Happy Sunday

Mom and me 1973

Mornin' Son! How's the weather there?  Dumb question huh? Maybe to you, but how is the weather there?  Since I don't have a clue as to what perfect is, how would I know what perfect weather is?  Do you even have weather in heaven?  Well how the heck would I know?  It's not like anything we experience here on earth, it's heaven for crying out loud.  I know we only know what we know but I doubt very much if you have rain, snow, ice, tornados, hurricanes.  Well, maybe, what's it like when God gets mad in heaven.  Or do I? Maybe "getting mad" in heaven doesn't look like it does on earth. I mean one of the effects of God getting made here was flooding of the entire earth.  Or was it Him being mad, or sad or maybe a little of both.

We've had a little bit of everything here lately, wind, rain, snow, ice, SUN! Yes sun!  We made a trip to Albany yesterday and it was 45 degrees and sunny.  Absolutely beautiful. The snow is picking up though.  Not heavy stuff, but more often.  Everyone says February is usually the coldest month so I guess we'll be seeing soon.
 

Except Josie's name was on the bow!

Did you hear the explosion this last week? I know, it was really something wasn't it!  I mean, Josie only turns 4 once in her life. The family party was last Wednesday night.  Josie ordered hot dogs and "smiley" fries for dinner. Now these were no ordinary hot dogs.  Jon grilled them along with onions.  Yum, they were so good  And, to top it all off, a Hello Kitty cake, a green Hello Kitty cake to be exact! It was actually a very pretty cake.  You can see how Corey decorated it.  Yes, she decorates cakes too! What doesn't she do? I've stopped asking.  Anyway, when she cut the cake you saw the very pretty light green cake with white and pink icing (the bow in Hello Kitty's hair was pink). Very pretty.  Had she chosen a different green, a very different story!. It's so fun to have a party here.  You'd love it. Jon's mom and dad joined us too so that made it even more special for Josie. At one point I looked around the kitchen, because that's where the party always is, the kitchen, and everyone was there but Josie.  She'd gone back to the family room to finish her movie. It didn't take much to get her back though, all Jon had to say was, "Josie! Your hot dogs are ready" and she was back like a flash.  It had been a long day for her.  First the anticipation for a month of everyone talking about it and asking her about it and then waiting all day for the party.  She received many wonderful gifts AND she did get her American Girl doll.  That's what she REALLY wanted. She was very happy with the crib.  Her new doll fits perfectly.  Corey said she took it to her room and put it beside her bed so she could sleep next to her doll.  She brought the doll with her last night when she came to visit. Sierra had given her some clothes from her American Doll collection and so we changed clothes on dolls, baked cookies, watched Dora and Arthur, and read books.  I even got her to eat something besides the mini-chocolate donuts uncle keeps hidden in the freezer.  She settled for an egg, banana and apple.
God continues to be so good.  I've been doing pretty well.  I did have a "bump" last week, or what I call, "an Aaron day".  Sometimes they're just "bumps" and I go on.  Other times, and I will say they are less frequent, they just stop me in my tracks.  Last Thursday was one of those days. I guess it started the night before watching Josie and thinking of you at that age.  Oh, by the way, it cost me a day's wages...pay up! We had such great times. We spent so much time together just you and I.  Remember when we first moved to Fullerton CA and lived in the condos? It was just you and me buddy.  Dad had to do his job and it was a new one so he had to really concentrate.  Driving in Orange and

Honest mom, we don't know who she is!

LA counties was no small thing when you'd never been there before.  His job did keep him on the road but there was always Saturday, or Funday as the two of you called it.  I don't know how long it was before dad and I realized that you thought the days of the week were Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and "Funday". Dad never failed to be there for Saturday, Sunday or holidays no matter how far he had to drive to get home.  He still talks about the one Halloween he missed when we lived in Buena Park CA.  Not a bad record for 41 years of holidays I'd say. 

Anyway, you loved living in the condos. You were about 4 years old then.  The condos were completely surrounded with a 6' high stucco wall and was 3 "levels" high. And by high I mean the roads were almost straight up to the next layer of condos. You use to ride your bike everywhere.  One day I remember in particular.  I saw you coming up to the front door and you were walking your bike.  I opened the door and asked you if something was wrong with your bike.  You said, "nope mom, I'm just to pooped to get on it". You were always an adventuresome kid. And you never got lost.  You always had that special built in radar.  When we'd go camping, even when you were little, you go off "exploring" and come back dragging a stick, turning over rocks and branches to see what was underneath. I am so thankful that "back in the olden days" we didn't have the worries that parents have today about a stranger taking their kids. Maybe I should have been more concerned and to young to realize it. Another instance of God stepping in where I was to naive to be concerned.  He does that quite frequently still...step in I mean; just in the nick of time.

It's beginning to feel good again to wake up in the morning. To look forward to a new day and new week.  I haven't had that feeling in a long time. To look forward to new adventures, new friends and doing new things. I think some of us at work are going to get together here at the house before Valentine's Day and do some Valentine crafts, have some snacks and watch some "sappy" movies. When I was showing them pictures of Josie's crib several of them mentioned they'd like to do some crafts too. I'd been thinking about having a crafting party so it was the perfect opportunity.  What better holiday to do a craft for than Valentine's Day.  Oh, by the way, I put my music box on the mantel this week.  You remember I know. The miniature one you bought me one Valentine's Day of a duck playing a piano. I still have it.  It's usually in the hutch but I sat it on the mantel so I can see it better for the holiday.


Well, it looks like this week is going to be a full one again.  Monday-Friday, 9:30am - 1:30 pm work for me. (If you can call it that!) It's such a relaxed time it's difficult to categorize it as work.  Dad and I are going to strategize how to keep the house in order with me working.  Monday night is dance lesson for Josie.  Tuesday is horseback riding for Josh. Wednesday night is Hebrew School for Josh and then dinner for my birthday with the family. My goal is to work in 20 hours of studio time in the afternoons.  Thursday and Friday afternoons I usually get more time than the rest of the week.  Saturdays I try to hold open for dad and me and most of Sunday is you, me and the Lord. 

Sunday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week too. I wrap up in my soft warm sweats, pull on my heavy socks, wash my face and comb my hair. Dad brings me some iced tea and my morning oatmeal.  I settle in on the couch with my blanket dad bought me years ago, open my laptop and begin.  I spend some quiet time with the Lord just talking and sharing with Him.  And then, you and I talk. 

Dad just ran to the store to pick up a couple of things we forgot when we bought groceries this week.  Jamison is curled up on the back of the couch in front of the window in the sun taking his morning nap. Every once in a while I lean over and lay my head on him.  He doesn't even move.  Usually if dad is going somewhere Jamison is right on his heels.  It's cold outside, 20 degrees so he just went outside, did his business and came right back in and up to the back of the couch. Oops, spoke to soon.  A dog is walking down the sidewalk, across the street, a quarter of a mile away!  How dare he cross on Jamison's turf.

Well, until next Sunday son, be Aaron...love mom