Happy Birthday, Lindsay

You may wonder why I would chose a black and white picture of Lindsay in my birthday salute to her life. It is because what puts the color in Lindsay and helps her spread color to all she encounters is what is inside.

She has a pretty face but there is so much more to her than those fun filled eyes and that contagious smile....and here are a few of the things that she colors the world with.....

Did you know:

She loves politics and is well versed in our world and what is happening both past, present, and future.

She is a great debater and most of the time I would say she is dead on....now I say most of the time because it is the most comical thing when she realizes that there might be another angle and she is the first to embrace it all.

She is the funniest girl. She has a quick sense of humor and can make me shoot liquid from my nostrils with her brand of random humor.

She was shy when she was a child...to the point that she would hide behind me in most cases.

She used to be very involved in community service and embraced every opportunity to help others.

She is the Queen of hearts to me...and I won't go any further with that....she knows.

She laughs at what she isn't suppose to....it is hysterical.

She could lead others around Disney World with her eyes closed and blindfolded!

She is the only mom I know that can fold her son up in a stroller not once, not twice, but three times.

She likes her cats fluffy....need I say more!

She loves her job and her team.

She wouldn't hurt anyone for any reason.

She is the most loyal person I know. She is true blue and loves unconditionally.

She is an awesome, fantastic mom.

She is a great friend.

She is the wind beneath my wings........literally and I know that is a cliche' but it is true.

She is 28 today...and I remember the minute she was born. She has my mom's middle name as hers and is the only Grandchild to honor this great lady with her name. Did you know that her hair color determined her name so, with that, this what you might have called her: Bald, Brianne; Redhair, Sarah; Blond hair, Heather; And you guessed it...black hair....LINDSAY!

I love this girl much more than I could ever express. With my wonderful sons and this amazing daughter, friend, mentor, motivator, and encourager, I thank God for the gifts he entrusted to me and the extension of all that in an awesome grandson.

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!

Happy Birthday Jon

It was twenty nine years ago today that I met an amazing young boy. His name was Jonathan William and he had red hair and beautiful blue eyes. He was a great baby and a cherub looking toddler that used to always look inquisitive causing people in the grocery store to stop and gawk at him. As he grew, so did his smile and it was captivating to all that were the recipient of it. He didn't always have an easy time finding his place in our family. He also didn't know how deeply his mom's love for him was. The middle child always feels that confusion about where he stands in the family. Not the oldest and not the youngest.

Jon, as a man, is amazing. His heart has grown over the years and he has discovered his inner strength and his gifts with people. Someone having the worst day in the world can easily think it was the best after encountering this man. He leads people in his job and holds dear his wife, Elena. He has worked hard to get where he is. He truly shows what leadership is. Not always perfect, as he is human, but he does grasp life as a journey and what needs to be done or undone, he is man enough to do it.

Some have tried to destroy and usually those that try are lacking something within themselves. The important part is that they did not succeed and our family has come through a storm intact and strong.

How proud I am of this man. He can still melt me with his smile and warm me with those eyes that seem to twinkle with mischief. I love my son. I am so proud of my son. I look back at the day he was born with pride and thankfulness that God entrusted this little life into my care.

There is a prayer under the rug in the auditorium at church asking God to care for his heart and to guide him to church so that he may have a relationship with Jesus and the support that only He can give.

Jon and Elena have been attending church. Aren't prayers amazing! Every time I walk on that carpet, I think about my children's names underneath my feet and they all are raised up in prayer that they may see how very special they all are. Thank you God for all of them and today, thank you for the opportunity to celebrate Jon.

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Beauty and Disney....The Message

The message at church was about finding the beauty in life that is fulfilling. Mark talked about the word shalom saying the meaning of it was: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Isn't that how we want our world whether in the broad sense or closer to home.

He gave a great example of "beauty" in his eyes. He talked of a family vacation together and in particular a meal they all sat down for. He spoke of how he gazed over his family reminiscing, laughing, sharing, and spending quality time with each other.....that was beauty to him.

People wonder why we go to Disney all the time. Mark couldn't have said it better. It is a place where families come to do just what he talked about. There is a lot of love and beauty to take in there. Families laughing, coming out of their professional shells, making memories together is what you find in Disney. I always tell everyone that I have more God moments while I am there. I can concentrate and close my eyes and see and hear my children's faces and voices when they were little. I can look at pictures at home but there, I relive it and more importantly I "feel" it over and over again.

I know that some go and never find that kind of magic and some never experience that beauty that Mark talked about. Some expect the "attractions" to do it all. I saw the attractions a long time ago and enjoy seeing them but the real attraction to me is what surrounds those attractions. I soak up the loving energy there and my soul refills with those surreal images, smells, sights, and the renewed love of family and renewed hope that somehow families will take home with them the incredible togetherness and fellowship they experienced there.

It was a great message. You can hear Mark's message at GCCwired.com.

Side note: in order to experience what I described, I believe you must first have the love of Jesus in your heart which opens your heart to the ability to feel things deeper and in a more dimensional way.

