That means I got to take pictures! And that means YOU get to see some of them now :D You thought I'd never get to this point, right?<br />
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This is a distant view of the mountains as we were coming up on Blairsville Georgia, the area where the scout camp is located.</div>
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Manti standing in front of this sign. Who cares who William Bartram is, it's Chief Atakullakulla we were interested in, because he is a REALLY distant ancestor to Tommy's side of the family. Neat, huh?</div>
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Morgan was easily excitable this whole trip. We're standing at the edge of an overlook, looking down at the Nantahala River.</div>
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And this is the Nantahala River.</div>
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This one is inside the Cherokee Reservation. This is the Oconaluftee River that runs through the middle of town. I found it sweet how the boys followed Manti around wanting to see everything that interested their older brother.</div>
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This one was taken over near the Kituwah Mounds. The area has been through a lot of changes. It is now strictly used by registered members of the tribe for hunting and gardening. Visitors may drive through and look, but may NOT leave the path or touch anything. Their gardens were unbelievable! I've never seen so much corn in one place in all my life! Anyway, the view of the mountains from those fields was amazing. It was a foggy morning and the haze over the whole town was gorgeous.</div>
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See what I mean? Gorgeous!</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-80032552203387795512013-10-19T23:26:00.002-04:002013-10-19T23:28:39.179-04:00The Answer!<div style="text-align: center;">
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I never knew why I have to go through such "crap" some days. Now I know why...it's where I live!</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-37203243361765777882013-10-04T19:57:00.003-04:002013-10-04T19:58:29.133-04:00Bead ShopAfter setting up a vendors booth at the most recent powwow, I decided that I needed to spread my wings a little. I dislike Ebay. They should hire people who can think for themselves. So that meant finding another place to sell from. My sister-in-law sells her cookie jar lids and potpourri dolls on Etsy.com so I thought I'd give it a shot and see how I could do there too. Last night I started setting up shop and found it wasn't impossible...so now it's open.<br />
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You should go have a look!<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/The3rdFeather?ref=offsite_badges&utm_source=sellers&utm_medium=badges&utm_campaign=en_isell_1"><img height="200" src="//img0.etsystatic.com/site-assets/badges/en/en_isell_1.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-61994929203525748812013-09-07T21:39:00.001-04:002013-09-07T21:39:34.046-04:00The Rest of the Story...So Wednesday, Manti left Albuquerque New Mexico and flew to Atlanta. We arrived at the airport and had about 45 minutes to anticipate his trip up the escalator to us. I couldn't sit... no way! I stood at the rope in front of "the line".... ok I stood in FRONT of the rope.... and I bounced on my heels the whole time as if my bladder were overfull. I kept crying too...the entire 45 minutes. I don't know why,...really I don't!<br />
As I wait, a lady comes up to me and says "I'm a church member too, so I understand your excitement and anxiety. May I take pictures for you?" I told her yes but it really didn't sink in what she was saying and I didn't care. All that mattered to me at that moment was that nobody prevented me from my first glimpse of Manti on that escalator. That was the LONGEST 45 minutes ever!! I stood the whole time, bouncing and crying. Finally he appeared and Mesa saw him first. She said "there he is!" and I looked where she pointed and yep, it was him! I couldn't help it,...I screamed and ran to him. I was aware of the DO NOT CROSS line and stopped at it. He stopped too because of the commotion and my screaming. I called to him and told him GET OVER HERE! so he came. I hugged him. He let me. He didn't say a word and didn't try to rush me, just let me hug him. He hugged back and his arms around me were so solid and sure. I don't have better words to describe it.... heavenly!<br />
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I had a stroke of conscience I guess, and remembered the rest of my family. So I walked him over to the others and shared. I couldn't even talk really. It was just joy....pure and absolute joy.<br />
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And then the lady who took the pictures came back up to me and asked me to gather all the family together so she could take a group picture of us. I did, and she handed me a slip of paper with her email address on it. She said to send her an email and she would send me the pictures. That's about the time I realized what this lady had done for me. Mesa had my phone, and the camera in my phone is a really good one, but you DO need to know how to use it to get the best pics out of it. She got a video, and I did post that....but she just got her brother and close friend back and her emotions wouldn't let her think as clearly and focus on photos either. I didn't expect that of her because I was so caught up in having my child in my arms the first second I could get him there. This lady gave me a treasure. She told me a little about herself and then we left after I thanked her. I emailed her, she flew back home to Colorado, and she emailed me the pictures. They are SO good! Here they are in order as they took place.<br />
