March, 12, 2011 A Day to Remember

So....both kids got engaged today! Son and girlfriend went for a hike with their puppy up to Knights Ferry - a beautiful place not far from home. Daughter and boyfriend were up in the hills, also with their puppy - and in a beautiful place! We couldn't be happier! It is fabulous to see your kids so happy in life! Who would have thought this would happen on the same day! The planning begins.... :)

Uncle

Late last night, husband's uncle passed away just a few weeks after learning he had cancer. The cancer had spread so far there was little time left for him to enjoy life. But, enjoy life he did. As a young boy he had polio which resulted in him walking with crutches the remainder of his life. Being the man that he was, even as a young boy, he didn't let this stop him in life. He always said, "There's nothing wrong with my mind!" The determination he had for living he brought to everyone around him. In his early 50's he had his first and only biological child. He was a wonderful father to a stepdaughter, stepson and their families as well. You would have thought that he was their biological father for the love he poured out for them and their families. Uncle raised cows and brought his son up to love them as well. Each year at Fair there was Uncle and his son out working the cows in the ring. As grandchildren were born they too fostered this love. Uncle was a very successful businessman who went far beyond the walls of his offices. He touched the lives of many, many people. Uncle was the most humble man you could ever meet, but also had extremely high expectations of those around him. This is a man who will live on forever. I know he is in a better place now and looking down on all of us and saying, "You can do whatever you set your mind to doing." Love you Uncle.

Dominoes

Yesterday, the sisters and I got together with Daddy and Ruby at middle sisters home. We ate - of course - and played dominoes. When Daddy was mixing the dominoes up I looked closely at his hands. I started thinking about how much living those almost 91 year old hands have gone through.

These are the hands that held Mommy's hands for so many years.
These are the hands that held his five children and their families so near and dear to his heart.
These are the hands that fought in World War II.
These are the hands that delivered countless pieces of mail.
These are the hands that played ball.
These are the hands that drove many, many miles traveling across country.
These are the hands that stole watermelons off the back of a truck.
These are the hands that held Mommy and Ruby as they square and round danced.

These hands have seen a lot of living.

Kids

I love our kids...

The Joy of Pets

So...we have a new grandpuppy! Son and Girlfriend rescued Buster from the pound yesterday. He is a lucky boy to be loved by them. Daughter and Boyfriend have Millie to love. When the kids were growing up we had a dog except for about a total of 3 years. We rescued our first dog, BJ, from going to the pound. We were lucky to have him when the kids were little so they could experience the unconditional love of a dog. We soon brought home Kristie. We traveled up the hill to bring her home. We still talk about how she rode at my feet all the way down the hill. She brought us so much love, plus puppies. We kept Blake, one of her puppies, so she wouldn't be alone when we were gone. When Kristie died, Blake went into a deep depression. He had never been without his mommy. He soon moved into the house and was loved even more. When he died it was so painful we couldn't even think about getting another puppy. Four years ago Dakota was given to Husband by the kids on Christmas Day. What joy she has brought us now that we are empty nesters. When the kids were at home they hung with her and she loved every minute. When they come home now she gets so excited. Well...now they have puppies of their own, but Dakota is still near and dear to their hearts. They bring their puppies to our home to play with Dakota. I love to come home to her because she is so excited. She loves us unconditionally, no matter what. When we have had a yucky day, all we have to do is come home and she brightens our day. How silly that a puppy can make you feel so good inside. Aren't we the lucky ones!

Where Does 25 Years Go?

