The Ballard Family Highlights

Stolen

2010-02-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

January turned out to be a very sad month for me. Nope, no death. Nope, no major sickness. Nope, no injuries or accidents. Let me explain.

A few weeks before Christmas, I decided to wear my Granny's wedding ring that she gave me a few years ago. I wasn't able to see her during Christmas this year, so I thought that I would wear a very special piece of her jewelry to remind me of her during the Christmas holidays. So, I put my own wedding rings in my jewelry box to hang out with so many other pieces of precious jewelry that my Mom and Granny had given me over the last 20 years.

Nestled in the jewelry box was a ring that my Mom used to wear as her own wedding ring. It was a diamond cluster ring, not too big or fancy. I remember it being on her finger when I would lay across her lap as a kid and ask her to scratch my back with her long beautiful nails. Also in the jewelry box was the first ruby ring my Mom gave me. I was probably in 7th or 8th grade and she bought me and my 2 sisters matching rings for Valentine's Day. It was a little gold band with five gold hearts across the top with 5 little rubies in each one. When I would remember, I would wear it on Valentine's Day to remember my Mom.

The first diamond ring my Granny ever gave me was in that jewelry box. My Granny loves sparkly jewelry. One year when I was in high school, my Granny decided she had too much jewelry and she gave it all away to her kids and grand kids. The piece I got had nine diamonds in it in the shape of a diamond. It looked perfect on my hand.

Over the years, my Granny continued to share her treasures with me and my daughter. She gave Mackenzie her first gold ring. It didn't fit, but she was sure to grow into it one day. She gave us gold bracelets, diamond earrings, and the irreplaceable list goes on.

Besides the wedding rings that I had taken off to wear my Granny's, the first wedding set that Rick gave me was also in that treasured jewelry box.

Can you see where this story is going? It was all STOLEN! Taken by someone that has no heart. Taken by someone that has no thought of what it meant to me. Someone that has no comprehension of what it means to love and be loved. Taken by my sister-in-law..........

January 16, 2010 I went to put my Granny's wedding ring back into my jewelry box and get my own out. When I opened the box to put it in with the other memories that shared it's home, it was empty. Gone. Nothing left. My heart sank. I panickly opened my other jewelry box, and it too was empty. Gone. Nothing left. I cried out for my husband and he came to my rescue with no reasonable explanation as to why my treasures were taken. First came tears, then shock. Third came anger, then grief. Fifth came POLICE!

I had to sit and remember what was missing so I could make a list for the police. With each remembrance came more tears. I felt like a family member had died. You see, to me when you can see someone and touch them, and talk to them, it makes them more real. You can look at that person and memories of good and bad can flood into your mind. My treasures made me remember my Mom. They made me remember my grandparents. It made them feel like they are not 2500 miles away. They made me feel special.

I didn't idolize the jewelry. Actually most of the time I would go months without seeing it or opening up my jewelry box. But, it was there if I wanted a memory. It was there if I needed something that I could physically see to remind me of their love for me. It excited me to think I would give it all to my daughter and future granddaughter.

Neighbors saw her at my house during the holidays. They saw her in my driveway when we were away for the day with friends. She could have had a key. She had driven our car before and I wouldn't doubt that she had an extra key made. I have seen her over the past few months wear MY clothes. She said they must have gotten mixed up in her laundry when she stayed at our house a long time ago. She also said that we do shop at the same places and they aren't even mine. Funny how mine was missing...

There is no way to 100% prove that she took my treasures. Even though a family member has said she received a check from "Cash for Gold" within a few weeks that my treasures went missing. My friend and I spent a whole day scouring pawn shops in the East Bay area...

Nothing. Gone. Stolen!

The hardest thing I had to do was call my Granny and tell her everything she had worked hard for me to have was taken from me. I was so heartbroken. But, being the loving, forgiving, beautiful person she is, she told me something I hadn't though about. She said that the jewelry was material possessions, and that not having them couldn't take away the memories that I have in my heart. She said that I need to love the person that took them from me and continue to pray for her salvation.

I am definitely not there yet. I am still angry and hurt by her. I will not let her hurt my family again. She is no longer a part of our life. Maybe one day I will be able to pray for her.

Praise God, I still have my Granny's wedding ring!

