Where Are We?

Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

Dallas Arboretum

Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetary

School Concerts and Plays

Sarah at her Third Grade Musical, "The Cat and the Rat." They were incredible. I haven't ever heard a third grade musical quite like it. They even acquired some steel drums and the kids learned to play them.
Sarah had a little part where just three of them played in harmony...very nice very nice.
And a much desired and talked about "speaking part."

Mandi looked adorable in her hat, waving her flag. The Fourth Grade choir concert was all about America. We were singing Yankee Doodle, saying the Pledge and clapping our hands to the early American Folk tunes.

Audrey was excited every time she saw Mandi.

A Memorial

We were on our way home from Hawaii. We were tanned, rested, overfed, nostalgic about leaving and at the same time excited to see the kids. We were at the end of a great trip! As we were about to board the plane, I noticed a tight little family huddled together, dreading the moment of departure. There was a man dressed in his military khakis with what appeared to be his wife and 4-6 year old daughter. I tried not to invade their privacy, but I did see the soldier and his wife in their clutching final embrace which brought tears to my eyes and then the lump in my throat and smothered sob came when the daughter screamed uncontrollably shouting, "Don't go! Daddy Don't go!" And yet that man walked onboard.



A few weeks later we gathered with friends at our airport to cheer for the soldiers returning home. We got there on time and found to our surprise a hundred or more people lining a walkway, ready to do the same thing. They had flags, music playing, signs and big smiles. We stepped up to the line just in time to see the first soldiers walk out into our group. Shouts and clapping continued for twenty minutes as each of these men and women was welcomed back in safety. At the beginning of the line, on each side of the returning soldiers was a line of World War II veterans with their Army hats on. They shook the hand of each soldier, "Welcome home." As I tried to say thank you with my cheers, I found emotion overflowing. How could I possibly ever thank any one of these soldiers adequately? If you live in the Dallas area, call this number to find out when you too can join in the cheering. 972 574-0392

The first thing I think of on Memorial Day is about the armed forces. If you want to help someone currently deployed. Go to http://www.anysoldier.com/ You can adopt a soldier and send them a letter or a package or combine with a group and send them a bunch of stuff.

The next thing I think about on Memorial Day is about my family that has already gone. I know there are graves that will be visited this day and lovingly flowers laid. Great people have come before me and served faithful lives for which I am truly blessed.

Nothing we have is free. It all comes to us at great cost. Our freedoms were won and Constitution written with Divine help and much sacrifice. We too have great responsibilities. When all is said and done and we see our great forebears again, when we stand before God, what can we possibly have contributed that would compare with the sacrifices made of so many others?

Calvin

Thanks Mel !!

For the Garden Lovers Out There

Please humor me with a tour of my yard. To our left we see a very fun tree. Fun? :) Well, when I was a kid I used to climb a loquat tree in our backyard in Santa Barbara. And this specimin here is in fact a loquat tree. I have two of them. It is many years away from climbing but I hope it grows to fill my bathroom window with greenery.

Now here we see a Texas Lilac, which in my opinion is a butterfly bush. This is a remarkable plant. It was only 18 inches high when I planted it and grew bigger than this in one season. We cut it back significantly last Fall and here it is HUGE again. It will soon be filled with lavendar flowers, gorgeous, if we can just keep it off the walkway.

I had to throw in some shots of the kids.

To our left we have two summer squash and a zucchini plant. I am very excited to see these grow.

And here we have some onions. I planted two together and they look almost ready.

I planted several Texas peppers too and some Cilantro. Much less than last year, but more manageable.

Below are my tomatoes. We have

some green ones already and lots of flowers.

This white flower is amazing to me. I planted two Gardenia plants in my yard and they have survived many freezings but have not bloomed until now. I am so thrilled. There are buds all over them and they smell sooooo delicious! I am also on a rose experiment. I hear they do well in my part of the world. But at the moment, they all need to be trimmed. When that is accomplished, perhaps they will merit a post.....

Family Bike Ride

We did it! All seven of us finally went out for a Sunday afternoon bike ride. We had such a great time.

Here's that handsome man I married.

Andrew LOVES his new bike.

Women's Conference!!

Amy and I flew to Utah to attend a women's conference at BYU. We met our great friend Kim there and the three of us ran from class to class furiously scribbling notes and trying to take it all in! What an amazing couple of days. I hardly had time to call home. I promised the kids I would periodically email them some pictures while I was away. This was one of them ...kinda funny. :) But I loved to see the Provo Temple again.
This mountain looked absolutely magnificent in the early morning with the sun just coming up. At first I thought the picture was a dud since it doesn't come close to capturing how awesome that mountain looked...but then as I look again, I think this is a really cool pic afterall.

I came home so happy and filled with life and a desire to be......everything great! Everyone around me was a child of God and we are all in this life together. What a blessing. I am going to try to keep that perspective with me.