So...so...THANKFUL

I am thankful for...

I started a bulletin board in my classroom just like that.  I let my students use sharpies in their favorite colors to write things they were thankful for.  There were a lot of "family" and "friend" posts.  Some were thankful for peanut butter and jelly...and their pets.  Each student got to write as much as they wanted all week long.  And it made me think...about what I'm thankful for.  I've been posting to facebook here and there through the month of November, but as I really think about what I'm thankful for...I wanted to write a blog.  I want the people in my life to truly know how grateful I am for them.

1.  I'm thankful for the strength and grace behind my mother's words.
2.  I'm thankful for the gentleness of my dad's smile.
3.  I'm thankful for the generous and kind heart of my sister.
4.  I'm thankful for the unconditional love of my  husband. I am also thankful for his freckles...his smile...and how he looks wearing jeans.  :)
5.  I'm thankful for Big's freckles, smile, and the ability I have to crack him even when he is super mad.  I love his desire to be better and his intensity towards things he cares about.
6.  I'm thankful for Middle's beautiful blue eyes and his smile.  His smile can light up a room...or a baseball field.  I'm grateful for his giving heart and his concern at all times for his family.
7.  I'm thankful for Little.  His smile...his sweet heart...his nervous antics...I just love him so much.
8.  I'm thankful for my family and friends.  I have some that I can laugh with and some that I can cry with.  Most of them have seen me do both and love me anyway.  I'm thankful that my true friends allow me the chance to mess up and still want me in their lives.  I love that the people in my life understand the "real" in me and can take it.
9.  I'm thankful for my home.  We have more stuff than we know what to do with.  We live here.  We can clean it up for a party in like 45 minutes and we can mess it up again in 5.  My favorite time of the day is when the house is quiet and I can sit and be thankful for just that.  I also love the noise that takes over when the kids have friends here...or when our football family comes over after a game.
10.  I'm thankful for my job.  I had no idea how the plan would come full circle when I turned 35, but it did.  I love my students as my own children.  I'm not sure if that is normal, but I do.  I love watching them learn and have fun just as I do my own boys.  I can't think of a better place for me to work than in my school.  I'm grateful for all the support I've had and all the friendships I've made in that place.  Work isn't really work...when you "work" at MGS.
11.  I'm thankful for the health of our family.  I've had the opportunity over the years to see how precious that health really is.  I know how important those little things are and have learned not to take a single thing for-granted.  I am grateful for my friends in the Kyrie Foundation and am so thankful that God prepared my heart to work with and for that cause.
12.  I'm thankful for black Friday.  (Sorry Pastor Rick...but, I am.)  WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Let's do this.
Turkey
Nap
Shop

In that order.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3 23

Connecting Again

After spending time with my sweet Granny and Mom this weekend, I have a new perspective on my cell phone.  It is always interesting to me to get someone else's view on a topic.  On our three hour car ride home, we discussed many things as we were covered in packages and squished beyond belief.  One of those being how disconnected our society is because of our cell phones.  We've all seen the commercials.  We've all seen the Facebook videos about putting your phone down and finding life again.  What got me was my Granny's voice saying "I just don't get it."  She was so sincere in her words and it really made me think.  To be honest...I don't get it either.  I don't know why we can't go ANYWHERE without our phones.  I don't know why we can't sit through a dinner...or a movie...or a conversation without checking in with our friends, followers, etc.  I am guilty.  Guilty as charged.  And hearing my Granny ask about our family dinners and our rules for phones made me kind of ashamed.  We should be more present in our lives, yet we are living examples of what we dislike about our children and their phone habits.  I say we because thinking there are others out there like me, makes me feel less "bad".

So...I'm challenging myself and my friends and family to put our phones down.  Find a time in your day when you can sit and check all that the world has to offer via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.  Then...spend the rest of your day living in the present.

This is a difficult challenge.  Don't think for a second that this will be easy.  Make a list of the things you could do instead.  I have a million things that "I never have time for".  Yet, I find time to like statuses and pictures on social media sites.  I miss out on important conversations that happen right in front of me because I get so concerned with conversations that are happening on FB.

Social media isn't a bad thing.  It's like anything else in life.  You have to find the right balance.  Good luck friends!  Just think of how proud your Granny will be if you connect again.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3, 23

The Diorama (the full story)

Little enters stage left as I am checking the dinner in the oven.  Not to my surprise, the chicken is under cooked and the middle child who is recovering from a stomach virus voices that he is starving and storms off in a rage.  (a little exaggeration is included for dramatic effect)

Little:  Mom...remember that diorama I have that is due tomorrow?  blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...
(This is all I heard as I was thrown into full blown panic mode)
Me:  What are you talking about?

Little:  The Black Bear Habitat we have to turn in tomorrow.  It's called a DI-OR-AMA.  I need it to look like either Alaska or Canadia.  (insert Little slapping his forehead here and correcting himself)

Little exits stage left.  I panic.  Then I talk myself out of a panic by logically thinking about the issue.  

Me:  There is no way he has a project due tomorrow.  I would have known about this long before tonight.

Coach:  I don't see anything in his backpack.  Did the newsletter say anything?

Me:  Not that I remember.  (pretend the next few sentences are mumbled as I am eating Halloween candy to calm my nerves.)  I swear I went through all of his papers from the last couple of weeks just yesterday.  I didn't see anything.  (Not that I remember.  I did a quick run down before I divided them into the keep and throw away pile.  I was cleaning my kitchen for the first time in awhile.  I just wanted to find my counter tops.)

Me:  I know...I'll just call his teacher and another mother in the class.  They'll tell us this is either not true or due next week sometime.  Little is just now getting the details...I am sure.

An hour later, we find out that the diorama is in fact due tomorrow.  That they have been researching this in class and they were told to create a habitat to show their class...if they wanted to.  Guess who INSISTED on showing the class...


I'll try not to bore you with anymore play by plays, but this whole scene took place in two hours  I'm telling you...things got ugly.  Most of you know this, but I am a new teacher/mom.  Those two things don't always play nice with one another.  Last night was one of those nights.  As I was preparing sub plans for being gone today (which by the way is TOTALLY stressful and I believe there should be a college class just for sub planning), this ordeal shows up in my living room.  Some children would take the "we'll work on it this weekend and turn it in on Monday" answer just fine.  But not our Little.  He does not do change well.  He needed this project to be done.  Now.  He had no idea that we didn't know about it and I had no idea he'd been working so hard on this.  This is of NO FAULT to his teacher.  She sent the notes home.  This is the fault of the new teacher/mom.