My October

2009-11-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

I love these two kids more than my heart can express. They are so loving in their own little way. However, the past month few months have been so hard as a parent. It is physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining. I'll get back to that in just a sec. First I want to highlight a good thing.

I have been wanting to post something fun for a while now, but I have not had any inspiration. How could I not have any inspiration when I have two kids that keep my on my toes? How could I not have any inspiration when the Lord has bless me tremendously with great friends? More so, how could I not have any inspiration when I have an awesome God? I'm still wondering...

We went on a trip to Southern California for a week at the beginning of October. We stayed with our friends and had a wonderful time with them, as usual. After 7 days there, Rick and I left our kids in the desert ( even though leaving them in the desert sounds nice sometimes, we left them with our friends) and went on a 3-day cruise to Mexico. The cruise was great. Mexico was ehhh, Ok-ish. The time with my husband was AMAZING!

It was fun to dress up and have nice dinners.

We spent some time out by the pool even though it was a little too cold to get in.

We went to a few comedy shows, played a little bingo, and ate a LOT of food.

While Rick and I were living the good life on the cruise, the kids were staying with our friends riding their dirt bikes, playing with the dogs, and chopping firewood.

So, there is my highlight. What is the low light? Having a teenager and a pre-teen that know everything, and has an opinion about everything. They look like little angels when they get along like this...

Not too many big brothers would help a sister out by flat-ironing their hair for them. But, most of the time he is bugging her by changing the t.v. to what he wants to watch, or telling her to go get this and bring him that. I swear he thinks we had her to be his personal assistant!

I really don't know how to put my thoughts and frustrations into words, but all I can say is it is hard. It is hard managing homework and grades, youth group and gymnastics, tests and projects. The list goes on. It's even harder when "someone" isn't honest about their school obligations. It's hard to not be appreciated by your kids, after all you do for them, out of obligation or out of love.

At times, I question my ability to parent. Am I too hard on them? Am I too laid back? All I can do is give what God has given me...Grace and Mercy. And hopefully everyone will make it out alive!

During some of my most desperate times, I have found these scriptures comforting. It's hard to put my hope in something that is uncertain. The uncertainty being that they will turn out to be God fearing, Jesus loving, giving not receiving, adults.

I pray that they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. 2Pet 3:18

Because Jesus keeps them safe, the wicked one does not touch them. 1Jn 5:18

I thank you Father that Your Word prevails over our children. Acts 19:20

I say they are obedient, not conforming to the things of the flesh. 1Pet 1:14

Not Your Average Disciple

2009-09-21T13:46:00.001-07:00

Taylor had his best friend over Friday night. While his
friends mom was still there, the boys approached us
and asked if they could go "Ding Dong Ditching". To
some, the phrase is known as "Door Bell Ditching".
All three of us adults immediately said no, but they
kept insisting that Rick could even join in on their
adventure. They reassured us how harmless it is, but...

The answer was no.

They kept asking, so I finally said OK. On one condition.
They had to tape a scripture to the door of the house
they ditch.

Well, that is all they needed to hear. They ran into the
office and started looking up scripture. Of the 66
books in the bible, and the thousands of verses, they
came up with one that said something about laying
a bull on the alter to be sacrificed.

UMMM, NO!

We told them they had to be encouraging and uplifting.
Of course they turned right to Psalms. They also got
a few from Romans.

And off they went..."Ding Dong Ditching Disciples"
running through my quiet little neighborhood at
9:00 PM. Four scriptures were handed out that
night. At one point, a guy came out of his house
and the boys started running yelling, "Look on your
door, just look on your door!"

Who knows, you might be the next victim of the "Ding
Dong Ditching Disciples". If you are, please know that
Christians have fun too!!

There's This Girl...

2009-09-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a rough day for me. Mackenzie is having a hard time adjusting to her new life as a middle schooler, so I get a call from one of her teachers to talk about some concerns. That was the first part of my sadness.

Our new dogs have developed separation anxiety over the last week or so. They have already chewed a hole in the door molding of the laundry room door that comes in from the garage. I get home from work and find that the dogs have clawed holes in the screens on two of the windows. That was the second part of my sadness.

So my curly headed son is laying on the bed next to me after this overwhelming, emotional day. We are both laying on our stomachs, and he puts his face near the back of my hair and takes a BIG sniff. "Mom," he says. "There's this girl at school. She has blond hair, and it smells AMAZING." I turn to face him and I ask, "does it smell as good as mine?" And he politely says, "Maybe even better".

