Birthday Girl...a must read for my Mama:)

Life. Is. Awesome.

Today is my Mama's 44th birthday. And though she would gladly strangle me for leaking the info to ye of the internet world, I say --own that number!! you rock Mama!! Let me just say, there's a lot to live up to from this woman.

First of all she birthed and raised me; not an easy undertaking. trust me, i've seen the family videos.

She donated 12 life years to the Navy. (this implies a certain amount of time spent in boot camp. *shudder*)

She retains a level of optimism bordering on insanity. (When driving for 4 hours to a water park with a van load -ie 6- kids arguing in the back, what sane person continues to insist "No, this is a family trip and we're having FUN!!...Isn't this fun kids?...Of course it is, because I said so!" )

She has run a few 5k's

Has a B.S and working on yet another degree

Stands at 5'4" *jealous*

Visited Japan, and went on a cruise.

Can remember all 6 kids and 4 grandkids full names and birthdays at a moment's notice. AND never forgets to send cards/presents etc on time! (and she's usually had them wrapped for a few months already.)

That's a lot to live up to...so as I said: You rock, flaunt those 44 years of life! :) Happy Bday mama!

this was in 1989:)

Reality

It seems there are quite a few things on my list of "stuff i'll have when I grow up." that, under further inspection, don't seem so swell. This used to be my list:

A horse
A salt water tank swimming pool (so you can scuba dive while at home)-sorry joy, it had to be said:)

A giant dog
ducks
a goat (apparently, I was gonna own a farm)
a secret library hidden in the house
to be as tall as my mom
to see Ireland, Italy and a million other places


Ok, so now let's review minus the rose colored glasses of childhood.

*A horse -um, nix the horse...unless i can have it with a groom and stables, basically maintanence free.

*A salt water swimming pool tank thingie (again, awesome idea, plus the dude to take care of it...puts a whole new meaning on the term "pool boy" doesn't it?)

*A giant dog --that still applies, who doesn't want a dog capable of sticking your head in it's mouth? Or doubling as a horse for that matter:) ?

*ducks--NO CHICKENS! THEY ARE EVIL!! I still have nightmares about the chickens my grandpa owned. Think it's enough to say any adventurers into his backyard carried bats and ran with the speed of the four winds.

*A goat- Goats. Are. Awesome.

*A secret library--I have the man to build it now too:)

*to be as tall as my mom--alas, it's not to be.

*to see the world--in the works

Though it hasn't changed entirely, the list has lengthened to include:

*to see my kids grow up to be people of integrity and value, loving God:)

*watching matt get old and crinkly (because I doubt pot bellied will ever apply.)

*to stop accidently sticking a finger in poo/yark/mysterious wet substances each day (there's an end in sight right?)

*to inspire others:)



Be inspired~~Gen



*

Boogy Down with the King Kidney Bean

And speaking of Shel Silverstien (oh, we weren't? well, just go with me on this...) Does anyone remember that poem Description? It goes like this:

George said, "God is short and fat."
Nick said, "No. He's tall and lean."
Len said, "With a long white beard."
"No," said John, "He's shaven clean."
Will said, "He's black," Bob said, "He's white."
Rhonda Rose said, "He's a She."
I smiled but never showed 'em all
The autographed photograph God sent to me.

Will (my Will) had a "God is" moment the other day. Will says God is "big and hairy" (he recently learned about "that Esau boy" and since he got the tale from his kid bible and anything in the kid-bible is about God...well, obviously God is big and hairy.)I'm glad my son has reasonable expectations of God. --I'm glad he's not suffering under strange delusions involving God and giant dancing kidney beans...or was that just me? Hey no judgment, my mommy said God is not a he or a she, God is a being.

Note to moms everywhere: realize that when you tell children something is a "being" they will assume you mean "bean." So to this day I harbor a mental image of God as a giant, crowned, tap-dancing kidney bean (complete with cane and yellow halo-ish light shining from behind.) Which means when we get to heaven we'll boogey down with the big bean of the universe, right?

On the other hand (this is not veggie tales, so the bean has hands) picturing God as big and hairy might bring on a whole host of other issues: what happens when he meets one of those oober-hair, cousin of bigfoot men? You know the type: the men who not only wax off any extra belly fuzz, but could also- at any given moment- scribble your name, birthdate and "will you marry me?" into their back-fur via electric razor? Perhaps we'll scale that wall (or Nair that back, whichever.) when we get to it:)

This begs the question: does anyone ELSE still harbor childhood desciptions of the Big Hairy Bean that skim shy of padded-cell worthy? Do share, we all need a lil autographed photograph to carry 'round:)