Shea's Magnolia Tree

My baby will be 12 years old on January 22. It floods me with emotions that are almost overwhelming yet bring so much joy. I have been busy planning her birthday weekend coming up at Disneyland. We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel for 2 nights with Amy & the girls as well as Hayley. I am surprising her and have invited Libbs & Patti Watti & all the girls up for her birthday dinner at Goofy's Kitchen on Saturday night. It should be so much fun! I'm keeping busy with party bags and wrapping her gifts, yet this morning I was reminded of why I love her birthday so much. On the day that I found out that I was pregnant with Shea, I immediately thought that her due date would be in January which is when the Magnolia Trees get their blossoms. I took a picture of a Mag Tree by my mom's house on that very day that I found out the wonderful news. The day that I had Shea, Rob went and took a picture of the same tree so that I could see it in full bloom. As Shea has grown, each time we pass the tree, she always says, "Look Mom, there's my tree." She noticed the other day that all the baby buds were starting to appear and I told her that soon...we would have beautiful blooms. This morning as I passed it, there they were...what seemed to be a million little baby blooms just waiting for next Monday to open on Shea's birthday. As a Mommy, so many things make me tear up, but that tree does something to me. It represents faith that each year will bring new hope and a fresh start. Is is crazy that I will drive out of my way just to see our tree? I don't think so. I think it's so worthwhile!

Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.

Sir Wilfred Grenfell

Cold Feet - No Way!

Ok...I am a full blooded California Girl! I like the warm weather, hate the hot weather and love the cold weather! Even with the recent chilly fronts blowing in, I have continued to be in my sandles & capris. Over Christmas, I went on a date and had to wear "real" shoes & long pants and I felt as though my legs had been captured and strangled. Ok, maybe I am being over dramatic, but I do love my capris & sandles. I know this is alot of info, but after all, this is my blog and I can write whatever I want to, so...I am not one to wear jammies to bed, usually just my panties and nuthin' else. It's how I sleep comfortably and unrestricted. I pull my hair up in a scrunchie and off my neck and crawl into my comfy bed and soft, soft sheets- 400 thread count is what I love! The last two nights, it has been really cold. Not only have I worn long-sleeved, long pant jammies (they are not Grammy looking ones but extremely cute ones!) to bed but last night I broke and actually turned the heater on! Our air seems to run 24/7 but I only turn the heater on maybe once or twice a year at the most! Getting ready for church this morning, Shea is in the shower and I just turned it on again- hey- just to break the chill! I also have been wearing socks around the house- I have tile and my feetsies have been cold! I'm still a CA girl and I am wearing sandles to church this morning!

Airport Musings

Traveling to Oregon in the middle of winter did have some challenges. On our departure, our flights were delayed both in L.A. as well as Seattle. I didn't mind so much and I always enjoy people watching. However, Shea was not at all amused! Something happened coming home while we were in the Seattle airport than just made my heart smile. We were sitting just waiting and waiting and I was watching a family- mom & dad & young infant, about 6 months old. It was cute because they did exactly what I wanted to do- they had a blanket spread out on the ground just playing and laying down. (At LAX I sat on the ground, up against a wall and loved it!) I always love to see a daddy just loving on his baby- such a huge turn on to me! The whole time I was watching them, I kept hearing a lady talking to them with a very heavy accent. I couldn't see her but I could hear her laugh and I could hear her talking sweetly to the baby. After awhile, the lady stepped out from behind the wall that had been blocking her from my sight. She must have been from Jamaica- a large, african american woman with the garb from what I would think they might wear there, hat and all. The part of this whole scenario that just made me feel so happy was the lady reached out to the baby, as if to say, "Come give me some lovin" and the baby went right to her just grinning, large as life. The baby kept touching her face almost as if she knew she looked different, but at the same time the baby just loved her. I just thought to myself how wonderful it would be if prejudice never came into play in our lives. How simply awesome if we could just look at people with open hearts and be accepting of one another without the ugly feelings that creep up even in the best of us. I did get a tear in my eye as I told Shea what I saw. I hope we can always keep our hearts pure and keep our love equal to all.

Children don't understand about people loving each other and then suddenly not.
Gene Tierney

Only those who look with the eyes of children can lose themselves in the object of their wonder.
Eberhard Arnold

The less secure a man is, the more likely he is to have extreme prejudice.
Clint Eastwood

We beg you to save young America from the blight of race prejudice. Do not bind the children within the narrow circles of your own lives.
Charles Hamilton Houston

Charlotte's Web

Call me a "sap" right from the start...I will totally own up to it!!! Charlotte's Web has always been a favorite of mine, whether be book or movie, animated or real person! When Shea was younger, we read every night (that was before "sucky homework" came into play!) and one of my most favorite books to read to her was Charlotte's Web. I read it to her twice and each time I just sobbed at the end when I knew it was Charlotte's time to pass away! By the third time, Shea could read herself and when we came to the end...she had to read it to me because I was just crying my eyes out! I just can't help it...I just get so choked up and I feel that even though it is a children's book per say, it just deals so beautifully with friendship, love and death. Being in medical for so many years, I have read so many books that deal with grief and death and I think by far Charlotte's Web shows how meaningful our lives can mean to each other. Anyway, I used the animated version of the movie in a chapel that I did at Shea's school last year. There is the cutest song that Fern sings to Wilbur that I just love! I thought this new "real life" version was done really well...and yes, I cried! Cried & cried did I! I loved it!

I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.
Thomas A. Edison

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Albert Pike

Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blessings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.
John Muir

The Pursuit Of Happyness

We went to Oregon over the holidays and I'm just getting back in the groove of writing in my blog! We had such a wonderful time with family and good friends. Nothing beats that! We saw two movies while we were there- "The Pursuit Of Happyness" & "Charlotte's Web". Although I usually like Wil Smith...I just thought the movie was ok. I needed more from the ending- all it talked about at the end of the movie was how the man became successful in his business endeavors & how he became financially secure & stable. It showed nothing about how his personal life became better with his son, etc...I needed to see the two of them, cuddled in front of a fireplace, I guess just showing that money isn't everything in life. It bothers me more than I can express when people think money is the end all for making someone happy. I know alot of people who have more money than they will ever be able to spend in their lives...yet not always so happy are they! It goes back to what I always tell Shea: Just because someone has alot of money does not make them rich. I truly believe than God has blessed me richly with many other gifts other than financial security!

Two of my favorite sayings:

To know when you have enough is to be rich.


You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got!