Castaway10

Quotes of the Week and Other Feats Great and Small 10-18-10

2010-10-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

Calleigh holding her iPod touch out by the car"Wifi pwoblems"

Brody holding up the princess mirror to Talan's face, "Look Tawan, it's Bwody!"

Talan in his carseat, two seconds after Grammy closed the door after saying goodbyes, "Gumu."

Brody as I was just trying to catch an action shot, mind you, I did not ask him to so much as look at me; "No cheese Gwammy."

Emma? Well we'll just settle for one of those first smiles!

Redefining Fun

2010-10-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

I have never thought of laundry as "fun" until today.

Wash machine + step ladder + dirty clothes + laundry soap + granddaughter = Happy Grammy

It's moments like these that I am grateful for!

Passions Make Life Worth Living

2010-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a conference which focused on including students with autism spectrum disorder with their peers in the general education settings. Patrick Schwarz spoke passionately about the importance of this concept and how educators can help students with ASD to be successfully included in general education. He actually wrote a book to describe one of the ways he did this with one of his students. The name of this book is Just Give Him the Whale. You see, this kiddo loves whales. As a matter of fact, whales are his passion. Pedro walked in with one of his favorite whales on the first day of school and his teacher said, "No toys at school. Toys must stay at home." But Pedro loved his whale and taking his whale from him made him sad and anxious in this new world of school. So Patrick said, "Just give him the whale." Patrick found a way to use Pedro's love of whales to get him to do things that he needed to do to be successful in school. Patrick told this group of educators that passions make life worth living! And one of the exercises we were asked to do is think about and list our passions. What is it that makes life worth living?

The faces of my beautiful grandbabies are my passion. Holding their precious bodies close to me. Knowing they are the most important thing in the world when they walk into a room. Listening to first words. Witnessing those first smiles. Hearing a five word sentence from a two year old. Watching the demonstration of the "crab walk." Watching her eyes light up when I "star" the very best letter a which was copied on the page. Watching peek-a-boo. Hearing the words, "hi grammy." Watching a one year old point to something he is interested in. Swinging, crying, jumping, hopscotching, writing with chalk on the sidewalk, watering flowers, picking strawberries, having snacks, somersaults, toys from the toy box, painting, printing picture, Caillou, ... Precious moments, precious memories, and the realization of how lucky I am to have them so close to me most definitely makes life worth living.

Music! How amazing is it that a some musical notes set to words can evoke emotions that take one back in time to days that have long passed. Just the "right" music can make uninteresting tasks pass effortlessly. WOW! Celine singing "Fly", Bee Gees - "Wedding Day", Roberta Flack-"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", Andrew Lloyd Weber-"Love Changes Everything", Karen Carpenter-"Superstar", Il Divo- "Nella Fantasia", Josh Groban- You Raise Me Up". Moving! Inspiring!

And, what of the beautiful moments in nature. Those special scenic moments that we are afraid to look away from because we fear they will disappear. Rainbows, thick frost on the trees with the sun shining on them, sunrises and sunsets, perfect flowers on a hibiscus plant or a perfect lily, fall trees, water as smooth as glass, ...

Taking the perfect picture.

Feeling my hand on the throttle as the boat speeds through the water on a perfect summer day.

Family gatherings.

Family day.

Yes, passions make life worth living.

2010 Octoberfest Fireworks Memories

2010-10-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

The night was winding down. We were all stuffed to the max with the bagna, chili, apple slices, carrot cake and various other foods we had eaten at what had come to be the "3rd Annual Octoberfest" at Steve and Megan's house. In an effort to squeeze every last bit of fun out of an already fantastic day, I bundled up Calleigh and Brody and headed down the sidewalk to enjoy the best view we could manage to witness the fireworks. I was certainly rewarded for my efforts with a repeated chorus of "Oh my God, it's beautiful" and "stars!"

And if that wasn't enough to warm a grammy's heart, upon returning to the warmth of Megan's cozy house, Brody put his head on my shoulder and fell asleep for some precious snuggling time before I delivered him to his car seat for the ride home. Seizing the opportunity of a grammy free from other babies, Calleigh rewarded me with a "grammy snuggle me" before she dozed off to dreamland. Sweet dreams babies! Dream about pony rides, moose hats, hair bows, stroller rides and precious times and memories of a wonderful day with family and friends. Next year, Talan and Emma will be keeping up with the "big kids"

Footnote: After returning to the house "post fireworks", Calleigh looked out the window repeatedly, waiting for Campo to return, as she was sure he was responsible for the magnificent display. When he didn't show up, she insisted on calling/texting him to tell him thank you for doing such a good job with the fireworks.

Happy Birthday Marlee, June 24th!!

2009-06-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Marlee celebrated her 22nd birthday on June 24th! Hope you had a wonderful day!!

Happy Graduation Beanie!

2009-06-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on your high school graduation Beanie! We had fun celebrating with you at your graduation party on June 20th! You are on to a new chapter in your life. Seize the Day!!

Happy Graduation Maddie!

2009-06-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on your 8th Grade Promotion Maddie! I can't believe you are now a high school student!! We had a great time at your party on June 20th!

Happy 80th Birthday Grandma GG!!

2009-06-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a milestone birthday celebration for our mother (in-law), grandma, and great-grandma! Happy 80th Birthday!! We had a wonderful time celebrating with you!

Happy Birthday Cara!!

2009-06-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Friend!! Happy Birthday! I wish I could be there sitting on the beach with you to celebrate. I miss you, but I'm so happy you love your new home. I hope you have a wonderful visit with your friends and family.

The Robin Family

2009-06-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

(Just to preface this entry: I can't seem to figure out the picture thing. I'm going to have to go to my "blogging guru" [that's you A. P.] The pictures are in reverse chronological order.)

