Memorial Day 2010

Today we spent part of the day out at Hobo Camp~ it was a delightful day for kids and grown ups. I took a walk by myself and just enjoyed the back paths, underbrush, and deer paths instead of walking the path...

Today is Memorial Day~ a day set aside to remember the soldiers who faught for our country to keep America the home of the free and the brave. I have been very fortunate in my life, that no family members died in war or conflict to give me the freedoms I enjoy. However there have been some very special men, who gave part of their lives, time out of their families, and some that carry scars from the time they gave. So for each of them~ a little special moment of memory...

JJ, Chuck, Bob S., Karl, Tom, Darrell, Jack, Gene, Clifford, Ben and so many more....

Along with remembering these soldiers, I thought about all the changes this last year....

May 29, 2009~ all innocence my family enjoyed was torn away from us. We learned that night that you cannot trust even the people in your life you love the most. Devistating...

But...

Rebuilding began

Who knew that day that just 9 months and a few days later I would have found someone who I could trust again, someone who would help put my family back together and someone who would love me as much as I love him and takes the time to show it every day!

Memorials and Other stuff

Today was John Joseph Jackalone's Memorial Service~ it was out at Standish Bible Church and through all the tears that were shed, there were also many laughs shared as well as we remembered him. Brother, Husband, Dad, Pop, Uncle, Friend... JJ was an amazing guy.

I could go on for hours and hours, filling page after page with antidotes about my precious Uncle JJ and the joy and sorrow he and I shared over the years. He was so funny, yet could be so serious, his heart of gold that would give you the shirt off his back could be and was broken at the loss of people he loved and the mistakes of those he cared for.

And now, his time on earth is over, he has gone "home" to be with the Lord and his beloved wife and all those he loved who went on before. I am sure he has brought laughter to the heavens with his arrival there. Although we here may miss him, our memories give us instant access to his love and humour...

Uncle JJ was one of the few Christian's that I have met in my life who really touched my heart in a way that encouraged my faith and helped me grow in my faith. You see, he and I would go to the Casino on Tuesday nights and we would talk~ we would go to coffee other times~ and we would talk. Uncle JJ, he really was a Christian. Even if there was someone he didn't like, he still treated them respectfully. He just was so amazing.

Well anyway~ enough gushing... you all get the picture. He will be treasured always and missed until I get to be with him up there in heaven...

O taste and see
That the Lord is good
O taste and see
That the Lord is good
He is good to me

You've turned my mourning
Into dancing
Put off my rags and clothed me with gladness
And I will arise and I will praise you
I'll sing and not be silent

O Lord, My God
I will give thanks to you forever
O Lord, My God
I will give thanks to you

And I'll live only for you
And I'll lift these hands up to you
And I'll dance before you
I will shout it, I will shout it to you

Mother's Day 2010

I am having a wonderful morning so far with my family~ but it is bitter sweet~ I miss my Mom so very much.

Our second set of holidays without her... I hope she knows how much I love her and miss her and think about her...

So I am getting ready to go to church with my family and have a family filled fun day doing whatever it is we decide to do...

Good Morning!

It is an amazing day here in the Sierra Mountains of Northern California! The sun is shining, birds are singing and today is going to be a day full of family and friends gathering and sharing together!

We have softballs, gloves, and bat going with us, fishing poles and bait going with us, lots and lots of food, and there will be a small army of friends and family there too! It's a BBQ! Boy have I ever missed these~ last summer I was missing my Mom so much that gatherings like this just took to miuch energy. This year I am refreshed and know it is time to get out there and DO THINGS!

This is my husbands first experience with me being excited about getting out and doing things :) poor man. Lucky for me he is amazing and easy going enough to just go with the flow and let me be manic! I still stop, take a deep breath and thank God for bringing my husband to me. Who knew there was someone that perfect for me out there?

Once upon a time, I just knew that Ron was my soul mate, the person I should be with, the one for me... He had all these characteristics that I just adored and wanted in my life. I ignored the negative things about him. Pretended they didn't exist. Every now and then, they would refuse to be ignored and that is when I would shut the door on a relationship with him. He was a master manipulator tho... and he would reel me back in.

In September 2008, I knew it was over. But I was pregnant... and so I allowed him in my life despite my desire to not have him around. He made tons of promises, told me how he loved me and wanted to be with me, and on and on... yet all the while he was living with his wife. I would fall for it for a short time and then get my feet back and tell him off. This went on until May 2009.

When he was arrested...

God intervened~ He put on the wife's heart the conviction to turn Ron in even though there was a part of her that didn't want to. She withheld the information she had for a time because she was stuck in a place in her relationship with him that prevented her from doing anything beyond protecting her relationship with him. I hate to have to admit it, but I was in the same place with him. Although I had seperated emotionally to some degree, I made excuses for his bad behavior and ignored things that should have been BIG RED FLAGS.

That night, May 29th 2009, I was set free from this man. Emotionally and physically.

That left the door open for God to bring my husband into my life...

And now... we are on our way to have a funderfull day together!

What a Day!

Our day started bright and early when my husband woke me up at the crack of dawn to "chat"... he has this habit of waking up VERY early in the morning and since he can't sleep he wakes me up. It is one of the things I adore about him~ he really does want to keep the lines of communication open at all times, even at dark thirty in the morning.

He and I talked for a bit~ it was a wonderful start to the day. He got up and went and bought us StarBucks YAY! (Have I mentioned my husband is like totally awesome?) We sat with the kids watching cartoons and drinking StarBucks until time to head to the Children's Fair.

Ah yes, the Children's Fair~ for those of you who are unfamilare~ in Lassen County every year for, dang A LONG TIME (20 years or so I think?) there is this thing at the loccal fair grounds called the Children's Fair. It is a low cost/no cost day of activity and fun for young children. Really a good family type day.

So David drove us down to the fairgrounds and then went and got my friend Jen and her son to join us. Jen's son, Jason, is 9 and according to Elizabeth my future son-in-law. She is going to marry him when she is 25, or so she is telling us. Once Jen and Jason were there, we were off... took the kids around to all the different activities... they had fun, we all got some sun and then...

BASEBALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crossroads Ministries vs. Lassen County NA... what a fun game! David played 3rd base and all the guys (and 1 girl) who played for Crossroads put their hearts into the game and WE WON!!! Took a gazzallion pictures and will have them on my website soon~ everyone take care, may God Bless you and Keep you as HE has my family!