Blossoms . . .

apples and kiddos.

There has been a lot of blossoming going on at our home lately.  With the emergence of a tween youth in our home, things have become new and exciting.  She has brought with her wonder and maturity, learning and yes, even the occasional tears.  Not bad or sad tears, just growing tears.  It has been a blessing to be with her on this journey and I hope, that with the grace of God, we can make this journey enjoyable to all of us.  At first I was sad that she was turning 12, and I still am a bit, but I see the beauty and magnificence in this time of her life and I feel very privileged that I can help her through it all.

As I sat admiring the blossoms on our small, easy to miss apple tree, I couldn't help but think about how children are very much like these little flowers.  We give them food, sun, and love so that is the spring of their lives they can burst forth and share with the world the beauty they have inside.  If we are patient and continue to feed, nourish and love them, they will produce the most wonderful fruit.  We must not forget though, that as the master gardeners of our children's lives, we must be aware of the pests and frosts that may come their way and thus protect them through the cold.

How I want them all to blossom!  What else is true, is that blossoms do not come every spring.  With our little tree, the first year brought many blossoms and even produced a half a dozen apples.  Were the apples appealing to the taste?  No . . . too soon.  But the perseverance and desire was there.  So we continue to feed, water, and care for the tree in hopes that it would produce again.  The second year, we received many blossoms early, but alas, a frost came a crushed their beauty early.  We were not watching.  We were not prepared.   

If the "frost" comes in the night with my children, I want to be able to say that I was watching and was very much prepared. Can we always win in our war against the frost and the bugs.  Sadly, not always, but I know that I give those blossoms and much better chance if I am.  I also know that my heart will be comforted.    

The Waiting Game . . .

I find it quite difficult to go day by day waiting for what will happen tomorrow, or next week, or next month.  We are in a transition phase.  Well, I think that it would be more correct to say that we are in a pre-transition phase.  House up for sale; pristine cleanliness all the time; searching for that dream of a homestead or land.  We seem to be pretty level headed people ( ok, this is in my own opinion).  It doesn't seem prudent to find that dream place and have our hearts set on it before we are set free of our current obligation ( a mortgage).  Yet, it is hard not to look.  It's good to know my surroundings, I tell myself.  This is all in our master plan for our family.

#1 Be and Live Debt Free

This must first be accomplished before anything else and the sell of our home and a change of address would expedite things exponentially.  So  . . .  here we wait.  But at the same time, it would be sad of me to not live in the moment and recognize the beauty of each day.  It is so easy to let a day slip by, with really nothing accomplished or learned, having no new growth.  I don't want that for the kiddos or our family.

Isn't it wonderful that learning and growing has no sense of future.  Not really.  There is so much to learn and one can grown by leaps and bounds through the simple act of reading a magnificent book or by learning from someone that shares with us their knowledge and thoughts.  One moment . . .

So, here we wait, but while we wait for this change, we will continue to learn, explore, grow . . .

. . . an inch is a cinch . . .

I feel like I have been extremely lucky this last week. I don't know if it really is luck, but by last night, I felt refreshed, inspired, and spiritually filled. Darling Helper crossed that point in life that leads a young, searching child to become a wide eyed, thirsty youth. I knew it was coming. I have been seeing the change in her for the past year. The responsibility level, the notice of things that have nothing to do with her own self, the concern for others, the ability to understand and contemplate more "grown-up" things.

You see, she turned 12 and is teetering on the realm of child and darling miss. I still cheer when she voluntarily chooses the child side. The side of dreaming, imagination and wonder. But, I also awe at the beautiful young lady she is becoming. I had the opportunity to venture out with her to a couple of enlightning meetings in the last few days, and I am so happy to hear the support and encouragement that can be found for our young people, if only we search in the right places.

Something specific that I really held onto was, don't try to do it all at once. Take it a day at a time. "A yard is hard, but an inch is a cinch." So, each morning, I start a new and focus on today, the now. Have I said my prayers today? Did I read the word of the Lord today? Did I serve and love others today? Not over the past year, or for a month, just today.

