A sweet idea I'm stealing + Sloan's favorite new word is rain + I'm a sucker for romance(or I've bought into media hype)

For Mother's Day

The May edition of Real Simple Magazine had the most darling article written by Jacquelyn Mitchard(author of Deep End of the Ocean and much more) about a tradition she has with her children.  When her first husband passed away a friend gave her an empty journal and she in turn used to help her young children heal.  She handed it to them on Mother's Day and  simply said write something, anything.  Every year after they have each(she has 9 children) recorded a message, a picture, a thought, a poem.  Sometimes it was happy, sometimes it was sad, sometimes it reflected their relationship with her at the moment and it wasn't always pretty.  It was real and it became her most cherished possession.  It is the only gift they are expected to give her-a page in the journal for her birthday, Mother's Day, and Christmas. 

 I cried and cried when I read this story.  How beautiful and how priceless.  How simple. I'm stealing this idea for two reasons.  One is that I can't think of any thing more heart warming than having books filled with thoughts, and wishes, and artwork-maybe more precious that photographs in some ways. I save everything the kids make me, but to have one little book, at my bedside table, would be an even easier way to keep those boys close to me.  And two, the idea that this is her gift from them, the only one they need to give through out the year is genius.  I despise the whole dragging out of children, to buy a gift for a parent, just to teach a lesson on giving, which does not teach a darn thing, and drives me insane at the same time.  Couldn't a picture of what they would get you accomplish the same thing, feel better on the inside, give you the memory longer, mean more to them in the future, possibly teach them how to be giving of their time which is way harder to give up then money(when you are older) and maybe someday they would be men who write their mother letters(emails) and their wives love notes.  Maybe.  I think it's worth a try.

Crazy Weather



We were hit with some NASTY weather last night.  I feel so bad for all the people hit by the umpteen tornadoes all day yesterday.  This place really knows how to have a storm.  Serious rain, serious hail, serious wind in a seriously wooded community equals seriously ugly damage.  We high tailed it downstairs a couple of times last night.  My sweet Asher was in heavy prayer on the bathroom floor, Holden was jumping around like it was the best night ever, and Sloan learned his new favorite word-rain-we'll work on the word hail in some other storm this season.

It was all very exciting.

You could say we had some hail damage.

   

I think there is a yard somewhere under all those leaves.  I had never officially counted the tress in our yard until this morning.  I stopped counting at 25 because that seemed to be a ridiculous amount and who would believe 30trees on an only slightly larger than normal piece of property. I feel pretty fortunate that they are all standing vertical for the moment.  Apparently with all the rain, tree's root systems give out and they could all fall at any time-awesome-I don't have enough worry about.

I hope all of you are safe, and only cleaning up a big mess if you live in the south. 

I'm Feeling Romantic

I am setting my alarm for 4:00am tonight.  Are you?  I think it's just all the chatter on TV about the Royal wedding, but I just want to see a girl actually become a Princess.  I remember my sister getting up to see Diana and Charles get hitched.  I was too young to get it, but this time around I think I want to sit in the dark, drink my coffee and take in all the tradition and beauty. 

Becca and I always giggle when people we know get married.  "Have fun with that!" we chuckle.  Let's face it, you just don't get it until you got it.  Marriage is a lot of work and sometimes, gasp, not a lot of fun.  I adore my husband, he adores me.  I always tell him I am marrying rich if he ever kicks the bucket, he says he's just going to date if I die.  "What, your never going to get married again, is it because I just can't be replaced?", I ask.  "No, that's not the reason", he answers.  We have a good laugh over that.

I hope William and Kate have a good sense of humor.  I hope they have a plan that is better than any royal before them.  I hope that a princess in 2011 can truely get her happily ever after.