New Starts

Every morning I notice the sunrise.  There is something about a sunrise that has always intrigued me. This morning's sunrise was no exception.  My morning commute to work is spent in silence.  I turn off the radio, I talk to my parents in Heaven, and I thank God for another day.  I know that each day is a new opportunity.  It is an opportunity to begin again, to be a better person.  I know that I don't always succeed at being the person I want to be, I know that I could be so much better than I am, but every morning I set my goals to be the best I can be.

Every day is a blessing.  We hear that all the time, but it is so true.  The new day is a chance to apologize to someone who you have wronged, a chance to give a hug to someone you care about, and even just a chance to smile at a person who is having a bad day.

When my mom passed away, we were going through her things and I found her journal.  She didn't write a lot in it, but the days that she did write, she always ended it by writing Thank you Jesus for another day.  Mom didn't grow up with a lot of religion in her life.  She always believed in God, but it wasn't until late in life that she really began to feel comfortable in church.  She had always wanted to join a church but didn't want to feel stupid or out of place.  When she moved to Keyesport she joined he small Christian church there.  Almost immediately she felt at home there.  She told me many times how the pastor there had the most beautiful voice.  Mom loved her sermons, and she loved hearing her sing even more.  Mom's pastor sang at her funeral and I agree, she sounded wonderful.

I believe a new start is something that is a blessing, it is something to not be taken for granted.  If you have been given a second chance be happy and make the best of it.  If you need to give someone a second chance and you get the opportunity to do so, think about it and if you can please do.  Most of all, make each day the best it can be.  Smile at others and hug those you love.  Like I have said so many times life is too short to be grumpy.

PaPa

I

I decided to post this picture of two very important guys to me.  The young man on the left is my grandson.  He is the youngest of my oldest daughter's kids and he is jumping into the arms of my husband, Todd.  This little guy as well as his two older brothers think the sun rises and sets in Papa Todd.  

Papa Todd is the guy that will tote them around for hours when they are little enough to be held.  Mama snuggles with them but when it comes to hossing them around I am not one to do that.  Papa Todd is the one that purposely ignores the sound of the candy jar opening when it is too early or too late for them to have more candy.  They know Papa Todd will probably allow them a few more handfuls of candy then what they should have.  

On this day Papa Todd was teaching Keaton to jump into his arms from the top of a picnic table.  He was a little hesitant at first, but he knew Papa wouldn't let him fall and eventually jumped into his arms. 

We are blessed to have wonderful grandkids and along with our kids they are what makes life so very wonderful.  I look forward to any chance to spend time with them and being called Grandma or Mama is some of the best times I have ever known.  

I remember my Grandparents.  I had some wonderful ones and the ones that have passed are dearly missed. I am glad we have been allowed to be here for our grandkids and I hope we will be around for a long time to enjoy them.  My Grandad is going to be 105 years old in a few weeks.  He is my step - grandfather, so I didn't get any of those genes, but he is a really wonderful man who has always been kind hearted.

The trust a child puts into an adult is so heartwarming.  Even before we have had the opportunity to earn their trust, they instinctively trust us.  When I watch Todd play ball or interact with our grand kids I love him even more than before.  I know he loves those kids so much and he enjoys the fact that when we walk in the door, the boys normally say "Grandpa!!! oh, hi Grandma"  It makes me happy to know that we are loved and our grandkids know they are and will always be loved as well.

We all need to remember to earn the trust that we have been given and show those we love how we feel.  If someday a tomorrow comes and I am no longer here, I feel confident that my family will know that I care so deeply for them all and they have been such a blessing to me.  I hope that I am around for many more years, but through the loss of my parents and other loved ones I know all too well that life is too short to not be happy.

Total Relaxation

The picture above was taken from the back of a houseboat last summer.  Every few years some of my in-laws and a few friends take a houseboat trip to get away from it all.  This past summer we decided to make the trip to Kentucky Lake.  We boarded the boat on Sunday and we headed home on Thursday.

The trip is one of complete fun and relaxation.  I have often wished that the trip was one that my husband would enjoy and go along.  Everyone else on the trip brings their spouses and I, instead, bring a wonderful friend.  Julie and I have been friends since we were in high school.  She went to college while I got married and had kids.  After college she married and has a wonderful family of her own too.  Our sons are the same age, the difference is her son is her oldest child and mine is the baby of our family.  We have so much in common, even though we live so very different lives.  I live in a small town and am an office manager.  She lives near a bigger city and is an attorney.  We are the type of friends that even though we don't talk often, when we do it is as if we spoke yesterday.  I wish we lived closer, but even though we don't we know if needed the other would be there in a minute.

This trip is one I look forward to.  It is filled with laughter, some drinks, and a lot of relaxation.  It is one time where I don't feel responsible for anyone but myself.  I do my share of work on the boat, but I eat when I want to, I sleep when and however long I wish, and I float in the water for hours at a time.

When I look at this picture I can still hear the waves slapping against the houseboat and the birds chirping as they were flying around.  I can feel the warmth of the sun hitting my face as I relaxed on the deck of the boat.  I can feel the calm rocking of the boat and if I listen real close the sound of a fish that has flipped out of the lake can be heard as it slaps against the water.  I usually am the first one up in the mornings.  I like to get up and take in the peace and quiet of nature for a few minutes before I make breakfast and begin the days.  It is times like this moment that I am at total peace.

There is a spiritual feeling when you take the time to bask in the beauty of nature.  Taking the time to enjoy the wonderful world that we have been given.  It is so easy to believe in God when you are able to sit and pray in silence while being surrounded by such amazing sights as this.  Watching the sun come up over the lake and realizing that each morning we are given a new day, a new chance to make ourselves and the world around us even better is such an overwhelmingly good feeling.

The boat trip is only four days every couple years.  I am already looking forward to the next one.  I love the people that I get to spend those fun filled days with and for some reason, spending the time on a boat with them makes it even more special.  My goal, though, is to find this same beauty in my everyday life.  I have been blessed with the most amazing people that I am allowed to spend my days with and even if we aren't on a boat, or in such calm surroundings I am so glad they are along with me for the trip called life.

Spider

This was a picture of a spider and it's web that I took last fall.  I kind of forgot about it but when I came across the picture I remember the night I took the photo.  We were out on our deck and in the light I watched the spider working so hard to maintain the web.  It worked quickly and constantly as other things would get caught in the web and tear it up.  The spider is something that I enjoy watching as long as it is outside and not near me.  I don't like them in my house or when I walk into one of their webs; although I have a fear of them, they still intrigue me.

Spiders bring on fear in a lot of people.  Fear, whether it is real or all in a person's mind can be debilitating.  Many people suffer with fear and anxiety on a daily basis and for some it is paralyzing.  We have all felt fear, and most of us know what anxiety feels like.  For many people these are things that affect their everyday life.  Most families have at least one person who suffers with anxiety.  Some people are able to hide it and live somewhat normal lives and many take medications to help them through the day to day things that others don't even think about.

I have talked to few people who can't leave their homes because fear overwhelms them.  In their conscience mind they know that what they are afraid of is not realistic, but their sub-conscience tells them otherwise.  I have chatted with a person who wanted to die because she was afraid every day of her life.  The anxiety had pushed her to a point of wanting to end it all because she was tired of fighting it.  Our conversation lasted for hours as she poured her heart out about the things that terrified her.  Some of these things seem so trivial, but it was keeping her from going to work, from visiting her kids and even from wanting to wake up the next day.

In the bottom left hand corner of the picture, you will see a moth that is stuck in the spider's web.  That moth was struggling to get away from what seemed like it's fate.  The fear that moth was probably experiencing represents what a person suffering with anxiety disorder must feel like.  As I watched the spider make its way to what seemed like the web's victim the moth was able to free itself and escaped with its life.

If you know someone who is suffering from any form of mental illness please do what you can to help them break free from the paralyzing effects of their life.  I know that you can't do a lot, they have to fight for themselves to break free, but sometimes being there for them may be enough to give them the strength they need.  If you are the one suffering from depression or anxiety disorder, know that you aren't alone.  Know that there are people out there that want to help.  If you have tried therapy and it didn't help, don't give up.  Keep looking for the right therapist, you deserve to get the help you need to break free from the webs in your life.

