Good for the Soul

This would qualify as an anti-procrastination project of the BEST kind!  when BEST=longest procrastinated :)   So when Philip (my brother) passed away December 2011, we received several stones in lieu of plants.  One, I gave Jeff (my other brother) as he didn't receive any.  It came w/an easel & I think it was this poem:

 

Then I received a sitting angel/cherub & another stone with the 'if tears could build a stairway to heaven' poem & angel on it.  I received them right around the time of the funeral & they were put on the bottom 2 steps right as you come in the front door to our house.  (We call them the UP steps b/c they lead up to the living room vs the DOWN steps that lead down to the childcare) ANNNNYYYYYYYYYWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY... there they sat, getting shifted to vacuum around, getting bumped into the wall & each other by children pushing their boundaries as well as dogs that came running down the stairs way too fast.  A FULL YEAR AND A HALF later... I finally start talking about moving them outside.  I had originally wanted to wait until we had one of the flower beds done that would give them some place to sit near the house & out of the direct weather... but that wasn't very high on our priority list so it hasn't gotten accomplished & they stayed inside.  Finally, one day on a whim while the kids were playing out front, since the back was still too muddy, I grabbed them & decided they were going outside. I was finally ready to release any emotion I had attached to them.. Yes, they were given to us in love but they were neither the people that gave them nor were they Philip, they were after all, just chunks of rock, nothing living, breathing or feeling.  I sat on the edge of the rock garden & cleared a spot in the river rock just big enough for the angel/cherub to sit first.  then I cleared a spot for the bigger one.  I stepped back & decided, they were good.  I was fine, no emotion, no second guessing so I walked away, feeling strong & proud for giving up the perfectionism of waiting on the 'perfect spot for them' & keeping them 'safe' (in the way) in the house. (in all honesty, it is nothing short of a miracle that neither of them is chipped, broken or otherwise missing an appendage since they in fact were quite in the way when they were inside.)

 here they are all nestled in.

here is the whole rock garden: the well pump - from the old house, an old milk can - a garage sale find, the 'Jackson' log - an anniversary gift, the fence - relocated when widening the driveway & rocks - collected over the years. 'Perfectly', full of bits & pieces from our lives, each with a story of its own.

this is the sitting angel/cherub

 

What have you done lately that was good for your soul?

Anything you've crossed off your procrastination list lately?

 

 

December Daily update

Dec 1 will have no photos to include as my 2 month old good camera decided not to work :( BUT I attended my first Relay for Life mini-Summit in Des Moines & scrapped w/family & friends in the afternoon/evening! so probably just memorabilia
Dec 2 will be photo less unless I fudge & use a Christmas picture of my mother in law we took out to lunch for her Monday birthday. w/the business card I picked up from the restaurant.

<~~~ Dec 3 I attended one of many Christmas programs in the evening (ignore the date on the photo, its set wrong) after Tim brought home an early gift, a PUPPY!!!!! her name was Dora but we changed it to Kora. :) LOVE HER!!!! ~~~>

Dec 4 will probably center around Kora's first day in childcare
Dec 5 will probably be about Kora & Sammy bonding(photo on right) & Honey (the cat) resisting at all cost ;)  & maybe some mention (& receipts) that today is the day I sent my camera to TX for repair.

NOW! to get my body in there (between potty trips for Kora) & get some pages scrapped!

Gratitude November 13

Very very very grateful to have been allowed to do a fundraiser for Philip's family!  This year's Scrap Pink went to them.  therefore the colors were Azelea & John Deere Green ;)  I could not have done this fundraiser w/o the generous generous sponsors & active wonderful participants!

Gratitude November 9

Family! my brothers & wives they have chosen for me to get to be sisters to, & those 6 little hearts!

a wedding

One month ago today, June 23, 2012 my baby brother got married to a wonderful woman who is from a terrific family that we are so thankful for!! I had Ryder out giving him a bottle during the ceremony but here is their vows during rehearsal ;)

 

K getting her make up done

M checking out her make up

beautiful flowers!

first dance, check out the teary eyes!!  Love you guys!!!

the aunts that tended the cake table

Gma J w/the Arispe Riemenschneiders

Aunt S w/her children

get it girl!!

those dresses were made for spinning!!

and the last dance of the night. 2 very happy people!

we all missed seeing Philip but comforted each other in knowing that he wasn't missing a thing, he was right there laughing, smiling, dancing right along w/us!

