Roadblocks

I have been thinking a lot lately (I know, shocker!) about ... life. Pretty general I know,but nonetheless this has been on my mind. I wonder why it turns out the way it does and I wonder if those instances where we shifted and went another way was always the right way. What if there was a roadblock put in your way, not of your own doing. Obviously you go around it, but -- my thoughts have been how far do you go around. Do you go around so far that you never get back on the same road again? Or do you take that short path and get back on that road as soon as possible? Does it really matter in the long haul? Do both paths end up in the same place?

Albert Einstein once said, "Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper."

Pretty deep, huh?

And Garrick is going to....

Garrick finally got his mission call!! He is going to Billings, Montana!! I am so very very thankful and grateful for this call!! I was so worried that he would go to another country ... Heavenly Father was looking out for me and my son on this one. I kinda figured He would, I mean, I know that He does not want me to worry and to be a frantic mess for two years. We are so excited and are so blessed to have this event on its way!

He will be leaving June 3 for the MTC. So, I have 53 days with him when he comes home next week. And then I will be seeing him again in about 730 days!!

Anyway, I just wanted to post this for those that are interested and thank all of you who had us in your prayers!

VARSITY

Okay, so my Natalie has been playing softball since she was about 4 or 5 and she absolutely loves it and is very good at it. Last year she played for the school and was on JV. She was the #1 hitter (I told you she was good!). So, this year rolls around and during tryouts the varsity coach has her catching for the varsity pitcher and Natalie is kinda lead to believe that she is going to be on varsity. When the tryouts are over and the dust has settled, literally, she was back on JV and playing catcher again. (Back story-- Natalie is a first baseman but she will play where ever asked so for the last couple of years she has been playing catcher and has finally grown to accept this and actually is loving it this year) So being on JV is no big deal, at least she is playing. A couple of weeks ago one of the coaches on varsity told Natalie she was moving up. She was excited, however, she kept this information to herself. (Back story -- LOL -- The JV team has about 19 players on it and only 5, yes you read that right 5, girls had ever really played before. So, JV really needed Natalie to stay). Yada, yada, yada...Natalie is playing her first Varsity game today!!! She again is out of her position, I think she is playing left and backup catcher, but with this team she has the potential to advance.

She is sooooooo happy and so excited, she has had a permanent smile upon her face since Monday at her first Varsity practice! I wanted to post a picture which I will do as soon as I take one!! Cross your fingers for my baby today and keep her in your thoughts.

Good Luck my Sweet, Sweet Natalie. Hit a homer!!

The Papers Are In

Garrick let me know that he turned his mission papers in last Tuesday, March 17, 2009. I am getting anxious. I know that he will go where he is needed, but I am a little apprehensive! I have MY preferences but you know how that will work out for me, so I will just keep my thoughts to myself. I remember the old saying, "Man plans, God laughs."

I will post the news as soon as I get it, reflect on it, accept it!

Bookmarks,,,,

Okay, so here is the deal...my father, yes, that 60+ year-old man whom I love with all my heart told me that I needed to update my blog. I find that funny on many levels, but the biggest is the fact that my father even knows what a blog is and what you are supposed to do on it! So, I was talking to my Favorite Daughter and told her that I needed to update my blog but that I really had nothing to discuss; I asked her to give me a word, the first word that pops into her head and I would talk about it. I am thinking that maybe she will give me something cool like....brownies or puppies or LEARNERS PERMIT (these words have been popping out of her mouth a lot lately!) but no, she gives me the word bookmark. Bookmark? Really? Here it goes...

So, when Garrick left for college, I was a bit...depressed. Although, I really will not admit this to too many people. Anyway, I decided that I needed to do something, so I did some scrapbooking (yuk) and some reading (love) and some cleaning (yuk) but I just needed to do something else. Well, I remembered at a youth conference once I learned to make bookmarks out of wire and beads. So, I thought I would make some more. I bought beads and wire and even tools (!) and started on my project. I made bookmark after bookmark after bookmark. I gave them to people, I saved some for myself. I experimented and failed, however, I experimented and succeeded too! Here are a few that I saved for myself:


I know, they are totally cool huh? Anyway, when my son leaves for two years for a mission, I cannot even begin to tell you what I will do to ease the depression. I am thinking, however, it is going to be way bigger than bookmarks! And then there comes the even bigger day when my daughter decides that she needs to graduate and leave the house too! Oh joy! What, oh what will I do all alone? Well, that, my friends, is a bridge that I refuse to cross until I come to it.

So, there you have it...I can make a fairly good discussion about any word...any takers?