Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

Children so often get the benefit of praise from their parents, but it's not often the other way around. Of course, when you are little, parents are all-knowing people who don't need feedback because they're just doing what every parent would automatically do. As you grow older though, you come to understand how hard parenting really is and that, unfortunately, not all children are as blessed to have parents as wonderful as I do.

Well, Mom, I don't think a parent could have done better by a child. When I look at my life and how happy I am, all of the things I am most thankful for come from you ...

... a happy marriage... Seeing from your's and Papa's marriage, how two people can be so committed to each other, love and value each other so much, stick together through tough times, treat each other with respect and honesty. I'm so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend at my side and to know that this is the most important thing in life.

... security ... I know what it means to come home to a house everyday where I am loved and well cared for. It is a good feeling to know that whatever happens in life, even in the worst of circumstances, I'll never be homeless, destitute, or alone because I will always have friends and family who will support me and see me through to better times.

... compassion ... I'm grateful for inheriting your sense of empathy and compassion for others who are struggling and have not yet found their way in life. Because of you I am able to see the best in people rather than focusing on the worst.

... success ... For all of your confidence in me, for everything that you invested in my opportunities and education, for raising me with the belief that I could achieve anything I set out to do.

... health and wellness ... For teaching us about nutrition, feeding us balanced meals, learning about hunting and growing our own gardens, and supporting healthy activities like basketball and volleyball.

I really couldn't ask for more than that. I love you and thank you for making me the person I am.

Oh, and just one more thing. Thanks for passing on your great genes in the looks department!

Happy Mothers Day.

LARP-ing Wiener Dog

Stands for Live Action Role Playing. Which basically means running around and hitting each other with foam swords. It was quite the entertainment at Don's Bday BBQ. So much fun, that Seumas even got into it. Check out the hilarious video.

Happy Birthday, Honey

Happy birthday to my wonderful husband who crosses the bridge to a new decade today. 30 years old! I love you baby and I look forward to seeing where we end up by the time the next decade turns over. I'm sorry we couldn't make it to Washington like we planned. But I promise a very special birthday celebration right here in California. We have made special reservations for tonight for a really cool event but I can't tell you about them yet because Don doesn't know where we are going. It's a surprise! And then tomorrow we are hosting a lovely BBQ in our backyard. The weather is cooperating beautifully with highs in the 70s to low 80s. If only we didn't have to squeeze a trip downtown in sometime this weekend to pick up Don's mini from the dealership due to getting a tire replaced that got damaged the other day. Oh well, at least the house is MOSTLY clean and all we have left to do before the BBQ is a little light picking up and some grocery shopping. And I plan to take a half day from work today so I should be able to get most of that done and then have all weekend to celebrate.

In other exciting news, we finally got a doggie door installed in the back and some temporary fencing to keep the pups in the backyard (since there is no separation in the gate/fence between the front and back yard.) So we are trying out this new venture. It is pretty fun to see Cordy's and Seumas' little walnut sized brains trying to figure out how the thing works. We had lots of practice last night coaxed by many treats. Seumas is much brighter than Cordy. She can't figure out where exactly to push on the door to get it to open. So she stands by and watches Seumas and waits for him to get it propped open a little and then plows him over and rushes ahead herself. Come to think of it, that is pretty clever. Maybe she is the smarter one! I promise some action photos soon of the dogs using their new exit along with pictures of our BBQ and Don's birthday weekend.