Grateful!

Well, this was a long week, but I was grateful to feel a bit stronger, have my voice back and to finally get to see the girls again. Also Jeff came home last night, I sure missed him but I was glad that he got to go help Brad and Krystal move into their new house.
 It's fun to see how creative the girls get with just with some paper, scissors, markers, and scotch tape. Doesn't take much to make them happy!

Jenny said she drew this picture of she and I. She said "Nana, I drew me and you together with all your favorite colors, Red, Green and Yellow and I put Christmas decorations around us to, since you love Christmas so much!"  That little girl sure knows her Nana!

Audrey is learn more new words every day. Tonight she wanted to eat dinner outside in her house! Fun to hear her talk so much now!

 I was grateful for the chance to make a new friend the other night. She was a lady who came into the shop a week or so ago and Friday night she came by my house to pick something up. Friday was my first day up and by that night I was pretty tired, but felt impressed to have her come in and visit for awhile. As we sat on the deck with another beautiful summer evening, I was able to listen to her life story. She had had some very hard times in her life, she felt alone and I was glad that she had come by. I could relate to many things she talked about. But most of all I was thankful to remind her that God loved her and knew about her trials. I promised her that if she would pray, that He would always be there to support her and help make her equal to any task or trial that life could throw at her. When she left, I knew that it was not chance that we met one day at the Quilt Shop. I believe everything happens for a reason. I was grateful to make yet another ...dear friend! One can never have too many! :)

" Because when you stop and look around...life is pretty good!"

I love Summer!

Summer must be here because Jeff and I finally got the deck and back yard cleaned. Jeff rented the pressure washer and I got flowers after work. So we were able to get the planters boxes all planted and back on the deck before dinner. It made me realize how much I love summer!
 

Look what your kids can learn to do this summer!

As a young Mom, it was important to me that my kids learned how to play and entertain themselves with just things around the house or outside. I really wanted them to be creative, and didn't feel a need to buy them a ton of toys to keep them occupied. I was always thrilled when they could play for hours with a cardboard box, or sticks and rocks.
So after seeing this video...I think I should have gotten them some bottles to play with! :) This was simply amazing!
So if the kids are bored, have them watch this video and get them some bottles and see what they come up with!

 Watch it Here:



P.S. Got an empty shoe box, empty paper towel roll, or old popsicle sticks and some scrapbooking paper.

Summer must be coming!

I found the best quote the other day...



Miss Audrey soaking up some Vitamin D!

Brad and Kai in Austin, just trying out their new toy!

Kai surviving theTexas heat ...with his new Sprinkler!

School Days!

Well every May I am so ready for school to be over, for things to slow down and for life not to have so many things scheduled in just one day. Then by the end of August I am feeling like we need some structure in our lives. I guess it is perfect timing, because school starts tomorrow. It is a weird feeling to only have one kid in school now. Well, I actually have 2 in college and one heading to college in January... but Lee is our only child left to go to High School. It seemed like yesterday that when people would ask me what grades my kids were in that I said, "we have one in Elementary, one in Junior High, one in High School and one in College" I thought those were our busiest days. So it feels quite anticlimactic to only be having one getting prepared and ready for school this year. He is excited and so even though my house is going to be LONELY, I am happy that he is excited to start back to school.

Being that school is starting, means we all need to head to bed earlier so I will make this a short entry tonight. I too need to head to bed. I am trying so hard to get 8 hours of sleep. I actually never get 8 solid hours of sleep but I do try to stay in bed even if I am awake so that I can get the needed rest. The first time I was diagnosed with cancer, I remember studying on ways to help your body heal and try to fight off diseases. I was so surprised to find out that sleeping does that. It is the only time that  your body can truly heal. That is because it is the only time that it doesn't have to do any other things except heal. I never really respected sleep, I just thought I was one of those people that didn't need a lot of it. But now I no longer believe that and truly try to do much better in that areas.

This time last year I remember starting out the new school year with MONO and I was really dragging. I am doing better with my energy now. My mono is finally gone ( after a year or more of it ) but I still struggle with fatigue from the radiation, I hear that can be normal. I personally don't think there is anything NORMAL about cancer or the effects it has on your body. But I am at least grateful to feel better, than I did this time last year.

