The Sky is Blue

What a lovely Memorial Day Weekend! Gorgeous weather here, sunny & cool. All of the kids had a ball swimming, even my husband got in the pool, and that doesn't happen often. Jeff and the kids slept out in the tent (in the back yard). I got to catch up with my College roommate. We cooked out, had friends over. It was super relaxing. I understand it was seriously hot on the East Coast, looks like Summer is coming all at once for you all. I am a little bummed that we have to get back to our normal routine tomorrow morning. Jeff and I told the kids this weekend that we may have to move. The owners of our home have decided to put the house on the market, and while they are offering us first option to buy, we are not in the position to do so. I am still praying for a miracle. I know there are other homes out there, but I really love this one. I am praying that God opens a door wide, that will make the circumstances bend in miraculous ways, to enable us to either buy this h...

If you ran in to me today, you might have noticed a chink in the armor. I had a rough day. It was the kind of day that I would normally stay home, and keep my cards close to the vest. No staying home for me though. It was Open House night at my 4 th graders school. I went to the open house. I smiled, I said hello to friends and acquaintances , but I wasn't myself, and I believe it showed. I'm sorry if any of my grouchy, bummer day, spilled out. I really try to keep a positive attitude despite what may be going on, but today I just didn't have it in me. The Open house was lovely though. The Art Show looked great. My son's classroom (Mrs. Smith, 4 th grade) looked amazing. It was great to see those faces I only see at school events. Christy and I took the boys to Menchie's after, for a great big yogurt, in the beautiful Calabasas Commons. All is good in the world, and I am blessed.

I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. My oldest only has one more week of school left, and the others are not far behind him. I enjoy summer, but I'm not quite mentally prepared for it. Good bye quiet days. I really need to get planning. My hope is that I'll be doing some contract writing this summer, so it will be even more important for me to keep these boys busy. I have to gear up for a fall where I have four children in four different schools. The simple logistics of getting everyone where they need to be on time is a little much to figure out. One school on one end of Calabasas , one school on the far highlands side of Calabasas , one down the street, and one in Woodland Hills. They all pretty much start and end at the same time, so short of cloning myself, I'm not sure how I will swing it. I have confidence it will all work out though. I'm going to miss having Nick at home. He is my last baby, and he is headed off to Kindergarten, :(. I have ...

I remember my father telling me once that "You'll be a conservative, when you have something to conserve". He was right. I have to tell you friends (and I know many of you fall on the more liberal side of the fence), that age, parenthood, and faith, have definitely influenced how I feel about things. I'm sure you saw that article about the family who has not disclosed the sex of their baby, even to close family members. They want to ensure that he/she can assume any identity they please, and won't be bound by social /gender expectations etc.... So does that mean, if the child decides being a puppy would be more fun, they can just decide to be a puppy? Are we humans so powerful that we should just decide that our will is more important than our Creators design? It just seems completely whack to me, so arrogant. I am all for not limiting yourself, for reaching for the stars, being the best that you can be--But, I am floored by the arrogance of those who b...

I need a little help here. If you have wisdom to lend , please email me. Ok , I have two dogs. Duke, a black lab/ sharpei mix, about 5 years old. He was a rescue, had a few issues, but has a great temperament , and is a great pet. Murphy, also a rescue, but a puppy, around 1 we think. He is an attention hog. He chews everything. He digs. He has now progressed from chewing Nick's toys, to trying to chew shoes. He chews cables of any kind (we have lost countless DS chargers, phone cords, etc...). He scares the pee out of the Gardner's , and any other service person who comes near our yard. Having said all of that, Murphy is sweet and affectionate, and super cute. We love him, we just don't know how to do the puppy thing I guess. My oldest son is reading dog training websites, and is working with him a little bit each day. My husband, who is not a huge dog fan, but has really grown to love Duke, is getting a bit irritated by the naughty puppy behavior from Mur...

Alright, I must ask...who among us is guilty of being less diligent about taking pictures and getting them into albums with our younger children, than we were with the older ones???? Admit it. Is your youngest resigned to viewing their childhood on jpeg files? I am ashamed to say, poor Nick see's his childhood mostly on Daddy's phone, or on facebook albums. :( Now some of you may not think that is a big deal, but I must point out that technology is constantly changing. Those files, so easy to enjoy now may not be as accessible to you 20 years from now (unless you are super diligent about backing things up, changing formats, etc... are you?) If you have been to my home, you know that I have been a dedicated scrapbooker since about 1996 (the year my oldest was born). My shelves are full of completed albums, close to 60 I believe. In the beginning I really enjoyed doing it. It was fantastic social time. I would hang out with my girlfriends, we would drink wine, tell stor...

How is it, that life can be filled with so many possibilities, and so many impossible choices at the same time? I am a content woman. Life is good. It just seems that with every blessing comes a difficult circumstance or challenge to overcome. Every time I am AMAZED at a blessing, it seems to be followed with a sacrifice??? Is that just how life works? I'll share with you something personal, that will help you to understand my state of mind. We sold our home back east, and invested most everything we had in this move (to Los Angeles), in Jeff's business. I have no regrets about that. I gave up a lucrative career in order to stay home to raise my sons. Again, no regrets. Those decisions had consequences. As a result of choices we made, we are now in the position where leasing our home is our only option. The owners of our home, would like to sell, and cash out. I have made a home for my family no matter where we are, but we have become very happy and comfortable i...