San Francisco trolly

After riding on BART into San Fran with the kids we excitedly purchased tickets for a trolly ride down to Fisherman's Warf. I had memories from my childhood filling my brain of fun and excitement. Ok....we had to wait in a huge line to buy the tickets. "Mom? Why are those people laying on the sidewalk?" How do I explain homelessness to my young children? 30 minutes later we finally had our tickets to ride the trolly. Wait, where does the line start? Way down there?! Oh dear. 45 minutes later we neared the front of the line. Everyone get on! Squish....smoosh....owe! Did we get everyone? I thought we were supposed to be having fun.

Watching the trolly turn around at the end of the line

Jacob....not so sure about this squishy trolly thing

Lynnie just going with the flow

Micah....this is kind of fun for a few minutes

We finally get off at the end of the line down at Fishermans Warf. Brrrrr. I noticed the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. "Mom...I forgot my coat." I hear the beginning of the complaining choruses. I donate my warm sweater to the cause of freezing children. Now I am freezing and exhausted and we just now arrived at our destination. Crowds of people swarm every direction. "I Want to go home," come the cries from the children. Far off across the bay we see Alcatraz. My husband has always dreamed of seeing it. Hurray! We saw it...lets go home. We saw the seals too at Pier 39. Then we waited for another 45 minutes to catch a bus back to the place we could catch the BART.

Alcatraz

San Francisco....all my good and fun memories from my childhood didn't work out as I thought. My oldest living boy said it was scary and he never wanted to go back. Too crowded and cold with homeless people laying around. A little like a prison? Thank goodness we live in the open space of Wyoming. Ahhhhh.....and think of the memories the kids will have from the experience.

Bye Bye Hammy

Little hamster soft and sweet

very fuzzy and loves too eat

squeaking running wheel at night

after we turn off the light



You were Joshua's before you were mine

on the finest hamster food you did dine

Hammy was your given name

and now nothing will be the same



To find you dying and struggling to breathe

was a fact we just couldn't conceive

We held you close and said our goodbyes

wishing you didn't have to die



Good bye little hamster, good bye sweet pet

In your grave at Joshua's cross now do you set

May your little spirit soar right up above

And find our big brother Josh and give him our love

Happy Birthday Joshua sweety. I don't know if you even care about birthdays in Heaven. What is a year in Heaven? Do you even have years now? But to me here on earth....you would be 12 years old today. I would have given you a hug and a happy birthday before sending you off to school. I would be getting a party ready for you and a special dinner. Today would be focused on how special and wonderful you are. The funny thing is that the day isn't just for you. It is for those who love you to celebrate and thank our Lord for creating you and allowing us to enjoy your presence in our lives. I do thank God for creating you my boy. I look forward to the time we will be reunited in eternity with our Lord. I just miss you oh so much my little man.

Here is a poem written by your Aunt Terry last year for your birthday.

I'm singing a song

For a loved one who's gone
But I picture his face
Ever smiling
We think of his joy
Our sweet handsome boy
Of Joshua Cute and beguiling

I think of his family of Sally and Jeff
Micah, Erik, Jacob, Lynn Marie

And Westley as well,

Their grief blends with love
As they join hearts together with me.

Happy birthday dear Josh
Happy birthday from us
We miss you with each passing day

Happy birthday to you
We celebrate your life
Whose spark still gives out Lovely rays.

Thinking of you today on Josh's birthday.
Love and hugs,Terry

Autum decorations

Autum is here...sooo off we went to decorate Joshua's grave. He would have liked how cool his grave site is. He would have liked Halloween decorations too but it seems a little tacky to put that in a grave yard.

The vases look nice and we were able to fill them up with fall flowers.

We finally got Joshua's picture put on the stone. Finally it is complete.

Off to Terry's house

Jacob and Scott in Terry's kitchen

What was the best part of our trip you want to know...

spending time with family and letting relationships grow

Off to Terry's we did drive

though it took many an hour
for us to arrive.

Aunti Terry, Uncle Scott,

many cousins too...

Young Hunter, Cody, and Sierra,

are some we must include...

Cousins Hannah, Becky, and Joe of course

We couldn't do without them...

And Misty, Brian, and Beryl too

How glad we were to see you

Sierra

Hunter with Jacob and Micah

Hunter, Jacob, and Cody

The girls...Lynnie and Sierra

Joe and Lynnie

Rainy Day

Grey and cold. Dark and wet. I sit here at the computer with my steaming Good Earth chai in hand and wonder why all the energy has been sapped right out of me today. Apathy. Why do I not feel like the woman below?



This woman is out in the rain delighting in the experience of each drop falling apon her. Are we just victims to the whims of our emotions or can we somehow through shear willpower change ourselves into this happy joyful woman savoring the rain? Ahhh but here is the trouble. I have not the desire or energy to fight the clouds some days. Perhaps the rain and the cloudy skys will water my soul and allow new growth tomorrow. Perhaps it is these dark dreary days that our Lord uses to water our dry heart and our parched souls. May His Holy Spirit fill us with the joy and renewed energy to face the day with excitement and purpose. May we dance for joy as God rains His Spirit upon us.