Fond Farewell

It's with great sadness that I say good bye to 2017. It's really been a great year. I know it started off a little bit rocky with the tornado rearranging the landscape around us in early March, but no one was killed and friends and family came from all over to help out-many, many thanks to them.
Paul started his first semester as Beth was finishing her last-and not to be outdone, the baby started nursing school too. They've all done extremely well and made this mama prouder than a peacock. I can't believe how smart they are. Spring ended with a great big party-Mike and Kate got married in Michigan. What a wedding! What a trip!
We got to visit with Mary and Dave and eat the most amazing ice cream in North America.
Then, my wonderful husband and I ventured to Niagra Falls and did every touristy thing we could find. He even sprung for a motel that overlooked the Falls-something I will never, ever forget.
We tried poutine and pasties.
I delighted in the fact that my husband is as big of a nerd as I am-so we went to the biggest cuckoo clock and through all the big things in Casey, Il.  We also took our time driving through Amish country and found great cheese and wonderful covered bridges.
Then, we came back to work the garden and start bee hives.
June brought a weekend with my sisters in a yurt. Lee discovered bull frog tadpoles and running elk. Her kids discovered fire and smores. Dad celebrated his 75th and introduced the family to the joys of riding in an argo.
Before I knew it, summer faded into fall and Dwight and I once again hit the road. This time to see the Aspens in Colorado. We saw them-lots of them and took some incredible pictures and revisited Garden of the Gods and Black Canyon of Gunnison. It was quite an adventure as we took the dogs with us and hit snow. Then, we made a stop in Oklahoma and added Harley to our little family.
Not a bad year, but I can't help but wonder what's in store for next year.

hey good lookin' whatcha got cookin?

Up here in the hills the menu for Saturday is fried venison, garlic chicken wings, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, salad, seven up biscuits,  pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and triple berry pie.
Sunday's menu is ham, corn, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, blue berry pie, pumpkin pie, and seven up biscuits.
Drop in if you're near.

What's in your voice?

Not so long ago, I had dinner with my son Paul. He talked about school and the work he was doing. He's working so very hard and studying even harder-and all this talk? It wasn't to complain. He's passionate about learning and doing well. I often wonder if he heard that passion in his voice or if he knew about the excitement that seemed to radiate from him. I left that night feeling a little bit better about not seeing him as much as I would like to because he's doing something he loves. I've heard that some people are "called" to do something and if that's true, he's found his calling. Make's a Mama's heart do a happy dance.
Tonight, I talked with my baby Lauren. She's got the same kind of voice that her brother has. The first semester of Nursing School has been a little rough. The class started out with 29 and now they are down to 17. She's been through more than one study partner. I'm praying she keeps up the good grades-I know she can because she talks the same way that Paul does.

I hope you remember

With just seven days remaining until Christmas 2017, I hope my kids remember Christmas times of long ago.
Do you remember the trailer park off Arch Street?
Chocolate covered cherries?
Getting ready for the Holly Ball and the dancing that followed?
Snow ice cream?
Midnight mass?
The ugliest stockings on the planet?
Alvin and the chipmunks singing Christmas songs?
Christmas cookies and hot chocolate?

A Day Tradition

Long before I knew Dwight, his first cousins decided to get together every Christmas to celebrate. I'm sure those first celebrations were really hard because Grandpa died around Christmas time. Grandpa and Grandma both loved Christmas from what I hear so love of family and Christmas prevailed and the annual party started.
It wasn't too long before those first cousins had kids and grandchildren of their own. It's a huge celebration with people of all ages and walks of life. Nurses, truck drivers, teachers, farmers, loggers, doctors, and just nice people galore. There's a Christmas dinner with turkey, ham, tons of mashed potatoes and the best crock pot stuffing to every grace the planet. Another line of tables with Christmas sweets(it's where I was introduced to Potato Candy-a wonderful dish made by Uncle Sandford).
There's another table with paper sacks with everyone's name-where you can put Christmas cards for them. There's always a beautiful Christmas tree or two or three and the tables are always decorated. There's a huge rock fireplace that's lit with a couch near by. The fireplace has a wide large stone front where people can sit and that's where Nona tells the story. Every year.
Some of the little ones can't tell me how old they are, but they know Ms. Nona reads the story and that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