I love him and I'm not sad!

We Are Supposed To Be...Why Aren't We?

2009-09-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this post for a long time. I just can't seem to find the words to etch my thoughts into forever. So, I have decided to think about what I am going to say...say it...and post it. No editing, no 'that doesn't make sense', no perfection, because at the time of me writing this, it makes perfect sense to me.

I love her. I've known her all of my life. At one point, she even saved my life. But as the years have gone by, things have changed from the days we used to play in the dirt together. They have changed into days, weeks, months, and even a year since we have spoken. Time is going by so fast and I feel hopeless about our relationship.

How did things get this way between us? In my mind, it is because she has always made everything a competition. She has always tried to "one up" me...in beauty, in money, in success. She has never been content in her own life. I have and I think that kills her. But there is one MAJOR reason for that...Jesus Christ! I have Him to give me all the desires in my heart. I don't look to the world to give me happiness. Psalms 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I have never desired worldly things. I have always wanted a healthy, happy family, and a safe stable home for my husband and I to raise our children. The rest of what I have are all pure blessings from my faithful Heavenly Father.

Growing up, we never had the best of anything. My dad worked, my mom stayed home with us kids, and that was that. I was happy. I was content. I realized early on that if my parents had it to give to us, they would. She was resentful. She wondered why everything wasn't equal and fair. She didn't understand how our parents went through different circumstances during the different time that us girls were coming up. Why? Why were you resentful? Did you not know that our parents loved us? They would have done everything exactly the same for each of us if they could have. No one is perfect. Especially in raising kids. You have to let go of the past and make it right with your own children. ok, see...I told you no editing. I went from writing 'about' her, to writing 'to' her. FOCUS! "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Isaiah 43:18-19 (The Message). I really wish she Believed. I pray for her. I wish she would let go of the past and focus on what great things would happen to her if she would accept the blood that Christ spilled for her. Great things...great things will happen for her, I'm sure of it. She just needs get out of the drivers seat and lot God take control.

We are supposed to be best friends. That's what sisters are. Why aren't we? What can I do to make it right between us? I have pride that overwhelms my body sometimes. I know I can start by getting rid of it. Humble myself. Call her. I've done it before and she didn't answer. I felt anger. I felt like I was trying to reach out and she closed the door. What if I call her again? What if she answers? What will I say? My heart is beating harder at just the thought of having a conversation with her. Why? Satan! He has put doubts in my heart that I have listened to for too long. I want to talk to her. I want to ask her so many questions. Why? Why have you let everything go? Why have you hurt yourself? Why have you quit caring?

What needs to happen is: "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

This song by Chris Sligh is perfect. "Empty me of the selfishness inside, every vain ambition, and the poison of my pride, and any foolish thing my heart holds to..." I couldn't have said it better myself, Chris!

"More Beautiful You"

2009-08-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

I guess this post goes along with a previous post about fitting in. It really hit home when my daughter was bullied this weekend and was told that she has ugly hair and weird teeth and her eyes are shaped funny, oh and she can't sing good either. Well, you can bet your bottom $dollar$ that I had a few words with the girl that said those nasty things to my little beautiful girl.

I told her that in our house we only say uplifting things to each other and if we don't have anything nice to say, then we don't say anything at all. Of course we all have our days where we fight with the ones we love and say things that we regret, but to just say mean hurtful things for no reason does not go over very well with me. Not that there is EVER a reason to say mean things...you get my point...I'm sure! I was just trying to make a point to her that mean words like that can go a long way, and they can really make someone feel bad about themselves and question their identity.

Jonny diaz sings about this so well in his song "More Beautiful You". This is my favorite part of the song.

I wish that you could see That beauty is within your heart And you were made with such care your skin your body your hair Are perfect just the way you are

So, go tell your kids just how beautiful they are. I tell my sweet girl Mackenzie just about everyday that she is the "Prettiest One".

I Get Angry When...

2009-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

I come home and the house is a total disaster and the kids have been home for 3 hours and have added to the mess.

I get to work and my boss eats chips at 8:30 am and rattles his bag and crunches his food like a horse eating hay.

