I'm so proud of you... really.

Yesterday, (it was "yesterday when I started writing this, but it took me over two weeks to make the picture collage) I spoke with our oldest daughter, Hayley.  She's away at school for the second semester of her freshman year at college.  It's been an adjustment for all of us to have her so far away.  I'm always glad to see my children progress in life and even move away from home, though that's hard, because that is as it should be.  Having Hayley home for the holidays was wonderful, but when she left it felt as if she were taking another piece of my heart with her. It seemed as if maybe it were a bit difficult for her, too.  Yesterday, when she called she said, "You would be so proud of me."  Then she proceeded to tell me of all that she had accomplished.  It was a great list.  I could see she had found her "sea legs" again and was moving forward with her life.

I'm not sure, but I think you have to have children of your own before you realize how proud your parents are of you ...for nothing.  You don't have to do anything to earn their pride. Oh, sure, they feel extra proud of you when you accomplish something or overcome something because of that extra effort you're making.  But, you don't have to earn their love or pride.  It's just because they love you so much and think you're so wonderful just being you.  And it's not to say that they don't worry about you sometimes, the choices you make, or people or paths you choose, but all in all, parents love you at all times and in all circumstances.  At least that's what I've felt and I know now that my parents felt the same. 

So, kids, you never have to wonder: I am so proud of you... really.

How could I not be proud?

You don't have to be well to have fun

Our sweet, youngest daughter was sick this past weekend. She was sick Saturday during the night and Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon she was better but still weak. She came downstairs to visit Dad and me, and then found herself too weak to go back upstairs. She asked for help to get to the stairs. This is how I helped her.



See the doggy/grandchild gate in the background? I even pulled her over that -gently! She loved it!

Family is great, isn't it?

I have one of my grown children home for a month.  Everyone, especially his four sisters, were thrilled that he was coming "home".  It's so fun to see how happy my children are to be together.  That first night no one wanted to go to sleep; they talked and laughed, teased each other, and even tickled and wrestled each other. 

Our precious nine year old daughter (the youngest) was so excited that he was coming that she wanted to make him a cake, and not just any cake.  She got out her little recipe book and chose to make one that included a 9X13 pan and another smaller cake for the top that was the shape of a dome.  Then she frosted it all and, lacking the correct ingredients, proceeded to make an original crumb topping out of several ingredients she found.  It was delicious. I was so amazed because she didn't need any help from me and that she would go to all that trouble for her brother.  

Tonight when the oldest daughter(17) came home from work she was a little weepy and told us of fighting with a boy at work.  When her brothers (four were at home at the time because the oldest son had cooked) heard how this boy had treated her, they all wanted to go to his house and threaten him.  I managed to keep them home and cool them down, but inside I was proud of them that they wanted to protect their sister and that they had learned one of my rules so well (boys don't fight girls) and were outraged that another boy had not followed the code.

I've been worried about how my children, lately.  Then, they go and show me that I don't need to worry at all.  I just need to keep loving them and watch them turn into wonderful adults.  I'm glad I get to be related to these amazing people and that they seem to love me, too.