Happy_Mom_777's Xanga

Don't Miss Out!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:25:45 GMT

I'm still blogging at http://happymomsramblings.blogspot.com/.

Visit My New Blog!

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:28:52 GMT

I'm now blogging at http://happymomsramblings.blogspot.com/.

Moving!

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:57:19 GMT

I have decided after much consideration to change blog locations. Many of my most faithful readers at this location had difficulty commenting on my blog. Part of the fun of having a blog is being able to have a two way conversation with the friends who read it. Since that was not happening I have decided to try a different location.

I made some wonderful friends who I have never met face to face here. I will continue to visit their blogs and I hope they will continue to visit mine. You will find my new blog at http://happymomsramblings.blogspot.com/ . Hope to see you there soon!

CRAZY!

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:55:46 GMT

Here is a snippet of a conversation that happened yesterday. I can't stop laughing over it.

Me to my husband: "I think your son is trying to drive me crazy."

Son, overhearing, responds: "I'm not trying to drive you crazy. I already drove you crazy. I'm just trying to deepen it."

A Perfect Day!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:11:07 GMT

Saturday was an amazing day! When I got up to the obnoxious sound of my alarm clock at five in the morning I had no idea how wonderful this day would turn out to be.

We left at about 5:40am and drove to Pleasant Hill to pick up my son's debate partner, Alyssa, because her parents couldn't come to the debate tournament. Then we drove on to San Jose. Arriving a little late but not too late to register.

William and Alyssa were both nervous and didn't want Bill and I to watch their early rounds. I timed random teams for rounds one and two. My husband served as a judge.

The thing I was looking forward to the most this day was being able to see my daughter, Jennifer. Her college is only a half hour away from where the debate tournament was going to be held and she took a bus from her college town to San Jose. She arrived in time for round three and she and I played hooky from round three and sat in the car and talked for the whole round.

Jennifer and I, then, watched Alyssa and William debate in round four. Other than some practice rounds at club this was the first time I have watched them debate. I was very impressed. They worked well together and when I considered that this was Alyssa's first real debate tournament I was amazed at her poise and speaking ability.
Here is a picture of William During the round:

Here is a picture of William and Alyssa right after the round:

Bill and I left during round five to drive Jennifer back to school. We did not want her taking the bus at night. We were on the road heading for the school when I received a text message from William. They had walked into their room and discovered that they had a panel of three judges instead of just one judge. This meant that they were one of the top ten teams going into the final round. They were so excited. They didn't know what place they were going in but guessed they might be fighting for 9th or 10th place or if they were really lucky 7th or 8th. Just being in the top ten is quite an accomplishment.

We we hugged Jennifer good-bye in front of her dorm and drove back wondering how the round was going. Later, as everyone hung around outside the buildings talking about their rounds it started to pour down rain. Some debaters got soaked because they were far from the buildings. Everyone headed for the shelter of the chapel where the awards ceremony would eventually be held. Our club sat together and waited excitedly. Our club had only one other team competing, Nic and Esther. They had gone to nationals last year and had also had a panel of judges for the last round. There was great excitment knowing that our little club had both it's teams in the top ten.

Finally the awards ceremony started. William had gone into this tournament with the dream of just winning a speaker award. That was his goal. Speaker awards are based on how well the judges rated your speaking and not so much on whether you won or lost. As they started to announce the speaker awards. Twentieth place...sixteenth place....tenth place.... We heard names of debaters that in previous years had won tournaments and placed at nationals. William began to think a speaker award was not going to happen this year... Ninth place..."William M_____" Our entire team erupted into applause as a stunned William went up on stage to claim his speaker award. Here is a picture of William and some other top speakers:

Finally, they began to announce the winners in team policy. Tenth Place....ninth place. As they kept going down the excitement in our club began to build as we realized that both our teams had not yet been called meaning they had placed high. Fourth place..."Nic and Esther ___________" As we appauded Nic and Esther a realization came over us. Third place would go to the team Nic and Esther went against in the last round. William and Alyssa were either first or second. Was that possible? The Announcer asked the remaining debaters who had a panel of judges in round five to come on stage. Four nervous and excited kids, all underdogs, who no one was expecting to win this tournament, walked up on stage.