My husband is clueless to the things I do that makes our family run properly.

Grown adults depend on their parents to function.

I Get Happy When...

My kids make good choices.

I get to sleep in.

I go on road trips with my husband and kids.

My husband gives me a back rub without asking for additional "favors".

I spend time with friends.

My mom comes for an unexpected visit.

I hear my Granny's voice.

I think about the price Jesus Christ paid for wee little 'ole me!!

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

To Fit In or Not To Fit In...That Is The Question

2009-07-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

Back-to-School....ALREADY! Remember in my other posts where I have talked about Taylor Lovey Dovey being a High Schooler now? And my Little Lucy going into Junior High? Well, last night was Back-to-School night at Mackenzie's school and on the way home she was talking about her classes and her friends and how cool her new school was. Well, Taylor put his two cents in, and believe me he has ninety-eight more cents where those came from, and was talking about how much "cooler" his High School was than her Junior High. Now, there is one thing you have to remember here...he just spent the last 3 years there and now ALL OF A SUDDEN, it is no longer cool.

Mackenzie continued to talk about her friends and then she said it..."Well, I'm just trying to fit in". What? Why does my sweet little baby need to fit in with those snobby losers? She is PERFECT the way she is. I love her innocent ways. I love that she thinks she can wear the same thing two days in a row to school (I have never let her do that). I love that she can go to school without brushing her teeth (I have let her do that). Then she said, "is that ok mom, is it ok to fit in?" I didn't want to tell her no, because I knew that I had done exactly the same thing in school. But, I didn't want to tell her yes, because I didn't want her to conform to what the world says is cool.

Taylor had gone through the same thing in Junior High. I wasn't part of the conversation, Rick was, but he did say at one point that he was a little anxious about going into High School because he had spent the last 3 years climbing the ladder to make him the coolest kid in school! Well, I don't think he said he was the coolest, but with his ego, at times I think he thought he was the coolest. Anyway, what made him anxious is because he was having to start ALL over again...making a reputation for himself in High School. I haven't seen anything that is totally negative about that. For the most part, he didn't conform to the world, but I do think that it affected his humble attitude. Now he thinks he knows everything because he knows SO many people and whether he has gone through a situation or not, he knows someone who has and that makes it the Gospel!

So, what did I say to Mackenzie, you ask. I told her that it is ok to try to fit in as long as she doesn't compromise who she is as a person, what she believes as a Christian, and asks herself if what she is doing is putting a smile or a frown on God's face.

Washington D.C.

2009-07-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Three days after the kids went to Alabama for the summer, Rick and I packed our bags, jumped on a plane and headed to Washington, D.C.. I was going to a workshop for work so we decided it would be fun for Rick to come along for a few days before my work began.

This is the first picture we took before our adventures began.

We had so much fun. We were like newly weds on a honeymoon. Going from here to there. Eating great dinners. Seeing the sites. We took an open-top bus tour, and it was so much fun.

AIN'T WE CUTE?

We got to see where the 44th President of the United States of America lives. Like him or not!

We drove by the National Cathedral. We really wanted to go in but there was not enough time in the day. Next time though, definitely!

We went to the Capitol Building. It was Sunday, so it was closed and there wasn't anyone picketing on the steps. But just a few blocks down the street there was a big Gay parade. We didn't venture down there. It wasn't worthy of a picture.

Rick and I went to the Air and Space Museum and saw so many cool things. I thought this was interesting.

According to Wikipedia, Samuel P. Langley was an American astronomer, physicist, inventor of the bolometer and pioneer of aviation. I just though it was cool that my family has the same last name. Maybe he was my great great great uncle or something

This was the first motorcycle; invented to test the engine for an aircraft!

This was the first plane to land in the Antarctic. Can you imagine landing a plane with skis for wheels?

NOT ME!!

There was so much to see there. After Rick left, I saw "Night at the Museum 2" on the IMAX screen there. Very Good Movie!

I just love the buildings. They paid so much attention to detail.

I've seen pictures of the Arlington Cemetery before, but pictures can never do this place justice. It gives so much more meaning to the term SACRIFICE when you see it in person!!

It makes me so THANKFUL to have him at Home!

The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was very touching. Whether you are anti-war or pro-war, it really let's you know that our Soldiers are important!
We saw the Washington Monument, and boy was it HEAVY!

"FORREST!!"..."JENNY!!"

Did you know that it is called the Washington MONUMENT because it was being built while George Washington was still ALIVE. Memorials are for people who are DEAD...like the

Lincoln Memorial

He's in there...See!

Then we made our way on over to the Natural History Museum where there was so much to see that we could have spend the whole day there. But we were on a time constraint so we saw what we could. One of my favorite things to see was this...duh duh dommm...

The Hope Diamond

Just give me one of the little ones, that's all I want!!!

I don't know what significance this skeleton has (I forgot) but it was REAL and it was THERE!

This was the Natural Archives DOOR. This is where the Declaration of Independence is stored. Don't we look like little ants compared to this thing?

We did take time to "Stop and smell the flowers"...

At the Botanical Garden

We had a great time in Washington D.C. I stayed four more lonely days after Rick left. One of my favorite memorials was the Pentagon. I went to see it after Rick left, and did not get any pictures of it. It was very special to me. I think because this is an event in time that my generation was actually a part of. The design had so much thought put into it. You can read about it here.

THE END!

My Little "Lucy"

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

She is my baby girl. She's a sensative, outspoken, kind-hearted, tell you like it is little girl. Yes, I know, those adjectives contradict each other, but that is her personality. Oh, did I mention she is a Daddy's Girl?

When I was pregnant, she would get the hiccups just about every night. I would lay in bed wanting to sleep so bad, but she would just hiccup...hiccup...hiccup away. I had heartburn so bad my whole pregnancy, that sometimes it would literally make me sick. People would give me hope and say, "oh, she's gonna have so much hair", but I didn't care. I just wanted to feel like my food was in my stomach, not in my throat!

By the time she was born, I had gained 26 lbs. I kept most of the weight off during pregnancy by swimming everyday with her big brother. We had so much fun in the pool that summer while waiting for her arrival.

After being in labor for around 25 hours, she was born early in the morning as the sun was coming up... bright'n early at 5:14 am . She tipped the scales at 7 lbs 12 ozs, which meant I had around 18 pounds to lose all on my own (sigh). She was the sweetest person I had ever seen (besides the equally just as sweet little boy I had 3 years earlier). All that heartburn paid off! She had the most long, dark hair that I have seen on a baby. She was ready for a hair bow, no doubt!

When she came home from the hospital, she was as precious as they come. She would make the cutest little grunts and wimpers that would just make my heart melt. As she would lay in her crib, she would find her thumb and sleep like a little angel....FOR ONLY TWO HOURS AT A TIME! Can you believe it? TWO hours! She did not sleep through the night until she was about 2 years old. Talk about sleep deprived! We were the poster parents for sleep deprived.

By the time she was 1 year old, she had a 'fro like nobodies business. She never lost any of her dark locks that she was born with, resulting in her dad and I becoming instant beauticians.

Over the years, she has developed her own sense of style. She has no problem wearing polka dots with stripes, or a purple sweater with a red skirt, pulled together with the most appropriate shoes... Vans! For her second day of preschool, she had to wear her green little sundress with socks and tennis shoes, along with a few accessories; a pink bracelet, and a pair of fake reading glasses (I guess she was going for the intelligent look for her second day of class) accompanied by the cutest little purple lunch bag.

She loves her God. She is never shy to witness to others about who Jesus is. For the last couple of years, within the first few weeks of school she has came home and told us who is and who is not a Christian, and what church they go to. She loves to listen to Christian music. Her IPod is full of it...well that, and Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers.

She is full of adventure. There is not much that she won't try at least once. When she was 4 years old she went on the Tower of Terror at Disneyland. Not too many little girls would venture to do that. She loves to ride her dirtbike to be like her big brother.

She loves her big brother...well, sometimes

Speaking of adventure...

And she's silly, like her mom...

She won "CRAZIEST HAIR" in 3rd grade at AWANA

She loves...loves...loves to collect junk mail. She loves...loves...loves to shop at the Goodwill. She loves...loves...loves to eat every two hours (that hasn't changed since the day she was born) "I'M STARVING" is something often heard around our house. She loves...loves...loves T.V. and Reading. I think she can do them both at the same time, while eating!!

She is my favorite girl in the whole world. She is my Little Lucy and she willl be going into the 6th grade this year. Junior High...YIKES!!!

