Awareness

Somehow we have come to the end of another month. This month of October has been all about raising awareness of a subject near and dear to my heart. That awareness has to do with Down syndrome; that condition if you will that brings with it a little something extra. It’s that extra chromosome that changes everything.

Usually when we are given something extra we happily take it. Extra money; I’ll have that. Extra vacation days; I’ll take them. Extra smarts; where’s the line for that? But that extra chromosome is the one thing most people don’t sign up for. Sure those with the extra chromosome probably won’t become rocket scientists but I will tell you what those with that extra chromosome have. They have extra love. They have extra forgiveness and tolerance. They overlook my inadequacies and love unconditionally. They see the world as it should be seen for all the goodness that is in it. Do they have bad days? Do they disagree with their siblings? Do they misbehave? Yes to all but who doesn’t.

Yes I have two grandchildren with Down syndrome. They each have amazingly unique personalities. Just like my other non-extra chromosome carrying grandchildren. And at the end of the day I love each and every one of them for their goodness and what they teach me about this journey we call life.

Happy Birthday Shout Out

Believe it or not but this boy (the tall one) is twelve today!!

A Great Example to all….

Happy Happy Birthday!!

We love you so……….

Creature of Habit

It can easily be said of me “I am a creature of habit.”  Habit is an interesting word.  A habit by description is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.  Some say a habit is formed on average in about 66 days; others believe somewhere between 21 and 28 days.  All interesting.  What about the breaking of the habit again opinion varies.  Mostly depends on the type of habit.  Trying to stop eating chocolate or bad food for example probably will take longer than say……..most anything!!  And so it goes with starting a good habit say like exercise. Making exercise a habit isn’t going to happen overnight at least not for me.  

So with this thought of habit in mind one would think that inasmuch as I have posted 978 posts to my blog that blogging for me would be a habit; something I do without thinking.  It’s not.  I’m thinking about it all the time.  For the past two years I have been blogging daily; over 730 days of daily something, something.  If I were a missionary my mission of two years would be over.  In my world of habit and order I like my blog to be posted by 6:00 a.m. Today it didn’t happen.  In a flash my so called habit was obliterated.  I’m starting to re-think my daily writing.  Don’t think I can stop on a dime.  But do believe I’m ready to make a change.

Proverbs 10:28

"The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish."



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPat

Two Much Fun

Stay tuned............pictures to follow at days end!!! or at some day's end....

There was baseball hitting....

Face painting....

Frosting loving....

Frosting disliking.....

Kisses-a-plenty....

Hugs and more hugs.... 

 Dancing....

Sleepwalking...

All and All Two Much Fun!!

 



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPat

Location:Kansas City

The Things Winter Brings

The coming of winter brings with it the obvious.  Cold weather and in my neck of the woods rain.  Which I mentioned yesterday as something I’m thankful for, and I am.  But there are other things that winter brings as well that are my favorites.  Like hot chocolate and winter food.  Like soup and stew and turkey.  Winter brings fun holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.   Yes, winter brings some of my favorite things.

Rain

Today I’m thankful for the rain.  I love how it clears the air and refreshes the earth.  Rain … it’s so thoughtful that way.

21 Things about Me

These 21 things about me are the 21 things I see in me.

1. I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt and a friend;

2. I have four amazing children and four equally amazing children in love;

3. I have fourteen amazing grandchildren;

4. I am a Mormon;

5. I am not a fan of “no” – there are better answers;

6. I am a great lover of dogs;



7. I prefer to do it myself;

8. I love long hair;



9. I love music and to fall asleep listening to it;

10. I love to learn;

11. I love to cook when time permits;

12. I love all things potato and believe that chocolate is a food group;

13. I love cars and do a good job sleeping in them;

 

14. I love to watch sports, especially baseball;



15. I’m happy to be wrong, from time to time;

16. I’m not a fan of exercise (I wish I was, a little);

17. I’m blessed by work;

18. I don’t get offended but can be annoyed;

19.  Rude people vex me as well as those with no common sense; 

20. My favorite words are hope and obedience;

21. My cup rarely goes below the halfway mark!

 

Savoring

This moment

Go Giants!!