Who is first and who is second?

Second place goes to....The name of the other team was called. The stunned look on William and Alyssa's faces were priceless. Finally, the official announcment came. "First place goes to William M______ and Alyssa _______ of Kairos. After all the heartache and dissapointment that William experienced last year because of losing his partner... to stand on stage at the first tournament of the year and receive the first place prize was almost surreal.

Fourth place: Esther and Nic; First Place: William and Alyssa
The Kairos Debate Team!

I am so proud of Alyssa and William. They aren't letting this win go to their heads. They know that they could have hit much tougher teams than they did. They know they have to keep working hard. Although they won all five rounds, they learned what the weaknesses are in their affirmative case and they learned what negative evidence they will need more of if they want to do well in the future. They are even more motivated to work hard and research and prepare. Alyssa was nervous that her lack of debate experience would hold William back and William had lost confidence with all that happened last year. This win is the confidence boost they needed.

I can't think of a better ending to all that happened last your. Perhaps it would be better to say that I can't think of a better beginning to an exciting new year.

For The Sheer Joy Of It

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:00:38 GMT

This Saturday is the first round robin debate tournament of the school year. Registration is at 7:30am with the first round at 8:30. This tournament is being held in San Jose which is a two hour drive from here. That means getting up at 5am and leaving by 5:30am. I don't like those times! Then in a sleep deprived state I will get to listen to five debates each about one and a half hours long. The awards ceremony is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm but I have never known one to start on time. Then if everything stays fairly on time, we will begin driving back at about 10pm. We should get home about midnight.

Why do we do this? For the sheer joy of it, of course. I mean, our son's joy. He loves this. I still don't get it even after all these years I guess I don't have to get it. Just seeing the delight in my son's face in the midst of all the insanity of a tournament makes it all worth while.

It's Strange!

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:51:27 GMT

It's strange; when my daughter first went away to school over a year ago, I missed her greatly but life was so busy that I really didn't have a lot of time to think about it. We adjusted to having her gone with less effort than I expected. I almost felt a little guilty that I wasn't feeling as miserable as moms are "supposed" to feel when a child leaves home for college. I was too busy to be miserable. It was almost a relief not to have to factor one more person into our busy lives. We had one less person's schedule to juggle.

Then she came home for the summer. It was an adjustment having her home again at first because our daily routines no longer included her. She too was trying to figure out how to fit back in and also to assert the person she had become. By the end of the summer, however, I found that an amazing young woman had replaced the girl that had gone away. I felt a new kind of closeness and a slightly more adult level friendship was beginning.

When she went back to school in August, she ended up coming come about every other weekend for various reason for the first month and a half. It was almost like she had only gone to spend a few days at a friend's house instead of really going away to school. Plus life was crazy busy. We were just starting a new school year and debate season with our son, the WACHE library which had been quiet and unused all summer was now hopping with check-out requests, we were also busy with many church activities and then I was sick for a while. With everything so busy and chaotic I didn't have time to think about missing her very much. I thought I was adjusting just as easily as last year.

Now however, while life is busy, it has also fallen into a routine. It is not the chaotic busyness that it was before. My daughter is busy with classes, midterms, papers, friends and all kinds of activities. It's been several weeks since I've seen her and I probably won't see her for almost another month, not until Thanksgiving. And now I feel this strange unfamiliar ache.

I am the kind of person that rarely gets lonely. It is an unfamiliar emotion to me.   In fact, I like being alone. I need alone time to recharge my emotional energy. I like being with other people for a while but then I need to pull back and just enjoy me. I am perfectly content with myself as my only company. (I know that sounds strange to the extroverts reading this.) And yet I have been feeling this strange emotional ache and I finally realized it is a loneliness for this precious girl turned woman who has been a major part of my life for the last 22 years.