Happy trails problem

I know I'm rude when guests leave my house. Miss Manners would probably advise that I stay on the porch and see every one off, but that's just not possible. At our last celebration as soon as one person would leave-I could spend more time with someone else. I think I hugged everyone before they left-I tried anyway. One by one-they all left and went back to their homes and busy lives except Lee and her boys-I got to enjoy them for one more day. Enjoy them I did. We went to a cave, picked out some pretty rocks, ate at a local restaurant, and went horse back riding-all before two pm. We also saw a bald eagle on the way to the cave.
Technically, I could have watch Lee drive away. Physically not possible. I have a problem saying good bye. I know I'll see them again as soon as possible, but nothing's written in stone and it makes me more than a little sad. It was easy to say goodbye to my kids because Christmas is less than 4 weeks away and they'll come to see me once again. But my youngest nephews? These two are a blessing. They remind me how quickly time flies. It's so much fun to grab them chocolate milk and strawberries with whipped cream, because before too long they'll be too independent to ask. It's a wonderful feeling when one of them reaches out and grabs you by the hand.  Watching them learn and grow-wow...I envy their parents.

November and giving Thanks

I'm amazed at all the people that can do a daily post on what they're thankful for each day in November. Some of us, can't keep track of a phone that long. While I love Thanksgiving and the food (I've gone over my menu more than once), there's shopping and so much to do before the end of the year. So let me just do one "Thankful" post and be done with that at least ok?
Thanksgiving is technically on the 23rd so let's just keep that number. These are in no particular order.
1. I'm thankful for my health-it's not perfect but I can get out of bed and climb a deer stand.
2. My job-it's not that I love it or have great hours, but I make a decent living and work with some really cool people.
3. I'm thankful for where I live-I realize it's not on the beaten path for anyone, but I can look outside on any given day and take a picture that would make a post card.
4. I'm thankful for my friends-not a super large number, but the ones I have are great.
5. I'm thankful for Oscar-he's currently teaching me a lot about patience. He also shows me how easily it is to love-all the time.
6. I'm thankful for Dixie. She's taught me it's really ok to be different and that you should take something that you love and run with it.
7. I'm thankful for Harley-another lesson in patience, but it's a lesson in how fast things can grow and change.
8. I'm thankful for my husband that knows exactly when to hold me close and when to let me go.
9. I'm extremely thankful for my family.
10. I'm thankful for the things I've learned.
11. I'm thankful for the memories I've made this year-Dad turned 75, Mike married Kate, Dwight and I traveled to Canada, the aspens in Colorado, the snow, ...
12. I'm thankful the tornado that came through our area earlier in the year didn't kill anyone. It made us realize how precious life is.
13. I'm thankful that we got the chance to help others rebuild-it's awesome to be a part of something so strong.
14. I'm thankful that the horses know and love me.
15. I'm thankful for holidays especially one that makes us take a look at all we have.
16. I'm thankful I have a grandson.
17. I'm thankful for sweet tea, strong coffee, and strawberries.
18. I'm thankful for flannel sheets and warm fuzzy blankets.
19. I'm thankful for the hot tub on our back porch.
20. I'm thankful for veterans and all those that have served in our military.
21. I'm thankful God gives us second and third chances.
22. I'm thankful I can think for myself (most of the time).
23. I'm thankful for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I love you more

When I say that I love you more, I don't mean that I love you more than you love me. I mean that I love you more than the bad days ahead of us, more than any fight we will ever have. I love you more than the distance between us. I love you more than any obstacle that could try to come between us.
I love you the most.

