It's Burrito's Birthday!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. " (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT)

Not home yet...

We weren't on this.
Because we saw this.
And this.
Delays. Cancellations. Lots of angry passengers. Really cranky airline employees. No more flights to Texas tonight.

One more night with Dad and Mom (that's a good thing!) but an additional 24 hours before my Prince Charming gets a home-cooked meal. Sorry, Bud! Sure hope you don't "starf."

I Miss You and The Kids

Hi, Bud! Sorry for hi-jacking your blog. I'm sure your regular readers will not enjoy my writing style (short and not so sweet) as much as yours, but I wanted to take a minute to say how much I miss you and the kiddos. I'm glad you've had a great time, and I wish I could have joined you - maybe next time. Anyway, I can now relate to what Kat wrote in your card when she was a little one and you had your surgery several years ago: "What are we going to eat mommy? Daddy can't cook and we are going to "starf".

That's my dinner before racquetball tonight.

I love you! See you soon! Will clean a bathroom or something for one of your home-cooked dinners.

Your Husband

You might be from Ohio if...

1. You're proud of your state fair, but would rather go to Cedar Point.
2. You know all the 4 seasons: Winter, Still Winter, Almost Winter, and Construction.
3. You know what a buckeye really is, and have a recipe for candy ones.
4. You know "Toward the lake" means "north."
5. You can spell words like Cuyahoga, Olentangy, Bellefontaine,and Tuscarawas and you know which letter is doubled in "Cincinnati."
6. You know that Serpent Mounds were not made by snakes.
7. You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
8. You know what pop is.
9. You know driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
10. You actually understand these jokes then forward them to all your Ohio friends!!

Ohio Trivia: Barns

Artist Scott Hagan, a free-lance barn painter, painted a bicentennial logo on a barn in each of Ohio's 88 counties in 2003 in honor of Ohio’s 200th birthday. This is the Lorain County barn and was the 27th barn to be painted. See more Ohio barns here.

(Photo By teacherholly on Flickr)

And the answer is...

Time spent at Cedar Point: 13 hours.

Total coasters in the park: 17. (It is the "Coaster Capital of the Planet.")

Number of coasters we didn't ride: Only 3. (They are "kiddie" coasters. We are way too mature to ride those.)

Total coaster rides for the day: 18. (We rode several coasters two times.)

We rode other rides as well as watching a few shows.

The value of spending an entire, fun-filled day with Burrito, Kat and my nephew: Truly priceless!

The answer to my other question: NO! I am NOT too old for this!!!

And now, if you'll excuse me... I'm going to soak my tired body in a hot bath and go to bed. Because if I don't, I may not be able to move tomorrow.

(Fun stories and pictures next week after we return home.)

Am I too old for this?

Thursday: Cedar Point.
How many coasters can we ride in one day? Give me your best guess and I’ll let you know if you’re right!

All my bags are packed...

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go. I'm standing here outside your door. I hate to wake you up to say goodbye. I'm leavin' on a jet plane. Don't know when I'll be back again.

Well, actually I do know - 10 days! (And now that song is going to be stuck in my head!)

The kiddos and I are off to Ohio this morning to visit my family. I'll be checking in throughout our time there and I'll blog if I have the opportunity. Otherwise, I'll return with lots of memories and pictures to share.

What do we have planned? Visiting relatives, playing with cousins, sleepovers with cousins, a dip in Lake Erie, flea markets, movies, all day at Cedar Point (the coaster capital of north America!), girls night out with the Queen Mum and my sister, and lots of hugs with people we love!

Blessings!

Dad, Happy Father's Day!

Dad, for the times...

… you called me Punkin. A silly name to be sure, but it made me feel loved and special.

… you worked jobs you didn’t like because you embraced your responsibility to provide for us. You instilled a strong work ethic in us because of it.

… you jumped out of the dark with that terrible mask and scared the breath out of all of us kids. (I keep telling Burrito and Kat that I survived your warped sense of humor, they’ll survive mine!)

… you woke me early on Saturday and took me for a ride on your motorcycle.

… you insisted I call everyone we’d ever known the night I accepted Christ as my Savior. (I know, I exaggerate – I only called the grandparents!) But, it reinforced the memory and importance of that decision.