When things get tough...I like to do the following.

• eat a candy bar
• yell at someone
• go to Target
• apologize

Usually in that very order.  I actually told Big and Middle to get out of my way as I was heading out the door to Target.  I didn't feel bad until I got to the Christmas section.  I wandered aimlessly around looking for a black bear and some snow.  All the while thinking...how did I miss this?  I could feel my eye start twitching.  That happens when I am overly stressed.  I knew immediately what I needed...so I headed to Starbucks.  I told the lady at the counter my story.  I think she thought I was crazy, but she made me one heck of a skinny vanilla latte and told me good luck as I left.  

When I got home, the boys were fast at work.  Big was making a cave.  Middle was cutting out trees.  Little was coloring a river and Coach was gluing down rocks.  As the five of us sat around the table helping Little...I realized that this crisis (I am dramatic...I know)...brought us together.  Even after I had acted like a candy crazed maniac.  The big boys were working to help Little because they knew it was important to him.  It was great to see them working towards something that didn't benefit them in any way.  I was kind of a proud momma bear.  (no pun intended)

The benefit to being a new teacher/mom is that I get it.  I understand that no parent has super powers.  I know that no parent is always on top of everything and that probably...there were parents out there scrambling before our Presidential Wax Museum yesterday.  And that's ok.  I get it.  The notes that came home...the ones you may or may not have read...the ones you probably threw away and felt accomplished because there was space on your counter again...it's okay.  

My name is Amy Nelson.  I have too much on my plate.  I am a procrastinating, eye twitching, candy eating, project forgetting, new teacher mom.  

And that's

OK.

Have a blessed day!

Referee of 3 23

Feelings

Feelings...nothing more than feelings...

I've been thinking about feelings this morning.  The older I get, the more I'm learning that it is okay to "feel" certain ways about things.  As I've grown, I am realizing more and more that our feelings are based on our experiences.  Too often, people get concerned because others don't "feel" the same way they do about certain things.  For instance...I used to get upset when people didn't "feel" the passion I do for the Kyrie Foundation.  I didn't understand how someone couldn't be moved the way I was moved when I heard the statistics for children's pediatric cancer.  However...I've learned that people "feel" moved by their own passions based on their experiences.  It makes perfect sense as I reflect.

Friendships and relationships sometimes end over a difference of feelings.  We think too hard about how we should feel about something when we are missing the idea of feelings altogether.  Our feelings are simply that.  Ours.  We feel about things because it is what we think.  I've seen my children and my students try to feel differently about something to be accepted or to be understood.  When the truth is..we feel what we feel.  We over think how we should feel when all we should be thinking about is how we are going to react and respond to our feelings.  If something makes us happy...we should be happy.  We should have the opportunity to feel and BE happy.  If something makes us mad...we should have the opportunity to feel and BE mad.  (I know Coach is shaking his head right now because I get upset when he gets mad about anything.)  If something brings us to tears or moves us to action...we should have the opportunity to cry or be moved to action because it is what we feel.  AND THEN...we shouldn't judge others because it isn't the way they feel about it.

If I can teach my students and my children something about how they feel...it's that they have their feelings and others have theirs based on what they've been through.  You have to allow yourself to feel what you feel and then decided what you'll make of those feelings.  How will you respond?  What will you learn?  And how will you affect the lives of others by your thoughts, actions, and words?

It's okay to surrender to your feelings.  God makes us the way we are.  We are all unique.  Our make-up...our experiences...our feelings.  They are all ours.  Don't let someone's feelings hinder a relationship.  Understand that their feelings are theirs just as yours are your own.

On an end note...I went on a field trip with Little yesterday.  I'm afraid of birds based on an experience from my childhood.  Go ahead...laugh it up.  I didn't go near the bird cage and I saw pictorial evidence of why this was a good idea.  Birds were actually landing on children.  I would have been a mess.  (Remember...these are my feelings...and stop laughing).  I did however spend a great deal of time with a giraffe who I shall call Sophie.  She and I became instant friends when I took a selfie with her and let Little touch her sweet face.  My sister and I are in the works of purchasing our own Giraffe.  I'll keep you posted on how that goes.  For now...we are off to two football games.  Have a great day!

Referee of 3 23

What have you done for me lately...

Facebook.

The never ending series of events of other peoples' lives that make me feel unworthy.

Or...the place where I can keep up with all of my peeps.

Which is it?  To be honest...it depends on the day.  I think I started my Facebook account in 2009.  I can remember my friend telling me not to do it.  She said...it will take over your life.  As I laughed at the time thinking maybe she was being dramatic, I now realize that she was serious.  There have been times when scrolling through Facebook has taken the place of "life".

I was chatting with my sister tonight about how complicated life has become.  Partially because of our schedules.  Coach and I are full time teachers and parents.  Coach is also a full time coach.  (obviously)  Our kids are full time students and are involved in athletics.  While we are all very happy about our lives, it is crazy...no doubt.  This is not news to you or to me.  I know that some of the complexity of our lives comes from my new job and the fact that our kids are getting older.  I often look back on the time in our lives when Little was brand new and the boys were still little.  Life may not have been simple, but I can say that it was "simpler" than it is now.  As I said...part of this comes from my career change, but I think Facebook is somewhat guilty of complicating my life.

Facebook can be a great way to spread information and ask for help.  It can be a great place to find encouragement and hope.  It can also be a place that drags you down.  I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I've felt like I didn't measure up as a parent or even now as a teacher because of things I read or saw on Facebook or Pinterest.  I find myself comparing everything I do to other moms, friends, and teachers.  Why?  Why would I do that?  Why would I put myself up against an experienced teacher, or a stay at home mom if I am neither of those things?  I don't know.  Because in my mind, (like most people) I think I want to be good at everything.  I try and try to be all that I can be and more...and come up short from time to time.  I've noticed that not very many people put their short comings out for others to see.  This is understandable as we don't want others to see us fail.