Champions

Saturday we could be found at the Wienner and Wannabe Dash in Alma, Ar. It was an event to benefit a local charity that helps dogs of all kinds. They started off with a costume parade where the dogs in costumes were judged. I know there were over twenty dogs and the costumes were great.
First place went to our own Harley.
Then the races started. Seven dogs in each heat and four dachshund heats followed by a wannabe race for the other dogs. Dixie ran in the first heat and came in second so she qualified for the final race. Then went second heat. Oscar was in the third heat. Honestly, I just entered Oscar so he'd get some extra exercise.  He's a little chubby and doesn't run very often. A train came by just before his race and he couldn't get to me fast enough. He qualified for the final race too. I am so proud of him. Up next was Loki, he had never run in a race with so many dogs and especially not in front of a crowd. First place for Loki.  All three of our runners were in the final race. Dixie came in third. No train to help Oscar this time. Personally, I don't think Loki had enough time to recover from his prior race. All in all an exciting day.

#me too

Have you seen someone use the status #me too? It's a movement to bring awareness about all the women that have been victims of sexual assault or harassment.  You might have lost track as to how many times you saw it posted.  I know I lost count the too, but in the back of my mind I kept a running tally. For every one of my friends that used that status, I know three that didn't.  Maybe they just wanted to forget. Maybe it's  too painful to remember. Maybe like me, they just didn't want to talk about it or acknowledge that it happened. It didn't just happen. Unfortunately,  it's not something in the past. It's every where. Those women are your sisters, your daughters, your wife, your friends and maybe even your mother. It happens to women of every shape, age, and color. Let that sink in. Your grandma might not be safe.
It needs to stop. It should no longer be socially acceptable.  People need to be punished for this kind of behavior.  Your daughter will thank you.

And then there were three

I thought long and hard about adding another dog to our family. In fact, I had even told the lady that had the pups if there was any violence, we couldn't take him. Oscar and Dixie sniffed him from one end to the other and he was on the way to Arkansas with us.
That's been almost three weeks ago and now it's hard to imagine life without Harley. He's mastered the dog steps. He can climb in to our rather tall bed all by himself. Once there, he snuggles with me or Oscar. Dixie doesn't cuddle with Harley at all, but to be honest she won't snuggle with Oscar either. But she will play with him. They chase each other and try to rip off ears, sweaters, and legs. There's lots of barking and running. Oscar gets into the action too.
All in all, potty training is going as well as it can with an eight week old pup-it would be better if he could go down steps too, but he's started to howl when he needs down and I haven't had to wash my sheets every single night so progress is being made.
I wish I could say he hasn't destroyed anything. I wish. So far, we've lost a phone charger and one power cord(scary I know), but no shoes or underwear.
So far he's really happy doing whatever Oscar and Dixie are doing. He takes naps. Helps feed the chickens. He runs down the steps with them and has mastered the steps back up into the kitchen where he gets a treat for "going" outside.
Dwight has become his buddy. They love sharing Nacho Cheese Doritos and watching Chuck Norris.

Hayes Falls

Down  beautiful road 113 in Colorado, you'll see a sign for Hays Falls. It's a short easy hike to the Falls and very pretty. It's just a little ways past the ovens.

Down a dirt road in Colorado

Our plans traveling Colorado changed a little bit due to some unexpected snow and very cold temperatures. Sorry, I consider nineteen degrees a little too cold to go hiking. So we went off the beaten path and found some really pretty scenery.

All of these were taken off of "Keebler Pass".

Oscar and Dixie's Big Adventure Day 7

Today we traveled to New Mexico. We also did a little traveling down Route 66 known as the Mother Road. We went through part of Texas and made a little stop in Oklahoma. Mom and Dad picked up a little twerp named Harley. We may consider being friends if he ever stops biting our butts with his little sharp teeth.

Oscar and Dixie's big adventure day six-Ouray

Today we made it Ouray, Colorado. It's a small town down in a valley. We're staying at the River's Edge Motel and we got to go to a dog park. Oscar made lots of friends and Dixie did not hurt or growl at anyone. You can still see snow on the mountain tops.

Oscar and Dixie's big adventure day five

Today Dad drove us through forests of even bigger aspen trees. We went forty six miles down a dirt road! We saw cows just standing in the road-they would move if we barked at them, but who leaves cows in the road?  We eventually made it to Gunnison where we visited the Black Canyon. Did you know that if you bark in the bottom of a canyon your bark will echo for several minutes? Blame it all on the chipmunk.