Spontaneous

So here is a story.  In the early days of the marriage sometimes I would just spontaneously start a water fight.  It was good clean fun.  I should mention that these water fights were usually indoors.  It was water people, it dries!  These spontaneous experiences were by my admission always started by me.  Haven’t you wanted to start one?  Of course you have, but you have to be willing to receive a cup back, unless of course you are able to out run the water.  I don’t know why but when I have a cup of water in my hand there are times I just want to throw it.  Well those water fights were years ago!  We don’t have water fights much any more, mostly never until the other night.  And believe it or not it was Mr. Man who threw the first cup!  So spontaneous of him!

So do you believe it?  Or not?? 

You be the judge!!!

Moroni 10:21

"And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope."


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPat

Morning View

Now if I could just figure out how to eliminate the power lines!

Good Deal

I'm not much of a garage sale shopper or thrift store shopper.  Mostly I like my stuff new; not always but mostly.  Although I have seen some amazing purchases from that type of shopping.  I don't really like to shop sales either because of the "sale crowd mentality." All the pushing and shoving and the picked over stuff.  The one hot item to get you into the store is gone and I end up buying the not on sale stuff.  That's not to say I don't love a good bargain. I would just rather fall into it; that’s how I roll. 

So check out this recent find. I was going crazy at each new find.  Several of the serving pieces are Villeroy & Boch; that’s nice stuff.   I know you are thinking, “what pray tell does she need/want that stuff for?”  It was a bargain I tell ya and who knows you might find a plate of cookies with your name on it and you can keep the lovely plate or platter, because I’m a giver that way!  So I know you are wondering just how much I spent on this amazing find………the answer is below!

$17.58 including tax! Don’t be jealous!

Teachers

Today my thankfulness is for the teachers in my world.  So many great ones. So many amazing ones.  But the ones I love to learn from most are the ones under 10 and the ones with four legs.

Valley

The wonderful word that came to mind was valley. In life we talk about our up moments and our down moments; the peaks and valleys of living.

In geology, a valley is an elongate depression of the earth's surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains. Visually speaking a valley is a place of great beauty. I believe God designed the earthly valleys to be exactly that way so while we felt low we had a beautiful place to reside. He is mindful of us always and in all ways.

More Giants

My mind is just not into cooking or writing or anything for that matter.  It is all about Giants baseball.  And last night’s game was outstanding!

Giants: 7

St. Louis: 1

The Giants

It’s that time of year.  The post season.  In front of the television is where you will find us when the Giants are playing; that is if you are looking for us or wondering where we are.  No question that’s where we will be!

Go Giants!!

Mark 10:14

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

10 Years

Days take forever to get through sometimes.  Weeks can drag on endlessly.  Months can disappear into the night and years just simply fly by.

Ten years ago we moved into this house!

Then we decided to

Raise the roof……….

Today we are home sweet home!

Home Early

I love to walk into a house with the aroma of dinner wafting through the air.  This doesn’t happen often.  In fact rarely.  Yesterday was an exception.  It went down like this.  I had to be at a training in Sacramento at 9:00 in the morning.  I left the house at 6:30 a.m. I was solo; which is not my favorite thing.  Generally I’m the sleeping passenger not the driver.  But I was excited over the fact that I would be home around 3:00 in the afternoon.  So I overlooked my solo-ness.  I was excited because I would be home early enough to fix a nice meal.  I did indeed get home just before 3:00 after a very long, torturous drive home listening to the Giants win. (They like to torture me!)  I prepared a wonderful meal of pork chops and rice.  Then I ran a quick errand so I could come home to the aroma.  It didn’t disappoint.  The aroma was just like I imagined it would be……..delectable!!

Moments

Some moments call for

Serious talk…..

Other moments call for

Laughter!!!

Quote of the Day

“I hold my position that I've never had a bad day, just hard ones.”

~~Elder Christopher Nance

Currently serving in Argentina

Meatloaf Night – How Presidential can it be?

This meatloaf recipe is my grandmother’s and the only one I ever make.  I will admit I have tweaked it a bit.  Instead of baking it in the oven, I use the microwave.  Moist and perfect every time.

