Gifts That Keep On Giving ~ One is Pink, the Other Is Furry !

 Two of the best birthday gifts ever !

 The evening I returned home from my week at the Puyallup Fair, after unloading sheep around midnight with the help of my daughter and daughter-in-law, I discovered this beautiful bicycle on the front porch ! My heart almost stopped, was it for ME ?

 Yes my daughter said. She and her 4 children bought me this beautiful hot pink bike, because they knew I would love it. I did not even know she was paying attention to me when I talked about getting this type of bicycle, and even if I thought she was listening closely, I would never have considered they would buy it for me. And surprise me too ! "give: to bestow without a return". Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

 I immediately felt like the little girl I was many years ago, hoping for a bicycle from Santa. I did not receive my own bicycle then though. My sisters & I received a bicycle to share. Santa had to be careful with my parents' finances, for good reasons. I was thankful, but somehow, it was not the same . But look, now I have the bicycle of my dreams ! Isn't she a beauty ? I am going to get a basket for the handlebars soon.

Whimsy-Two ( or just plain Whimsy ), my German Shepherd puppy was a present from my husband. Whimsy already likes to run alongside me as I ride my new bicycle. She & I are getting along very well. Truly two of the best birthday gifts ever ! I think my family knows what I love because they love me and I am feeling pretty spoiled by them. Thank-you A.Joy and grandchildren. Thank-you Jim. These are gifts that will keep on giving. Gifts that bring me joy, entertainment, and the knowledge I am well- loved. "You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." Amy Carmichael

 

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father f lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures." James 1:17,18

A New Year For Me!

These are my coming home pictures as a newborn. I was premature, and came home 22 days after I was born. Here my mother and father cradle me. All 6 pounds of me, in their arms. I wish my mother and father were alive so I could hug them, say " I love you" and let them know I understand how hardship and tragedy can change a person. I would love to let them know , as a daughter, how much I appreciate the sacrifices they made for me and my sisters, and how we now understand decisions that were made for us with the best and most loving intentions. I wish we had even an inkling of the future to have been able to hold firm our parents and stay the coming chaos with the love and certainty that "this too will pass". I love my Mother and Father and thank God for having chosen them to be my parents. I wish I could go back into the past to when they were alive, and at the same time been aware of the future , so I could have at least said the most important things to them....but I cannot.

My Father and myself ( at 2 years of age)

I do remember good times, happy times! My father( a soldier , and veteran of 2 tours in Korea AND 2 tours in Vietnam ) loved to play his guitar and have us little girls sing along. He took us fishing and camping. He taught us pinochle, rummy, and also how to be honorable. To respect our elders, our country...and our parents and grandparents , BECAUSE they were our parents and grandparents. My sisters ( Joni , above ) and Karen ( below) treated me to lunch at the local Ram restaurant on the Pt. Defiance waterfront. We had a delicious lunch , made even better by the fun time we had being together. Thank-you Karen and Joni. Our baby sister Tricia lives far away on the East Coast...and she sent me a lovely gift and her well-wishes. Thank-you sisters, very much. I love you. (my sisters are holding up little rocks that say "sisters' ) So on my birthday I reflect on how blessed I am. I have a husband who loves me very much, 3 grown children , 2 with spouses who are like my own children....8 grandchildren, sisters I love very much and am still able to connect with , and enjoy. Friends who bless my life beyond measure. Abundant food, a wonderful home, and Jesus. Everything else is just frosting on the birthday cake! Happy birthday to my Mother and Father, and I love the rest of you, dearly.

Mom's Birthday

"In every conceivable manner, the family is our link to our past, bridge to our future." Alex Haley

~Today is a day I have ignored for quite a few years. The memory of my Mother and her birthday was best left alone if I wanted to have a nice day, but today I have found sadness for the loss of my mother and what could have been. Above is a picture of my Mother in a happier time, when she and Dad were in love and probably thought they would live happily ever after. Well that usually happens in Fairy Tales to people who think" Happily ever after" means ' life without reality and consequences'. ~I was looking up quotes about mothers, and like birthday cards for mothers, none of them were appropriate. I loved my Mother, and I have quite a few happy memories of her. She died 2 decades ago and her last few years were ones of much grief and tragedy for my sisters and father and extended family. I wish my younger sisters had as many pleasant memories of her as I do. Mom was so often unhappy with life and I sadly reflect on what a waste. What a waste of time, emotion, and energy when she had a husband, ( Dad ) who loved her so much, and she had us 4 girls who loved her, and so many grandchildren who loved her. She could be a lot of fun ! ~My children remember her goody drawers, full of candy and prizes for them.,the stories she would tell them and that she was just plain interested in them. My Mother was a good mom when I was little. She was also a foster mother to babies when we lived in Hawaii, Louisiana and Klamath Falls, Oregon. I remember those little foster brothers and sisters, and Mom got to name some of them. She fell in love with those babies and missed them terribly when they went to adoptive homes. ~Here is a picture of Mom with myself and 2 of my younger sisters. Our youngest sister was not yet born. Mom was often caring for us while Dad was deployed. Dad did 2 tours in Korea, 2 tours in Vietnam, and numerous times the Army sent him far away for months at a time. I am not sure why my Mom was so unhappy.....from all I remember, know, and have learned, I think there was a lot of unhappiness all her life....and that is a great sorrow, because as I reflect on those of us who loved her,she was rich and blessed beyond all comprehension. ~This verse from Proverbs is so true, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 ~If you have a chance, look up all scripture that talks about anger, sadness, bitterness and see what the physical ramifications of those attitudes are....pretty startling and so very true. ~My 3 sisters and I are getting together this weekend for a reunion.Coincidentally, this is also the birthday month of both our parents. This will be the first time we all 4 have been together for many years and I can't wait. We will have a blast, my sisters are fun...and we will reflect on good times. I hope time has helped soften some of the memories and that we are able to be thankful for the hard times that have molded us and our families into stronger and better people, because after all, what is the alternative? "In each family a story is playing itself out, and each family's story embodies its hope and despair." Auguste Napier

"Family quarrels have a total bitterness unmatched by others. Yet it sometimes happens that they also have a kind of tang, a pleasantness beneath the unpleasantness, based on the tacit understanding that this is not for keeps; that any limb you climb out on will still be there later for you to climb back." Mignon McLaughlin

~Here's to memories of happy birthdays and fun times , and thankfulness for the family God has given us, because He does not make mistakes and did not accidentally place us in any family or circumstance..but has allowed whatever life has brought us for our benefit and the ability to rise above any situation with His help and providence and cause good to come of it.

Blessings; sisters, good memories, and yes.... my mother