Oscar and Dixie'so big adventure day four

Today we went over the Independence Pass. It was very cold and windy. Dad had to break the ice so we could get a drink. Then we stopped and hiked through some large rocks. Mom and Dad had been here before. Most of the trees are yellow aspens. We got to see another waterfall.

Oscars and Dixie'so big adventure day three

Today we saw even more snow. Dad drove to a place called Rifle and we stayed at another motel. Mom was impressed that Oscar remembered which room was ours after dinner. There were about twenty of them in a row and they all looked alike, but he stopped at our door. However, Dad was not happy with us when we
barked at the drunk people stumbling in around one am. We saw a flock of turkeys and a bald eagle too.

Oscar and Dixie's big adventure day two

Today we went to breakfast at the Buffalo Lodge and the hotel people let us inside while Mommy and Daddy drank their coffee. Then, the Moore family came over and we all went to the Garden of the Gods.  We saw the kissing camel rocks and the balancing rock. Then we went to Helen Hunt Falls where we drank really cold water. We also got to play in the snow.

Oscars and Dixie'so Big adventure Day one

We left Mom's work at 4:30 in the morning and drove through Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and made it into Colorado. Mom got us a cheese burger on the way and we got to spend a lot of time in her lap. We checked into a really nice motel called the Buffalo Lodge and the nice lady at the desk invited us to breakfast. When we got to our room, it had wooden floors with a mat for our feed dish and water bowl. There was a hook for our leash and when Dad took us for a walk-wow. There were great big trees and the area was all lit up. Then we got to meet the Moore family and kiss some kids.

Vacationitist

Vacationitist is the limbo period  just before a trip. It's when you can't sleep more than five hours at a time. You unpack and repack your suitcase to make sure you have enough underwear and socks. There's probably a to do list in every room of the house. Ok, maybe not a complete list of things to do in every room, but definitely a sticky note of some kind. I'd like to give you a preview of where we're going, but to be honest every dang time we make specific plans lately-some thing happens. Going to a party to see friends you haven't seen in several months-stomach virus appears. Planning on going to the river? Rain will come out of nowhere. It's a fact. I have sandals, shorts, tee shirts, and clothes warm enough for snow packed in one suitcase.
I don't really care where we go. That sounds pretty terrible, but I want to relax. Maybe see some pretty scenery. Do something I haven't done before and make some memories.
Wish me luck.

Little moments

Today I went to Abbygale's first birthday party. Before the party really got started, I was talking to her Great Grandmother who had given Abbygale a horse to play with. She loved it and immediately said horse. I looked at her Great Grandmother and asked what she said. I thought maybe my imagination was playing with me. Grandmother confirmed that she said horse.  Then, Abbygale very plainly said horse. There was no doubt about it.

Which is really a good thing, because that's what she got for her birthday and she loved it!

Balloon Festival

Every year the first or second of weekend of September, Harrison hosts a balloon festival. I've gone into Harrison at least three times to see the games being played and the races, but the most I've seen at one time is two or three balloons. It's much more fun to go at night when they do the balloon glow, I might not get the perfect picture of all the balloons lit up at once, but seeing them all at one time is amazing.

More adventures in the kitchen

Facebook has this wonderful feed that sponsors little recipes. My youngest thought one would be a good idea and the hubster agreed so "Bacon Wrapped Pickles" were a go.
First step is buying dill pickles. Did you know that there are Kosher Dill? German Dill? Polish Dill? Hungarian Dill?
I settled on Kosher Dill and went with it.
It's pretty easy-take one strip of bacon and wrap it around one spear. Place on a pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 425 for 25 minutes.
The recipe needs a little tweaking.
I would have much rather put them on a baking rack where the juices could drain off a little bit. I also like bacon to be done. Really done. So I cooked ours a little longer than 25 minutes-more like 45. All in all, pretty interesting stuff. I think the vinegar in the pickles ate the bacon fat.