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Cup Uncooked Oatmeal
1 Egg
1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
1 Small Onion Chopped
Salt and Pepper

Mix together well; get your hands in it and really work it together.  Take a round glass baking dish (cake pan size) and invert a custard bowl in the center.  The custard bowl acts like a vacuum and all the fat from the meat just goes right into the bowl.  Spray the glass dish with Pam and then gently place handfuls of the meat mixture in the dish to form a ring.  You don't want to pack it in.

Cook in the microwave for 8 to 10 minutes.  While it is cooking mix together the glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Mustard (your favorite kind)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Remove Meatloaf from microwave after initial cooking time and top with the yummy glaze.  Return to microwave and cooking for 3 more minutes.

Let Meatloaf Night Begin……….

Hair Now, Hair Then

This memory was triggered by a recent picture posted by my dil on Instagram.  The picture was of my grans giving their father a “pretend” hair cut as they watched General Conference together.  Not sure what it is about kids and hair; but it does provide entertainment.  Apparently I was no different.  I remember combing and brushing my dad’s hair while he played cards with my grandfather and uncle.  I remember it like yesterday.  It is a fond memory of mine.

Today 10:7

Modern Day Scripture

The First Weekend in October

The first weekend in October will find us watching this, General Conference! It is our weekend to be inspired by our leaders. It is a weekend of renewal. It is a weekend I look forward to every six months. Happily this great weekend will happen again the first weekend in April.

This stay-at-home weekend will find us working on small projects around the house as well. It is a blessed weekend.

This Month

For me October was never thought of as a favorite month.  Because really what is to love about it?  But that was then and this is now.  And one of the reasons I love it is because some of my favorite people are blogging daily as part of the 31 for 21 Challenge.  And that shoots October right to the top of my favorite month list!  And if I’m really lucky maybe they will keep blogging in November and then December and then forever!!  That would be something!!

Lemonade

Sometimes it hardly seems fair that a person with fourteen grandchildren should live states (several states in some cases) away from said grandchildren. After all aren't grandparents supposed to spoil and otherwise override all rules set by the parents?  (That was a rhetorical question; no need to send an answer, thank you!)  It is vexing to me that I find myself in such a predicament. However, when I remember the words of my father, "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, everyday would be Christmas" I realize maybe the miles away aren't as bad as they could be.  Considering they are so thrilled to see us at every visit; if it were daily or even weekly the response might be something like this, "oh it's you again!" I'm thankful for things like the internet and airplanes that whisk us away.  Sure it isn't the perfect scenario but it is our scenario and I'm good with it.  Because when life gives me lemons I always make lemonade.

Two of Fourteen

For the record I think all my grans are special. In fact I believe them to be amazing. I have a little saying stuck to my computer at work that says, "What makes me special is you!" And truly what makes me special is them!  I often say, "I should have had them first!" But seriously they are so amazing because they have parents that are just that in my eyes, amazing. And because of that my little grans are just the best! I love to tell people I have fourteen grandchildren from ages nine years to 6 months. Most people in my circle don't come close to such goodness. They are my blessings.

Two of these special fourteen have a little something extra; an extra copy of chromosome 21. This extra chromosome changes the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.

There is so much written about Down syndrome and you can find some of that good information at the National Down Syndrome Society. But for me personally I have all the information I need when I look into the faces of these two charmers.

They teach me about love, acceptance, laughter, and about all that is good in the world.  And that is all I need to know!

October is Here!!

But you knew that.  And you do remember what that means, right?  In case you forgot, let me me jog your memory.  It means that it is “Down Syndrome Awareness Month!”   This is the month that we (me and you) help raise awareness of that little something extra that comes with Down Syndrome.  This is the month I brag on my Delightfully Special grans.  You are more than welcome to brag on them as well, it’s easy to do.  Because well they are awesome!!

You should join up.  31 days of blogging is nothing (lots easier than jogging; I’m just sayin’) and you just might find you like it.

Grab This Button; you know you want too!

And you will be happy you did!!

Jet Lag

I'm havin' jet lag or maybe it is havin' me!!!



Be back tomorrow!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPat