Notes for my sister

 Last week I accepted a challenge to share a gratitude journal on social media, leading up to Thanksgiving. It's been really fun to see the #GiveThanks posts from my friends on FaceBook. I've enjoyed the stories and thoughts and good news. Here's my week in review. I didn't highlight ALL of my blessings, rather this is a random sample. Day 1: So thankful for our oldest. He doesn't make a lot of noise or get a lot of recognition, so today for just a minute I need to share. He is smart and kind and hardworking. And he did really well on the SAT recently.          photo credit Rachel Lacy Day 2: Thankful today for a handful of things: love this son of ours, love that he's been safe learning to drive, and love that I have a car. This might sound silly, but I do a lot of driving. This season of life would be impossible if I had to walk or ride a bike or take a bus to all the places. And I love that flag flying in the background.     Day 3: Re...

 What are you thankful for? This year I'm thankful for trees, and for paper. And for a little girl who made her own paper tree. Notice the handwriting and spelling, the pencil tree, evidence that she did it all by herself. From cutting to gluing to taping it to the wall, she was sure it's the best tree ever. It love it. This year I started making our paper tree and modeled it after a real one in our front yard. The idea is to think of as many blessings as you can, and write one blessing on each leaf. When you start your tree it might be a little bare, but by the end of the month you'll have a whole bunch. As the month goes by, your tree gets more and more leafy. Post Script: 11.19.20 Today makes one week until Thanksgiving.  #GiveThanks Every year we do something like this in November. A few years ago I wrote about it over  here  and about having a  gratitude attitude . Then last year I explained why I send out  Thanksgiving cards  instead of Christmas...

 My mommy journey began eighteen years ago. It was really fun to celebrate our firstborn, and to have multiple days last week where we honored him. He is a really fine young man. We had a fancy dinner out with all six of us. (Somebody please congratulate me on the scheduling necessary to carve out a night where there was no band practice, work, church, gymnastics or violin lessons. This season of life is nutty. Also, can somebody please congratulate me on finding clean clothes for each kid, buying a polo shirt for C and picking one he'd like, that fits, without making him try it on?) We shared a meal and enjoyed reflecting on this journey. Then a few days later we had homemade chocolate cake and presents and pigs in a blanket for lunch.  photo credit Rachel Lacy As I reflected on my son's birthday, I realized that I needed a celebration for me as well. I began my chosen career with this little boy's arrival, and it changed my life forever. I talked about  Labor and Delive...

Yesterday I asked my kids to make a list of things they're grateful for, specifically about our country. It began as a top ten list, but that was insufficient. I love this land. And I want to remember this election season. Yes, there is a polarization between the parties and candidates, but I'm so grateful for he privilege of casting my vote. This year Norm and Cade and I voted in person at the senior center. I might need to come back later and alphabetize the following. Army Coast Guard Community College Costco Data Analysts Dispatchers FARMERS Fire Fighters Freedom of speech and expression Freedom to worship in own way Freedom from want Freedom from fear ( FDR four great freedoms  speech given in 1941) Friday night football Judges Marching Band Marines Military National Parks Navy Police Officers Post Office Public education Roads and interstate transportation Sanitation workers Scholarships Supreme Court Texas teachers who work so hard! Toilet paper at rest areas thats FREE ...

This is a true story. I'm sharing it for all the cute 20-something and 30-something mommies. With love from a 40-something mommy. On day 4 of Kindergarten this year, Amber decided it would be more fun to stay home. She wanted to snuggle with me and read stories, she wanted to play in her room and have time to make mini books and do whatever she wants. As the realization hit me that the honeymoon was over, I made an important decision. We couldn't fight this battle every day this year. It had been a really LONG six months of spring break, and she had gotten out of the routine of going to school. I need her to be at school. I don't even care how much she learns, but she needs to interact with peers her own age and be with a teacher who isn't me. It's a beautiful thing. photo credit Rachel Lacy So Day 4 rolls around and she says, "I don't want to go to school today."  Me: "Well, your job is to go somewhere for five hours. That's how long Kinderga...

Three years ago in the fall, I felt like it was time to start writing a blog. My reasons for doing so are deeply meaningful to me, so I'm taking a risk to share them publicly.  As much as I like writing, I'm not an expert. There's a lot of editing that goes on behind the scenes, whether I'm asking Norm to look for holes in my logic, or asking some of my writer friends to proof a post. I still owe my friend S cookies because she's an excellent editor, and I needed help with something recently and I'm pretty sure I offered baked goods in exchange. I need to take a critical writing class, a photography class, and a computer class. I'm not making any money here. All I'm doing is tossing my stuff out to the internet, and hoping that my story is helpful or useful or at least entertaining. I have two biological sisters, four sisters-in-law, and a whole bunch of sisters from Relief Society at my church. There are wonderful friends from BSF on Thursdays. I have n...

Have you ever wondered if God still speaks to people today? You know, like in the days of Moses or Abraham or Noah? Don't you think people on the earth today would need a prophet as desperately as in ancient times? I've kinda noticed lately that there are some terrible things happening in the world. There's a lot of uncertainty and fear. In Matthew 24, Jesus is teaching people about calamities that will come before his Second Coming. Matt 24:6  KJV  online says it this way: "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." Okay, so remember what it says in 2 Timothy 3? Paul is teaching people about the last days and all the stuff that will happen. NIV   says it this way: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the la...