Hey look Mom

Last night was crazy for me. I couldn't understand why my mom was so much on my mind-it's not May and it's not her birthday and there's no real holiday here in the last part of August. Then this morning it hit me-it's fair time. I won't be able to call her and tell her how I did this year, but I know she knows. And it's not just me...

Happy Anniversary Dwight

Seven years! It seems like yesterday and a whirl wind of dreams-places we've been, things we've been through, things we've done together. I'd do it all again if it meant seeing you smile.
Words can't express my gratitude to you for being you. You've seen me at my worst-and held me until things got better. When you're near, I'm not afraid of anything-I know you've got me. I never set out to marry my best friend but what a blessing you've been.
Thank you for all you've done, continue to do...every day.
I love you
and thank God for you daily.
Hope we get to dance at our 25th.

40 Acre dreaming

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to own land. Not with anyone, but by myself. I don't  know why, but it seems important to me. Some husbands aren't so keen on the idea, but I got lucky. My husband thinks it's a great idea. It doesn't hurt that the land in question is part of the area that we hunt or that his dad owns the land next to it.  Every thing has a price and I'm hoping the stars align for this deal.

Wish me luck

Learning Curve

So I'm attempting to learn new things. Most of this is out of necessity. I had to get a new phone-my old one wouldn't hold a charge anymore. Enter new phone and the app "Snap Chat". I've learned to send pictures, but not always the ones that I want to send. I know that there is a voice changer, but I haven't learned to use it. I've set my timer and learned that I can't set the viewing time. I even have 3 whole friends on snap chat-that may or may not be my three children.
I've also installed instagram, facebook, and a game that I hate on my phone. Now I'm working on deleting that game that isn't what I envisioned.
My contacts did not transfer as they were supposed to do so today. I'm trying to input at least 10 more on there. Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday #3 Oscar and Dixie

Today mark's Oscar and Dixie's third birthday. I can't imagine my life without them. They've taught me so much in such a short span of time.
They've taught me:
Wag your butt every time someone comes home, you're together again-it doesn't matter what kind of day you've had. All that's really important is here and now.
Give kisses often and for no reason. It's fun to see how people react.
There's never a bad time for a nap.
Sharing is an important part of life-it might be your sandwich or your chips or even someone you love, but you'll be better for it.
Play often and play hard. There'll be plenty of time left for chores.
I'm sure there's lots of other things too and I hope to write them all down one day. But not right now. You see I have some doggie ice cream to serve,

Sweet Tea Please

It's summer in Arkansas. That means it's hard to breathe in the heat of the day. The dogs look like they've melted. The air is so humid you can cut it with a knife. I know you're supposed to drink lots of water and I do, but every once in a while you need a little something different. It's so hot that soda doesn't even taste good, and one beer will leave you woozy. Which brings me to Sweet Tea. The only acceptable tea in the South during the summer. I make good sweet tea-it's not hard so I have to wonder why the local restaurants can't master the simple task of making sweet tea. It should be sweet, but if sugar is the only thing you taste it's too damn sweet (got that McDonald's). Really it should have a hint of the tea taste (got that Sonic-it should taste like tea not soda). I prefer that it not be so strong that it would put hair on your chest (Hardee's this would be you). As far as the bottled crap goes, I wouldn't give Lipton to my plants. Red Diamond would have a customer if they served it in glass containers and not plastic-the plastic does something to the taste. All things considered, it's just easier and much more cost efficient to boil the water and make it myself.
I'll be in front of the fan with my tea. Ya'll have a good day.

A ride...163 miles

Sunday, the hubster took me out for a 163 mile motorcycle ride. We've done longer rides and much shorter ones too, but Sunday's ride really felt great. It was the kind of day that felt good once you got going. Stopping for any long period of time made the air almost suffocating. The sun was shining so much that you looked forward to shady patches, but no one got sunburned. The wind just felt good.
Along the way we saw a hound dog really enjoying his swim in the Little Buffalo River-I swear you could see the dog smiling. There was a beautiful doe. The funky town of Eureka. Every time I visit Eureka, I see something new. This time I located the Abyss Tattoo Shop, the Humpty Dumpty, and the grotto-all of which I plan to visit again soon.
Driving back, we stopped at The Mason Jar restaurant in Berryville. A first for both of us.
I can tell you all this and maybe you can picture it in your mind, but that's only half of the experience. You need to smell the fresh cut hay. The rose garden in Kingston. The wild flowers along the road to Alpena. The rasberries in Ponca. You need to feel the cool air hit you when you cross the river or top Sherman Mountain.
You need to feel your worries fly to the wind and your blood pressure drop. There's nothing like it.