It is right and good that she has spread her wings. She is doing things and learning things that will enrich her life. I wouldn't want her to miss out on any of it. Still, I used to know at any given moment where she was and what she was doing. I knew when she was in a good mood or bad. I often knew what she was thinking and I knew her most current hopes and dreams. Now I feel out of touch and I miss the knowing, the closeness, the connectedness. I feel hungry for more knowledge of what's going on in her life and how she is feeling and yet I instinctively know it would not be wise to push for too much information. She has a life that is completely separate from me and I can only know the precious little she chooses to tell me.

I have wonderful precious memories of the giggling, silly, funny, clever, slightly devious, strong willed, challenging, wonderful little girl she was but I wouldn't want her to stay that little girl. I want her to grow up. I wouldn't have even wanted her to have stayed home and gone to a local college because I know God's plan is for her to go away. I want her to find the life that God has for her, to be all that God has planned for her to be. I know this means that she will grow more and more independent. That is what I want for her. She will need her mommy less and less. Still I hope that we will grow a close mom-daughter-friend relationship. I ache for that. It just seems so strange to be missing her so right now.

One day old!

Ready for an outing with mommy!

Peek-a-boo!

(Giggle, giggle, giggle) "You can't see me!"

A pony ride at the County Fair!

The Artist!

Daddy's little girl!

What I found almost every night!

School days!

A favorite doll

With her brother and cousins

Play Time!

Fun with Olivia!

Hockey!

A sleep over! (Sleep optional!)

One of her beloved cats

More fun with Olivia!

"But I don't want to be a teenager!"
(Jenny loved being a child and never wanted to become a teen.. She learned she had no choice. Time marched on.)

Hanging out with her entire graduating class!


High School Graduation!

Goofing off with friends in the dorm.

Santa Cruz beach

Arrr! There be a saucy wench!


Good Friends!


An amazing young woman!

How ironic! To post this I need to click on a button that says, "Save Changes."   Save Changes! In the real world the changes are saved automatically There is no way to go back and have the little girl again.... but then, the young woman is so wonderful, I know I really wouldn't want to undo all the changes. I know if I had a choice, as hard as it it to let go, I would save the changes.

Still Here

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:14:10 GMT

Wow! I haven't written anything on here for week and a half. I'm still here; I just haven't had much time for writing or much to write about. My son has been monopolizing the computer doing speech and debate work. I have been trying to get him to do the rest of his schoolwork as well. My husband has been working. Life is busy but good.

What's happening in my life right now.

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:41:22 GMT

I was sick for most of last week. Maybe it had something to do with being drenched in the rain at the concert on Saturday, Oct. 4 and getting over tired and run down. I'm feeling a lot better now but still have a bit of a cough. Of course being sick for almost a week means I am behind on almost everything. Billy was sick part of the week also which means we have gotten a bit behind where I wanted to be in school. Oh well, I've learned to plan for interruptions. That's why I built lots of flex room into our schedule. Still, it felt so good to look at our schedule and be right on track. This is the first year we have stayed on track this long so I guess I should be grateful that as of October 13 we are only a few days behind schedule.

Jenny came home this weekend. She has grown into such a wonderful, godly young woman that I am constantly amazed and blessed by her. She came home for a few reasons. All of her closet friends were going home this weekend so she thought she would be bored at school. It was also convenient that Audrey, one of Jenny's closest friends could bring her as far as Rio Vista which is only one hour away. Finally, we learned this week that Clare and Olivia decided to return to India on Sunday so this weekend would be Jenny's last chance to see Olivia until her next visit which could be years away. My wonderful hubby was able to pick Jenny up in Rio Vista and have her home in time for a nice dinner of Lasanga Florentine (one of Jenny's favorites) and then she and Olivia were able to go to a young adult's group meeting. Jenny, Olivia and my son Billy spent Saturday morning together before Olivia and Clare needed to leave for San Francisco so they could catch a plane for India early Sunday morning.