What I think...is that it's okay for people to see failure from time to time.  I think that we as people need to understand that no one is good at everything...we just have to be good at being who we are.  I tell my students all the time that you don't have to be the best.  You just have to be your best.  Too often we forget what our best is because we are trying to be something we are not.  I also think that maybe it is okay to unplug from the crazy world of Facebook and Pinterest from time to time.  There was a time in my life when I had no idea how un-crafty I was because I didn't know how crafty others could be.  I didn't know how unoriginal my first day of school pictures were because I didn't know how creative some parents could be.  There are some really cool pictures out there, but none that compare in my heart to our traditional front porch pics.  They are boring and normal...and they are mine.  I love them for that very reason.  

In order for me to feel good about who I am I need to do two things.  Unplug from time to time...and remember that I am exactly who I am supposed to be.  And that is enough.  Thanks to my sister for the reminder.  <3

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3 23

Today I am thankful...

Today I am thankful...

Actually, I'm thankful for things everyday.  Today I am posting that I am thankful.  That as a title was less catchy so I went with the original statement.

Back to my thoughts...

Today I am thankful for a few things that I wanted to share.

1.  I'm thankful for new days and better perspective.  Sometimes...so many things can happen at once and you are left in a pile of butterfingers trying to sort it all out.  Negativity takes over the happy places of your brain and panic sets in...until morning.  This is where the thankful for new days comes in.  I was so thankful today for a new day.  This day brought different challenges, but also brought a new perspective on how to handle them.  His mercies really are new each morning...

2.  I'm thankful for a note from an old friend.  God works in such amazing and mysterious ways sometimes.  In the training I was attending for the past two days,  a couple of teachers from Norwich, KS were also attending.  Norwich is a small place here in Kansas that as a child I became quite familiar with.  We have some very close family friends that lived (and still live) there.  Anytime I meet someone from Norwich, I know I can ask them about our friends, and they'll know exactly who I am referring to.  When I asked one of the teachers if they knew the family, she happened to know them very well.  As we talked, I asked her to mention to my friend that I said hello.  These are the kind of friends you can barely see, yet can pick up right where you left off the last time.  This friend is actually a friend of my moms.  She and my mom modeled what true friendship meant.  Her daughters and my sis and I became very close as a result of our parents' friendship.

Long story short...

After a very challenging day yesterday, the teacher from Norwich handed me a card from this friend first thing this morning.  It was full encouragement and love.  It was JUST what I needed to read.  Thank you God...and thank you Linda H.  

3.  I'm thankful for bite sized butterfingers.  These little beauties help me get through tough moments and don't bring me the kind of guilt that a regular sized candy bar brings.  I can eat it and be satisfied knowing that I am completely dependent upon peanut butter, chocolate, and sugary goodness to calm my nerves.  I truly wish carrots had the same effect.  Sadly...they do not.

4.  I'm thankful for the love I have in my marriage.  As I was waiting on BIG to come out of the locker room after practice, I allowed myself to watch the youtube video that has been going around about the gentleman that recently lost his wife of 73 years.  He wrote a song and entered a contest with the lyrics as a tribute to her.  After sitting in my car trying not to completely lose all control...I realized how special their love was.  I realized how precious this music was in reminding me of my own love.  So often we wait until we no longer have the chance to share how much someone means to us.  I am challenging myself to share my feelings with the ones I love TODAY.  I am also challenging myself in the daily grind of life, to slow down and show them my love as well.  This video...this wonderful video...shows us that when love is given and appreciated as it is intended...it truly is AMAZING.  (Please take a minute to watch this video http://twentytwowords.com/2013/08/26/widower-submits-a-song-about-his-wife-of-73-years-to-a-songwriting-contest/...you won't be sorry.  I promise.  If you need to just see the song, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJzzNMv9Oo

5.  I'm thankful that God intervenes in my life when I need it the most.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3 23

Referee of 23

Coach told me the other day that he knew I was busy right now.

Understatement of the year...

The reason he knew I was so busy was because I hadn't put our kids' first day of school pictures on Facebook.  Apparently I have a reputation with my friends and family of blasting facebook with pictures of certain events in our lives.

I really have no idea what he is referring to...

As I sat planning for my "new" kids, it hit me that he just might be right.  I've been so busy for the past week and a half getting things organized for school, that I have neglected a few things at home.  My last post was about balance.  I was happy to report that with the help of my loving family and God...I had found it.

It would appear I have lost it again...

Here's the kicker.  I'm not crying.  I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I've only cried once since school started and I'm pretty sure I'm more overwhelmed right now than I've ever been.  I've also not had ANY cookie dough.

I have (however) had a Butterfingers at least once a day since the beginning of school.

I can't write for long because I have to finish lesson planning, pack lunches, get ready for school, and find my sanity before I walk out the door.  I have so much to say and no time to say it.  So for now, I'll leave you with this.

This is WAAAAAAAAAAY harder than I ever thought it could be, but as McDonald's would say...

I'm LOVIN' it.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3 23

Balance

I know...I know.  It has been awhile since I've been on to write.  If you are my friend on facebook or follow me on Instagram...you already know why.  For those of you who aren't, I'll give you the quick run down.

1.  New carpet  (This very exciting development took almost two weeks to deal with and although I'm more than happy with the result, I was not prepared for the work that accompanied the job.) 

2.  Family Vacation  (This very exciting adventure was more than I could have asked for in my life and left me feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready for a new vehicle.)

3.  New Job (This better late than never opportunity has given me more excitement, responsibility, and jobs than I had ever imagined.  I have a whole new respect for all of my teacher friends, son's teachers, and my husband.)

These three things have been my reason for not blogging since late June.  I apologize for not writing, but can't apologize for the time away.  This summer has been one I will not forget.  

To end my might be favorite summer of all time...last night I attended Taylor Swift's concert with my three favorite girls.  (Mom, sister, and pretend daughter.  Really, she's my niece...but on nights like last night she is very much  my pretend daughter.)  It was an amazing show and I can say that it was worth every penny that my parents so graciously spent on our tickets.  She is an entertainer...to say the very least.  During her concert she spoke about how her songs always go back to a particular theme in her life.  She either writes about love or breaking up.  (This is paraphrased of course)  In listening to her speak about her song writing, I thought about my blogging.  I am one that speaks on a lot of things, but usually I am talking about one of three things.  