I am grateful for this new school year and for the reminder to all of us to continue to learn. "Knowledge is Power" remember! Thanks for all of your love and support, good night dear friends!

"A schoolteacher had injured his back and had to wear a plaster cast around his upper part of his body. It was not noticeable at all under his shirt. On the first day of school, he discovered that many of his students were unruly  and disrespectful. He confidently walked to the window and opened it. He then sat at his desk and began looking at his notes. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the stapler and stapled the tie to his chest. He had no trouble with discipline that year"

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever." - Mohandas Gandhi

"The important thing is never to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

School and friends

When I was young school wasn't my favorite place to be but....my friends were there so I decided to stick it out. With my abuse came the feelings of no self worth and that I wasn't smart as all the other kids were. Maybe because my mind was somewhere else, maybe because I was just in SURVIVAL mode during most of those important educational years. So I would get excited every Sept to get new clothes and new school supplies (those were my favorites) and then I knew for sure that I would be in a safe place and able to be with my friends so...I guess I really did like school. (Just for the wrong reasons though)

Today was the last day of school for the High School, I have to say I am pretty excited. By the end of the school year I am so tired of schedules, finals and early mornings. I am looking forward to the summer and just kicking back a bit. Of course by the end of the summer I am ready for school and some structure in our lives soooo I guess it all works out quite nicely.

I got to visit with an friend that I haven't seen for awhile and her sweet kids, that was a treat. Friendships really do make my day, I realize that there are many struggles that I go through but life is much sweeter because of my dear friends. I feel like the past few months that I have been struggling with cancer that I have neglected many friends, not on purpose, but just because I don't have any more energy. I know a lot of people don't read blogs but that is my one attempt to let people know what is going on and that I still love and think of them.

"The only service a friend can really render is to keep up your courage by holding up to you a mirror in which you can see a noble image of yourself."
- George Bernard Shaw

Tonight is DATE NIGHT and so before I go I thought I would leave you with this great inspirational story that I found about a teacher, great insights in there for all of us. Have a good night!

The Parable of the Child
by Steve Goodier

"There is a difference between education and experience. Education is what you get from reading the small print. Experience is what you get from not reading it!"
But isn't it true that great learning comes from both education and experience? Let me tell you a parable:
A young school teacher had a dream that an angel appeared to him and said, "You will be given a child who will grow up to become a world leader. How will you prepare her so that she will realize her intelligence, grow in confidence, develop both her assertiveness and sensitivity, be open-minded, yet strong in character? In short, what kind of education will you provide that she can become one of the world's truly GREAT leaders?"
The young teacher awoke in a cold sweat. It had never occurred to him before -- any ONE of his present or future students could be the person described in his dream. Was he preparing them to rise to ANY POSITION to which they may aspire? He thought, 'How might my teaching change if I KNEW that one of my students were this person?' He gradually began to formulate a plan in his mind.
This student would need experience as well as instruction. She would need to know how to solve problems of various kinds. She would need to grow in character as well as knowledge. She would need self-assurance as well as the ability to listen well and work with others. She would need to understand and appreciate the past, yet feel optimistic about the future. She would need to know the value of lifelong learning in order to keep a curious and active mind. She would need to grow in understanding of others and become a student of the spirit. She would need to set high standards for herself and learn self discipline, yet she would also need love and encouragement, that she might be filled with love and goodness.
His teaching changed. Every young person who walked through his classroom became, for him, a future world leader. He saw each one, not as they were, but as they could be. He expected the best from his students, yet tempered it with compassion. He taught each one as if the future of the world depended on his instruction.
After many years, a woman he knew rose to a position of world prominence. He realized that she must surely have been the girl described in his dream. Only she was not one of his students, but rather his daughter. For of all the various teachers in her life, her father was the best.
I've heard it said that "Children are living messages we send to a time and place we will never see." But this isn't simply a parable about an unnamed school teacher. It is a parable about you and me -- whether or not we are parents or even teachers. And the story, OUR story, actually begins like this:
"You will be given a child who will grow up to become...." You finish the sentence. If not a world leader, then a superb father? An excellent teacher? A gifted healer? An innovative problem solver? An inspiring artist? A generous philanthropist?
Where and how you will encounter this child is a mystery. But believe that his or her future may depend upon influence only you can provide, and something remarkable will happen. For no child will ever be ordinary to you again. And you will never be the same.