Jenny and Billy spent Saturday afternoon doing stuff together then we took them to see the movie Fireproof on Saturday night. Sunday was a wonderful worship service. After church was a class with lunch provided for those taking the class. Bill and I stayed for that. Jenny went out to lunch with a friend. Billy just hung out with friends at church during that time. By the time I got home at 2pm I was feeling so tired. I knew I needed to rest or I might relapse. I spent a little time with Jenny since she was going to be leaving and I don't know how long before I will see her again. Then my wonderful husband ordered me to stay home and rest. He dropped Billy off at his Speech and Debate class and then drove Jenny to Rio Vista so Audrey could drive her back to school. I know my husband was tired (though thankfully not sick), yet he put his needs aside for me. We usually both take Billy to Speech and Debate and share the driving. He drives one way I drive the other. Not only did he have that drive but the extra half hour to Rio Vista and back as well. What a wonderful husband I have! "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" Ephesians 5:25. I am truly blessed to to be married to that kind of man.

I went to bed at three in the afternoon but didn't sleep. I had a restful time just talking with God like I haven't had time to do in quite a while and then got up a couple hours later feeling very refreshed. There is something about being alone in the house and being forced to NOT do all the things that are always screaming to get done that is so conducive to spending quality time with God. So often my time with God is rushed by all the things I need to do. I am determined to change that.

Everything
by Lifehouse

Find Me Here
Speak To Me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That's leading me
To the place
where I find peace, again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.
You are the light, to my soul.
You are my purpose, you're everything.

And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want, you're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, you're all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want, you're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, you're all I need.
You're everything, everything.

And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better, any better than this.

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Wonderful Exhausting Weekend

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:14:39 GMT

We had a wonderful but extremely busy and exhausting weekend. To tell you about it all, first I need to tell you about Olivia. Olivia used to live here in Woodland. She and her grandmother, who was raising her, were a part of our church family and Olivia was my daughter Jennifer's closest friend. Here is a picture of them together way back then:

About ten or eleven years ago Olivia moved to India with her grandmother who was from India originally.

Olivia and her grandmother have come back for visits every few years and every time Jenny and Olivia picked up their friendship where it left off.

This time when Olivia came back for a visit Jenny was away at college. We knew it was important to give them a chance to see each other so on Friday we drove to San Francisco where Olivia was staying. We drove on to Jenny's college another hour and a half further and spent a wonderful day. Jenny and Olivia had a wonderful time. Olivia got to meet many of Jenny's friends, see her dorm and eat lunch in the college cafeteria. We also went to the beach in Santa Cruz and also got ice cream. Here are some pictures of our day:

Nothing changes really!

Olivia, Jenny and Audrey

Jenny and her dad had fun climbing a big rock while Olivia and I watched.

Now you know where my daughter gets it!

After that we drove back to San Francisco where we went to a surprise birthday party for my husband's friend Pete. Then we brought Olivia with us to Woodland so she could some time with her church family here before returning to India.. We got home at about 11pm..

Saturday morning we got up and drove to Calistoga, which is a couple of hours away. We took our son to the Rock of Ages Christian Music Festival. We arrived at about 11:30am and shortly after we arrived it started to rain. The rain quickly turned to a downpour which lasted about half an hour. Bill and I ate our lunch standing under a small covering huddled with many other people who were trying not to get soaked. Then the sun came out. We spent the rest of the day being slightly damp. My hubby took a nap in the car for part of the afternoon and I listened to various groups perform. My hubby woke up and together we listed to music and walked around to the various booths. The last group and highlight of the day was the Newsboys. After they finished we drove home and got home at 11pm.

Sunday morning we went to church. It was my turn to work the nursery. It was also a Baptism day and some of the people getting baptized invited friends and family who happen to have small children. The nursery was overflowing with 12 wonderful little blessings. God was merciful and things went well in the nursery in spite of the huge numbers but I was totally spent. After church was the baptism, which was wonderful. Then came home, heated up some leftovers and took a nap. When it was time to take our son to Speech and Debate, my husband could tell I was still tired so he told me to stay home and he would take our son. So I spent the rest of the day relaxing, doing dishes and cleaning up a little. (Things always get messy when you are only home long enough to make messes but not clean them.)

Today starts a new school week and I'm looking forward to the rest.