Caesar is Settling In

I'm Going to Miss My Seniors

    Last night I helped judge the Senior Projects at the high school that I sub at.  I have watched, encouraged and helped these kids with their projects so that they would be ready for their big night of presentations.  I have been a judge in the past, but last night was special.  I learned something new about each of the kids who presented.  I got to know more about each of them as a person as they shared some things that they had learned about themselves in this process.  They all touched my heart and made me so proud of them!  I have seen them grow so much over the past year alone and it gives me hope for not only their futures but those of their entire generation.
   Upon reflection of last night, I realized how quickly graduation is coming up for these Seniors.  Every year I go to the graduation ceremony to see and celebrate as "my kids" reach this important milestone in their lives.  Each year, I sit in the stands and cry out of pride, happiness and also because I know how much I am going to miss each group of kids as they make their way out into the world.   Some of these kids I have known for their whole lives and others, I have just known for a short time, but all of them are so special.  Whether they realize it or not, they have all made a huge impact in my life and will forever be in my heart.  My prayer for them all is to have a good life and to be truly happy in whatever they choose to do in their future.  I look forward to seeing them accomplish their dreams!

Recycled Wreath

 

I had an old Christmas wreath that had seen better days and decided instead of just tossing it out, I would rip all the stuff off the grapevine wreath base and use that to make a new Springtime wreath.  

After digging through my supplies, I found a bag full of leftover silk ferns, flowers and even boutonnieres that I had made for my son Christopher's wedding. :)

I spent the next hour cutting, arranging and hot glue gunning ferns, flowers and bouttoniers to the grapevine base.  I really like the way it turned out and it cost me nothing to make! 

 Another huge bonus to all of this is that every time I look at it, it brings back memories of the day Chris married our sweet Heather and they started their own family. They have now gone on to bless us with our first grandson Bradley and our newest little grandson that will be making his grand debut in late July. :)

   

 

Caesar...the Gentle Giant

 

It is no secret that I have been missing our beloved Sasha since she passed away last Spring.  There has been a huge hole left in my life since she has been gone.  It took me quite a while to heal to the point where I wanted another dog but it slowly happened and I have been on the lookout for another White German Shepard.  My son Chris, who does code enforcement for the city of Moscow, Idaho, found a beautiful dog out running one day and let me know about him and encouraged me to adopt him if the owner did not claim him.  The dog was claimed by his owner that afternoon and we thought that was the end of it.

The next day, Chris learned that the dog's owner, a wonderful and caring woman, needed to re-home him and was trying to find him a loving and forever home.  Chris got ahold of her and us and several phone calls and emails later, we got the word that he was ours if we wanted him.  Chris said we would "share" the dog...he fell in love with the dog too but is unable to have him at his house right now. ;)

Jeff and I went into town Wednesday afternoon to meet him and it was love at first sight!  Caesar, the gentle giant, got along with us right off the bat and did not hesitate to get in our car for the ride to his new home.  We did have a concern about how the dog would do with our Grandson Bradley, but Caesar had been raised around young children and it showed.  He was very gentle with Bradley and Bradley gave him lots of hugs and pets.  If he had not been good with Bradley, we would not have been able to keep him and we had let his owner know that right up front.  I am so glad it all worked out! :)

Caesar's adjustment to being a part of our family has gone very smoothly.  He does not bother the cats and he and our old outside cat Gemma have already become buddies. :)   He loves to go on walks and that gets both Jeff and I out getting some exercise.  He is only 2 years old, so he needs lots of play time and exercise.  I am feeling much safer at night with him here with me.  He sleeps right next to the bed and so far has not gotten me up at night.  He is a wonderful dog and we feel so blessed to have him in our lives. :)
 

 

Bradley is One Year Old!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!  Our grandson Bradley turned one year old on Friday March 8th!  I would have pictures but he got sick so we had to postpone his birthday party until next weekend.  