Somewhere near the end of May, I noticed the nest in the Bradford Pear tree in our front yard. It was built securely on a low branch. A few days later, I noticed the owner sitting on guard in that nest. It was a robin, Mrs. Robin I presumed. I'm not sure who actually sits on the nest-but I do know from watching, it took two parents to raise this family. I caught the first glimpse of the little tykes on June 2. I needed to get closer to take a good look so I brought out the little step ladder and climbed up with camera in hand to document the arrivals. There were four of the cute little things. I only say cute, because I don't want to hurt their mother's feelings. It has been part of my daily routine for the past 10 days to check on these little guys, take their pictures, and comment on how big they were getting. Well today was the big day! They left the nest-all but one, who will probably be gone tomorrow when I go out to check. They were seen around the yard today. On one occasion, mom or dad was giving a lesson on "worm finding". In another sighting in the backyard, one of the babies was resting on the lawn chair. I can't believe in a matter of 10 days, these little ones were ready to leave the nest! I'm glad my babies took 20+ years to leave the nest. The best part? They come to visit the nest with their own little babies!!

Happy Graduation Hannah!

2009-06-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Hannah on your 8th Grade graduation! Welcome to the world of high school!! We had a great time celebrating the occasion at your party on June 5, 2009.

Happy Birthday Ronda: June 5th!

2009-06-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister-in-law! Hope you had a great day. Here's a snapshot of the girls who share the same birthday.

Happy Birthday Megan: June 5th

2009-06-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my magnificent daughter! We have been celebrating your birthday for a few days now, with the culmination occurring on Family Sunday. Hope you had a wonderful birthday!!

Happy Birthday Susie!!

2009-06-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today, June 1st, marks the birthday of the fourth in line of the siblings, Susan Ann! Happy Birthday Sister! I hope you had a wonderful day.

Family Sunday

2009-05-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

It has been well over two years since "Family Sunday" started. It began shortly after the birth of my first grandchild. Her daddy was actually the one who termed it "Family Day" after several Sundays of the family coming over for dinner and then to watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Today was no exception. On the menu for today's meal was:
Grilled Marinated Chicken Breasts
Barbecued Chicken Legs and Thighs
Jack Daniels Dippin Sauce
Baked Regular and Sweet Potatoes
Winter Salad
Italian Bread w/ olive oil, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar
Oreo Cake (store bought) and Ice Cream
Those bright little faces entertained us as usual. And yes, she did actually tie her shoe today!!

Happy 8TH Grade Graduation Austin

2009-05-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today's celebration was in honor of my nephew Austin, a recent 8th grade graduate of SMS. His parents hosted a party at their house to celebrate the occasion. Lots of food, drinks, bean bag games, music, swimming pool activities, swing set fun, "fourwheelin" and family camaraderie made this a day to remember. I'm sure everyone left the party with full tummies and ready for bed!! Congratulations Austin!!

Who Sows the Seed

2009-05-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

"Who sows a seed beneath the sod and waits to see believes in God." This is something I have memorized from childhood. I can't, for the life of me, remember where it was. I do know that I saw it often, maybe it was a friend's house or even my own. It was on some sort of plaque or sign. Obviously, I saw it often enough to remember it. And somehow, it must have made an impression on me, because each springtime, when I plant a seed in the ground, I say that little quote to myself. The truth is, I really believe it! God's miracles of life continue to amaze me.
This is the seventh year I have shared the planting of the family garden with my dad and various siblings and family members. I vow to take good care of it, to keep it watered and weeded, but I never quite manage to live up to my vow. Despite my neglect, the plants grow, and the abundance is there for all. That miracle occurs every time. I anxiously wait in anticipation for that first promise of what is to come. Another tie that binds this family together. God's promise of life.

Happy Truck Day!!

2009-05-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

After 54 years, the day has finally arrived! A dream has been fulfilled. My husband, the father of my children, the love of my life, finally owns a truck. I'm not talking about one of those little trucks he always said he'd be happy with. Oh no, he doesn't have to settle for a little truck. He has waited long enough and sacrificed enough for his family. My man deserves the Silverado, Quad Cab, 4X4 he finally drove off the lot today! This was an occasion deserving of a celebration. So, that is just what we did!! Happy Truck Day honey!

A Blogger is Born

2009-05-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have always loved reading that email forward that discusses the value of the different people who come in and out of one's life and how one should forward these wonderful bits of wisdom to all the people who have made a difference in one's life. I would have forwarded the email to all of those wonderful people, but I didn't want the bad thing at the end of the email to happen to all of those people who really mattered to me if they failed to forward it. It really does make me start thinking about those people who have made a difference in my life and why they have made a difference in my life.
My first post is about one of those special people. The actual cause of the meeting was "flood". We were actually forced to share space because the room she was located in had flooded and she was relocated to the room I occupied. During this time I learned about her family, friends, interests, and all of those general things you learn about people you work in proximity with. But, I also learned about the kind of things that change the person you are for having known someone. I learned about how much she adores her family, immediate and extended, and it made me want to be a better wife, mother, grandma, mother-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, and aunt. I learned about the dedication and commitment she has for the profession she has chosen and it makes me work harder at mine. I have also learned that if you stick your neck out a little bit to make a friend, people do respond (and become your Facebook friends-she does have 136 as of this date!) And, sometimes I think she might even listen to some of the unsolicited "gems of wisdom" I give her (and of course that makes me feel needed and important!) This list does go on, but I really want to get to this last one I'm going to include in this post. And that last point being, she taught me about blogging!! I'm not sure where this is going, but this first one is for you Amanda! It has been my pleasure getting to know you this year.