More than 5 on Friday

So the story goes that I caught the chicken pox in a bounce house the summer before my Kindergarten year, so I have forever been terrified/paranoid of bounce houses.... until last Sunday when we were invited to participate in a fun day @ Arispe put on by the Afton Lions in honor of Philip's family.  I thought it was a fundraiser, come to find out it was just 'hey, lets set up the inflatable & feed everyone who wants to come... so we went! here are a couple of shots Bethany caught of Jeff & I on it w/her phone..

and here are the the ones I cuaght on my camera...Big O (Owen):

 Bethany & Ronnie:

Brenda:

 The 3 Arispe Riemenschneiders:

Ryder's first time down:

so the moral to this post: no matter how much of a repectable adult you are, you MUST partake in the fun of an inflatable slide ASAP!!!!!!! Honestly, I cannot wait to do it AGAIN!!!   :)

have a FUN weekend!!!

waiting

When things are messy, good always rises to the surface if you wait for it.-  Kelle Hampton

reading this back a couple of months, I see just how true it is. This is a recent lesson I have learned & am so thankful for the constant reminders. Many times things look dismal, aweful even but if we simply deal & accept the situation, it will right itself with little or no help from us. Knowing when to work harder or when to walk away & let it work itself out is a tough decision to make sometimes.  I have learned to not stress most things I can't control, will it rain on a camping weekend, will no one show up for freezer swap, will I have too many childcare kids to take the trip/do the activity/manage the chaos today, will I have enough childcare kids to pay for the helper I have contracted for summer, will the event I have planned work out for all involved, etc.   We've been taught that 'good things take hard work' & at the same time 'good things come to those who wait' .. how's that for conflicting information?  I have found its much easier on the nerves, heart & those around me :) if I don't stress much anymore.

I had this typed a year ago, but it just didn't seem to fit any time I thought about using it. This week, its perfect!  Losing my brother in December brought alot of this (learning to deal) back to the surface.  I was doing so good at not stressing things until there was a definate, outcome I could not control or even fathom learning to live with.  & learning to live with it I am, every.single.day.  Some are definately better than others.  Some are down right painful to get out of bed or fall asleep at night.  Learning every day, how to deal, is part of life.

(Philip & I. 6/2011 on a really good day)

I am still waiting for that good to rise to the surface.

Easter

our first extended family holiday w/o him.  he sure was missed! but life must go on & we must remember that he's with us even tho we can't see him.  His family:

 my aunt & cousins

love this young family of cousins!

We have our Easter dinner at noon on Easter Sunday at my mom's house.  Most of our extended family dinners are there as she has the most room.   We started this year with family pictures out on the deck in the sunshine then we ATE, & ate & ate...... then while the kids were running on the deck (its the full length of the back of the house) the big cousins, Jeff & I went out front & hid eggs & baskets for the little cousin/niece & nephews.  Who knew hiding them could be as much fun as finding them?? we had a blast!! who could find the most creative places, whose would be the first or last to be found, who spent the most time getting one 'perfectly' hidden.... loved it!!

a few of our creative hiding places:

& couple of my favorite people deep in conversationthen taking naps...

after the hunt, we all went back inside, some left but the ones that stayed had a little sweet snack & then just really hung out, lots of conversation, a little snoring but oh so sweet catching up!!! Pretty sure this was my favorite part of the whole day!

How was your Easter?

Thankful Thursday

wagon ride thru the country at sunset?! sign me up!!!

 What a blast this was!!!

 these are my 5 neices/nephews (so far-expecting another in January) they are my loves!!!

I truely had no idea I could love achild w/the fierceness I do for them.

Grandma said 'this will probably be the quietest we will ever see this group. they were perfectly behaved, well mannered little people the whole 4 mile ride!!

um yea, would you guess these 2 aren't blood related?!

gma, mom, Eli (on the phone, seriously??! lol)

Tim was thrilled to be along -ha!  he ws there for the chili supper to follow.  but he was hanging out in a tshirt & mom had 4 layers on :)

this shot needs some color balance to see the clouds/sunset appropriately!

& in the final stretch they finally understood why Great Gma had the blankets!

gma/gpa, brother Philip

When gma started playing the piano all the kids gathered around! so fun to see her share it w/another generation! I remember being right there on the floor once!!

Today I am thankful for Family!! My brother's cancer is growing, attacking the nerves in his brain that control the right arm, leg & hand.  He has no grip, can't move the arm Or control the leg. he walks w/an obvious limp as he throws that leg to the side to walk on it.  I am thankful we get to keep him for a while longer & that his children & wife get more time w/him as well. I am so thankful & grateful that they invited us into their chaotic & unsettled home so soon-a mere 2 days-after the doctor visit that explained these symptoms to them.  Love your family, tell them you love them & appreciate every day you have with them!