1.  My love for my family. (or cookie dough/butterfingers)

2.  My busy, crazy, chaotic life.

3.  Epic failures in the kitchen.  

What my good friend Taylor said is true.  You go with what you know.  And even though I'm thankful I'm not writing about falling deeply in love and the worst break-ups of all time, I tend to fall back to the old faithfuls of my life.  Had I had a computer and a blog in my younger years...Lord have mercy on all of you.  Until I met Coach...I was a bit confused about what "love" meant.  Those stories are meant for another blog...another time...or perhaps not at all.  

What I wanted to touch base with today was the topic of balance.  I've talked about this so many times that you'd think I was an expert.  I am not.  What I am is continually learning how to balance my life.  Since we got back from our vacation two weeks ago, I've spent almost every waking moment in my classroom trying to prepare for the little darlings that I will call my students this year.  I've been on the computer downloading and printing.  I've been laminating and hanging.  I've been trying my hardest to make my room feel comfortable and functional all at the same time.  After that was finished a mere 48 hours ago...I then started diving head first into curriculum and lesson planning.  I've again been in the classroom, on the computer, at the laminator, and obsessed with preparation.  Today was my first day of work.  I've waited 9 months for this day.  Well...I've actually waited longer than that, but you've heard that story.  I went to work today and learned a lot.  As I came home from being gone from my own kids...I realized that life has been going on without me since we got back.  Coach has picked up ALL of the slack.  The boys have been helping out with each other.  The laundry has been getting done and they are all alive and well.  And I ask myself...

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

They aren't supposed to function without the Mom.  I'm the part of them that sticks them all together!  I'm the glue!  And the glue has been missing!  And the house is supposed to be falling apart without me!  

Now...if that were happening, I'd be in shambles.  I would be thinking this WHOLE plan was wrong and that I needed to immediately quit my new job, find cookie dough and retreat to the nearest closet with a door.  

I walked in the door tonight and realized that life is going to be okay.  I had no idea how all of this would work.  Clearly, I cannot spend my life in my classroom.  I also cannot shuck the responsibilities of my new job to be the ONLY one around here who can keep this family running.  

Somehow...when I wasn't looking, God gave me this amazing gift.  The gift of balance.  I've been spending my time worrying about how I would make it all work...and it worked on its own with the help of my family.  I have to find a way to make it all work for my life, but I can have peace knowing that I'm not the one working out the details.  

I think...this just might be...okay.

Have a blessed day!

Referee of 3

Walking the Tight Rope

Do you ever have those days when you feel...like you are walking across the Grand Canyon on a cable holding onto a bar that weighs who knows how much?

Do you even know what I am referring to?

This past week, Coach and I watched a man cross the Grand Canyon on a cable wearing no safety harness. It was the longest 22 minutes...for real.  Watching this man walk across a giant canyon on nothing but a cable almost did me in.  Heights are one of my biggest fears.  I get nauseated climbing a ladder to get something off the shelf in my kitchen.  Not a fan of heights at all.  As I watched this man, my first thought was he was crazy.  My second thought was that he was insane.  My third thought was how on earth is he doing this?  The cable was swaying...the bar was swaying...the wind was blowing...and all he had to hang onto was a cable...with his feet.  I mean...thinking back to it makes me as nervous as when I was watching it.  Twenty-two minutes.  That's how long it took him to cross the canyon.  He talked about how the optical illusions were more than he was prepared for...and I can imagine.  Just seeing it through the lens of a television camera was enough for me to cling to my bed.

So today and in the past few days, I've had a similar experience.  I did not walk across a canyon on a cable. I didn't even climb a ladder.  What I did and have been doing all summer is a balancing act to say the least.  And I'm having one of those moments much like when the man on the cable asked Jesus to calm the cable.  He spoke to Jesus all the way across the canyon asking him to calm the winds and slow the cable.  I get it...I do.  There are moments in my day when I am begging Jesus to calm the wind.  I say this like I have been in great torment. I have not.  I am just a little overwhelmed and under prepared for life with teenagers and a six year old.  We are in the car more than we are at home.  We are taking and picking up every 45 minutes...or so it seems.  I am trying to do some much needed upkeep to our home and trying to prepare a classroom and a class for my first year of teaching.  Coach is busy teaching driver's ed. to help support our baseball habit and Brady is just trying to enjoy his summer as a six year old.  Big has a mowing job, but isn't a driver yet.  This leaves him in a position to need help getting to his jobs and getting this done.  Middle has a very busy social life and needs to be driven all over the town for his social needs.  (much like his Momma)

As most of you know, I struggle to finish tasks that I start.  Not because I don't want to finish, but because someone needs something that prevents me from finishing what I'm doing.  I found my phone in my refrigerator the other day.  IN THE FRIDGE.  No doubt someone needed a drink as I was going to hang it up.

Jesus...calm the winds.  

I may have mentioned that I washed and washed and washed a load of laundry because I kept forgetting to move it to the dryer before it got yucky and mildew-y.  (That is my own made up word)

Jesus...calm the winds.

I turned the wrong way out of my neighborhood on the way to get Middle from basketball camp.  It took me until I got to the bank to realize I wasn't going to the bank and that I should have turned right.  Middle was less than pleased when I pulled up and he was standing in 102 degree temperatures.

Jesus...calm the winds. 

Sometimes...I feel like I am walking on a cable over a gaping hole in the earth.  I can't let anything drop because I'm the mom and that is what we do.  We perform an amazing balancing act with life.  Five schedules...one mom.  What seems like seventeen different activities in 24 hours...one mom.

That man made it across the canyon because he had been preparing for that moment (22 to be exact) for a long time.  He had faith and he had skill.  He moved slowly and gracefully.  He spoke to the Lord at times when he was unsure. He kept his eye on the prize and he didn't fall.

He had faith that the one who made him would deliver him safely from one side to the other.

I think he is crazy.  But I also think his faith is amazing.

If I could rely on God from sun up to sun down and move slowly and gracefully, perhaps I wouldn't have those ugly moments of motherhood.

Sometimes...life can give us more than we can handle....alone.  But that is the beauty of loving God.  We never have to handle the craziness alone.  We can walk the tight rope battling the winds and the optical illusions of life...knowing we do have a safety net.

Whatever is moving your cable or shaking your faith...stay strong.  Take it one step at a time knowing you are not walking your tight rope alone.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

It's Okay

I decided it was time for another It's Okay list.  I'm doing this to justify the things I've done over the past 72 hours.  :)  Here you go...

