House Divided

And so it begins.  College football season is upon us and the lines have been drawn.  This just might be our year.  Ohio State got an easy win, leaving the Buckeye fans in our house happy for another week.  Michigan got the win too, after the game was called early due to weather.  But hey, a win is a win.  The next couple of months will provide endless ribbing, joking, yelling and cheering as the two teams work their way towards Thanksgiving weekend...when we'll truly become a house divided. 

A Little Green

Time flies when you're having fun right?  In my experience, time just flies whether you're having fun or not.  And more times than not, we find ourselves under the gun.  Normally, having forgot something until the last minute or procrastinated until it was just too late.

So who would think that Jeff and I would have the foresight to think about H's graduation party.  Yep, I know, it's 9 months away.  But when it comes to lawn care, that's equivalent to about a week.  With Fall rapidly approaching and spring a crap shoot on weather conditions, we thought we should get a head start so that it was one less thing to worry about come June. 

TruGreen to the rescue.  With our yard, it costs more in fertilizer and seed than it does to have them come treat the weeds.  We'll do all the rest of the work, but it's a little head start.  As you can see, the weeds are dying rapidly.  Who knew that the backyard was made up of the few green stripes of grass you see?  Oh well, it'll be beautiful in June!

A Little Bit of Normal

It's official.  I have nothing to blog about today.  Check back again tomorrow.

Ok, so I'm exaggerating.... a little.  Honestly, nothing exciting happened today.  The boys had school and band.  Jeff had a full day at work.  I got in lunch with a friend, shopping for a warmer coat for Alaska and a few hours of work.  Trust me, laundry and picking up clutter just isn't that exciting.  But then again, not everything in life is.  There are always days that are just normal. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow though....it's Friday Night Football!!!!

Clark

It's the last day of August.  Summer is rapidly coming to  close.  Football and chili will soon replace grilling and Superman.  Yep, you read that correctly.  We've become addicted to all things Superman.  It's no longer Christopher Reeve's version either.  H suggested that we try out the first season of Smallville.  We're hooked.  And not just Jeff and I, W and H too.  I don't think I've seen W this much in the evening since he was a toddler.  You know that the show must be good if he's willing to miss playstation time and H is rushing home from the soccer game hoping to catch at least half an episode. 
Needless to say, it's a family event so Jeff and I are paused on the nights the boys aren't home.  So here I sit tonight, watching nothing all that exciting, just waiting for the weekend to hang out with Clark.

Thank You!

As everyone knows, the reason I blog each day is for the boys.  I'm hoping that many years from now, they will read through the year we've captured with fond memories.  I've tried to include it all...the ups, downs, funny moments, current events and family memories.  A fabric created by 365 threads, creating a design that reflects what makes up their lives.  I would be remiss in my duty to the boys if I didn't include the world as it is today. 

We're in the middle of multiple wars.  The events of 9/11 (soon to be 10 years ago) started a mission.  A mission to rid the world of terrorism or at least the leaders of those groups.  Those that seek to destroy the things we hold dearest - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  In the US, freedom is a right, not a choice.  Thankfully, there are those that make the choice to defend the things we take for granted.

A few weeks ago, I stood on the campus of Ohio University and asked myself "How can I do this?"  The mere thought of sending one of the boys away, to a strange place, without family left me with a pit in my stomach that I can't explain.  I didn't think anything would be worse.  Enter Chelsea.

I've never met Chelsea nor have the boys or Jeff.  I've never had the opportunity to hear her voice, share a meal or a laugh.  She wouldn't recognize a picture of us or know the boys names.  But each night, I will pray for her safety, the safety of her coworkers and all of their families.  I will follow her life, hoping that I will have the opportunity to introduce her to H and W.  I will hug the boys a little tighter every night and hope that they turn out just like her.  I will help take care of her family when she can't be here to do it herself.  And when I finally get the honor of meeting her, I will joyfully take down the ribbon that I'll hang for her tomorrow and return it to her with the most heartfelt thank you.

You see, Chelsea is leaving tonight to head off to war.  She's a pround member of the United States Air Force.  She's committed her life to protecting all of the liberties that we take for granted.  Chelsea will spend the next six months in Afganistan.  She'll endure more in that time than most of us will in a lifetime. And when the boys read this, many years from now...I want them to take a minute to reflect on those individuals that sacrifice more than they could ever imagine.

Thank you Chelsea.  Thank you for keeping us safe.  Thank you for making a sacrafice that I can't even begin to imagine...and I'm twice your age.  I can't wait to meet you!

 
 

Things That Make You Go..Hmmmm

For me, it's been a really long day...that's what happens when the day starts at 5:15am.  For the boys, it's apparently been the "best" day of their lives.  Who would have thought that since yesterday seemed to be the worst. 

When I was lacking a blog idea for today, H immediately jumped up and said "Take our picture and talk about our great day!".  Again, who would have thought.  So I jumped at the opportunity to take another picture of the boys and detail their wonderful day. 

In a nutshell, here it is.  W already has a date for Homecoming.  H does not.  That has made W's day, week, month and possibly his year.  H is just in a great mood.  He walked W to class, worked overtime for IT and has been singing and dancing though the house.  I can't explain why and quite frankly, I don't really want to know why.  You don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 

Here's their picture, with ear to ear grins.  Let's hope tomorrow is just as good :)

How Can I Mend a Broken Heart?

There are a few things in life you just can't fix.  A broken heart is one of them.  Young love, first love, puppy love....all of them are special and all of the hurt when they come to an end.  It was a year ago this month that we lost Seven and I've still got a broken heart.  We've tried homemade brownies, Smallville, his favorite dinner.  All with no luck.  This too shall pass, but for a day or two, I'm back to being the only girl in H's life.