Fun with laundry

Do you remember studying Pavlov's dogs? He was the man that discovered that if he rang a bell each time he fed his dogs, they would water at the mouth whenever they would hear the bell.

Now, Dixie has a thing with the laundry. She loves pulling it out of the dryer and dragging it down the hall. She's never torn anything up, but underwear has made it all the way to the living room. You can never leave the dryer door open because she will pull everything out. Lately, when the dryer buzzer goes off, Dixie runs to the dryer. She'll even come and get me if I'm somewhere else in the house.  Man, if only she could fold!

Telling on my youngest sister

Sometimes life is so busy you forget the little things that happen. Unfortunately, some of them are funny and shouldn't be forgotten because you can learn from the past. So I'm writing this down before I forget.
I had taken my youngest sister out in Ponca to look for elk. They were no where to be found in the fields and so I thought maybe they might be in the woods by the river access.

They were! Out of the car jumps my sister Lee in search of the perfect picture.  She's feeling really good headed down a little path-after all she spent most of the previous day in this area swimming and chasing bull frog tadpoles. The elk meander over to the river and she cautiously follows behind them snapping away. Here's one of my pictures, but hers were really a lot closer.

And all was going good until something upstream startled the elk. They turned around and headed back. Lee moved as quickly as possible and stepped  onto a bank and one of the largest snake skins I have ever seen. Luckily there was no further sign of the snake and my sister made it back to the car before the elk did.

Unplugged and unafraid...adventures galore

This  past weekend was spent with my sisters and youngest two nephews in a yurt in Ponca. If you don't know where Ponca is-it's one of the the Northern most parts of the Buffalo River surrounded by mountains. And if you're wondering what a yurt is-imagine a large tepee off the ground and ours had a cedar tree growing in its center.
My poor nephews discovered quickly that there was no wifi and that their ipads weren't going to be of any use. The adults discovered that if you walked to the nearest store and tilted your head just right you might get signal to send or receive phone messages but calls wouldn't go out and the phone messages were extremely delayed.
The first night we arrived, met the yurt kitty, and Robyn and Hopper built a fire to roast hot dogs and make smores. We all learned to use the luggable loo sometime during the evening.

Just a bunch of plastic and rubber

This weekend, I spent some time blowing up tubes in preparation for a floating trip. I tried to remember when each one was purchased and how much they had cost. I wasn't successful at remembering any of that information and it doesn't really matter. What matters are the memories made on these tubes in the water. I've floated with Lauren from Hasty to Carver and from Tyler Bend to 65. We had a great time. Those same tubes took Beth, Lauren, Jody, and Shane on more than one trip. Oscar and Dixie have floated a little bit too. There's just something about plastic and rubber all aired up in the river.

What I'm making

Blue berries are coming in and so I'm using this recipe once again. I think I've shared it before, but once I made it without the sugar (reasons I should not bake before having one cup of coffee) and it came out just fine. These always rise and make perfect biscuits.

Big things in a little town aka Casey, IL

Casey is a little town with big things like a bird cage for my Tweetie:

And a really, really large mail box:

There's a me sized minion:

The largest rocking chair that I've ever seen! For scale, the tiny man shown underneath the chair is six feet tall.

There's a big top!

 Not pictured today: the large ruler, pencil, pitchfork, and golf tee.

Room with a view

We stayed here:

On the 29th floor and our room looked like this:

But when I looked out the window:

Then the view got even better:

This was a belated birthday present from my awesome husband.