Debates

I really do not like to talk about my politics and my choices. I do want to touch upon some impressions and thoughts that I have about the debates as of late.

First of all, anyone running for office is doing so based on some merit of success in their political and leadership experiences. I think sometimes when one is very successful with one campaign or one initiative, they sometimes think they can succeed based upon that success. Being President of this country isn't about being strong in one area but being versed in many different areas. The most important is in foreign policy because we aren't just making nice with our neighbors, we are fighting for our lives against people that can't be reasoned with. In that case, sometimes brute strength has to be used. No one likes our young people being over there and being in danger, but the alternative to this is having a bunch of people without consciences and fairness running around killing people just to do it. So, those things we need to defend ourselves against sometimes comes from unpopular decisions. Ask yourself if you would want to make those critical decisions and then be responsible for their outcome. It is easy to say that "they" should do this and that but in all fairness, there is more to it then that. The one statement that came out that has stayed with me is this: "We don't want a person in the White House that has to do on the job training especially with foreign policy". I agree with this. Just because you have been a congressman, or a leader of a state or city, the fact remains that while doing that, you haven't had to do anything about foreign policy.

Here is what I know. I went to New York as a representative and was a guest at the United Nations. This was before Rudy Giuliani became mayor. I then visited New York after 911 and saw the difference in the quality of the city and the cleanup of the aftermath of the tragedy, I had nothing but respect for the Mayor, not only for the condition of the city but for the way he handled the entire situation. People say they don't care for him personally because of his marriage situation. I say let's turn the light on and realize that there is more of that in Washington D.C. then is ever discovered.

One of the democratic candidates tolerated public humiliation from her husband and now wants him back in the White House for another round. I would have respected her more if she would have bid him farewell after his term. I feel she put her political aspirations ahead of what is right or wrong in marriage.

To end all of this I would say this. I am not running for office. Everyone of the candidates have strengths and weaknesses and experience. Our job is to elect someone who can address with confidence and experience all of the negatives facing our country in the time ahead. Who might that be? I don't know but whoever he or she is, we as the electing body need to stand behind and continue to try to improve in our own little way making a difference so that positive direction can take over the negativity we all face living in this country. We must pray and listen and take the time to be open to elect the best person and not a party affiliation.

The Blessing of Friends

As 2008 begins, I find myself being very "blubbery" according to my daughter. I call it being sentimental.....she is so funny. I am so blessed to have a God that loves me, a family that I love and loves me back where everyone counts and everyone matters, and friends that have come into my life by chance, association, and out of intentional actions. I thought I would honor my friends by describing something I love about them. These are just a few of the special people in my life:

• Lindsay: for always being the positive seeking light for me and my fave Disney buddy!


• Jon: for being not only an awesome son, but also a great work mate as well.
• Ej: for being an awesome son and an example of what determination means.


• Bob: for always considering my feelings and for being a great example of "marriage" with Lori as it should be and for watching over me.


• Lori: for always caring about what is happening in my life and in my heart.


• Shanti: for being genuinely loving and supportive and a true Christian in every sense of the word.


• James: for being a great sense of humor but also showing strength as a man in this crazy world.


• Deb: for being a life long friend that no matter how little or much we see each other, she shows she cares all the time.


• Alison: for being a concerned friend and also wearing a great "boss" hat with the same drive as our friendship


• My teammates: Denise and Leigha who help drive me and support me in my job and in my faith


• Friends in general who lend value to my life: Jami, Lisa, Jeanna, Tony, Josh, (awesome friends and neighbors: Josh S., Mike, David) Pat and John, Chuck and Lorna, Joanne and Terri, Courtney, Scott, Josh, Allison, Brent, Patrick, Terri, Lamart (all from work) more to come!

These are just a few that I interact with either on a daily basis or who have made an impact on my journey.



I have many more that I will talk about in the Blessing of Experiences.



I am blessed!

Amazing neighbors!

What great guys we have for neighbors. They always look out for us. I thank them with hot cocoa and a little pizza and they are all smiles.

We love em!

A Date with a Six Year Old!

Most were out hobb-nobbing for New Year's Eve. Me, I snagged a most handsome date for the evening. He is much shorter than I but it didn't matter. He was thoughtful, kind, funny, and wanted only to laugh and have fun. I had to do some persuading to get that guy in his pajamas but finally, we made a race out of it and he returned in his plaids and car slippers. Yeah, it took my breath away. We played with the Wii and ate popcorn. We watched a little TV and munched a little more on Doritos. We drank a lot (pop) and the later it got, the more giggly we became. We decided to take some pictures to show off our "crazy" side. I thought I would share these pictures of our very special evening together. By the way, he had lots of energy until four minutes before midnight and when I turned to ask him if he was ready for the big moment (2008), yeah, the main picture is what I saw. Isn't he just the most handsome thing????

Meet my date, Dawson!

We started with lots of energy!

Sad faces

A little catnap for energy.

Almost 2008!

Can we keep our resolutions?

Nahhhhh!

Maybe....ya think?????

Let's play some Wii

This means war!

I think he is serious!

It's a friendly war!

EEEKS - Get Jammies on!

Gettin sleepy!