Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn.

                                                      ~Arthur Golden

Even the roses have their place

I have a rosebush in front of my living room window. I hate it. I should have nothing against flowers that grow with no attention from me whatsoever. 

But:

-I hate the scraggly, leggy canes. 
-I'm not a fan of pink. 
-Nasty weed vines grow around the base.
-They grow behind shrubs and are nearly impossible to access or care for. 
-They are against the house, and in a storm they scrape the siding.
-When I do try to trim them back, they poke me.


I asked Strider to take it out this year, but other things took precedence and I just stopped worrying out it.  But this summer we got used to something.  A hummingbird (I'm assuming the same one) comes to that window every day to visit.  Well just to visit the rosebush, not me, but I love him.  As a kid I remember seeing a hummingbird was like the rarest experience, and I now see one every day.  And it occurred to me that I only get to have this little pleasure because of the rosebush I hate so much. 


I have decided to enter that blanket I wrote about yesterday into our state fair next week.  (I better get movin'!) About a week ago someone (a kid?) pulled on one of the yarn rows and bunched up lots of the stitches.  The cloth was misshapen and I had to tear out a ton of stitches to fix it.  I was very grumpy.  How is undoing work going to help me finish the project I am hurrying on? 

As I was fixing it I noticed a critical mistake I'd made on the next row over.  I was immediately humbled with the realization that if I'd not been fixing the bunched stitches I would most likely have turned in this hard work for judging without noticing this glaring error.  I'm so thankful I was shown in time to repair it.

And yet another example is found in the radiator problems we had in the van a few weeks ago.  It happened on a local, impromptu trip.  If we had not taxed the van that day going up the canyon, it probably would not have blown till the next time up a canyon...on the way to our more expensive, planned camping/swimming trip a few days later.

And I suppose that's the challenge of mortality.  There is so much good to be found in life.  Much of it only reveals itself till it's exposed in the midst of trials.  Wouldn't that be so mature of me to see adversity as a true blessing?? For it surely is. 

My spirit has much growing up to do.  After enough experience I hope I can learn to love the roses even though they are not ideal.  I love that little hummingbird and I want him to stay, thorns and all.

Swedish Weaving

Years ago I went to a craft class up at the elementary school and learned how to do Swedish Weaving, also known as huck embroidery. We did a fun, easy framed version and I loved it so when I got home I looked for a book of patterns so I could go on to do a bigger project. I found the special monk's cloth needed for it on clearance once, so I got enough for an afghan and began stitching.

let's pretend my Karl Malone thumbs are not visible

 

 

I did almost half a blanket and then it just got shoved in my closet. Every now and then I'd come across it, wish it were done, and then put it back again.  I'll tell ya how long ago I started it:  I picked yarn to match a color scheme in my home I got rid of LONG ago.  Anyway.

I decided to finish it once and for all. It's a bit tedious, but I hate unfinished projects and I really want to do this.  I am now 3/4 of the way done!

Back to school 2010

Another year rolls in. Summer felt short this year. The first day of school nearly took us by surprise. The kids were able to have a surprise shopping trip with their grandma to add to their back-to-school clothes, too. They loved that attention!




Here are the elementary kids just before leaving.  Always a pic at the front door.  Same spot, every year.

Jedi headed to third grade:

Bugs going to fifth:

We always walk to school together on the first day.

Geez, he barely needs me anymore.

Mr handsomeness.

Jedi in line to go in.  I think he only has two kids taller than him in class this year.

BYE!

Fast forward one week, and it's time to send Potter to jr high. 

I was SO nervous.  Not him; he was just excited.

He suddenly seems so big! 

His shoes are now a mens size 9. :(

And then he was going,

going,

gone.

I couldn't even go home and bawl.  I was only allotted a few tears as he shut the van door and then I had to put on a happy face for my kindergartener.

Since the first week of school is just testing for the little ones, today was Princess' first day, too.

I could pinch her!

lil' sass

one more hug, Daddy

I waited to cry till she turned away from me, so she never saw it.

Nothing left to do but put Rosebud down for a nap. 

What a day!

Children of the corn?

I mentioned how Rosebud fell in love with an ear of corn at the reunion last weekend.

 Two days later we had corn for supper.

She stole one her brother had just shucked -

And ran away to eat it.  Raw.

Buh-bye summer

We camped at Pineview Reservoir as a final summer hurrah.  Rosebud wasn't feeling too chipper so you won't see many pics of her here. It may have had something to do with the hundred teeth she tried to cut in one week. 

I love this pic.  This is them doing up some marshmallows at 7 am as they waited for me to cook the real breakfast. Silly boys.

The kids on a huge floating log 

This is my niece Sugar and it's my favorite photo of the trip. 

I'm glad the babies got to play with the sand toys.  The older kids had zero interest!

Family Reunion

Time for the Miller Reunion again.

This crazy kid just sat and ate this ear of corn.  Forever.  She was like seriously obsessed with it.

 

They have it at the same park every year. 

I think this shot of all the kids in the air is neat

Typical "dad" shot

Grandma Miller's birthday cake

All of Strider's fam that came (we were missing two)

Love my family!