ready, set, school!!!

It came!  Whether we were ready or not...

it came!

School that is.  We have kids on the

3, 6, 9, 12 plan this year.

If it were 2, 4, 6, 8 I could find

some fabulous rhyme ...however hard

I tried I couldn't come up with a

rhyme for 12.

How 'bout 3, 6, 9, 12--into a fabulous

school year we delve?  (see what I 

mean?!)  Lame-o!

Every year, our neighborhood has its

annual "Back to School" breakfast.

Such a great tradition for all the

kids to get together and eat before

facing a new year.

Thanks Jensen's for a great way to

start the new year.

Happy 2011/2012 School year!

two.words.

wanna make me cry?

it only takes two words....

senior & year.

put them all together and what do  you get?

tears.

oh my!  how did he grow up so fast?

school starts tomorrow.

#4

I attended my 4th funeral today.


The 4th in 5 months.  They are still very hard.


(And I am certain that exceeds the total
I have attended in my entire life to this point).


The funeral was for a dear sweet neighbor
that we called friend.  For she was truly
a friend to all who knew her.


Sitting with another dear sweet (and very wise)
friend before the service started we spoke of life.


Mostly we spoke of sons who were growing older,
leaving, getting ready to leave, those who
were already gone.


I asked her how she did it.  It feels so hard
approaching this milestone in my life.


It tugs (daily) at my heartstrings.
It brings tears to my eyes.


She (in the always wise ways) looked at me
and very sincerely stated, "Well, they were
never ours to begin with.  We just borrow them
and help them on their way in life."


I thought (with a gulp), "Oh how have I never
realized this before?" 


(or have I?)


The truth of what she said hit me hard.


They were never ours to begin with.


We have them on "loan" from above, we teach
them the best that we can, we send them on their
way into this world so that they can in turn
continue, and grow, and pass through their own
experiences.


Both good and bad.


The funeral was beautiful, a tribute to a life
well lived, a tribute to a soul who loved her
way through.


The advice I received was just as beautiful.


I hope that I can take it to heart.

note to self: look inside

I don't know why I always seem to forget this lesson.


To look inward.  


At myself.  


At others.


I come from a religion that believes we are literally
children of God.  That we existed as spirits before
we came to this earth.  Created by a loving Father
in Heaven.  


We are His sons and daughters, as well as the literal
sons and daughters of our earthly parents.


Little bits of heaven reside in each of us,
regardless of outward appearance, 
making us beautiful.


Regardless of judgement to the contrary.


I wonder why we ALL seem to forget this sometimes.


Why we hurt, 


or hate,


or judge.


Snap decisions made from outward appearances.


We ALL have quirks and frailties and differences.
These things make us unique and wonderful and,
well, different.


I just had a small reminder this week.


Judgement I made.


Judgement made against me.


And I thought (again) WHY? do we do this to other
people?  


And ourselves.


I have found in my life that once I get to TRULY
know most people they are all good in some way
that I can love and embrace.


If I look hard enough, and sometimes you have to
look harder than others, but if you look hard
enough...you can see the gleam of heavenly soul
that resides in each of us.  And when you find it,
that sliver of gold, it shines.


Only on rare occasion have I found someone who was
truly ugly INSIDE, behind the mask of beauty on
the outside.

And some people just forget, and work too hard on

the parts that don't really matter.

When we should ALL be working on 
the parts that...Really.  Matter.

I believe MOST people are just good, if we
give them a chance.


Sometimes we forget to give them a chance. 


And that's too bad, the forgetting part.


My note to self this week is to remember.


Look inside.


That's the part that REALLY matters.

california snapshots: random

Josh & Gray wrestling at the airport

 Gray, Josh &Nate strolling in Oceanside

 Gray and Puddy walking in the sunset

 One of the many gorgeous sunsets we saw

 Waiting to boogie (board)

 Dancing in the waves

 Nate in his H&M pants.  He really went out in public like this.
It made us giggle.

Random man at street fair

Cool Mohawk at street fair

Josh & Nate...holding hands?  They had had it with my picture

taking and saw me with my zoom lens a mile out.  If you could

see the smile on their faces as they grabbed hands to "add"

to the photo.  It made me laugh.

Toes in the sand

Seriously SOMEONE take a good picture!

...or I'm going to have to hurt you!

(this one JUST cuts off my scar...)

Nate leaping for joy

You've got it!  Silky and sexy (and RED) on the beach.

Sunset.

accordion

At the start of summer, in June, I felt the days
stretching out before me endlessly.  


Like an accordion, stretched out widely, ready 
to play.


It was a little bit overwhelming really.


And then things started happening.


Days at the pools, summer classes and activities.
trips to New York City, Youth Conference,
Girls Camp, Boys Camp, The Beach.


Days tumbling swiftly past each other.  
And over each other, as if, in a hurry to rush by.
Faster and faster.


I tried to catch my breath before it was gone.


Yet, it just kept going, leaving me breathless.


And before I knew it, not only June, but July
had floated, fled, flurried, flashed, past me.  


Behind. Done. Finished with.


Now August is here, and with it the start
of school and schedules and routines.


The accordion has slammed itself shut as quickly
as it was opened up.


All the music of summer is in between the opening,
and the closing.


Some of it has been beautiful, swift as a downpour,
rushing by with the wind. Imprinted on heart and
mind and soul.  Deep breathes of goodness and joy.


And some of it has been a sad, slow melody 
played out poignantly, etched deeply into 
all our memories.  Melancholy.


And so I march forward toward the inevitable.


And the music plays on.