The reason we have children......

My friend Patty has been telling me for years that the reason we have children is so we can have grandchildren. I've been hearing that phrase long before my kids were child bearing age. (Patty is several years my senior.) Last August Kalie and Aaron announced to us that Wade and I would finally become members of the grandparent club. We are now down to the last weeks of waiting to meet our precious sweet pea. We get to be surprised at the birth as to which gender it will be. There are times when the whole thing seems surreal. I haven't gotten carried away....yet. I have a new chest in my living room beginning to fill with toys. I have great plans for this little one....coming to Nana Boo's house will always be so much fun. Wade is giddy with excitement. He's gona be a blubbering grandpa. He can't decide if he wants to be called papa or grandpa. Or gramps. Or grumpy. Jesse will be Uncle Jesse and Brenna will be the favorite aunt. Roxy will need to love this little bairn.

Boo.....

Just like my journals sitting half empty in my bedroom bookshelf, so sits my 'blog' on the internet.

Ha! Some things never change.

Pages of my journals are filled with 'updates' from life. I don't know who I think I am writing to. I am the only one who read them.

This evening I was surfing through Facebook and I came upon my friend, Sherry Macy. She had shared a link to her blog, sharing the events from her church this evening. I took a journey through her blog to catch up with her life, since this in the way I keep in touch with her these days.

Going back in time through her life was such a treat. Not only does Sherry write about her life, she uses pictures to tell the stories as well. From church activities, to house remodeling to family gatherings, Sherry carefully crafts a story worth reading.

I wondered if I would be like her someday...with my grandchildren and family as they expand.

Discipline, that's was it takes to consistently write down your thoughts, to share your life and wisdom...humor. You also need something to say. One my say, "Sheez Jere, you ALWAYS have something to say!" True. But does anyone really care?

Maybe the point isn't for someone else to read this stuff. That's bonus! Perhaps the point of blogging is to capture our lives in a post modern way that documents our lives. I enjoy going back and reading about my life. Highs and lows of life remind me that each day is new. If the day is going badly give it 24 hours. A new day could bring a whole new perspective.

My blogging has given me some good moments, now forever (or at least as long as Google's server stays up) on the internet for the edification of those who stumbled upon it.

In the spirit of my friend, Sherry, I leave you with of few photos that document this phase in my life.

I don't have grandchildren, but I do have grandchicks. Thanks to Kalie and Aaron.


Here I am with Peggy, named so because she has a peg leg.
This is the chicken coop that Aaron built. I 'pinned' it on Pintrest! :)
And finally, Jesse was honored with an award at the Fox Film Festival - Best Art Direction for his work on the film "In Case of Zombies." We are so proud!!

It's a new year with new possiblilites

That week between Christmas and New Years always freaks me out. It's like there is something that needs to happen that changes everything. Maybe that feeling comes from the whole Y2K thing or memories of something from childhood. Maybe it is the knowledge that we have to get our taxes filed.

Either way, I tend to feel a sense of dread.

For the past 53 years nothing out of the ordinary happens. I wake up January 1 to face a holiday of some sorts. It is usually spent cleaning house and getting ready for the work week.

This year was no exception. There is a sense of disappointment at the coming of the 2012 new year. I think we were promised in several movies from the 70's that we would be driving around in the air by 2012. Our mode of transportation would be something right out of 2010 space odyssey. Heck, we aren't even CLOSE to that!

Despite the new and old disappointments, I want to wish my friends a happy new year. Who knows? Maybe the flying car is just around the corner!

Christmas

One day I hope to understand my dilemma about Christmas. Not the original Christmas. The one we celebrate today in modern times.

Many people share my feelings about the Christmas of today. It starts now before October 31 and rolls right over us like Santa's sleigh through November and on into December.

My aversion of Christmas isn't just about the commercialism. While I love the lights and the beauty of the holiday, there is just something about the holiday that puts me in a grinchy mood.

Let's start with the tree. I do NOT like the bushy Douglas Fir trees that other members of my family prefer. I like a spindly Noble Fir. Each year no one remembers what my favorite tree is. I am not blaming any one person, because truth be told if it was that important to me I guess I should go get it myself.

But my reluctance to fall hard into Christmas comes from somewhere deeper: a darker place. Childhood disappointments? Regrets?

Favorite favorite memories from my entire life revolve around Christmas. My oldest daughter, Brenna, was born on December 11th. (I'd say the year but she's already pretty broken up about turning 27 this year.) I'll never forget the moment about 3 days after her birth, walking into the living room. Brenna was in the little crib next to the decorated, live, Noble Fir tree that we bought to later bury her placenta under.

The setting sun darkened the room but the glow of the Christmas tree radiated on my darling daughter. This was Christmas. A perfect gift given to me.

When in Papua New Guinea our Christmas' were perfect. We got to spend the entire morning in our own home. No running around to get ready to go to Grammy's house. A lovely, peaceful Christmas dinner later in the day with friends who shared our time in a far away place.