… you made me do chores around the house, even mowing the grass and cleaning the windows. (Bet you never thought you'd hear thanks for that, did you?) I am a better housekeeper because of those lessons.

… you came to Career Day at school dressed in your flight suit. All the boys thought you were so cool and the girls said you were handsome. I was so proud that you were my dad!

… you remained faithful to Mom and showed your daughters your romantic side. One time you sent Mom a bouquet of flowers while you were in another country and the card that accompanied the flowers simply had your return flight info on it. I remember hoping that I’d have a husband like that some day.

… you’d light firecrackers on the 4th of July, insisted we stand with our hand on our heart for the pledge and participate in the singing of the national anthem. I think of these things almost every time I hang my American flag on the front of my house.

… you brought gifts back from foreign countries. I never doubted that you thought of me while you were away from home. Especially when you'd tell us that you had to give serious consideration to the offer of trading us for a few goats and some bright fabric while in Africa.

… you love my husband as your own son. You fill a void in his life and we both love you for it.

… you are the quintessential granddad to Burrito and Kat. I wish you could hear the love and admiration in their voice when they talk about you to their friends.

… you allowed me to go to school hundreds of miles from home. I am a stronger woman because of it.

… you bought me the awesome, metallic-yellow bicycle – the one with the little wheel on the front, larger wheel on the back and the “v” handle bars. That bike made me one of the “cool kids” in Northgate.

… and for all lessons, experiences and memories too numerous to list.

Happy Father's Day, Bud!

When I picture my Prince Charming as a father, this is the image that most often comes to my mind. I’ve made a photograph of Bud, Burrito and Kat in this same pose every year since the kiddos were toddlers. The beach is sometimes a different one from the prior year and sometimes the kiddos don’t remember on what “side” of dad they’re supposed to be. But the symbolism of this photo never changes. To me, it represents our life - Bud as an attentive father to our children, fun times, and the contentment of just being together.

Whenever I’m asked to describe Bud, I simply state that he is a man of integrity. He fulfills the admonishment given to Christian men in Titus 2. In this passage, Christian men are instructed to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. A godly man is to be an example by doing good works of every kind. To speak the truth so that his words can’t be criticized and opponents will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say. He is to be an employee who always obeys his employer and does his best to please them. Godly men must not be quarrelsome or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good so that they will make the teaching about God our Savior appealing in every way.

This is my Prince Charming, the father of our children.

Summer Vacation... Week One

Well, the first week of summer has been marked off the calendar. We stayed so busy that it sure didn’t feel like summer, though.

Burrito had one week of band camp. The purpose of this week was to introduce the incoming freshmen to the upper classmen and to the fundamentals of marching band – mostly teaching them the routine of practices and the different warm-ups that are used. The other highlight of this week is that all of the percussionists are assigned to their instrument for the coming fall. Burrito has been practicing and preparing his entire freshman year with one specific instrument in mind…

And we are now the proud parents of the marching band’s newest bass percussionist! Our band has five bass drums and this is the largest of them. Burrito is not the largest of the bass players.

Kat started her summer off in very girly fashion… getting her hair highlighted. It turned out very nice and she is pleased with it.

By the way, Max enjoys hanging around while I work on my blog.

Some posts just crack him up!

Others, not so much.

Happy Birthday to my Sister!

There is no Friend like a Sister

There's no better friend than a sister -
There's no one more loyal and true…
and even when sisters are different…
their likeness come shining through!

Perhaps it's a family resemblance

that strengthens the bond they share…
or maybe it's just that sisters
live life with a similar flair!
A sister remembers your collegehood -
She knows more than you will admit
of times you were Little Miss Perfect…
and times you gave others a fit!
She's seen you in some situations
when silence just wouldn't suffice…
and managed somehow to get by
with those sisterly words of advice!

And when some encouragement's needed…
a sister will always be there…
to listen…
to laugh…
or to lean on…
to comfort, or simply to care.

There's no one who's more in your corner…
and no one you're more grateful to.
There's no better friend than a sister…
and no better sister than you.

(From "There Is No Friend Like A Sister" by Mary Engelbreit)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SISTER!