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Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-90593183478412241602013-09-06T12:38:00.000-04:002013-09-06T13:34:15.368-04:00Manti Came Home!I'll have more to show on this and tell you after tomorrow. (It's a really really neat story, but it has to wait till I have the pictures to go with it.)<br />
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So it took 45 minutes from the time we arrived inside the airport until he came up the escalator. I didn't think I was going to make it! I stood right in front of those escalators the whole time, bouncing up and down and crying. The pictures look like I'm chewing my fingernails, but really...I wasn't. We had some New Mexico flags and a small banner I had made that said Welcome Home Elder Bailey, but he didn't even see those at first...thanks to me :D<br />
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So here's the video of the first hugs....<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NpKoZoiGKQ&feature=youtu.be">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NpKoZoiGKQ&feature=youtu.be</a>Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-49898241001410523332013-08-31T12:13:00.000-04:002013-08-31T12:13:35.363-04:00As Promised...After talking to Mama on the phone, I promised her I would get another blog entry posted. So as I promised, here it is....and it's a mish-mash of stuff, so you might want to put a seatbelt on for this ride!<br />
First: This morning I saw a link on facebook that made me stop and think. So I'm sharing the content of that link.<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;">The Weight & Burdens of Life's Stresses
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>“half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>she inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Think about them for a while and nothing happens. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Remember to put the glass down!</b></span></span></div>
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Second: Jared lost a tooth. Tell me this isn't a funny look for him!</div>
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And for now, THIRD: My nosebleeds.<br />
It's ok if you want to be concerned about them, I am too. But please don't be "worried" about them. My blood pressure is not the cause and that's the worst scenario from what I understand. I saw my doctor and he said it was probably the weather causing the problem. When it rains this much, mold is bound to be an issue in a lot of places. I already know I have it to deal with in parts of my house. I'm sure it is somewhere in the building the shop is located in also. We live under a LOT of trees which means a LOT of leaves. There is bound to be stuff in those leaves bothering me too. They tell me that all the barometric pressure changes and the stress to my immune system and the weather encouraging mold growth is probably what has irritated my mucous membranes. The extra burden of preparing for Manti's return home has meant lifting and bending and irritability beyond what is normal for me, so there is my trigger. I've figured out that if I depend on other people to help me (which I hate doing VERY much) and if I prioritize things better (to include my own health) and if I refrain from rubbing, blowing, bumping or otherwise moving my nose in anyway, I can keep the bleeds under control. I have a scab that has formed and it itches like crazy as it heals,....but I'm not rubbing! I put some of my salve on there and it sped up the skin closing and it hasn't reopened since. So truly, I'm ok. Life is hard on everybody, but it isn't impossible :) <br />
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Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-33472556511786855782013-08-09T17:21:00.001-04:002013-08-09T17:22:32.902-04:00Pioneer DayOur church commemorates July 24th each year in recognition of the pioneers who traveled west and suffered much affliction for their religious freedom. Much happened over that period of time, but that's not the point of this post.<br />
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This year, we did the day up big....bigger than in the past. This time, it incorporated several units in the region (known by LDS as wards in the stake). Volunteers came together to present examples of things done in the past to give children and others a touch of history in the present day. There were non-member participants too....it was a big thing.<br />