Memories...that is what the ads on TV tell us we should be creating. I regret the lack of memories I made with my family. Things I wished I'd done but didn't. And now it's too late. Christmas regrets.

I believe it is important to look at life from different perspectives. And that is how I choose to look at Christmas. I am blessed. Christmas isn't about things, it is about the gift of Jesus. The gift of life.

As a kindergarten teacher my class put on a play called "365 Days of Christmas." It is in that perspective of Christmas where I want to live.

And as you can see in the picture above I got the perfect tree this year.

Puppy Love

I love my dogs. Everyday when I walk out the door to go to work I know I am going to miss them. Each one of them in their own unique way make me laugh, smile and be happy from the top of my head to the tip of my....tail. :)

This weekend I took them to the dog park in McMinnville. It's been several months since we visited there. From the moment we arrived I realized they remembered where we were. Roxy was much more confident and in fact was able to rustle around with some bigger dogs without going in for the kill. :)

As we entered the gate for the grassy area, Murphy's gait increased as the memory of where we were hit him square between his blind eyes. He ran off like a bat-out-of-hell with his bouncy running with a huge smile on his face. I wish I had a camera to capture their joy.

Roxy played ball for a while but mostly enjoyed all the new smells. Along with Fonzy she emptied her bladder in her attempt to cover every other dog's smell.

Three tuckered out dogs came home after being out of the house for more than two hours. Between the hour at the park, driving time and my stops at the store, they had a wonderful day outing.

The boys are much less agitated as we travel around and Roxy's confidence is evident. I know that our daily excursions to the Newberg Dog Park has been a big benefit to their overall level of security and lessoned their fear of the unknown.

I just wish I could bring them to work with me. :)

The Only Thing Consistent About Life

(Posted October 2, 2011 - began writing August 28.)

Several years ago George Fox decided to undergo an evaluation of employee's job descriptions. Each staff and administrator was required to complete a survey regarding their job. In preparation for this task we were asked to attend an information meeting. As an introduction to the meeting the Human Resources director asked "How many of you like change?"

I was the only one who raised my hand.

Change....it's something you can count on happening in life. Just when you think you have everything all figured out change comes knocking.

In my adult life I have embraced change. For me, change is like a gift. Something new in life that makes the day-to-day mundane....well, different. What's wrong with mixing it up a bit! :)

Even when the change is not good, it helps us to look at things differently. Change pushes us away from the perspective we've been accustomed to and gives us a new view.

I believe if we embrace the change, the new view, we will grow. Being stuck in the 'mud' is not something that excites me.

Wade has a new job. And he loves it. For the first time in many years he feels respected and valued for his experience and his degree.

Granted, the rhythm of our life has changed. Especially for him. He doesn't have the freedom to hit the park and play his guitar in the afternoons. The time we now have together is primarily on the weekends. But he isn't distracted by his job, nor does he hop down to the office for a couple hours.

I am thankful beyond words for the change in Wade's life right now. And even though we are walking to the rhythm of a new drummer, I am liking the new moves.

Half way through and the end is in sight

Summer. The month on the calendar says it has arrived. It is July after all. Yet the clouds in the sky and the temperatures say otherwise. The Pacific Northwest as had one of the oddest summers on record. And while I'd like a little more sun for my lovely tomatos I won't complain. No floods, tornados or hail. It is all about perspective.

Summer. It's a time for vacations and reunions of all sorts: the family and high school kind, trips to visit family and perhaps along the way find a place where summer has arrived.

One of the disadvantages of working at a college is that time is measured. Semesters come and go with the seasons. We are constantly reminded of where we are in the semester, just in case we forget. Which we never do. My co-workers, rightly so, can't wait for each semester to come to an end with hopes that the next one will have less stress. The issues that come up vary and the ebb and flow of working with young adults can be rather draining.

Especially in student life.

Typically summer is the only time most of my co-workers take off for vacation. This summer all three of my bosses have been gone at the same time. Silly them. :) In their absence I've had a long list of tasks to complete. Half way through the summer I am 97% complete with my list. I can leave on vacation without any looming tasks keeping me from having fun!

I will say that it is nice when summer is here. Plans to get something accomplished rarely go unmet. I catch up on the donkey work that seems to get put at the bottom of the pile.

I have the luxury of a window view so my cubicle gets plenty of sun, whenever it decides to rear it's pretty little head. Clouds, wind, birds, bugs...they all make their way past my view.

When I come back from vacation in August I'll be running. All three bosses will be back and I'll be scurrying around getting ready for the retreat and then, the start of the school year.

But it will still be summer, right? I'd love to take another trip to the beach with the dogs. We had so much fun that last time. I plan to make a journey with Roxy (and maybe Wade) up to visit Kalie in Seattle sometime in August. So maybe I am a little premature in thinking that my summer vacation is over once I get back from San Diego.

But I can see it. The end of summer. It hits me right in the face everytime I take a phone call from a student or parent. Things are ramping up here in the office. August will end with the beginning of school.

And that's the way it goes each year, leaving us with memories of summer that left us before it really began.