Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mother's birthday - so Happy Birthday Mom! from all of us down here in NCal. We are all sorry we can't be up there to give you hugs and kisses so I'm sending them to you virtually.

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking
Author Unknown

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed there is a God I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked. . .
and wanted to say thanks for all the things I saw
when you thought I wasn't looking.

Happy Birthday Mom - We all Love you!!!!!

Cleaning this Gun - Song about my life!

This morning I received a phone call from my dad saying Rodney Atkins had a new song out called "Cleaning this Gun" and I needed to listen for it.

So tonight I looked it up. Unfortunately there is not an actual video of it yet, but I did find the lyrics and this video which is the audio of the song and shows the lyrics.

Now. . .why did my dad call me to tell me about this song? That's simple. Everyone in my family owned at least a couple guns. Every time a boy came over to meet my parents, my father had every gun we owned out on the table and he was cleaning them, whether they needed it or not. This is the scene that first met Shaun when he came to my house when we were Seniors in high school.

Now that we have a daughter of our own, Shaun is already talking about cleaning the guns when the boys come over. Except for Tyler it will probably be not only her daddy, but also her two little brothers also sitting there. I feel for any boy who has the guts to come meet this family!

Just in case the video does not work, here are the lyrics:

Cleaning this Gun - Rodney Atkins

The Declaration of Independence

Think I could tell you that first sentence

But then I’m lost

I can't begin to count the theories

I've had pounded in my head

That I forgot

I don't remember all that Spanish

Or the Gettysburg address

But there is one speech from high school

I'll never forget

(Chorus)

Come on in boy sit on down

And tell me about yourself

So you like my daughter do you now?

Yeah we think she's something else

She's her daddy's girl

Her momma's world

She deserves respect

That’s what she'll get

Ain’t it son?

Hey y'all run along and have some fun

I'll see you when you get back

Bet I’ll be up all night

Still cleanin' this gun

Well now that I’m a father

I’m scared to death one day my daughter

Is gonna find

That teenage boy I used to be

That seems to have just one thing on his mind

She’s growin' up so fast

It won't be long before

I’ll have to put the fear of god into

Some kid at the door

(Chorus)

Come on in boy sit on down

And tell me about yourself

So you like my daughter do you now?

Yeah we think she's something else

She's her daddy's girl

Her momma's world

She deserves respect

That’s what she'll get

Now ain't it son?

Y’all go out and have some fun

I'll see you when you get back

Probably be up all night

Still cleanin' this gun

Now it's all for show

Ain’t nobody gonna get hurt

It’s just a daddy thing

And hey, believe me, it works

(Chorus)

Come on in boy sit on down

And tell me about yourself

So you like my daughter do you now?

Yeah we think she's something else

She's her daddy's girl

Her momma's world

She deserves respect

That’s what she'll get

Now ain't it son?

Y’all run along and have a little fun

I'll see you when you get back

Probably be up all night

Still cleanin' this gun

Son, now y'all buckle up and have her back by te- let's say about nine...thirty.

Drive safe.

Photo Friday - 1993

Okay, I know I've been slacking on the posting lately and I apologize to all of you. It's been crazy here and May is year end at work so it is only going to get crazier in the next couple weeks. On top of working 2 weeks straight at work (yes that means through the weekend!) the next couple weeks also include Tyler's 6th birthday and her graduation from kindergarten (both on June 7th).

Please keep me in your prayers these next couple weeks. Seriously! It all starts next week and will go through June 8th!

So to make up for it, I'm going WAY back in time for Photo Friday. This is our Senior Prom picture from 1993. I even uploaded it "large" so you can get the full effect!

This is Shaun pre-goatee (like the goatee MUCH better!) and me pre-marriage/baby weight gain. Gotta love the perms!

Memories

Well, I'm back from Washington now. I arrived back home this morning at about 9:30AM. As much as I enjoyed seeing my family and being up where it is so green again, it was great to come home and sleep in my own bed. Shaun unpacked the Tahoe for me and took the boys to daycare so I could get some much needed sleep after driving through the night.

Leaving back home always is bittersweet. I wanted to get home to my own bed and to see my daughter and husband again, but I'm always sad to leave there. Some of it is that nostalgia and all the memories from growing up there. Shaun and I started dating in high school so there are always tons of memories. And of course, you mostly remember the good times. Part of me wants to stay there, but I know that is all the past now. Some things have not changed, but alot of things have changed. Memories stay, but times moves on.

As I had posted a couple days ago, my parents no longer live in the house I grew up in. However, on the way to town you have to pass by that house. When we moved in I remember it had been empty for awhile. It was in desparate need of a paint job and the grass was over my head. Of course that was the summer between 1st and 2nd grade, so I was not all that tall yet. My parents put a lot of time and effort into that house. We always had a nice yard and mom planted beautiful roses and carnations along the driveway. It was one of the nicest looking houses in the area. We did not have tons of money but they took pride in our home.

It is a bit depressing to see the house now. The latest owners have not taken care of it at all. The yard is overgrown in some areas. In another section they have a dog who has dug holes all over. There are wrecked cars everywhere. The paint is peeling and I noticed the front door does not appear to close all the way. The front windows where my parents room used to be is full of garbage. I know my mom does not even look at the house any longer as she drives by (which she has to do often). I guess a year or so ago there was a raid on the home because they were growing pot in what used to be my brother's bedroom.

But it is just a building. I still remember it the way it was in my head. And my parents have a beautiful home just down the road now. It may not be large, but my parents have always been able to make it feel like home and it is always beautiful. Part of it is how it looks, but alot is just because they are there. That house now feels like home when I go back there.

I always tend to be amazed at how things have changed each time I'm there. I guess if I had stayed there I would not have noticed it as much, but since I only get back once or twice a year, it is so much more noticeable.

Do you live where you grew up? If not, do you go back to visit that place often? Is it just me or do you take trips down memory lane as well? You'll probably get to hear more in the next couple days about my trip, once I'm totally caught up on my sleep. I was able to see a few people I've not seen in a while and I was really happy about that. More to come!

A Blast from the Past

Last night Shaun and I were going through some old pictures and I came across this one from our wedding day. I can't believe in August it will have been 12 years! Amazing how the time flies by.