Sunday's Serenity...

FIREFIGHTER'S PRAYER When I'm called to duty God wherever flames may rage grant me the strength to save a life whatever be its age Help me to embrace a little child before it is too late or save an older person from the horror of that fate Enable me to be alert to hear the weakest shout and quickly and efficiently put the fire out I want to fill my calling Lord and give the best in me to guard my every neighbor and protect his property And if according to your will I am to lose my life God bless with your protecting hand my children and my wife --Anonymous prayer  noun, words spoken aloud or silently to God

In honor of...

Jason had the opportunity to attend FDIC this year.  While there, he participated in the 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb.  He climbed in honor of Battalion Chief Orio J. Palmer.

Gone but not forgotten.

I remember.

memorial  adjective, serving to help people remember  noun, anything meant to help people remember a person or event, as a a monument or holiday

Break A Leg

Jason was out on the deck, grilling hamburgers.  He watched as Josh tied a jump rope to the deck rail and then to his waist. It was when Josh began to climb up onto the railing that Jason intervened...

Jason:  Josh, what are you doing?
Josh:  I am going to jump off the deck.
Jason:  No. You aren't.
Josh:  Why, will I die?
Jason:  Probably not, but you could break your arm or leg.
Josh:  I can live with that.

jump  noun, 1) a spring or leap, verb, 2) to lift the feet off the ground into the air, to leap 3) to rise suddenly

Back to the drawing board...

Jason called me this morning and I was so excited to tell him what I had done.

Me: Guess what I did this morning.
Jason:  I don't know, what?
Me:  It's the one thing that I really really really hate to do.
Jason:  Dishes.
Me:  Nope. (okay, the 2nd thing)
Jason:   Laundry
Me:  Nope. (okay, the 3rd thing)
Jason:  Cleaned the bathroom. 
Me:  Nope. (okay, the 4th thing)
Jason:  Emptied a mouse trap.
Me:  Nope (okay, the 5th thing)
Jason:  Oh, I know!!!  You cooked!
Me:  Nope. (okay, the 6th thing)
Jason:  I give up.
Me:  Apparently so did I.

exercise  noun, 1) an activity used to train the body, verb, 2) to train the body by using one's muscles

Sunday's Serenity

To Do Is To Be  --Socrates

To Be Is To Do  --Plato

Do Be Do Be Do  --Sinatra

to  adverb, 1) in a direction toward preposition, 2) in the direction of  3) as far as  4) on or against 

5) until  6) used to show why  7) used with the infinitive of a verb  8) for the purpose of, in order to  9) belonging to

Monday Memories...

Shortly after returning home with our new baby girl, we discovered that Josh was on the way.  Two babies, ten months apart...I was exhausted to say the least.  One morning, after sending my two older boys off to school, I put Josh down for a nap.  Unfortunately, Hannah had zero interest in napping that morning.  I convinced myself that it would be fine if I closed my eyes for 15 minutes.  I made sure that Hannah had toys to keep her busy and then climbed into bed, laid my head on the pillow, and closed my eyes.  It couldn't have been two minutes before I felt drip...drip...drip....on my cheek.  I opened my eyes and saw Hannah standing next to my bed, grinning from ear to ear, as she waved her magic wand (aka the toilet brush) over me.  

wand  noun, a baton, a rod, a fairy's magic stick

Sunday's Serenity

 

listen  verb, to pay attention to what someone is saying, to heed

Monday Memories... "Old Yeller"

 
Somewhere along the way I became a yeller.  I am not proud of it.  My kids remind me constantly "Mom, we can hear you.  You don't have to yell".
Shortly after we moved into our home we began to put in our yard.  I remember the day that we were leveling the back yard to get it ready for sod.  Jason was in the bobcat, moving dirt from the front yard to the backyard.  Our two oldest boys were running around the front yard, getting in the way helping, and I was in the house with the babies.  I stepped out onto the deck and I could hear what sounded like a man yelling at what I assumed were his kids.  It sounded like it was coming from the cul-de-sac behind us.  I could barely hear him over the noise of the bobcat and so I walked farther onto the deck and listened again...  Yep, there was definitely yelling going on and I was pretty sure it was coming from the corner house across the street behind us.  I was elated...a fellow yeller!!  I listened some more and could barely make out what he was saying...but it definitely was some serious yelling.  I ran to the front yard and excitedly signaled for Jason to stop the bobcat so he could hear me.

Jason:  What?
Me:  **excitedly**  There is a guy in the cul-de-sac behind us yelling at his kids. 
Jason: Really, what is he saying?
Me:  I repeated a few of the choice phrases I was able to understand.
Jason:  That was ME, yelling at your son, he threw a dirt clod at my head and ran off laughing.

echo  noun, 1) a series of reflected sound waves that repeat as they bounce back from an object, repeating the sound  verb, 2) to reverberate, to reflect a sound back

Reflect. Revere. Remember.

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends --John 15:13

Ten years ago Ethan was 19 months old.  I am shocked at some of the things he can remember from such an early age.  September 11, 2001 is not one of them and part of me is grateful for that.  That day is never far from my thoughts and it still brings me to tears.  Ethan watched a program on one of the kids channels about 9/11.  Afterwards he asked me, "why did they do that?".  I began to answer and along with my words came tears.  Hannah then asked, "why is mom crying?".  Ethan responded with an answer and understanding that ages him beyond his years..."Because she loves Dad".

love  noun, 1) a very strong warm feeling or deep concern for someone, commitment 2) darling, sweetheart, verb, 3) to feel passion, or a strong affection for someone or something

To brush or not to brush...

My boys are going on a scout campout this weekend.  I ran to the store to pick up a few things that they would need, or so I thought...

As I was grabbing toothpaste off the shelf I heard this conversation going on behind me...

Ethan:  She is getting toothpaste.
Brian:  I won't use it, will you?
Ethan:  No, I never brush my teeth when I am camping.
Brian:  Should we tell her so she doesn't waste money.
Ethan:  No way!! She'll be madder that we don't brush our teeth than about the money.

cavity  noun, 1) a hollow place or a hole 2) a hole in the tooth caused by decay