Amy Nelson's Top 10 It's Okay List for the past 72 Hours

1.  It's okay to wear navy shorts with a grey and green Mulvane baseball shirt to small group because you don't have anything else that is clean/comfortable.

2.  It's okay to buy potato salad from the local grocery store and put it in a presentable dish to take to your small group BBQ.

3.  It's okay to take a picture with your son after he lost his tournament even though he is extremely unhappy because if you don't, you won't remember to do it and you'll never forgive yourself for forgetting the annual pic that no one but you enjoys.

4.  It's okay to buy a  rolling cooler at Kmart even though you have three perfectly good rolling coolers at home.  When you have carried the football (yes...I carried the football cooler to the baseball game because it was the only one I could carry) cooler up a hill and through the woods twice, you decid it is worth the $20.00 and losing the space in the garage.

5.  It's okay to eat two...(yes two) boxes of Good and Plenty's at a ballgame because you are stressed and calories don't actually count when you are burning them pacing behind the bleachers.

6.  It's okay to come home and clean your bathroom and bedroom because you can't lay down and take a nap until you remove all of the clothing from your bed and you can't shower until you clean the filth from the previous night of after ballgame showers.

7.  It's okay to take your hair out of a ponytail holder, wash it, and put it back in  said ponytail holder because the wind is blowing 9,000 mph.  (I might be over exaggerating, but you get it).

8.  It's okay to eat both ice cream AND a piece of Boston Cream Cake in the same day.  Because the ice cream was a must and Granny bought me the cake.  So..really, I had to.  Right?

9.  It's okay to re-wash a giant load of clothes because you forgot to move them over before the game earlier today.

And finally...

10.  It's okay to be excited that your small group is cooking dinner for you tonight because you couldn't find your kitchen counter if your life depended on it.  :)

And to add to the enjoyment of this list...a lesson I learned...again.

You never know how bad your comments to the umpire/other team/anyone in earshot sound until your child repeats them.  I've been a little heated over some crazy calls... but when my child acts the way I'm acting and I have to tell him to stop...I suddenly remember that my example is very important.  Oh...and it's okay to try to cure anything with blueberry french toast.  :)

Life lessons...by Amy Nelson.

Have a Blessed Day!
Referee of 3

Remembering Grace

I was listening to the radio on my way to Wichita this morning.  I was flipping between country, rock, and K-Love.  I was rather annoyed that all stations had gone to a commercial so I stopped on K-Love to see what they were talking about.  I'm really...really glad I did.

There was a woman that had called in to talk about something she had discovered through her faith.  Something we can all relate to.  I decided I would share what she said because I think it is relevant to so many at this point in our lives.  The woman was talking about how she is very strong in her faith, but has a hard time quieting the memory of some of her sins.  She talked of quiet time she spent with God and how those memories would come rushing back at a time when she thought she had peace with who she was and how she was living her life.  One night, she asked God why she was forced to remember her poor choices.  She asked why she had to constantly be reminded of the pain that those choices caused or the struggle they brought about in her life.  Remembering the sad times can be so difficult as the pain always comes back with as much force as it gave from the get go.  In asking God why she had to live through those memories, she finally heard an answer.  She said (paraphrase) that God told her if she didn't remember the hard times and struggles in her life, she wouldn't remember his grace either.  The words that she used were that God told her when she asked why..."Because you wouldn't remember my grace."

Those six words have been hanging on me ever since.

Of course.  If we didn't remember the bad, we would also forget the beauty of grace and healing that follows the hard times in our lives.

There are times when it feels like I have lived a lifetime of regret regarding some of my choices and my actions towards others.  I get to a place where I feel good about my life and those in it.  And then the memories come with a vengeance.  Things I've done or words I've said that have hurt others.  I too have thought "why can't I just forget?"

God doesn't want us to live in a state of regret.  What he wants is for us to remember the moments of grace we received after we stumbled and fell.  And Lord knows I've fallen.  He's right too.  If I didn't remember those bad times, I would struggle to give him credit for the good as well.  They went on with the radio segment to say that it is like a scar.  We can look at a scar and remember what happened to put it there.  The pain is gone.  What we can see is how our bodies healed with a memory of the incident.  Maybe we remember how bad it hurt and we choose not to make that choice again.  Maybe we remember the tears...the struggle...and movement toward healing.  Whatever we remember...we can look and know that we don't have to still be in pain.

I just thought it was an amazing thought.  So many times I've wondered why I can't let things go.  And in 45 seconds of a radio broadcast, he spoke.  It is in times like today that I remember how this works.  He is God...and I am not.

I want to remember His grace.  So I will try to look at those struggles in a different light from this point on. It is about looking beyond the memory to see His grace.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Fresh Paint

Warning...

What you are about to read is a sappy, sentimental post written and served with a side of crazy.

Today...I'm painting my hallway.  We have a hallway that leads to the bedrooms in our house.  This hallway has been used and abused to say the least.  The carpet has more spots than Big's freckled face and the halls have a dark line down the middle from the hands that drag down it daily.  I'm pretty sure we "cleaned" them last summer (and every summer before that), but the hand prints just keep coming back.  Along with the carpet spots.

As I'm painting the walls today, I've noticed a large amount of what I like to call character on our walls.  This character can be defined as dings and dents from who knows what.  Mostly balls being thrown down the hall or trucks being pushed.  Any given day you can come in our home and see this hall lined with laundry hampers as our laundry room is upstairs as well.  Five hampers...all in a row...all FULL of clothing, towels, uniforms, etc.  The kids like to think of this as an obstacle course.

I have been trimming out the walls and it looks so nice already.  But here is where the sentimental with a side of crazy comes in.  As I'm painting, I start tearing up.  Out of nowhere tears are streaming down my face as I cover the dings and painted dents from the Little People school bus that was so gently driven down the hall.  I'm sad to cover the dirty hand prints. WHY?  Because I'm crazy...and emotional...and my babies are growing up.

I dropped my almost 8th grader off at weights today.  WEIGHTS.  He is lifting for football.  Ugh.  He used to drive big Tonka trucks down the hall and run them into the doors.  I would tell him to slow down and he would grin a cheesy grin as he clipped the corner of the hall with the truck.

I then drove my almost 6th and almost 1st grader to Summer Rec.  This will be Middle's last year at Summer Rec. because he too will start "lifting" weights next summer.  This child spent many days racing down the hall and flying into the walls with his bat cape and his bat mobile.  I would yell as he slammed into the closed doors as his baby brother was napping.

