Getting ready to say good bye!

Well, this is our last night in Austin. How grateful we feel that we were able to come here and help them out. We got most of the things unpacked and it actually looks like a beautiful home already. I am glad that it does, because it would have been even harder to leave them living out of so many boxes. The hardest part is still being so far away from them, but hopefully we will be able to get together for Christmas...so we are excited for that.

Packing my bags!

Well, tonight I packed up, and tomorrow I leave my Home away from Home! Shirley's home is beautiful and I even have my own room! Doesn't get much better than!



I was able to spend time with so many of my nieces and nephews and even my great nieces and nephews. 2 Family Reunions, a Mission Farewell, made two new friends, got to see and talk to some dear friends that live here... and Shirley and I got to spend both of our Birthdays together! So it was a really fun trip. But as always, I can hardly wait to get back home and see Jeff and my little Granddaughters and family!
This goodbye isn't going to be as hard as usual, because we already have a trip planned together in September. Plus, when I get home...in 3 days after that my whole family is flying home. We will all be together for the first time in a long time. I can hardly wait to hold and play with my little Kai boy! So I am excited to head home and get ready for them!



I felt blessed this trip, to be able to attend so many wonderful events and experiences with my family and friends. I thank my Heavenly Father for the chance to get up every morning and have yet...another day! I feel that I just can't miss being with my family and friends as much as I possibly can. For those dear friends that I missed seeing this visit, please know that I love and miss you.
Need to head to bed,  good night dear friends!

 

 

Saying good bye to my little cowboy!

What a hard thing it is to leave and say good-bye to our sweet little cowboy! It has truly been fun, to meet him and be able to be a small part of his life already!  He is beginning to smile a little. Mostly for his Mommy and Daddy! Fun to see his cute little dimples when he does. I have a hard time realizing who babies look like at this young age, but when I go home I definitely need to look up Brad's baby book and compare their photos.
As I hold him, I am always amazed at the miracle of life...what a blessing to have him come to earth healthy and happy, that is nothing to take for granted. So I am starting to pack my bags for tomorrow. My flight is early in the morning. It was a treat to spend time with Brad and Krystal, it has been way too long since we have seen them. We really have missed them! How fun it is to see one of your own children, as a parent now. Brad is amazing with little Kai and Krystal...well, let's just say she came into Motherhood naturally; like she has done it her whole life. Actually being the oldest in the family, she did have alot of practice. Little Kai is truly a Mommy's boy, he knows the minute she comes in or leaves the room, it is amazing to see how much they know at such a young age.

So I will prepare to say good bye to my real little cowboy! The cowboy theme is what they are going to do his room in, and he is laying on his little cowboy and indians quilt that his Mommy made for him. Gotta love those handmade quilts! :)

So good night dear friends!

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body."  ~Elizabeth Stone

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."
~Eda J. Le Shan

                             "Children reinvent your world for you."    ~Susan Sarandon

 

Families and Friends

Well ,today started out a bit tough because we had to say good bye to Lauren as we headed back to Utah. Brad and Krystal decided to come with us for a day, and so we had everyone ( other than Angie and John back home ) leaving with us except Lauren. Of course I cried, even though I realize we will see each other in 4 months, but still I really miss her. She is doing well and is very happy there and we couldn't have been prouder but still...I miss her.

Then I ended my day with a visit from a new best friend of mine.  She and I met a year and half ago. She was working at a craft show and I was there shopping. I really felt impressed that I needed to talk to her, and after a 1/2 hour conversation, we were best friends and we have been in touch ever since. I am always amazed at how many incredible people there are in the world. My nephew asked me tonight " How many best friends do you have Aunt Lynn" I could proudly say..." Too many to count". Yes, I am a very rich women and tonight I am extremely thankful for Families and Friends

"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses."  ~Joyce Brothers

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family."  ~Anthony Brandt

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."   ~Anais Nin

Why is it so hard?

I am leaving on a trip today, and I am wondering why it is so hard for Mother's to leave? I had a million things to do and yet, I still wanted a great dinner for everyone last night, the house to be cleaned and all the laundry to be caught up and folded. I must be crazy!

I had to get my sewing machine and serger to the shop, for maintenance cleaning and repairs while I am gone. Every time I started to put them in their cases, I thought of one more thing I wanted to sew real quick. When I called the shop and told them that I was bringing them in, I told the lady that I was leaving on a trip and having SEPERATION ANXIETY. She then asked me how old my children were? I laughed and said, "Oh I am not talking about my kids, I am worried about being away from my sewing machines for so long!" She laughed but she probably thought I was an terrible MOM!

I am actually missing my family already and friends. I am not sure how I will be without my granddaughters? I am a real home body. I love my home and the life I have. Leaving is a bit tough for me and yet, I am excited to go and see the rest of my family. So I need to run, I am hoping to get my blog done each night if I have service where I am going. If not, you might see a post from my daughter Amy or my husband Jeff. Beware, he has doesn't write like me.! :)

Have a wonderful day!

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."  ~ Mother Teresa

"You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind."   ~ Unknown

What is a Saint?

Well, it's New Year's Eve, and my youngest daughter just headed back to college. This is a wonderful thing, but hard on a Mother's heart! She was so excited to get back to school, to see her family (there) and friends!  It's exactly where she needs to be but... I will miss her a lot, we all will!  She is an amazing young lady, and she loves her family, and is a big help to everyone around her. Yes, she will be missed.
I won't write more because I know I am going to either start crying, or start whining to you more, so I will spare us both. Happy New Year dear friends! I hope you enjoy this last Christmas story about Nicholas, a real saint ( which in the dictionary means...a follower of Christ). I hope we can be more like St. Nicholas every day of this new year! If we would, just think what a happier world we would live in? So, let's try and change things for the better, shall we? Good night!

