Cousins

Josh, Val and their kids came in for the week...yeah! It's been 7 months since I've seen them and there's nothing more wonderful than having the kids see me, run up the stairs and jump into my arms. heaven...absolute heaven! so today they spent the day at chris and rob's so josh and val could attend a wedding. when i came over after school chris finally let them use 'technology', obviously their favorite thing. so this must be the modern way that kids get together and 'play'!

haley and abi getting to know each other

being special

i just watched a short clip of a time when mr. rogers was receiving an award. i'm sure he received many but he spoke about the fact that there were many who helped him get where he was. then he asked everyone in the audience to take 10 seconds and just think of some of the people who have "loved you into being" and cared about you to help you be who you are. after the 10 seconds he remarked how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they made. it was so gentle and so genuine and for those 10 brief seconds i felt so grateful for 3 dear friends in my life who loved me into being a little bit better. 

my kids got a daily dose of the heartfelt wisdom of mr. rogers and i loved his cardigans and gym shoes and 'slowness.' he gave time to let his message 'sink in' and feel good. and now at 60 when i see a picture or hear his safe voice it makes me feel grateful that i live in a beautiful neighborhood and that there is goodness to be found by helping others know they are special by just being themselves.

josh

i am so very proud of this son of mine. he's been one of the doctors at the nfl combine where they literally check out the health of all the players before they do the draft. it doesn't surprise me that josh is a doctor. he's been so driven as a teenager and so focused and worked so hard. it's such a cool feeling to learn from your children and see their insights are sometimes so much deeper than your own. i'm constantly saying to myself, 'how did he get so wise and insightful?' and yet i know there are still important things i can and want to teach him. 

i guess the best part of parenting at this time of my life is the beautiful sharing that takes place. we both learn, we both teach, we both love it.

more birthdaying!

tonight's dinner was spent with mom and christy since i haven't had quite enough celebrating! mom's memory is fading a little more each time and yet she is such a gracious kind woman. if i have to grow old and forgetful i hope i can be as sweet natured and pleasant as mom. i think that is a gift you give your children and probably one i often overlook. today i am grateful for mom's example of growing old with grace and enduring valiantly to the end.

birthdays

the birthday activities continue...but not for me this time...that continues tomorrow. tonight we went to celebrate rob's birthday with richie and carolyn and their family and chris and the kids. with 9 kids the best place to go was McDonald's of course! but you know, as long as you're with family it doesn't matter where you go to, it's going to be fun.

 

this year's goals

since i began being 60 i wrote 60 goals. well some of them are 'to do' things, but they've been on my list for a couple of years so i figured this is the year to finally get them off! my friend jo lynn wanted to know what they were, and at first i thought i'd just send them to her. but i realized by placing them on my blog i was REALLY committing to getting them done. just that thought made me realize i hadn't really committed solidly and so i had to post them for my sake. now of course, i'll have to end this year's journey with another picture of everything checked off. and so i begin...with an ernest resolve.

oh...and i counted the books read, and temple attendance as 24 goals in case anyone is wondering how that adds up to 60.

tofw

it was another amazing day in my birthday week! shell and i were on the staff of time out for women again and to be honest i wasn't really expecting too much. wrong....what a delightful wrong! it was rejuvenating, (and i've already been on a high!) fun, uplifting and most of all inspiring. the theme was 'inevitable light' and what i walked away with was a desire to understand my gifts and illuminate them. that becoming better comes from small constant changes. most of all that my Savior is always by my side... i already knew that and it was so good to feel that there. 

and what a beginning

life is amazing! 

pure light, radiant light, bursting light....that's how i would describe my heart. it's amazing the power of love. it restores, illuminates, heals, comforts, inspires, propels, builds and expands one's life. i've been sitting here reading emails from those i love and facebook messages from dear friends who bless my life, and bawling through it all. Heavenly Father just pours down bucket after bucket of blessings and i relish every drop...talk about dancing in the rain!

i honestly don't know why He is so good to me but i thank Him and glory in His name. He's given me the most amazing kids, who have always be the bright spot in my life. actually they've made my life. they've made it more, they've made it purposeful, they've made it fun and they've also brought to the family such incredible 'in-laws' whom i adore. and then there's the grandkids! truly truly blessed.

so for my birthday week, yes, i'm expanding it to a week because there is just so much fun and goodness. jen (best sister EVER) decided back in december that we should celebrate big for my 60th birthday by going on a trip. she and jana planned everything to fly out to california for a few days. 

this is how we started the trip but then i received surprise after surprise and the plane flight ended up looking like this:

i literally was trembling with surprise and absolute joy! we then spent the next three days talking, eating, going to the beach

this is what mormons girls do on the beach on sunday! needless to say it was an incredible trip. jen had us all make a list of our 5 favorite books, songs, websites, scriptures, recipes, gadgets, and 5 things no one knows about us, which we shared with each other each night. it was such a great idea. after great meals out, and great breaksfasts in, hot tubbing, shopping, exercising, lounging by the pool, we had to say goodbye and head back to reality

i realized i was so elevated spiritually by being around these amazing women. their righteousness and love is a constant and spending time with them was truly like spending time in heaven.

beginning

Today I turn 60 or maybe I should say I begin being 60. I begin a new decade of learning what my journey is all about. I think I've figured out a few things but what I think I've learned the most is how little I know...and yet I'm not discourage by that thought but rather motivated to make the most of this new beginning. 

So I've made 60 goals to work on and feel a tiny flutter of giddiness to make this year something different. And so I decided to press the moments on this paper (I really like paper so much better than a digital blog...but ease comes first.)

and so i begin...