Ratty Hair...who does he think he is?

2009-02-12T14:14:00.001-08:00

I just thought I would share with the whole freakin' world what my boss said to me today. But first, let me start off with how our professional relationship began.

I had been working at the lab for about a year, when the department I was supporting lost funding and was redistributing their support to other areas of the lab. I'm just a wee little secretary, or to be politically correct, Administrative Support Specialist. These days, everyone has a "specialist" in their title...or at least where I work. Can you be a "Toilet Repair Specialist", or a "Vaccuum Cleaner Operator Specialist"? I'll leave that one for you to decide. (oh how I digress) Back to my story. When I was redistributed, I still had to interview with the people that I would be supporting. Well, I came in to work that day all eager to start my new assignment, and ready to meet my new boss, and leave it to me...(remember, the wee little secretary) to put my foot, or on that day, my high heel, in my mouth.

I was being told that he (we'll call him Bill...because well, that's his name) does a lot of foreign travel and that I would support all of his arrangements which included securing his visa and passport for the different countries that he would be traveling to, as well as all of the logistics that goes along with traveling to a foreign country. So, with his passport in my hand, I looked at his DOB (for all of you non-wee little secretaries, that means Date of Birth) and I said, "Oh, you are the same age as my dad". STUPID!! Really STUPID! "Why the Hell did I say that", I thought to myself. I am a freakin' MORON!! (not mormon...MORON...those two are different). ANYWAY, he just sat there and raised his eyebrows and said "Oookkkk then". You know the kind of wow, I can't believe she just said that, OK. From that day forward, he (remember Bill) knew I was different.

So today, I was minding my own business, pushing papers for him to leave the country in a few weeks, and he said, "what's up with the ratty hair today". WHAT! Did he just say that I have ratty hair? Oh no he dit'en! Does he realize that I got my fat butt out of bed at 5:30 am this morning (ok, it was actually 5:41 am, but 5:30 am sounds better) to drive to the gym and work-out for an hour, only to rush home, shower, and get ready in 30 minutes? On mornings like these, it's totally a curly-hair day. No time for blow drying and straightening for 30 minutes. It's curly. It's the way my Creator made me (sorry God for saying a bad word earlier). It's the same hair that my mom has, and I can't help that it's ratty sometimes.

I'm not mad at Bill. He just has the personality to say what he thinks, just like I do sometimes. I won't hold it against him because when he said that to me, I turned around and said, "Well, you're old and I have a flat-iron, there's still hope for me!"

The moral of this story is...there really isn't one. I just wanted to share with you that I possibly had a bad hair day. What do you think?

No Windshield

2009-01-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

It was one of those nights last night; one where no matter what I said to my precious children, they disagreed with me, and rebelled against each other. All I wanted was a peaceful trip out for fast food and a quick jaunt into the grocery store. That's all. Is that really too much to ask?

My throat is sore from screaming so loud, the dogs in our neighborhood probably wondered how I got on their frequency; and I now have a bruised toe. Now close your eyes, make up your version of what could have happened at my house last night with me and my two little angels and leave me a comment. Let me just say that it involved garbage. Yes, actual garbage. Now on to my "No Windshield" post that has nothing to do with the above mentioned "Ballard Highlight".

It's eight in the morning and we are running late. Again. Rick has a meeting at eight thirty every Wednesday morning, and it never fails, something always comes up. Usually it's the typical search for a shoe that gets hidden under a blanket, or the frantic cry of "where's my homework, where did it go, it was right here last night!". But this morning, I remembered to grab my camera as I was running out the door. Every since my first blog when I was thinking about what in this world I would write about, I have been thinking about our drive to work.

It is a beautiful drive. This is my favorite time of year to go to work. Not because I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my job; I'm thankful for it, but don't LUVVVVVV it. It's my favorite time because the scenery is amazing. The rolling hills are all green from the winter rain. In the meadows, I see what was once a dried up stream, is now flowing with water for all the livestock to drink.

On the hillside I see herds of cattle, all minding their own business, as thousands of cars pass by every day in their attempt to make ends meet. My favorite is when I see a herd of sheep grazing on the hillside. It reminds me of biblical times when an actual Sheppard was needed to watch over his flock. As I am writing this, I pause for a minute to think about this.... The sheep on that hillside no longer need a Sheppard, but I do. Every day I need my Saviour's staff to grab me and pull me back in. Carry on...