This is the story of the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas.
To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children.

This is the story of the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas.
To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children.

The real Santa lived a long time ago in a place called Asia Minor. It is now the country of Turkey. His name was Nicholas.
Nicholas' parents died when he was just a teenager. His parents left him a lot of money which made him a rich young man. He went to live with his uncle who was a priest.
Nicholas heard about a man who had lost all his money. He had three daughters who were old enough to get married. But in those days young women had to have money in order to get married. This money was a "dowry" and it was used to help the new family get started. If you didn't have dowry money, you didn't get married.
This family was so poor they had nothing left to eat. The daughters were going to be sold as slaves because they couldn't live at home any longer. They were very sad. They wouldn't be able to have families of their own. And they would have to be slaves—no longer able to decide where they would live or what they would do.
The night before the oldest daughter was to be sold, she washed her stockings and put them in front of the fire to dry. Then all of them went to sleep—the father and the three daughters.
In the morning the daughter saw something lumpy in her stocking. She reached in and found a small, heavy bag. Inside was gold! Enough to provide food for the family and money for her dowry. Oh, how happy they were!
The next morning, another bag with gold was found. Imagine! Two of the daughters would now be saved. Such joy!
And the next night, the father planned to stay awake to find out who was helping his daughters. He dozed off, but heard a small "clink" as another bag landed in the room. Quickly he jumped up and ran out the door. Who did he catch ducking around the corner?
Nicholas, the young man who lived with his uncle. "Nicholas, it is you! Thank you for helping us—I hardly know what to say!" Nicholas said, "Please, do not thank me—thank God that your prayers have been answered. Do not tell others about me."
Nicholas continued helping people. He always tried to help secretly. He didn't want any attention or thanks. Years passed and he was chosen to be a bishop. Bishops look after their people as shepherds look after their sheep. And that is what Nicholas did. When there wasn't any food, he found wheat; so no one went hungry. He always helped people in trouble. All his life Nicholas showed people how to love God and care for each other.
The people loved Nicholas. After he died, they told stories of the good and kind things Nicholas had done. Sailors took these stories about Nicholas everywhere they went. Some of the stories were about his special care for children—helping and protecting them when danger threatened. And so more and more people learned about good, kind Nicholas. They wanted to be like him. He is an example of how we should live. And that is why he became a saint.

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy."  ~ Francis Pharcellus Church

"Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows"  ~ Edwin Osgood Grover

Balancing Life!

Balance, that truly is the greatest challenge in life! Learning how to balance your time, your emotions, your energies and on and on. I read a quote yesterday that seemed to be written just for me, it went like this...

"LIFE IS A BALANCE OF HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO!"

That is the balance that I have been working on this past month and really trying to focus on today. When you have a child leave home, no matter why they are leaving... you start to question things. Many of the questions that I am asking myself this morning, are the very same ones that I asked myself when they were little and left for their first day of school.

DID I TEACH THEM EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD?

DO THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT IT EXPECTED OF THEM?

WILL THEY BE A GOOD CITIZEN AND MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?

WILL THEY REMEMBER TO SAY THEIR PRAYERS AND STAY CLOSE TO THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER?

HAVE I TAUGHT THEM TO BELIEVE AND HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES?

HAVE I WARNED THEM ABOUT ALL THE DANGERS IN THE WORLD, AND WILL THEY HAVE THE SELF CONTROL TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM?

DO THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AND HAVE CONFIDENSE AND A HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM?

HAVE I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO BE HAPPY?

HAVE I TOLD THEM I LOVE THEM ENOUGH?

 

All the WHAT IFS are still roaming around in my head, but I am trying to push them out and remember this quote... "THE ARE OF MOTHERING IS TO TEACH THE ART OF LIVING TO CHILDREN." ~Elaine Heffner

Yes, I hope I have taught Lauren enough? Actually, I sometimes believe that my kids have taught me so much more about life, than I ever taught them. What a blessing!

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." -Angela Schwindt

 

Ok, I need to remember to just BREATH!!!!!  She is on her way...the sky's the limit!  Wish me luck!  :)

"Whether your daughter is still a little girl or a grown-up woman, she'll always remain as your girl and will hold a special place in your heart." ~Unknown

"Why does it take a minute to say hello
and forever to say goodbye? "

Leaving

Well today was my last day here visiting with family. I am anxious to get home but have really enjoyed spending time with Shirley. It has got to be good to be around people who make you laugh so often. It seems like every day Shirley and I find more and more to laugh about. I am grateful for the chance to have had this vacation and time to visit with extended family. The thing I don't do well is say good bye, I guess it is because  you never know when you will get the chance to come back. But it has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful for the chance to get a break away for awhile.

So tonight I will leave you with a few quotes and then I have to run and get packing. I get to see Jeff and the kids tomorrow, I am excited.

Family Joys

Christmas is filled with special joys,
And the very best of all
Is contemplating those dear to us,
And the memories we recall.

We often think at Christmas time
Of people, affectionately,
And we realize how blessed we are
To have you in our family.

"It's true that HOME can be many places. It's where we feel at peace in the company of those we love...the places where we are most fulfilled and have a difficult time leaving."   ~ Barb Cahoon

"Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home."  ~Carol Nelson

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."  ~W.T. Ellis