Happy Birthday, Queen Mum!!!

Several weeks ago, I wrote a Mother’s Day post in which I described my mom (a.k.a., “Queen Mum”) in one word: faithful. She asked if I would take the time at some point to tell her why I chose that one word. In honor of her birthday today, I thought it would be fitting to write about why I describe the Queen Mum as faithful.

First, Mom has always been faithful to the Lord. While she is often soft-spoken about her faith, she lives her life in such a way that all who know her are able to see Christ though the example of her life. If Mom’s faith has ever wavered, I’ve never seen it. I know Mom is faithful to pray for my family and me.

Mom has been faithful to Dad for 45 years. In our society, that’s quite an accomplishment! As a wife, she has been the best role model I could ever hope to have. She taught me about the value of having girl friends, but more importantly of being loyal to and best friends with my husband above all others.

Mom has been a faithful mother to my sister and me. Remember my post on Mama Bears? Let’s just say I learned at the feet of the master! My mom re-entered the workforce when I was in the sixth grade. It was a hard adjustment after having her at home with us, but I always knew that her role as our mom came before any work commitments. And, her example had prepared me to step up to the plate and take care of my sister after school and to begin helping with the housework and meal preparations.

I’ve never lived in the same state as the Queen Mum since I’ve had my kiddos. Yet, she is faithful to maintain a close relationship with Burrito and Kat. She is faithful to follow the events of their lives, faithful to pray for and ask about those events, and faithful to celebrate their accomplishments with them. She is faithful in coming alongside Bud and I to help raise our children.

Mom is faithful in her relationships. In a world of superficial friendships, instant messages and emails, Mom still takes the time to regularly send cards and personal letters through the U.S. Postal system to stay in touch with friends and family. She is well known for her habit of clipping magazine and newspaper articles, cartoons, advertisements, etc., that she believes someone would enjoy receiving. Each card or letter is stuffed with these clippings - a sure indicator that those she cares about are on her mind as she goes about her daily routine.

Mom is a faithful worker. She has been employed by the same company since she went back to work. While never neglecting her family, she has worked with excellence at whatever her responsibilities were at the time. (They’ll be so sorry when she finally decides to retire! Ha!) Her work ethic is a great example to our family.

The Queen Mum is simply faithful.

If she says it, it is so.

If she agrees to do it, it’s as good as done.

If she promises to be there, she’s there.

Amen!

(I don’t know why, but it just seemed appropriate to add an “amen” at that spot.)

Thank you for your example of faithfulness, Mom. Happy birthday and I love you!

The Party and Lessons Learned

I’ve been a bad blogger. Oh, yes – I’ve been reading blogs. I just haven’t written my own. But I have a good excuse because I’m still recovering from the party we had last Friday night with 27 of my kiddo’s closest friends.

Yes, there was food. These are just the remnants. After all that I prepared, they still felt the need to raid the pantry and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. What would they have done had I served PB&J sandwiches? (I like that they feel that comfortable in our home!)

There were middle schoolers. We were grossly out-numbered. (Sigh…)

Jumping on the trampoline.

Several games of football.

Can’t have football without the cheerleaders.

And, it’s not a good party if you haven’t danced the Cha Cha Slide.

There were high schoolers.

A well-supervised game of twister.

Can you lick your elbow? Go ahead and try it. (We’ll wait…)

She can!

This is what honor students do to unwind after finals. Who knew?

A Dance Dance Revolution dance contest. Did anyone ever really win?

Max hid in our bedroom. Who could blame him? (Not really – we locked him in there for his own protection.)

The party was fun. Mostly. Both parents and kiddos learned a few things.

• Middle schoolers never get tired. Ever. Ever.
  
• It's really fun to hang out with teenagers. Seriously!
  
• It is good to have a spare pair of shorts around in case of an “accident” on the trampoline. All that jumping places a lot of stress on seams. Thank you for loaning replacements, Kat.
  
• Real friends respect your home, your possessions and your parents. If they don’t, they aren’t.
  
• The goal of TP’ing is to NOT get caught. Got that, Burrito? We’ve never been so embarrassed. Who would have thought that we would raise a kid who would get caught before even getting started?