a more perfect smile...

After a "3 years and some months" journey Son2 got his braces off today. He is the only child that we have that needed braces... we had a few "adopteds" that wore braces... but this was our only experience with complete responsibility for a child with braces, from start to finish. As another side note I wore braces myself but hubby did not, even though he probably should have.

Another interesting factoid is that Son2 is the only child that got our bad eyesight and wears glasses... Hubby and I have both worn glasses since we were young. Son2 started wearing them in middle school... so maybe he is more like us physically though the other too look more like me... Son2 favors my older brother and hubby's father...

Anyway... Son2 has always been a happy kid... full of smiles and overall I would say he is the clown in the family, most families have one, and surprisingly it is often a younger child... Our baby boy had a wonderful smile since birth, and now that smile is just a bit more perfected...

We decided on braces for him because he had some serious abnormalities in the way his permanent teeth had come in... so now he will have much better success as he goes through life caring for his pearly whites... so we are really glad for the ability to provide braces for him...

He is still getting used to the changes in his mouth... and he'll be talking funny with his retainers in for a bit yet... but overall he is ONE HAPPY CAMPER today and sharing that smile in a much bigger way...

small town postal service...

I really dislike the Post Office... a lot... And right now I dislike them more than usual. Four weeks ago I ordered two pairs of shoes for hubby and one pair for Son2... They were supposed to be here by the 12th, and I took my tracking #s and ask about them at the PO several times between the 10th and the 20th... On the 21st I received an email telling me that for some unexplained reason the PO sent the packages back as undeliverable (but they never tried to deliver them... both my physical address and my PO Box were on the shipping label.) After over a week of haggling with the store... I finally got the shoes sent back to us at the same sale prices and free shipping. Hopefully they will be here in about 5 days.

In the meantime the PO continues to put the wrong mail in my box regularly... but has also sent several "cards" addressed to members of our family back too... It just amazes me that we pay for this lovely service...

time...

“Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't
own it, but you can use it. You can't keep
it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it
you can never get it back.” ~ Harvey MacKay

Right now I feel like time is against me...

UTI...

I have a kidney infection... I can't even count the number I have had this year, let alone in my lifetime.

Because of the backache and over all pain associated with having to be on antibiotics again (and thereby being somewhat toxic because I can't eliminate all the stuff my body should be eliminating due to extenuating health issues)... I began feeling grumpy, tired and defeated the last few days. I tend to bounce back pretty quickly from these emotional down times especially... but the UTI is not better yet. Now my doctor is changing the anti-bs... and I just feel so frustrated today by this whole process.

At least I don't have to worry about missing work...

singing frogs...

...this is not a common sound we hear in our area of the desert southwest, but during the heavy monsoons we get a nice chorus of desert frog song... The last two nights have been amazingly LOUD with the sounds of nature. It has been a really lovely gift.

We have had rain almost every day for over a week now... Even on the days when it didn't rain a lot it's rained some. The land has gobbled up every drop of that moisture... Each day in the morning the ground is almost dry from the rain the day before and very nearly each afternoon we get another heavy wetting that soaks us to a standing water level... only to repeat the the gobbling efforts. What a pleasure that has been. This has been the best monsoon that we have had in many years. I just keep repeating in my prayers over and over how grateful we are.

And then the last two nights have been the added bonus of desert frogs singing us to sleep... lying asleep in the ground for months and months they share their song with the world only when the rains come.... How wondrous our Father in Heaven is in his creations...

...thankful for the rain

Our area of the desert southwest is being blessed with an exceptionally heavy downpour today. We need this storm's drenching gift so much... While it will no doubt cause some inconvenience to some in this area, I am so very, very grateful for the rain.

The dirt/gravel road in front of our home is a river and our sad/needy front yard is a lake, (there are only a few determined little weeds there at present). I found 2 leaks in the ceiling that tell me the roof needs some attention... but we already knew that and I can't even get too worked up about that... it's been sooooo dry here, for sooooo long...

Thank you Heavenly Father for...



our temporary "lake"...








and the temporary river our cars used to drive on...



The washes are running, which means the aquifers will be taking in some water at last.

... bit of wisdom on the 4th.