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It was staged at a park in Douglas County. Friday night, anyone who wanted to was invited to camp together and share dinner and campfires and whatever else. There was dutch oven cobblers and much more. The next morning, we awoke to set up storefronts and such. This was my part in it. Tommy and I ran the Apothecary. We had lots of fresh herbs, lots of dried herbs, lots of preserved herbs, and some that were in the process of drying. We dressed in pioneer style clothing (except for my hot pink shoes) and shared things we knew with others. The kids ran off to experience other activities like a tug of war game, walking across a rope bridge built by scouts, peek inside of tipis, watch their daddy use a huge saw on a log, see what old time undertaker might have used in his work, .... there were beekeepers, covered wagons, handcarts, old-time dentists, an old school room, goats and chickens and horses, spinning wheels, pottery, food preservation,..... it was a cool experience. Here are a few pictures....<br />
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<img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0dH8dqNq8I/UgVdO4kcgQI/AAAAAAAABKc/X-A4mD7NSkU/s320/Image1.jpg" width="320" />
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Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-6579443670727789212013-07-27T22:41:00.002-04:002013-07-27T22:41:36.527-04:00New Cub Scout in the Family!Right now, I could care less what the stupid decisions that got made recently about BSA guidelines. They don't currently affect ME or my kids, so I'm ignoring it and taking the time to utilize what resources are not affected and teach my kids to be survivors, to be comfortable in their world and to be proud of their heritage. For now,... that's how it is.<br />
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So moving along,....<br />
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I am currently the Wolf den leader. In LDS scouting, that is very first rank you work towards and you start at age 8. I did have 8 AND 9 year olds, but recently we split them up. Right after that happened, I had 9 year olds turn 10 and move up to Webelos, and I had 8 year olds turn 9 and move up to Bears. That left me with ONE LONE WOLF! Well that's not fun for the kid, not enjoyable for me, and not abiding by scouting rules (youth protection says I shouldn't be alone, one on one, with any kid not my own. Not good. Jared turns 8 in October. It is too early for him to join scouts in our pack and be awarded for his efforts. BUT....special circumstances exist! I need at least 2 scouts,... Jared would have been the next new scout to move into my den anyway....he's my kid, so chances are he'll be coming with me anyway.....he's INTERESTED and willing to work....he needs the social interaction badly, .......plus he got registered already so he could attend twilight camp this summer. We got special permission and now Jared is my newest Wolf Cub Scout. He has been with me for so many years now, that he has already earned his first rank....Bobcat! It can take a boy a few weeks to memorize all that stuff, but Jared had it memorized in just a couple days. He passed it all off to the cubmaster instead of just to me, and he gets his first awards ever this coming Wednesday.<br />
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He's my tiniest kid too! I think he's even smaller than Mesa was, and she was a micro-kid! So he just can't keep the shirt Manti and Morgan wore on his little body. The shirt tail tucked in goes to his knees! I gave in and bought him his own uniform shirt brand new (and said "ouch" because they are costly!)<br />
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We haven't gotten all his numbers and identifying patches stitched on the shirt yet, but he did get to wear to go on his first field trip with his den to "an important place in our community".....the hospital. We had a tour given by one of the anesthesiologists (which is the dad of my other wolf scout). I couldn't believe it,... the boys favorite part of the hospital was THE NURSERY! Tanner has this neat thing that they play a lullaby over the speaker system all over the 2nd floor when a baby is born. We heard it play....a baby came into the world while my little guys were looking at the older babies in the nursery window. What an experience that was for ME even! No mommy urgings here...honest!<br />
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Anyway, here are some pictures for you to smile over :)<br />
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<img border="0" height="283" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZ1ZrfwwgTk/UfSEcaucTQI/AAAAAAAABJw/hKCDfjbct3s/s320/cubs7.jpg" width="320" /> </div>
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Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4389821562640095985.post-22176326895742532482013-07-11T15:20:00.004-04:002013-07-11T15:24:35.278-04:00The finished beadworkI'm posting this because I'm mad and I need a way to let my temper cool. If you can dream up something positive to say and respond here, please do. It just might be helpful in soothing a vicious mama bear.<br />
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So Mesa's birthday came. She's 21. I gave her beadwork with a total sale value of $450.00 and her eyes bugged out. I was thrilled watching her. You've seen the necklace already, but there is a headband, earrings and bracelet that go with it, all matching. So take a look at the pictures and tell me what you think!<br />
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Yes, her red eyes are inherited :)</div>
Marhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01150704984927584047noreply@blogger.com5