Ahoy!

I got my fix. Of water and boats and sunshine, that is. I've been dying to get out on a lake and if I had my druthers, I would own a speedboat and move somewhere with a big beautiful lake. But since I don't have either of those opportunities, I joined up with my folks for the day and got my fix on their boat at the Ruby Dam.
To my surprise, Kaleb even jumped on the tube and got pulled, with daddy right there for support. He absolutely loved it! Eric and I even jumped on the tube too.

3's a charm

A child's birthday is a joyous event, sprinkled with a dash of bitter-sweetness. The one year birthday was tough for me because my baby was no longer a baby. The two year birthday was a little easier, filled with a feeling of "oh my gosh I hope I can handle the terrible two's." This year the three year birthday was the easiest yet. There is no doubt my baby is growing up but the hint of sadness I felt was overrun with Kaleb's deep involvement with party planning and excitement. Somehow the sadness just kept turning into smiles and feel good moments.

I enjoyed getting feedback this year about what kind of party he wanted, what presents he wanted, the decorations, help with filling the party favors, coloring his invitations.... His involvement was fun and it made his party personalized and special for Kaleb of course - and for me.

But anyone I talk to who has been there, done that, keeps reiterating "enjoy every moment because it goes so fast." I am not taking those words lightly because if everyone is saying it, it must certainly be true. So I did just that. I took it all in. I not only breathed in the aromas of strawberry football cake and cream cheese frosting, but I remembered to inhale the look on Kaleb's face while we stuffed bags full of tootsie rolls and bouncy balls, the excitement in his voice as he saw the decorations hanging up, the anxious way he walked as he waited for guests to arrive. And I remembered to exhale a breath of thankfulness to God for my special son. He has brought countless happy moments to my life in his short three years. My cup runneth over with blessings as a result of his arrival into my life.

Kaleb and cousin Luke in the sandbox
Opening the first present
Pizza party with cousins Hannah, Luke and Maddy
The Western Rifle
Guests: Christina and Liam, Sarah and Landri
Our happy family
All the kids are wrangled for a quick photo: front L to R: Jaxon, Landri, Liam, Hannah and Cohen, Back row L to R: Ian, Kaleb, Maddy and Luke
Papa Tom and Jaxon

Betty Crockers

Betty would have been proud. On Thursday I gathered with 3 other women, members of our Mom's Group, and cooked 20+ meals for our friend who is expecting her third child. It was her idea to prep as many meals as possible in one day for freezing, an excellent idea for any mother-to-be. She had done all the menu planning and shopping ahead of time and even had the chicken cooked for all the meals calling for chicken.

We brought our aprons, knives and our children and we cooked from 9:30 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon - with one quick break for lunch.

As we "clucked" around the kitchen we talked and we laughed. It made me think of the days when gatherings like this were common. Though the days of sewing circles, tea socials and cake of the month clubs are all but gone, yesterday was a good reminder of the bond we have as women. How we can gather in friendship and help each other in times of need. And how enriching it was to experience this camaraderie amongst women, amongst friends.

Sarah, Lisa, Gayle and mother-to-be Cheyenne.

Just a few of the kids watching a DVD while we cooked. The others were playing outside.

Sleep Tight

Eric built Kaleb a headboard for his bed. It is beautifully crafted out of old barn wood from a barn he tore down years ago.

TEN is just the beginning

Ten years ago today I married my love. My wedding was so much fun, everything I could have hoped it to be. We had many, many friends and family there to celebrate with us.

When you have a big family (like I do) and a friend list of 100+ (like Eric did) you're pretty much destined to have a very large wedding. I remember talking about what kind of wedding we wanted and we decided we either had to have a very small and quaint wedding, just inviting immediate family, or have a large wedding and invite everyone. We opted for the later, to the dismay of my parents I'm sure. :)

It's hard to believe that Eric and I met the middle of January 2000, got engaged in March and married on June 3rd, 2000. One might ask what we were thinking. I can look back now and say we weren't thinking! HA We did a lot of things very quickly to get ready for the wedding, but even in haste, everything pulled together well and we pulled off a wedding and reception with 200+ guests. Another great blessing was the weather. When you're having a June 3rd wedding in Montana you just never know what to expect. We LUCKED out and had a beautiful warm, sunny day with temps around 75.

I dug into the photo archives to find some wedding pictures (remember, digital cameras were not in use). How fun it was to look back and remember my wedding day. Here's to many more years.....

Before the wedding

Getting my dress on

Eric and his groomsmen hamming it up

The wedding party

Ryan and Rachael

Till death do us part

My reception pants - part of my "3 piece ensemble" I never wore these pants at the reception because yes, I thought I looked fat in them. Oh boy, if I only knew....

Jitterbugging with my baby, FYI he is an awesome dancer! The reception was so much fun.

My grandparents cutting a rug

Gifts and more gifts

The sunset on our wedding day. What a perfect end to a perfect day!

Memories on Memorial Day

I am one of the lucky ones. I fondly knew three of four of my great-grandparents and all four of my grandparents. Yesterday I visited 5 cemeteries in the beautiful Ruby Valley. I watched my dad, a member of the American Legion, shoot off his gun in honor of the veterans, 3 times at each cemetery. It was chilling and touching, and even tear provoking.

At the Sheridan cemetery I visited my paternal grandparent's graves. I didn't stay there long, but their memory played in my head all day long. I recalled Grandpa Bill sitting in his chair at the kitchen window watching the birds; feeding the crows; his arm tattoo he acquired in the army; his voice as he called my brother, his namesake, "Michael William." I can see Grandma Rene hobbling around the kitchen waiting on everyone hand and foot; pouring orange juice and serving red jello; asking us to help her find the lost key to things we wanted to get into. Her waking us to go "peeper" in the middle of the night; her petticoat; the way she twisted her diamond earings on her ears, her hands.

At Taylor Hill in Alder I visited my maternal great-grandparents graves. I had not been there since my great-grandmother's funeral in 1997. It was an overdue visit. Once again, it wasn't long that I was there, but I thought about them all day. I kept playing in my head the games of casino my brother and I played with Grandma and Grandpa Mag; picking raspberries in their garden; their tulips and peonies; how Grandpa held his cards for everyone to see and was still able to win; sneaking into the deep freeze and looking for Grandma's cookies if the cookie jar was empty; having tea with her; her creamed potatoes, peas and carrots; grandpa sleeping in the chair, his suspenders; his warm smile.

I didn't make it to the Point of Rocks cemetery where my Grandma and Grandpa Red are laid to rest. My Grandma Red was one of a kind. She was wise and funny and old. I remember her laugh, the smell of her house, the ranch we loved to play at, the stories of her big family and tough upbringing; her afghans, pillowcases and doilies; following her from Sheridan to Twin as she drove perfectly (at age 99), her love for God.

Grandpa Red is the only one I didn't have the privilege of knowing - but he did get to know me for a few year. He died in 1979 when I was 3.

Here are a few pictures of my cherished grandparents. They are certainly missed!

Great Grandpa Vic and Great Grandma Martha with me and my brother Mike

Great Grandpa Ralph and Great Grandma Clara with me as a baby

Grandpa Bill and me on my wedding day. He looked so handsome!

Grandma Rene with me and my cousin Trevor

Black & White Beauties