All she wants to do is dance

Dwight very, very seldom dances in public. Through the kindness of these terrific gentlemen, I got to dance at the wedding:

John Legend - All of Me

I don't have a video of the actual dance at the wedding, but I would love to see it. Mike had basically lost his voice when he and Kate danced their first dance to this song. Maybe into the first verse, the kids had started singing it. As time went on, more and more people all joined in and formed a huge circle around the couple. It may have been a little corny, but it felt good to be in that group hug and in that moment.

There was a toast

Yesterday, I went to my step-dad's wedding. Like I normally do, I cried. I cry at all weddings at some point, but this was different. It was like a dam burst and I couldn't stop. Maybe it was because I'm happy for him, maybe it was because Kate was so beautiful, and maybe it was because it was just one more reminder that Mom is really gone.
Anyway, through the grace of God and some amazing people around me (Mary, Beth, Jody-this would be you), I recovered. My make up even remained good enough to take pictures.
After kicking myself for a while, I started rethinking the whole "toast" idea. I had already embarrassed myself enough for one day.
Then, we got to the reception and Paul was so nervous about giving his. I told him he would be fine and when he asked if I was going to "toast" I told him honestly, I didn't know if I could. Paul should not have worried. His toast was wonderful, funny, sweet, and it gave you all the warm fuzzy feelings. I am so proud of him.
Then the host was asking people to come forward and it seemed like no one would. One of my kids yelled "Go, Mom" and there was no turning back.
My main objective was to tell Mike that we loved him and welcomed Kate and not cry and not embarrass myself.
I remember introducing myself and my kids. I explained that the handsome young man that gave the previous toast was still single. I told them that Mike had been at the hospital each time I had given birth. That he had been there for softball, baseball, football, and basket ball games. That he had watched them grow up. He had been there for me for some of the best times of my life. He was there for them too being a man he didn't have to be-and we all loved him.
I also went on to explain that Mike had lost some of his "twinkle". When he was happy, like last night-his eyes twinkled kinda like Santa Claus. For a while those eyes were a little dim, but Ms. Kate had brought back the sparkle. I told her I was honored to have her in the family and ended with a toast to life, love, laughter, and happily ever after. That's what I remember anyway.
Before I handed the mic over, I received a nice round of applause and I sat down at the table so proud of myself for not even one crack in the voice. Not one.
So I sit myself down and Casey is wiping her eyes. So is Lauren. So is Beth. Not good. Someone said "damn Mom" so I went into overdrive with something stupid and in a matter of minutes we were all laughing again. Were Mary's eyes a little watery? Surely not.
Dwight and I were driving and I asked him was there something wrong with my toast? He never, ever lies to me. He said no. I told him that I saw Lauren, Casey, and Beth wiping their eyes and he kinda laughed and squeezed my hand. To tell the truth he said he got misty eyed himself. I asked again what was wrong with it-and he said nothing-you just made everyone feel the love and sometimes that gets us softies.
I'm sorry I'm not sorry.
Best Wishes Mike

Graduation Day Beth Carson, Esquire

I remember being pregnant with Beth. I read all the books on what to expect and what to do when your little bundle of joy makes her arrival. But,  nothing prepared me for the flood of emotions that came with being a mother. That still come with being a mother.
Today, that little bundle of joy will walk across the stage in Fayetteville and receive her law degree.
That in itself is a huge accomplishment and I am very, very proud of her but I think I've even more proud that I can still see my little girl.
She still loves her cats and fighting for what she believes is right. She will argue with a brick wall. I remember when she told everyone my third pregnancy would give her a little sister because she already had a brother. No amount of reasoning with her would work. She's still that way. I hope the legal community is ready for her.
She still takes time to stop and smell the roses. Some times it's the daffodils. Sometimes it's the iris, but she still makes time to notice the beauty around her and when she does-it never occurs to her that she's part of that beauty. Inside and out, just beautiful. I see it, and I know her husband does too.
She's made this incredible journey and kept those close to her near. She's made new friends on this journey and I congratulate them on their accomplishment too.
I'm so happy that she's making her dreams come true.

Just a reminder