As Rick was driving, I had my window down with the wind blowing in my face. It was a very cool, crisp wind. The kind that you want to fill your lungs with because you know it doesn’t last long around here. As I took pictures of the hills with the windmills in the background, I looked at Rick and said, "I wish there was no windshield". In my mind, if there were no windshield, I wouldn't be so restricted as to what I could photograph, and my view would not be obscured by the bugs and dirt left over from our carwash, four months ago (you never get your money's worth). Rick quickly reminds me that we do, in fact, need a windshield to travel this road; for protection. Again, I think about how I need God as my windshield. He lets me see the things that could possibly harm me. He even lets me get dirty with the bugs and the dirt, but he is always there to protect me and clean me off when I drive through that mud puddle too fast.

Thanks for going on the journey with me to work. The sad thing is that my beautiful scenery always ends with me driving through the gate at work. The good thing is that when I go home, I leave that place behind and get to see everything all over again, and see the pot of gold at the end of Vasco... my two precious children.

The time has come...

2009-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ballard,

Our records indicate that your child, Taylor Lovey Dovey (emphasis mine), will be entering the 9th grade during the 2009-2010 school term. He is currently zoned for "The only H.S. in your town". We will be having High School registration as well as a parent question forum on Tuesday, January 27, 2009... BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH....

Thank you,

Your Friendly, Make Your Kids Grow Up Too Soon High School Leader Person

WHAT!!! (If you can imagine a record needle scratching across a record, insert that here) Did they just say that I needed to register my little tiny 8 lb 2 oz, 20 inches long baby boy for HIGH SCHOOL? I must have opened someone else's mail. But wait, the letter WAS in fact addressed to the parents of Taylor Lovey Dovey, so it's not a mistake, the letter is mine, and they are talking about MY baby. It's true...he WILL be in High School next school term and there is nothing I can do about it. I could tell him it is OK not to do his homework, and discourage him from studying for tests and never make him do another book report again! But that would be too familiar to his current study habits.

I guess I will let him age gracefully, with the friends that he has made over the past 4 years that we have lived in this one horse town. He is not the little 8 lb 2 oz baby that I remember from almost 14 years ago. He is a growing young man; complete with arm pit hair, peach fuzz on his upper lip, and a voice deep enough to fool even the smartest bill collectors, and even most of our friends.

He has hit the age where style matters. Only light colored jeans. Must wash or re-wet hair before going out of the house. Flannel shirt in lieu of jacket. Black no-show socks. "Does this match, Mom?", I hear every morning. "Where's the cordless phone?", I yell almost daily. We have 2 and they are both in his room. At least once a month, he catches Rick and me off guard. He says, "I'm gonna ask 'her' out after church today", or "Mom..Dad, today is the day. I'm gonna ask (insert flavor of the week here) out during lunch today. What do you think she'll say?". Rick has totally zoned in on Taylor's "type". Olive skin, dark hair, straight teeth, and a blossoming figure.

Oh God, HELP ME!! I'm right...the time has come...in less than 7 months, HE WILL BE A HIGH SCHOOLER!

This is a test...Can I really Blog?

2009-01-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm all logged in and ready to hit the blogger world. Afterall, it is the latest craze in the www world. People blog about everything; food, recipes, restrauants, pets, kids, family, divorce, proper foot care...you name it, and there is a blog about it.

But what will I blog about? Do I have anything of interest in my life that anyone besides me would remotely be interested in reading? Or, will I blog just for the sake of looking back on my life with my kids and husband in tow, and be able to remember the events and memories that we have shared together with other family and friends? I could blog about recipes that I have stolen...oops, I mean, taken off of other blogs, and take my own pictures of me masterfully making their dish. I could blog about my 45 minute commute to work and 45 minute commute home from work. I could even take pictures of the hills on Vasco Road as my husband drives us to and fro every morning. Actually I drive the fro, he is in charge of the to...I just thought it sounded very bloggy...you know...the to and fro...

I think I will think about the whole concept of blogging for a little while longer. I still have to learn how to make my blog look cute, and how to post pictures and links to previous blogs if I mention another one in my current blog....Ok Ok, I am getting way ahead of my self. Afterall, this is only a test ............