My Little...my sweet, sweet Little is getting big.  So far this summer we have mastered bike riding, swimming, and swinging by himself.  He actually told me the other day he didn't...wait for it...NEED me.  I said okay and walked away.  As I walked away I could think of nothing other than the day we brought him into this world.  Our lives have been forever changed by this baby and now he is a big boy who hits "soft" balls down the hallway.  We have many a mark from these types of games.

I'm not crazy.  I'm not THAT crazy.  I'm just a Mom.  And a woman.  And things are changing faster than I can keep up.

I realize it is just a hallway with fresh paint.  But it is also the fact that these boys are growing and it won't be long before their hands won't be here to touch my beautiful hallway.

Why can't women just be like men?  When Coach paints a room...he simply paints the room.  No tears...no memories...just paint.

I guess I'll just keep painting and maybe have a little cookie dough with my coffee.  Today has helped me to see that even though I would love to have a perfectly clean and beautiful show house...I'd rather have our home.  Thankfully a fresh coat of paint can't cover the sweet memories I have of these crazy boys.  Someone remind me of this post next time I've had enough of them.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Where have you been???

A friend of mine asked me the other day why I haven't been posting on my blog lately.  So I thought to myself...

I should blog.

So here I am.  Blogging.  I wanted to tell you and show you what I've been doing with my time.  It seems like the last time I blogged, I had just graduated college.  So...without further adieu...I'd like to present to you...

Why I Haven't Been Blogging Lately...
By:  Amy Nelson

I graduated from college.  I may have mentioned this already, but I thought maybe you should see the look on my face in this picture.  As you can clearly see, my eyes are closed and my mouth is open.  I have no idea what I was doing here, but I can only assume that I was saying "Yay!" to the president of the university.

For graduation, I received a camera as a gift from my parents and my in-laws.  I cried when I opened it because, well...what else would you do when you get a camera?  I want you to know that Little informed a classmate of his that carrots with ranch would "change their life" if they just tried it.  I'm not a huge fan of carrots, but this smart camera changed this dumb photographer's life.  Hence the tears.  And Hence the string of pictures you are about to see.

This is our dog Baily.  She is little and gets through our fence.  I used her as my first picture model.  She hates me.  And photographing her was a big mistake.  I should have picked a non-moving target.

This picture made me feel like the Pioneer Woman when she takes super cute upside down pictures of her dog.  Even though my dog didn't cooperate and it is out of focus.

This is an action shot.  No...really...she just moved.  But calling it an action shot makes me feel better.  Because I'm a photographer now.

I decided at this point, I was not cut out for pet photography.  Isn't she precious?  I started taking pictures of my neighbor's house...and flowers...and plants.  As it turns out, none of those things move so there is no need for action shots and "cyclopes" like shots.

Once I figured out some of the benefits of my new "smart" camera...I moved on by taking pics of my kids at their games.

  This one is of my Middle...crossing home plate.  I cut off his head.  I'm that good.

This one is just near perfect of Little.  I like the tire rim in the background.  You just really have to know your shot...you know?

I thought I'd try my hand at pet photography one more time...and as it turns out, I'm still going to pass on that job.  Isn't she a doll?  Sheesh.

I have been spending most of my time at my "home" away from home.  I took this picture of a sign on a dugout because I thought it was cool and it made me think I could do something really photography-pinteresty with it.  So far, it remains on my hard drive.

I've been taking lots of self portraits with my kids because I love them and we like to play photographer with Instagram edits.  They have stopped complaining and just smile when I turn my phone around.  I have issues.  I know...but, I also have some great pics of the boys.

See how they respond?  They love me...I think.

Back to why I haven't been blogging...I've been attending many...many...many baseball games.  Here's a little baseball photography with my "smart" camera.  I'm telling you...all I do is push the button.  It takes the pictures and I'm so thankful.

Sahwing Battah!

When this picture was taken, I hadn't quite figured out the zoom.  I hope you enjoy looking at the upper half of my child in the on deck circle.

I attended our very last Kindergarten Graduation.  I only cried once...(inside the gym).

I attended more baseball.  I also failed to get the dirt out of these pants.  I quit trying.  I tried it all.  And then I quit caring.  I started a new club called the I can't get my son's baseball pants clean...who's with me?  I have a few members and we are gaining momentum.

More self pics.  With my kids.  I know...I have issues, but I love their smiles.  I can't help myself.

I've been spending some time in my new classroom and even more time on Pinterest coming up with new ideas for my school year.

I attempted and failed in teaching Little how to ride his bike.

I cried behind the lens of my "smart" camera watching him face his fears and get back on the bike with Dad as his teacher.

I tricked Big into looking at me so I could get a picture of his precious freckled face.  I love him so much.

I then was very sneaky and got a picture of Middle when he wasn't looking.  I love him so much too.

Next, I became this guys BIGGEST cheerleader as he rode his bike all by himself.  It was a great moment and I'm so glad we got it all on film.  They aren't glad...but, I am.

I decided that I would also become a gardener and take pictures of my new flowers because that is what ex-pet photographer/sports photographers and ex-bike riding teachers do.  They take pictures of flowers and then smile when they aren't blurry.  :)

I took more pics of my kids in all of my spare time.

I painted my kitchen and broke a bowl in the process.  This very same day, I smashed another bowl in the driveway with the truck tire.  Corr-ell is pretty indestructible...unless of course you run over it with a truck.

I tried to teach this guy how to swim.  And he learned.  With the help of a friend and patience of his Father.  Thank goodness I'm a good cheerleader.

I loaded these boys in my van...took them to an ATM to get $20.00...and dropped them off at the ice-y stand.  They begged me not to drive away.  I thought about staying for a second...and then I peeled out.  In my mini-van.  I bribed them out of my basement with money.  Because I'm a good parent.  And that's what good parents do.

As you can see...I've been very busy.  Life has been overwhelmingly good and crazy busy.  As some of you saw earlier, Little has decided to move out and get a department of his own in a few years.  Big is well on his way to moving out sooner than later if he keeps spending his summer days throwing my exercise ball around with friends.  And Middle has quite the tan going on from all of his trips to the pool.