Quote: Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet. ~ Roger Miller











Happy Birthday America!!!

Strengthening my family...

Quote for today:

Are we diligent in living the commandments of God, without running beyond our strength? Or are we just leisurely strolling along? Are we using our time, talents, and means wisely? Are we focused on the things which matter most? Are we following the inspired counsel of the prophets?

One example of great importance for humanity is strengthening our own families. The principle of family home evening was given to us in 1915. President McKay reminded parents again in 1964 that “no other success can compensate for failure in the home.”2 In 1995 the prophets of our day called upon all the world to strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.3 And in 1999 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles lovingly stated: “We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.”4

Let us in humility and faith refresh our dedication and our commitment to follow the prophets, seers, and revelators in all diligence. Let us listen and be instructed and edified by those who hold all the keys of the kingdom. And as we listen and follow them, may our hearts be changed that there will be a great desire to do good (see Alma 19:33). Thus we will be pioneers in building a spiritual foundation that will establish the Church in every part of the world, that the gospel of Jesus Christ may become a blessing for each child of God and unite and strengthen our families. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Heeding the Voice of the Prophets,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 4–7

And when my joy is full... then what?

It's taken me 2 months to write this blog entry because I feel fairly emotional about the subject... In early May, Son2 the youngest member of our family officially became an adult... His senior pictures were enough of a wake-up call to me that he was grown up... Still as is bound to happen... in early June, this young man, (my baby boy...) graduated from High School. There was not much fanfare as that is the way he wanted it... but I wanted to express my personal joy over his accomplishments. Of all my children, he received the most worldly accolades and honors as a graduate. His scholarships alone will see him through a tremendous first year of college, and beyond... he is a dedicated hardworking young man that I am very proud to call my son... in the most pure of motherly emotions.

This event brought the family together and his sister's personal "congratulations" tells the story that we all tell... Way to GO!!!

Son2 has grown into a sensitive young man with the heart and soul of an Artist. He sees the world and people of all walks of life though a personal lens that is foreign to me... He is talented in ways that I can only dream of. He is thoughtful in ways that I will miss GREATLY when he is far from home someday. He is tall, handsome, and happy, he is playful and kind... He is a wonderful child, brother and friend, and I am amazed that my Heavenly Father trusted him (and his siblings) to my care as a mother.

These events bring to my remembrance that we (hubby and I) will soon be empty-nesters... That eventuality is less than a year away... Already because of how busy Son2 is our home is empty a lot more than it is noisy, as in years past. So what do I say now...??? That... I am happy to have them all grown... I am ready to have a grown-up family. It's the way I expected it to be...???

To some extent all three comments ARE very true but in a deeper, stranger, more motherly way none of them is at all true. It is a dichotomy that I doubt I will get used to, as least not quickly. I am happy to say that my children, (all of them,) are adults that I “like”. Not all of my friends can say that about their adult children, so I think that is a good thing... They are all people that are responsible (for themselves and others...) Another thing many of my friends can't say about their adult children so I am especially happy to be able to say that. They are all adult people with a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and faith in the Atonement. That is probably the one that means the most to me.

I know that they are not perfect, but then they are very aware that I am not perfect either. (Boy are they aware of THAT!!! he he...) They will all make more mistakes in life as they work towards their own personal and family goals, that is to be expected and is normal... I certainly haven't stopped making my own mistakes, so it's only fair to allow them to make a fair number of their own, and I wouldn't dream of ridiculing them for those mistakes...

But you know... so far none of my kids has made some of the very STUPID mistakes I made as a young adult... and they are all a lot quicker to fix the ones they do make, than I was too... That is something I am please about... for them... I believe that one character strength will make the future a bit easier for them.

Being a mother is not always easy, but my kids have sure made it worth every minute of lost sleep, every monumental worry and heartache... They are the JOY in my heart and the SONG in my soul... So how can I be sad that they will all now go out and start their own lives, homes, families??? I can't... Besides looking forward to the someday of grandchildren, I could not possibly want to keep from them the joys and difficulties being tied to a good spouse for hopefully the eternities and of parenting... And then... letting go...

I think I understand a little bit what our Heavenly Parents must feel...