Bradley has brought so much joy into our lives.  He is my ray of sunshine and I love him with everything that is within me.  My husband gave him an old cell phone that he took the battery out of so Bradley can "call" Grammie and G-pa to say hi. :)  He loves to talk on the phone!  Bradley has turned into quite the little dancer also and enjoys going "wiggle wiggle" to music.   He continues to make us laugh with his antics and just makes my heart melt with his cuddles.  I love being Bradley's Grammie!

It's a Boy!

Jeff and I are thrilled to share that Heather and Chris and having another precious little boy!  They called to tell us yesterday after their ultrasound.  We can't wait to meet this little one when he makes his debut in late July. :)  Good thing I kept all those nice big Tonka trucks and bulldozers...I think they will be put to good use for years to come by my grandsons. :)

I'd Still Say Yes!

My husband and I are marking 28 years of marriage this coming Saturday.  We first met when I was a mere 19 years old and then our paths did not cross again for 6 months.  When we did bump into each other again, it was one of those moments when time just stands still and everything around you seems to fade away.  From that night on, we knew that we did not want to be with anyone else.  We just "clicked" and we inseparable. :)  We spent the next year and a half getting to really know each other before we were married.

I was really blessed to have the love and support of my husband's parents right from the first time I met them.  They are warm, loving people who welcomed me into their home and heart.  It was Christmas Eve and I was missing my own family who were back in Hawaii.  We were meeting my then to be future inlaws at a Christmas Eve service at the same church they had been married at years before.  To say I was nervous would be a huge understatement.  What if they didn't like me?  I had already fallen in love with their son and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.  I felt like I was on the most important "interview" of my life.  I needn't have worried, they literally welcomed me with open arms, hugs, and even Christmas presents.  I could not have felt more at ease and at home with them.  I feel so blessed to have shared such a loving relationship with them for a little over 29 years now.

My family fell in love with my husband before they even met him.  They knew that I had found someone special and that I could trust with my heart.  I had some huge walls built up due to past hurts but through his patience, support, love and kindness, those walls came down.  I had never been able to trust anyone like I trusted him...I knew deep down in my soul that he would not hurt me.  My grandmother also knew instinctively, that he was the man for me and knew that we would be married and that he would take care of me.  My grandmother was my biggest cheerleader and supporter up until that point in my life and she and I were extremely close. Sadly, she died before Jeff and I got engaged and never got to meet him.  My parents and brothers finally got to meet Jeff after we got engaged and they too "clicked" with him immediately.  My parents could see the same qualities that I saw in him and my younger brothers were thrilled at the thought of having such a nice big brother who made their older sister so happy.  My husband shares a great relationship with my parents and brothers, our sweet sister-in-law who is married to my baby brother and our adorable nephews.  We all enjoy spending time together.  My sister, who lives in Tahiti, has yet to meet him and he her, but we really hope to have that happen sometime soon.

Over the many years we have been together, there have been a lot of changes in our own immediate family.  We were blessed with 3 amazing sons, home schooled them for most of their childhood and saw them all venture out on their own and be strong, confident and independent men while still sharing and valuing that close family connection.  Our twins have found and married wonderful women and by doing so, blessed us with 2 daughters that we love with all our hearts.  We also have become grandparents for the first time to our grandson Bradley who will be a big brother in July! 

Like every married couple, we have gone through some very difficult times but what has gotten us through it all  is the promise we made to each other early on...that whole "till death due us part" part of the vows...we took that seriously.  We have learned some important lessons along the way.  We learned how to make the most of what we have and to truly appreciate it.  We learned to work as a team towards our goals in life.  We learned to never let anyone come between us, not even friends or family.  We learned to compromise, sacrifice, to say sorry, to put each others and our childrens' needs above our own in different seasons of our lives.  We have learned that no matter what, we are stronger together and can weather any storm.  Most of all, we have learned that marriage and love evolves and changes over time.  Each season brings new challenges and new blessings.  We are each others best friend, strongest supporter and to be honest, we would be lost without each other.  No matter how hard things have been at times, I would still say yes.  I cannot imagine my life with anyone else.