in remembrance

I can't let memorial day pass without honoring those I love who served in the armed forces. My Grandparents and parent were proud patriots and raised me to love my country and be thankful for the men and women who serve.

My Grandpa Benjamin Brown- US Army WWII- He drove heavy artillery around and was at the battle of the bulge. He was very proud of his service in the Army and when I took him to the Dr. one day last year before he passed away he told the Dr. "That toe looks like it does ever since I dropped a artillery shell on it." He loved his country

My Grandpa Edwin Davis- was a cook in World War II and was in the Army.

My cousin James R. Stevens-US navy- paid the ultimate price and was killed in the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Stark May 17,1987. He loved the Navy and had just re-upped at the time of his death

Marty's grandpa and grandma were at Pearl harbor and carried that with them to their dying day.

It is important to remember those who served and still serve for our freedom!

Mary,Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow

The garden

My dream growing up was to have a garden a beautiful garden. When engaged to Marty he would promise me someday a garden. We never got around to it until last year. I had tried in the past with no success just nothing. Last year we decided to start a garden and grow mammoth sunflowers. So the kids and I came home from my grandpa's funeral pretty heartbroken and sad. So the next week I decided to plant and asked God to bless our garden with growth and something to remember grandpa by. Almost all of my grandparents came from the state of Kansas and the sunflower is the state flower. Well we planted and got growth and they grew and grew and grew until over 7 ft tall. We got blooms and huge heads on them! Wow, then we de-seeded them and saved the seeds. This year we re-planted the seeds and shock of all shock they grew. We planted many things this year along with the sunflowers, zinnias, morning glories, cornflower, bachelor buttons, poppies, marigolds and 2 kinds of wildflower mix. It is growing well and it is beautiful! I think my neighbors think I am rainman or something though because I just go out and stare at every plant and look at each growth and bud. I just enjoy seeing creation and nature in motion. Check out my pics I take new pictures every thursday and I even took a video too!

more fun kid conversations

Okay, it seems like this has been the going theme of the blog lately but I think it better than me talking about death and grief:) I guess it is the fact that my kids are older now and try to have meaningful conversations but are still young and innocent.

Here goes: Driving to the library today and we pass the town stockyard. There were cows there and

Conner says: " Hey sis, you know why those cows are in there?"

Elizabeth says :" No,why?"

Conner says: " They feed them lots of hay and fatten up and then they send them off to kill them." "Right mom!"

here we go!!! See he is the kind of kid that when he was little unless we just told him the straight fact he would ask and ask and ask 50 million questions. So we have always just been straight with him

Me: " Yes, Conner that is right"

I can't see what kind of face Elizabeth is making I think it is one of shock though.

Conner :" You see that meat we eat... Well,it is cow meat that we eat"
Elizabeth: " Oh!!!!!"
Conner: " You see we just don't call it that though. There is a polite word for it hmmm.. help me out mom what is that word??"
Me: " The word is beef Conner" Laughing

I think by this point his sister is just wanting him to shut up! but he goes on......
Conner: "Sis, do you think you are going to eat beef anymore?"
I am thinking " Oh,Crap don't go there"
Me: " Elizabeth, that is what they are here for is for us to eat and it is OK" " Conner, enough talking about it"

He gave up and we went on to another subject but it is one of those things I had to tell their dad and I asked Elizabeth to tell him tonight.

Elizabeth " Mom, I don't want to talk about it"

Okay, end of story!!!! I told him and we had a good laugh. I thought maybe you could use one too!

my son

We went to the grocery store today and were shopping and preparing for a birthday party for Elizabeth tomorrow. I forgot to eat lunch and started to feel bad finishing up at the store. So we are driving home and Marty says " are you ok?" and I told him I just felt bad because I needed to eat but didn't have a headache. Then Conner says " It's okay Momma, do you want to wear my hat?" ?????? What? SO random. Marty and I are still crying laughing about it. Marty says " that's our son he has your best interest in mind" ...............So funny!

Snippets of life

So much going on around here so little time to blog. Here is a few snippets of life around our house:

Sarah my younger much more beautiful cousin( she is going to love me) can to visit and we had a great time having her.

We planted our 2007 garden last thursday and we already have blooms and I will give weekly photo updates.

Last weekend was so busy with Easter stuff but it was well worth it because the sacrfice that was made for us is so much more than alittle time taken out for him.

This week........................back to the grind....................it has been a rough one getting back on track from our mini vacation.

school is moving at a ants pace and one day all I wanted to do was go back to bed.

Things heard and said around here worth sharing:

" Mom, I think when sis and I grow up we will still be good friends like we are now"
( doesn 't that just make your heart sing)

Elizabeth lost her two front teeth and anything she says is just about the cutest thing you have ever seen. She has a slight lisp that is just heart melting.

Today we went to lunch with my friend and her daughter. Her daughter is 5 and the worlds biggest pistol. She says some really doozies " shulie, you suck" ( just repeating) "shulie, your house is messy" ( i beg to differ)

Well today, she had a answer for everything I said. We were talking( her mom R and I) about how Marty pulled Elizabeth's teeth and how R never pulled her kids ever. Well I told R her daughter that she could come to our house and I would pull her teeth for her and she said " I dont think so" so funny. The best is yet to come: R starts telling me how all the daughter has been watching all week is 'Free Willy" and the little girl says " there is a boy with long hair and red lipstick in that movie" and I was sitting there thinking when I watched that movie 50,000 times with my favorite kid to babysit Kevin F. I never remember seeing that part but it has been 10 yrs+ so anyways my friend says " You know who she is talking about right?" I respond "Uh, No" R. says " Michael Jackson" I start laughing hysterically....oh, it gets better....The little girl says "he's a girl/boy" she is 5 mind you. I am laughing and then she says " I want him to be my boyfriend" I am screaming laughing. We politely told her it wouldnt work out and then she kept reapting something her mom said about MJ the whole time I am ordering crying laughing at the Mc Donalds worker. So funny!

Put two talkers together

And they will talk for 7 hrs straight. Rachel and I got back on the phone after the last blog because she went the wrong way on the freeway after she left and ended up going the wrong way. So We talked until 3 am. Ten yrs to talk about in 7 hrs. It was alot of funny but boy am I tired:)

Rachel

Wow, today I got the surprise of my life. My friend from high school Rachel called me and was like"So whatca doing?" and I told her going to dinner with some girlfriends. She told me she was driving up to see her sister in San Jose and that she wanted to stop by. I almost fell over! Most friends tell me later they have driven by Visalia or been around my area but nobody calls to stop by. The last time that happened was about 2002 and my friend Lee came by on his way home from Sacramento. So I was so excited and she got here and it was just wonderful. Living so far from people that know me and know who I was and see who I am now is hard at times. So seeing a old friend is medicine to the soul. We had such a great time and kept her alittle too long but it was so great to hear about her life and to see where she is going and to share my life and for her to see where I was going. She shared some things with me that I needed to hear and she said I shared some things that she needed to hear. I am so thankful to Rachel for going above and beyond and being such a great friend. I really appreciated that and will be forever thankful.