Ho Hum!

Feeling kind of “blah” today. I think it was the Nyquil I took last night. That stuff always wipes me out. *sighs*

Sophomore year starts tomorrow for Dray, so he is spending today out with his choir buddies. They had to meet at the school this morning to sing for the freshman class at 7:15 AM. Since they had to be up so early on their last day of summer break, he and his choir friends all went out to breakfast after their performance and have been hanging out ever since. Considering it was their last day of “freedom” for a while, I decided to be nice and not make him stay home to clean his room.  (which, by the way, reallllllly needs it!)

I know … cool mom, right? Nah. More like pushover mom. Well, at least to an extent.  :)

Sorry I haven’t put up a September desktop yet. I will try to get that done very shortly!

Not really a whole lot else to say at the moment, so I will sign off for now. I think the only thing worse than reading a boring blog, is reading a really looooooong boring blog, and I would hate to put you through that. ;)

Summers End

Well, it has been forever and a day since I have taken the time to blog about anything. The summer is coming to an end soon, and life will revert back to “normal”.

I have traveled a lot this summer. I have been to see my folks a few times in Idaho. I went to the Tri-Cities area for a funeral, and to be a support to my best friend. I went to Washington again (this time to the Everett area) to see my daughter and her growing family, and also to attend the Close family annual Tacky Bar-B-Que. The last trip I took was this past weekend - back to Idaho. I went to see my mom and dad over my birthday.  My brother and his family were there as well, and also my aunt and uncle, so that was nice! I have to say though … I am tuckered out!

It was wonderful to see all those I loved, and wish I could have spent more time with each of them. All of the trips have seemed so rushed, but I guess that is the way it is when you only have a limited amount of time to get all of your visits in.

Between the traveling, Dray was working his first “real” job, so he was able to save up some money, get a bank account started, and buy a digital camera. I think he has finally realized how monotonous it can be to have to get up and go to work every day; especially on days when you would rather be out with your friends! (:

As much as I look forward to the warmer weather after each long winter, I am glad that summer is coming to a close now, and I am very much looking forward to fall. I miss the crisp mornings, and cool evenings. I miss sitting beside the fire at night, and cuddling on the couch. I miss the smell of smoke in the air that lets me know that the holidays are just around the corner!

Life seems so much more “homey” during the fall. It is the perfect time to put on a pot of fresh veggie soup and bake some bread, or put a nice pot roast in the slow-cooker in the mornings, so that you smell it throughout the house as you work. I guess it just feels more cozy to me; a time when family gathers around and everyone is content.

I have been incredibly lax with my digital scrapbooking of late, but I hope to remedy that soon. I am going to be moving all of my design projects - both scrapbooking and web design - to one new domain. It will make it easier to manage it all, and give me some breathing room.

Check back in the next couple of days, and I will have a brand new September Calendar up for your desktop!

I pray that you have all had a very blessed summer, and I look forward to chatting with you all again soon! (:

Be warned; gushing mommy post!

My son Draylen has spent the last three days traveling back and forth to the Montana High School District Music Festival in Polson. He is in the regular choir, the “elite” choir, and was also there to compete by singing a solo.

Today was the day he was going to sing his solo, (I Am A Poor Wayfaring Stranger - lyrics below), so hubby and I were up at 5:30 this morning getting ready for the drive down to Polson to see him perform.

I have always known my son could sing, (and very well I might add!) but today was something else. His performance was awesome! I was so impressed.

It’s kind of funny, really. I hear Dray sing around the house all the time. He also sings in the car, with his friends, and with his choir. Somehow though, this was different. Watching him up there in front of the room in his dress uniform and tie, and hearing him sing with such power and confidence, was really something special.

After he was finished, the judge told him he was “a natural” and also told his choir teacher that she “must be proud to have such talent among her Freshmen”. The gal next to me even leaned over and said, “Wow! He’s really good! Did she say he’s only a Freshman?” Needless to say, my heart swelled with pride. That’s my boy! ;)

His voice has changed so much in the past year. He no longer sounds like a “kid”, but more the young man that he is. *sigh* Another sign that my “baby” isn’t a baby anymore.

Anyway … he called me just a little bit ago, (he wanted to stay and watch his classmates sing after he performed), and told me that he was given the highest rating possible by the judge - 1: Superior.

He is now moving on to the State competition. Woo hoo! I’ll be posting his video as soon as I have it transferred from our video camera to the computer.

I know … I know! This post is totally a “proud mommy” post! I won’t deny it. That’s the beauty of having your own website though; you can brag about your kids any time you want to. LOL!!

Draylen, I am really proud of you Bubba! You have worked so hard to hone your vocal skills, and your diligence is paying off. Congratulations son! :)

I Am A Poor Wayfaring Stranger Lyrics:

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
While traveling through this world of woe
Yet there’s no sickness, toil nor danger
In that bright world to which I go
I’m going there to see my Father
I’m going there no more to roam

I know dark clouds will gather ‘round me
I know my way is rough and steep
But golden fields lie out before me
Where God’s redeemed shall ever sleep
I’m going there to see my mother
She said she’d meet me when I come

I’ll soon be free from every trial
My body sleep in the churchyard
I’ll drop the cross of self denial
And enter on my great reward
I’m going there to see my Savior
To sing His praise forevermore

Parental Guilt

Parental guilt; where does it come from?

I was sitting here thinking this morning about all the things I wish I would have done differently with my kids. I was remembering things that had happened in the past - times when I lost my temper and I shouldn’t have, times I should have been more lenient - that kind of thing. It made me feel terribly guilty. There is nothing I can do to change those things, so why does my mind tend to wander back every so often, and make me wish I could have a “do over”?

I’ve been doing a lot of this lately. Maybe it’s because I’m realizing that my time with Dray is short; only three more years until he heads off to college. I keep thinking about when he and Rachel were small, and wishing I could go back and do things differently.

I know that I was a good mom … but at the same time, I was a young mom. There was so much I didn’t understand about raising kids, and so much I would do differently if I were to start over again today.

I wouldn’t have worried about the house as much, and I would have spent more time making messes with them instead. We did read books every night, but occasionally, I think I would have done “just one more”. And those times I lost my temper when I shouldn’t have? Those would be erased completely.

So, as a mom, how do you get past your feelings of guilt over past parental failures? What causes us to feel guilty to begin with? Is it just the enemy’s way of making us feel that we are unworthy? That we haven’t been the parent we should have been to begin with? Or is it simply a longing, deep in our hearts, to have given our children the perfect childhood?

I don’t know the reason behind it. I don’t think I ever will. I do know that I can’t change the past, so dwelling on it isn’t healthy. Remembering every once in a while can be good though, and keep us on track as parents.

I look at my kids now, and I know they are happy, well-adjusted members of society. Sure, we have had our rough times, but for the most part I think we have all done the best that we could do at the time. Now, God willing, we have long and happy futures to look forward to.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

Rachel and Draylen, I love you!

Remember Me

War sucks. We all know that. Our troops, however, need our support … regardless of how we feel about the war itself. Remember them. Even though the war has been going on for so long now, their service to us all is just as important now as it was when the war started.

The following video was created by 15-year-old Lizzy Palmer. Her video is amazing. As with most, I was crying by the end of it. Watch this, and then really sit and think about how you can make a difference in the lives of our soldiers, and their families. Is that all? Nah! Keep Reading! »