I've missed blogging, but am very busy being a dumb photographer with a smart camera, almost new teacher, mom, cheerleader, baseball fan, and dog trainer.  If anyone needs lessons on pet photography...or people photography, I know a good "photog".  It isn't me.  It's my sister.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Sticks and Stones

James 1:19-20


I can remember saying things like..."sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can  never hurt me."

As a child, I believed this when I shouted it across the playground.  As an adult, I know better.  Words can hurt.

Here lately, I've seen them hurt a lot.  And I just wanted to put out a little reminder.

We are all guilty of saying things that are less than kind.  We do the exact opposite of what this verse tells us to do.  We choose only to "listen" to bits and pieces of what is being told.  We are quick to speak and quick to anger.  We are quick to react and slow to forgive.  In these actions, we are doing the exact opposite of what we are to do in living as a reflection of Christ.

I was talking with a friend just the other day about how we are only responsible for ourselves.  We cannot control the actions of those around us.  We can only control ourselves and how we react and respond to sticks, stones, and words.  We can be quick to anger or we can be gracious and loving.  We can know that we know that we know...or we can show that we show that we show His love...His grace...and His mercy.

Sometimes this is easier said than done.  I want to react like no one's business when my feelings are hurt.  I want to correct those who give false information.  I am tempted to "unfriend" those who disagree or speak out of turn.

And then...as I'm talking with Coach this morning, he reads a tweet written by a student athlete of his...and it is this bible verse.

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Words can hurt...yes they can...

But THE WORD can heal and restore.  So can a cup of coffee and blueberry french toast.  And today...they did.

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Just one of those days...

There are those days...

You are familiar with them, right?  Where everything and everyone seems to offend you in some way, shape, or form?

Well today was one of those days for me.  It started out fine, but just kept getting worse.  I posted on Facebook about a lady that yelled at me while I was chasing my dog down the street.  You can see from that sentence where this is going.

I was home doing yard work all day.  No one was here to upset me or offend me.  But from the end of school until now...I've been offended and down right ugly several times.  To several people.

I hate days like this.  To be honest, it started last night and I believe followed me right into today.  Hmph.  (insert arms crossed here)

I'm pretty sure if I took a poll of people I talked to today they would agree with my bad day attitude issue.  So I won't be taking any polls as I would find this offensive as well.

I could say it is because the bag of mulch I bought was not full and had been returned and taped shut and I didn't notice until I was loading the what seemed to 50 ton bag into my car.  I could say it is because I chased my dog down the street not once, but twice and was reminded by a kind woman about the importance of a leash.  I could say it is because my six year old chose not to listen more than I prefer.  I could say it was because Big broke Coach's weed eater which put Coach in a super swell mood.  I could say it is because I sat down to do our next few months schedules and it upset me how much "busy" we have on the calendar for summer.

Or...I could be honest and say it was simply a bad attitude.

Guilty.

As charged.

I wish at this point I had something inspirational and wonderful to say.  I wish I could write something uplifting and amazing.

I wish I had cookie dough and a cleaning fairy.  And one of Ree's (my good friend who doesn't know she's my friend) brownies.

What I know that I know that I know...is that God loves me even on these kinds of days.  He is probably shaking his head at me right now...but, he loves me anyway.  I do this with my Big from time to time.  I get it.

We all have these kinds of days.  And we all have the opportunity to forgive ourselves and move on towards a better and brighter tomorrow.

THANK GOODNESS.  Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

#SpeakingHisLanguage

This parenting thing is not for the weak.

I know this...because I am a parent.  Fortunately we haven't had too many issues with the kids thus far.

Please know I say this knowing full well...we'll have our fair share of issues.

I know this...because I was one of those kids with my fair share of issues growing up.

Sometimes, as my Big gets himself into "situations"...I worry.  I worry that he'll make a poor choice or that he'll face something that I won't be able to help him with.  I'm not sure why this bothers me as I was always in something that I had to learn from.  It was kind of my thing growing up.  Doing the right thing was second...trying the wrong way was always my first choice.  I could look back and be disappointed (and truthfully sometimes I do) or I can look back knowing I learned  A LOT from my decisions.

Big is 13.  His life is ahead of him and his choices are based on the mind of a 13 year old boy.  This is what scares me so.  He'll do something and I'll immediately ask him..."are you sure about that?"  In this day and age, when asking something face to face, he struggles to talk to me.  I think our kids are so used to communicating via technology and social media that they forget how to have a conversation.  I also think he is a 13 year old boy and he is a lot like his Dad in the "man of few words" category.

Sometimes when Big was little, I would sit on him to get him to do what I wanted.  Now I know what you are thinking, but please don't report me just yet.  I would sit on his legs to keep him from kicking and I would help him get his coat on.  Or I would sit on one leg while I tied one shoe.  Big was a bit of a challenge when he was in the 2 to 3 year old range.  I used to think we had a really bad kid.  As it turns out, all 2 to 3 year olds are naughty.  And if the truth were told, most mom's would admit to sitting on their child to tie their shoes.  In the same way I learned that all toddlers can be a pain, I've learned that all teenagers can also be pains.  I can no longer sit on Big to get him to do what I want as he is bigger than I am.  So I've had to learn to speak his language.

Last night, he and I were trying to communicate via text message about something rather important.  I wanted to get my point across and it wasn't happening.  Finally, it occurred to me that I needed back up.  I texted him this...

"...you should come back this way.  Let's go get ice cream and talk."

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.  He agreed to go.  He hopped in the car and we talked all the way there.  We talked in the booth at Freddy's for a long time.  He told me things that he was struggling with and I tried to help him.  I loved every minute of our time together as it has gotten less and less as he has gotten bigger.  This kid used to go everywhere I went.  I would load him up and we'd take on the world.  (or at least the grocery store)  Now he is big and he needs me less and less...or so I thought.  From Freddy's we went to the grocery story and on our way out, he said this.

"...we should do this like once a week.  Just you and me Mom."

My eyes filled with tears, but I shook it off because I didn't want him to freak out and take it back.  I just said..."...yea...we should."

In trying to learn how to facebook, twitter, instagram, text, and Snapchat...I've learned that really, all it takes is a little one on one and some ice cream to get this kid to talk.

And I didn't even have to sit on him.

#SpeakingHisLanguage

Have a blessed day!
Referee of 3

Finish Line

There was this one time...when I was 13.