My shoulders feel lighter . . .

Classics For Sale . . .

For some reason, I occasionally end up with two of the same book. I try to go through my books a few times a year and this year we have a lot of doubles and a few that we just do not read, so I am selling them. Below are the links to the Craigslist listings for the books. If anyone is interested, contact me through the listings.

If you want them all, I will ship them to you for free!

http://eastidaho.craigslist.org/bks/2891999094.html

http://eastidaho.craigslist.org/bks/2891995779.html

Most are in great used condition, some are brand new!!

A Good Tired . . .

I am exhausted. I worked, worked , worked today. Up early ( a goal ), and working in little ways. Some teaching and encouraging with the kiddos on their contributions for the day. A few errands to run; drop items off at the thrift store, groceries, items for Sunday lessons, a last minute surprise for the kiddos. ( a pet and a bit 0f responsibility ). Finally home and back to it.

The day was aboslutely beautiful. We were all grateful that we finished all our "inside" tasks early, as we were able to go outside and enjoy the sun. The kids took advantage of the warmth and got some exercise riding bikes, rollerblading, and all those wonderful outdoor activities we long for during the winter.

Mr. Gravy ( an inside joke between us ), was feeling a bit under the weather, so took it easy and sat at his workbench working on some reloading. I jumped into yard work; cleaning flowerbeds, turning garden soil, raking away the signs of winter. I hope this weather lasts. My flip flops have been screaming to come out of the closet!

** Side Note ** I was happy to see little buds pushing through the soil in my flower beds. Enjoy!

Caucus Time . . .

My state is having their first ever Caucus tonight. I was hesitant about the idea at first, also felt very forced by my state to join a party. I still feel that way. I like to commit, but only when I feel compelled to by my own means. Maybe I would have eventually declared, but I still have a bit of a feeling of contention about it all.

Having said that, I turned in my declaration form on Friday and am ready for the caucus tonight. I am more prepared for this Presidential election than any other. I have spent a lot of time in research, contemplation, and prayer about my decision and last week had my decision down to two of the candidates (Mitt Romney & Ron Paul ) with a strong leaning toward one of them, Romney. Mr. Romney came to our area to speak last week, and even though I was unable to attend, the local news station broadcast it for everyone.

He is a great speaker and I think motivated the crowd with the right words, but I felt that he didn't educate me about his stance on many issues. I still went away from his 15 minute message feeling unsure of him.

Ron Paul came to our area last night and spoke. Dr Paul educated me. He spoke of almost every issue you can imagine. But he didn't just tell you what he would do to fix it, he spoke about why the issue is right or wrong. He explained the constitutionality of the issues, why they are hurting or helping America today, and then explained the Constitutional means by which it should be remedied.

After Mr. Romney's message, I still had an unsure feeling. after Dr. Paul's message, and frankly about half way through it, I feel sure that I had my candidate. So, for the last few days, I have been doing more research, contemplation, and prayer and now I know who I am casting my vote for, Ron Paul.

I would hope that which ever candidate you decide to vote for, you have come to that decision through your own research and thought. So, I encourage you all to participate in the process that is a right to all Americans, VOTE!!!!

Below are links to various sites that helped me make my decision:

Ron Paul's message:

http://www.dailypaul.com/218599/video-complete-ron-paul-speech-idaho-falls-3-5-12

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/

Mitt Romney's Message:

http://www.localnews8.com/video/30581435/index.html

http://www.mittromney.com/

Good Luck & Enjoy!

A Nice Start to the Day . . .

I woke up with the Mr. Head Contractor, to make him some lunch and wish him a good day, but when he left, I found a comfortable place on the sofa. I easily shut my eyes and the next thing I know, Helper was waking me and asking me if she could make breakfast. Of course I did not see any reason why not, so she proceeded to make scrambled eggs, sliced strawberries and bacon. It was wonderful. She set the table and gathered everyone.

( of course, this isn't a picture of her meal, her's was much prettier )

Thanks darling daughter!