This year, 2011, is the 25^th anniversary of Mommy’s death. It seems unreal that it has been that long. I can still smell the French Toast she used to make me each and every morning when I was living at home. On the morning of Don's and my wedding she didn’t disappoint. There it was, waiting on the table for me…my French Toast with “white syrup.” You may ask, “White syrup?” Mom made special syrup just for me because I didn’t like the “brown syrup”. She was the most unselfish person I have ever met. How incredibly lucky I was to have her for the 24 years I did. I remember the hours we used to spend in the fabric store pouring over patterns and material. She would get so excited from my excitement about the new clothes she was going to make me. Whenever I put on a new outfit for the first time for a fitting I felt like a princess. Here was my Mommy who had taken this piece of fabric and made it into something beautiful just for me! How lucky I was! The other day I was going through one of our closets at home and came upon a down vest that she had made. She made lots and lots of these special vests for many people. Each one of these was adorned with fabric, which made each of them unique. I tried it on and felt as through Mommy’s arms were surrounding me with love. Another time I was going through another closet and found the famous black and white tiger stripped vest. Oh my gosh, that was such a luxury! It was made out of a very special fabric picked out just for me by Mommy! The ultimate was Mommy making my wedding dress. We went to this huge warehouse in Reno and picked out the fabric. Of course, Don and I had only been dating a few months so I’m not sure Mommy was as excited as I was. Here was her youngest making a commitment to someone she had only known for a short time. I knew she would come to love him as much as I do. Whenever I see myself in the beautiful dress that she made me I think of the love she had for her family and how she gave so much of herself to others, especially us.

When I got up in the mornings Mommy would be sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and drinking her cup of coffee – of course, in her owl mug – running her finger over the top of it. When I would come home from school she would often be sitting in the back room on the couch reading Good Housekeeping or Sunset. How young and foolish I was then to think, “Wow, Mom doesn’t do much during the day but drink coffee and read.” When I became a mom I soon realized that she had worked all day cooking, cleaning, shopping and doing crafts so that when her family came home she could spend time with us. Speaking of crafts and talent…Mommy was so incredibly talented and shared that gift with us. There were many weekends that we would scour garage sales looking for wool clothing. She would then treat the wool with such care and prepare it to make her famous wool braided rugs. I still have the needle that she used to sew these rugs together. It’s a gentle remember of her love. Then there were the cakes! We often had cakes in our home because she was always decorating them to be these beautiful masterpieces. She made both the brides and grooms wedding cake for our wedding. They were both beautiful! After our wedding we walked into the hall and saw Mom and Dad holding up the groom’s cake. Apparently ants really like cake too! We all had a good laugh about that. I was gifted Mommy’s Viking sewing machine. As a young mom I put it right to work making clothes for our two children plus their bedding. When I would put my hands down to start sewing I would see Mommy’s hands. To this day, I look at my hands and see her hands. Her hands guided me through life and still continue to do so. I look in the mirror and think – Wow, I’m looking more and more like Mommy each day. In the past 25 years I have kept her spirit alive in my heart and in my family’s hearts. Linzie and Derek were so young when she died that I didn’t want them to not know how incredible their grandma was. Danny had the fabulous idea of putting our thoughts down and compiling them so that generations to come will be able to share in the beauty and wonderness of Mommy. My heart aches everyday for Mom. I have needed her comfort and love so many times over the past 25 years as I venture through life. What I do know is that she is looking down on her family and is very proud of everything that we have all accomplished, but more importantly, to see that we truly are a family who cares and loves for each other each and every day. She lives in our heart.

Quiet Saturday in California

It's a quiet Saturday afternoon at the Reed home. Dakota and Millie (daughter's pup we are pupsitting) are resting. Husband resting after a very long week at work. Me...got the house cleaned, laundry almost done and now kicking back ready to start five days of much needed vacation. Now vacation can really start!

Being a Mom

Being a mom is the most rewarding thing in the world. So when son calls me and tells me that he's on the way to what could be a very dangerous situation I try to stay as calm as possible. I stay calm on the phone and then start shaking when I get off the phone. Although I know that he knows how to be safe I'm still the mom and think of him as my baby....even though he's not a baby anymore. How fortunate I am to have a son who at 26 still calls home and keeps me updated on his life and happenings. I look around the world and see some pretty messed up kids and families and wonder "how did that happen?" What did we do to have some great kids? I don't have any magic formula but we love and trust our kids. Maybe that's the magic - love and trust. I look at our immediate and extended family and see such incredible human beings. How lucky we are to be part of this family and share in each other celebrations and sorrows - all which makes us stronger as a family. To all our family who might be reading this - love you!!