I decided I would go out for Track.  (stop laughing)  I did it because everyone else was doing it.  I can remember thinking...how hard can this be?

I practiced and practiced.  (I think I socialized more than I practiced if we are being real)  I was selected to run the hurdles.  Don't ask me to remember how far because I have no idea.  I don't recall the distance or how many hurdles there were.  What I do remember is this...

It was a sunny day in teenage America.  It was my first track meet and I was all dolled up in my green track shorts and tank.  I no doubt had a ponytail and matching bow as that is what mattered the most.  I may have even been wearing electric blue mascara.  Who knows.  I remember I was wearing spikes and I had green and white rubber bands on my braces to match my outfit.  If I was anything...I was matching.  (except of course for the electric blue mascara)  Flash forward to the race.  I was called to my lane for practice before the big race.  I was very nervous and probably not paying close enough attention to what I was doing.  As I ran, I felt like a deer.  I was able to clear the first hurdle with ease.  What happened next looked more like a grizzly bear than a deer.  I hit it with my foot and went down.  Hard.  I remember laying there thinking...what just happened?  As I got up, I noticed I was bleeding from my knee.  But I was determined to get to the finish line.  I got up and tried again...and then I fell again.  I did this several times...falling after each hurdle.  I was scraped and bruised and my electric blue mascara was running down my face.  After my fourth fall...I stopped.  Now mind you...this was practice.  This wasn't even the race.  I went over to practice with my relay team next...and you'll never guess what happened.  In the exchanging of the baton, I fell.  Again.  Oh heavens...it was awful.  And again...I'll remind you that this was practice.  I'll never forget what happened next...

My Mom came walking up as she had just arrived at the meet.  She looked at me with a look that I have seen more times than I would like in my 35 years.  It said this..."Oh Amy!"  She shook her head and offered me a hug.  She laughed through her own tears as she said..."maybe track isn't for you."

She was right.  Track wasn't for me.  Neither was softball...volleyball...and foreign language.  I have tried many things in my life that "didn't work out."  We all know this from reading my cooking blogs.  What I didn't do that year, was quit.  I stuck it out.  I obviously didn't run anything that day, but the next meet, I tried again.  I think I even made it through one race clearing all of the hurdles.  Which  means this.

I finished.

Where is she going with this?

Okay...I'm getting there.  There have been many times in my life when I have started something that I never finished.  It is a bad habit that I've been trying to break.  When I married Coach and got pregnant with Big...going to school became less important.  I wanted to be a wife and a Mommy.  I wanted to stay home and take care of my family.  Going to school on top of that made it very difficult for me to focus on what was important in my life.  After I quit college, I remember feeling so free.  I didn't have the burden of school work and time restraints anymore.  It was a great feeling.  Until I realized I didn't finish something important.  I set out to cross that finish line and I let the very first hurdle take me out of the race.

As life went on and our family grew, our schedules became crazy.  Time to finish became less and less.  But the want to finish became greater than it ever had.  I wanted to finish what I started and more importantly, I wanted to set an example for my boys who will become men.  There are so many things I want to leave behind for them, but if I can set an example on how to finish what you start...that is what I want to do.

I am no deer.  This has been a grizzly bear process for sure.  I have fallen and knocked over many hurdles.  I have also cleared hurdles I never thought I'd be able to get over.  And here we are...at the finish line.  Battle scars include the condition of my home, the friends who have been left in the dust as I finish school work, and my poor family when stressful times took over.

When I was 22...I decided college wasn't for me.  At 35, I've changed my tune a bit.  As I look back on all of the hurdles...both the ones standing and the ones that are laying on the ground, I'm proud of what this family has accomplished.

To my boys...

Boys...I want you to know something very important.

Not everything in life is for you.  But...life changes faster than we can keep up.  Just because something doesn't fit at one time doesn't mean it won't fit at another.  If it is important to you...you'll find a way.  Be kind.  Be considerate.  Be loving.  Be forgiving.  Be tolerant.  Be Christlike.  Be amazing at whatever you are.  And always...finish what you start.

I love you!

Referee of 3

Birds...

One of the hardest things about being a parent is explaining the reality of life and death to your children.  I can remember having to do this a few years ago when we lost our beloved Haley dog.  The boys were at school and she was very sick.  She didn't make it and I was a mess.  When they came home from school, Coach and I sat them down and explained that in this life...we live here on earth only for a little while.  When our lives here are finished, we get to go to heaven and live forever.  Even though the words are so amazing and the story is so true...it never gets easier to tell someone about death.  Each child dealt with the death of Haley in a different way, but they dealt with it and we moved forward.  I always say forward instead of moving on because I don't think life as we know it ever goes on without a loved one.  It simply moves forward.

Yesterday, we lost our Grandma.  Steve's Grandma...my Grandma...and the boys' Great Grandma.  She was a wonderful, loving woman.  She has been struggling for some time now and we knew it was coming.  She lived a full life and died at the age of 95.  She was a school teacher and loved her students.  She loved her daughter and her grandsons very much.  And they loved her...

Which made telling them about her passing even more difficult.  Again, the reality of being an adult and a parent came rushing in.  I love to live in a happy place.  I like to protect people from hurt and avoid confrontation.  In my happy place, sadness rarely comes, and life is good most of the time.  Anytime my happy place gets interrupted, I struggle.  Today, as we told our kids what had happened, I struggled.  We all struggled.

Even though she has lived a full life...

Even though we knew it was coming...

Even though she is with Jesus, and Grandpa, and all of her Brandy dogs...

It is painful.  It is painful to watch the ones you love hurting.

When I lost my Grandma Katie years ago, I remember how hard it was to move forward.  She was so special to me.  I remember thinking about her house, her smile, and her porch swing.  Whenever I think of her, I think of the porch swing.

In talking to Middle last night through the tears, I asked what he would remember about his Grandma.  He said "Birds...she loved birds."  And she did.  She loved them.  She loved to feed them and watch them from her window.  She loved playing the piano, her church, her home in Valley Center, and her family.

As a parent, we can't protect them from reality.  All we can do is soften the fall by being loving and understanding as they learn to deal with what is real and true.  And we can teach them the love of Jesus.  It is amazing how much comfort and peace you find knowing your loved one is with the Lord.  It helps return us to the happy place in which we live.

Prayers would be appreciated during this time.  Thank you!

Have a blessed day!
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