Love Wins

I have a friend on Facebook whom I love and adore. I have never met her in real life, but I am quite certain that if I did I would stand in awe of her. She is the mother of six children and always posts things about loving her family, loving her neighbor, equality for all people, you get the idea. Now, I know that it is easy to fool people on the internet. You do not have to be all that you portray yourself to be. (Good golly, I know a lot of people in real life who are nothing like their facebook posts!) However, I am also facebook friends with her husband who is the same kind of positive person as she is. They are genuine. Do they probably have issues like the rest of the world? Yep, I bet they do. But what really made me believe that she is who she says she is was a set of photos she posted. You see her teenage son had been gone overseas for a few weeks and the family was going to the airport to welcome him upon his return to the USA! As her son came into view, her other children (ranging in age from 14 ish down to 6 ish) ran to their brother and literally hung off him. There were tears all around as they stood there in the middle of a busy airport and just hugged each other and cried. My friend must have been the one taking the photos as it was just of the siblings. I was overtaken (is that a word?) with emotion when I looked at the photo. Would my children react the same way if Camille was gone for a few weeks? We shall see next summer, right? But I have a sneaking suspicion that the only people crying upon her return will be Olaf and myself. What makes my facebook friend's family different than mine? Is it just temperament? I don't think so. I think it's a lot more than that. Her motto is "Love Wins" and indeed it does.

Let's see, let's see, let's see...

You have to say that title really fast and like an African American. You know, like Bon Qui Qui, while patting your hair. I love me some Bon Qui Qui. If you have no idea what I am talking about, then you can click here.

OK, so I just turned 43 years old. Forty-three!! How awesome is that? Life is so fleeting and my children are growing up so fast. I am so happy that I have lived this long. I think about my friends who never made it to 43. My friend, Karen Isherwood who passed away from breast cancer at the age of 36 I believe. Then there is Nattie Pie who died of stomach cancer at the ripe old age of 34 and left behind two precious children. Just think if Karen and Nattie would have lived to 43. That would have been several more years with their young children. It's not fair, but it is what it is. I will never understand why two women, who loved the Lord, were taken in the prime of their life. Why God would allow seven children (five of Karen's and two of Nattie's) to live forever without a mother. It's easier for me to think that HE had nothing to do with it. I'm sure the theological buffs out there are cringing, but I prefer to think of it as a cosmic mistake and HE, the ONE who GIVES life, wouldn't be so cruel and callous to end it much too short. That gives me comfort, so I will believe it.

Changing subjects...way changing subjects... I love Bombay Sapphire Gin.

Today is Veteran's Day. I am a veteran and proud of that. I served in the United States Air Force for four years. Olaf was deployed during Operation Dessert Shield to Bahrain for a few months. We served during a conflict and we know what it is like to work 12 hour days/7 days a week for months on end. Am I grateful that Olaf now works for Delta? You betcha! But, I would recommend the Air Force for any young person who doesn't know which direction to take out of high school. It is a great place to mature and find a career field that suits you. If we would have stayed in, we could have retired at 39 years old!

(So proud of myself for blogging!)

Vacation and other things...

That has been a title of another post at some time or another in my blog history because it just popped up like I had typed it before. I have been blogging FOREVAH, so yeah...chances are good that I've repeated myself more than once.

We just got back from a two week vacation to Disney World. We stayed at the fabulous Animal Kingdom Kidani Village which is, by far, my favorite resort that we have ever stayed at on Disney property. I am so, so, so happy we bought into the Disney Vacation Club two years ago. It has been a fabulous experience. We are planning on going to the new Hawaiian resort, Aulani, for our 25th wedding anniversary in January 2013. We will renew our vows in the presence of our five children. (Just like Claire and Phil from Modern Family!) I think it will be a fun trip for all of us. We will spend a few days in LA at Disneyland, then fly from LA to Honululu for six nights.

Camille has been accepted as a Student Ambassador in the People to People program. She will be traveling to Japan next summer if she can raise the needed funds. She is super excited about it and, as much as it scares me, I think it will be a fabulous experience for her. It will also look good on a college application. If anyone is reading this and would like to help Camille get to Japan, checks can be made out to "People to People" and sent to our address. The cost of the trip is $8,000 (which is a lot, I know) but the things she will get to experience is unparalleled. Camille is becoming quite the young woman and maturing at lightning speed. She must have inherited her Omi's boobs, because they are way bigger than mine! That also scares me as Olaf's mother died of breast cancer at the age of 50. I am thinking I may have the BRCA test done on my girls. I want them to know if they are at risk. Gosh, I hate cancer.

The weather right now is GOR-GEOUS! Oh my word. It is sunny and cool and couldn't be any more fabulous-er! My (29th) birthday is Tuesday and I am so thankful for this beautiful weather. Especially since we were in the second level of hell for most of our Disney trip. Really! Upper 90's in November?? For real??

I think it is time to potty train Simon seeing that he is pushing FOUR! Oh my, he is spoiled rotten. I love him so much though. He looks just like Cami when she was little. There will be no more Jorek children, so I am waiting for grandbabies!!

Now, off to reset my iPhone to see if it will work better! Nothing like wiping out technology to see if it will improve its function!