90 Years Old

So yesterday was Daddy's 90th birthday. Wow! Four of us five kids were able to celebrate with him. #5 was there in spirit. :) This whole 90 birthday thing started me thinking...I'm over 1/2 way to 90. Daddy is incredible. He still drives, enjoys his baseball and loves us all unconditionally. He has lived an incredible life. How lucky we five kids are to have him as our Dad.

Kids

Missing the kids being at home....

Family

Drove over to SF last night to celebrate son's 26th birthday. Daughter had gone over the day before to help "keep him busy." Son, girlfriend and daughter all spent the day together....and after a long day out came home to a complete surprise! He was totally caught off guard - which is hard to do. I realized watching him interact with family and friends what a great kid he is. I am amazed each day to think that we raised two wonderful children who are now fantastic adults. I am so proud of them and who they have chosen to be as people. They care about others, give to others, love others and appreciate life. How lucky we are!

Life

is good....... :)

Family

It's 2:20 a.m. and I'm sitting in Daddy's hospital room. After having surgery less than 48 hours ago he is up and walking and in rare form. He has been reminiscing about his time in the Marines. Daddy believes that his training as a Marine made him a better man and able to handle many things in life. It taught him to be a hard worker and to never give up. He also has been reminiscing about how lucky he has been in his life and how extremely proud he is of his family. I told him that all of his kids are successful because he and Mommy always taught us to work hard and to push ourselves to accomplish our goals. He said that Mommy would be very proud of all of us. Daddy feels he has been so very lucky in life to have two wonderful women he has loved and they have loved him back. I am so thankful that he found step-mom after Mommy died. The three of us were talking the other day and they both feel that having each other has helped them live this long. It truly is all about family - life that is. Each day we should wake up and be thankful for those that surround us in spirit and on Earth. How lonely we would be if we didn't have our family connections to help us celebrate and to get through those tough times. I know I am so very thankful for my immediate and extended family. :)

Happy Days Ahead

I'm so excited that our kids are coming home this week! Being empty-nesters is weird! I get up in the morning and can blast the music as loud as I want and no one cares, because no one else is home. The dog looks at me like - oh....here she goes again, blasting the music, singing and dancing. She tries to join me but just can't get the groove with four legs. Son's room is ready for him to come home to...except all of his stuff is gone and now there is a futon ready for him to sleep on. It's pretty funny to see a 6' man sleeping on a futon that is not quite 6'....but he does sleep well. Lucky Daughter gets to come home to a real bed, since hers is still here. So a couple of days of bliss with a full house again. We are going to love it! We are going to cherish each moment we get to spend together.

Life, continued...

I open Facebook today and there are sweet words about my great-nephew Calvin who we lost a year ago today. I remember the day vividly when I opened the e-mail from my brother and my world stopped. Sisters and I took action and went to take care of family. It was an amazing few days. What I experienced in those days when we were together as a family is:
- that we are better together than apart
- that no matter how far we live from each other, we are still family
- that our family love goes deep
- that we take care of each other
- that we feel each other's hurt
- that we feel each others love
- that we are family.....

How lucky we are to have each other. I was looking through Calvin's mom's blog and came upon the pictures she recently dedicated a blog post to. As I went through the pictures my eyes filled with tears. Although Calvin was not part of my everyday life, he was very much a part of my life because he is family.
Seeing my brother's family all come together and care for each other - to celebrate Calvin and what he gave in the short time he was on Earth - was incredible. How lucky I was to be part of this experience. Those things that challenge us in life make us even stronger.
So as I live my life - day by day - I am continually reminded of the love that we have. On those days that are exhausting and full of some type of anguish - I remember Calvin and the joy he brought to so many people in his life.

LIfe

So it's been a while since I've blogged and figured I better get back to it. Lots of happenings - daughter is now working in her boyfriend's town at a new job...so her stuff is here, but she isn't...except when she comes home to visit. Son has three weeks left before he graduates and starts his new job! He is SO excited and ready for the training to be over! Husband and I have been busy with working on daughter and boyfriends home and getting it livable. It will be great when it's all done...just a lot of work...but will be worth it! So...life is moving along and things are changing. We now have an empty nest, well sort of, except that all their stuff is still here...at least most of it. It doesn't feel like they aren't here because their bedrooms are still the same. I guess once all of that is gone I'll have my empty nest breakdown. I love being with the kids and seeing them be successful and happy adults! It's great to see that all of our parenting up to this point has made a difference in their lives to help them be successful adults. What more could we ask for? Wow!