I am so proud to volunteer my 4 hours a week for Crisis Text Line (CTL).  The people I am lucky enough to chat with have shown the strength to take the first step to get better.  Some are suicidal when we begin to chat and, for me, there isn't a better way to end a conversation with a person than having them tell me that they feel better, that they will seek the help they deserve and they will make it through another day.

If you are in a dark place and are feeling like you are in crisis.  You can text 741-741 to chat with a caring volunteer counselor.  We are there because we want to be, and whether you know it or not, we really do care.

Friends and Family

It has been a while since I have posted.  The other day I realized that I miss posting to my blog.  I decided a picture to start the routine back would need to be something that made me happy.  The picture above is of two important people in my life.  The baby is my newest grandson, Drew, and the person holding him is Laura.

Laura is a person I first met in school.  She was in the class behind me.  She was one of a set of twins.  I usually couldn't tell them apart, so I told them both the same thing.... "you are pretty short for your height".  Were they short? Yeah they were, but so was I.  We were the same height.  When Laura began working with me at McDonald's I got to know her better, but after she quit working there we kind of lost touch.  Our paths crossed again when I began dating Todd.  Todd's best friend, Terry, was engaged to Laura.  We began hanging out and became close.  Our kids were close and as we followed our husbands to softball games and basketball tournaments our connection grew.

Our kids grew up and Laura's daughter began playing high school basketball.  I enjoyed following the team.  The coach, Dennis Koester, referred to Laura and I as "gene killers".  You see we are both under 5'5" and my husband is 6'5" and Laura's is 6'10".  Coach said had we not married the guys, they might have married tall girls and had even taller kids.  It was a joke he enjoyed saying over the years.
As time has flown by I have depended on Laura for a lot of things.  We have called one another when things have gone wrong with our kids, our parents and sometimes our husbands.  She is like an aunt to my kids and is even the Godmother of one of my grandsons.

I have been blessed with some wonderful friends and Laura is one of them.  She is always smiling and is always there.  Many times she has known that I needed her there even before I did, she is a very genuine person who is like a sister to me.

The picture above was taken at my grandson's bowling party.  No, it wasn't Drew's party, he is still a little young for bowling, but it was great to see Laura and Terry at the party.  When I count my blessings Laura is one of the ones I always include in the count.  I have also been blessed with four grandsons and when Jill and Kevin marry I will also get a granddaughter in the deal.

Being Grandma is something I treasure, and I also value being a friend.  I have many friends that I hold dear, and I can only hope that they value my friendship even half as much as I value theirs.  I know that without my friends and my family my life would not be what it is.

If you have true friends, value them, and try to be a good friend to others.  A nice gesture or even a smile can go a long way in making another person's life better.

To my friends, thank you so much for making my world brighter, and so much more fun!

Innocence

This is my youngest grandson, at least when this picture was taken he was the youngest.  Shortly after this photo we was bumped from that position.  His world is about to be rocked by a younger cousin.  He will have to share his Aunt Jill with a new little being and I am not 100% sure how much he will like that.

Aunt Jill has always been the one that spoils her three nephews, she spends too much on Christmas, she loves to take them shopping and she loves never saying no to them.  Life as they know it, and as she knows it too will soon change.

As I look at this picture I see the innocence of this little one.  He is such a sweet little boy and full of wonder and excitement.  He loves his Grandpa Todd, and he and his brothers have brought so much to our lives.

When I see this little guy sometimes I am greeted by a big smile, sometimes he just shuts his eyes and pretends I am not there.  He is so much fun and although he is one of three Davis boys he is different than the others.  It is so wonderful to watch as each one of our kids and grand kids develop their own personality.  This little guy is so sweet and so loved.

When you see a young child and their view of the world it is refreshing.  They are inquisitive of things that we take for granted.  They trust everyone, something that over the years we have learned not to do.  They, for the most part love until they are given a reason not to.  A young child can enjoy the simple things, like a box or a small toy.

This little guy doesn't even realize how much he is loved and how much his being a part of this grandma's world means.  Each child is a miracle in their own way, it is up to us to take the time to realize and enjoy those miracles.