Birthday Week

Husband and I had a wonderful time in Pacific Grove. We stayed at our favorite place, Sunset Inn which has been totally remodeled. Beautiful and a great price. On my birthday we went to Point Lobos and hiked around. It was a beautiful day. We saw Star Trek - even though neither of us are true Trekkies - it was great! We had a wonderful time just hanging out and not having any agenda. That was the true gift.

Sick Bay

So....since last Monday I have been living in the world of the bed and bathroom! My view for the last week has been this! Woopee! When you are sick you totally forget what it is like to feel good - and productive. I missed 5 days of work. I can't remember the last time that ever happened! I lost five pounds because I ate nothing but a couple bites of toast and stomached two saltine crackers.....but of course my appetite has returned with a vengeance and those five pounds I am sure have found their way back to me! Lucky husband was on vacation - or was that lucky for me?? He was chasing me around the house - when I ventured away from the bed - with Clorox wipes! What a sweetie! Back up to checking e-mail, watching A LOT of Monk and eating finally! Can't wait to feel 100% again! Daughter and I have a 1/2 marathon the end of May I have to get ready for! Right now I can't even walk to the end of the driveway without feeling wiped out! Better get working on that right away! Son and daugther were ordered to stay away - but I sure miss them....lucky for me Dakota hung out with me all week.

April 25, 2009 - Long Time - No Post!

So...oldest brother told me last weekend that I hadn't updated my blog for a while...he was right! So...here it goes. Last weekend, as oldest bro put on his blog, was a wonderful family weekend celebrating Daddy's 89th b-day! What great man to honor. He has provided all of his children with wonderful morals and life! I am proud to be his baby. As part of the economy our nation is in, daughter was laid off...but it was a blessing in disguise. She has been spending lots of time in LB with boyfriend and working on the new home while looking for a new job. Most importantly...she is happy! What more can a mom ask for?? Son just finished his 12th weeks of the academy! Yes, still a proud mom, but now of a son who is 35 pounds lighter! It's not like he had a lot to lose, but he has dropped 2 pant sizes. He is doing fabulous! The work is HARD and the days are LONG, but he is doing great! Only 15 more weeks to go! The days will be getting longer as night class starts next week, but we know he can do it. He has a great attitude about getting through and learning everything he can while he's there. My new job since December holds many challenges that I have risen to. The learning curve is always straight up! Yesterday I spent the morning at a school wide assembly at the my old school. I MISS the energy of the kids - they are all so fabulous - and of the course the staff as well. It's hard to "give birth" to a great place and then walk away...but we do what we know we have to do. It will always be near and dear to my heart. Husband is working long hours...too long. But..he is on vacation this coming week and is so excited! He will be going to LB to help tear down a wall at boyfriend's new home. It's a great place - 10 acres - with no possibility of development happening around. So...daughter and I have signed up to do another 1/2 marathon the end of May...which means we have been getting our butts in gear! The dog is loving the walks and the chasing of squirrels at the park. Okay...all caught up for now...I satisfied my obligation to my big bro (ha, ha, ha!!).

Proud Momma

Tomorrow son starts the highway patrol academy. Today Dad, Mom and Son went to the orientation. It was amazing to see so many shaved heads! You could definitely tell the number of men going in. A total of 240 cadets, 17 of them being women - pretty cool! It was great for Mom and Dad to see that the academy is set up for Son to be successful and not fail. They repeated throughout the day how many different ways they support the cadets. During the presentation I was standing next to a young mom with a young baby boy, maybe 8 months old. I thought to myself...wasn't it just yesterday that Son was that little? How time flies. Mom and Dad are so incredibly proud of Son and his accomplishments. The next 27 weeks will be grueling for him and he will have days when he wants to say - I'm done, I'm coming home....but we know he won't! He is dedicated to this commitment and will make an excellent officer because he is such a good person.