Uncanny

A couple weeks ago, the scouts held a milk bottle regatta.  It is where the boys take milk bottles and make a raft. They can use some pieces of wood and some duct tape. Jake's troop got together the Wednesday before the Regatta and tried out a couple of designs because the troops have a short amount of time the day of the regatta to make their boat and then put it in the water and race it against everyone else's rafts.

They finally settled on a design and who would be on the raft rowing during the race.  Our ward had been saving milk bottles for a couple of months and the boys used them wisely. In fact, Jake's troop won by a couple of raft lengths.  Yay boys!

Jake's scout leader is big on taking pictures and then he shares them via Photo Bucket with all the parents.  I went over to Photo Bucket, logged on and started viewing pictures and then saving the ones I wanted to keep.  I  was flipping through the pictures, enjoying myself, when I came to this one. I had to pause because I could not figure out why Donovan was in a group of pictures of Jake's scout troup.

I sometimes forget how much Donovan and Jake look alike.

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Indeed.

Where has the time gone??

I remember it like it was just yesterday. It feels like it was just yesterday. But it was, in actuallity, 24 years ago that after 24 long excruciating hours of pain I held a tiny 8.5 pound bundle fresh from heaven and felt pure love for the first time.

In those 24 years there have been numerous trips to the emergency room for all kinds of bumps, bruises, and stitches. There have been snips and snails and puppy dog tails. I have learned about dinosaurs, scouts, camping, mountain biking, airplanes, boot camp and war.

I have learned that when I am replaced as first in a child's heart, it can be a good thing and I can love my replacement as much as my child does, and a daughter in law can be a great friend to have.

I have learned that Grandma love is just as pure and heart enlarging as mother love. But different. More. Better.

There have been bad years. Times that I have learned to pray harder than ever before. Years that I questioned my decision to have children. But then the light came again and joy returned with the good times.

And I would do it all over again.

Happy birthday, Donovan. I love you.

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Indeed.

Answer

The following pics are in answer to my Aunt Kay's question in yesterday's comments. They were taken last night about 6:30 pm. I'll post better ones after Jess uploads the ones from her camera.

Matthew has my GPS, so I got lost, drove past their bus and police escort going the wrong way, sobbing because I was going to miss them, then the gate was closed and I had to park across the street and then wait for someone going out to slip in the closing gate.

I made it because they had to check in their guns and gear before coming out and Donovan and Trevor were at the end of the line.

And in case you are wondering why I didn't just follow Kristina or Jessica, who knew where they were going, you will see in the pictures that Brandi also has on a uniform- I was coming from here.

And you won't see Ethan and Jacob in these pictures

because they were here

(second place today!)

And Matthew was in here

In Cedar City with Whitney

That's why he has the GPS and not me

Now back to the answer pictures

Trevor, Brandi, Donovan

Trevor, Jessica, Donovan

Hunter, Donovan, Kristina, Jordan

Hoo- ra

Semper Fi

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Indeed.

Happy Birthday, America

Today we celebrate the birth of a nation. We will go to parades. We will barbeque any number of meats and vegetables. Gourge ourselves on watermelon, cakes, homemade ice cream and root beer and many other sweets.

We might have a family picnic at the lake or go downtown to the fair and purchase baubles at the booths. The kids may even play a game or two outside with each other.

Then when the sun is setting, we will all gather with our lawn chairs, buckets of water and store bought fire works and enjoy our own light show or the one that the city puts on. We will marvel at the beautiful sight of them exploding overhead.

Then we will go to bed, sleep and awaken to another day where we go back to our normally scheduled lives.

Today this post is in honor of all those men and women whose parade is a convoy of military vehicles. Whose picnic is an MRE. Whose fire works are real bombs bursting in air.

Who are my heroes.

I love you both

Be safe

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Indeed.

23 years and counting

Donovan got to come home for a couple of days. He flew back to Ca. yesterday evening. It was a hard goodbye because there is no more leave. His wife will have their second baby in a few weeks and he will be overseas protecting our liberty from those that would take it away from us. He won't meet his daughter until she is 9-10 months old. She won't even know that she misses him. But she will.

23 years ago today I held him for the first time. I knew then that this day would come. That he would grow up, leave my home, serve in the military (yes I knew it) get married and have children. And I cried because I did not want this little one to leave me. (or else I was just hormonal- I had just given birth after all) And now that day is here and gone and here and happening. And now today, 23 years later, I am crying again. But this time I can't blame it on the post-partum hormones.

I made him a Mississippi Mud cake for his birthday. Made him blow out 23 candles. Made him hug me when he left. Tried to forget that it will be almost a year before I hug him again.

I should scan some pictures of him from when he was a wee, tiny thing, but I will end up crying again. I'll do it next year- maybe. If I remember. Instead let's do a remember when.

*Remember the Thanksgiving Sharon was coming to our house and Donovan wanted to build a snowman with her? Only one problem- no snow. He prayed for snow to build a snowman with Aunt Sharon. It started snowing the second she pulled up in our driveway on Tuesday (Wednesday?) evening and didn't stop until the second she pulled out on Sunday.

*Remember the time I was trying to get Donovan to sleep in a big boy bed and he wanted to sleep in mine instead? One night while I was helping him say his prayers he said, "May we have a good night sleeping- in Mom's bed." I laughed out loud.

*Remember his first talk in primary? I do. "Tell me how a prophet looks. Can he read my mind?...."

*Remember how he loved to tell jokes? What do you call a dog that jumps in a fire? (hot dog) What do you say when a dog falls off a cliff? (doggone)

*Remember his yellow dinosaur backpack?

*Remember his book report on To Kill a Mockingbird and the doghouse inferno?

*Remember when he drank out of the puddle while camping?

*Remember when I was at school and he and Chris Peck rode their bikes? Off of the roof. Using a ladder for a ramp. That's when I started answering the question "Mom, guess what!?" with "Do I want to know?"

*Remember when he bought Brandi a hamster. And his dog ate it. Oh, wait- that was Trevor's hamster. Never mind. I gave Brandi's hamster away.

*Remember his hikes in the foothills with Jacob?

*Remember when the sousaphone was bigger than him and Caleb had to help us put it in the Suburban?

What do you remember?

Make a wish

Can you believe that this big, tough marine didn't get all of the candles in one breath?

He claims it was a trick candle and that it relit itself.

Ok, let's go with that version

And what would a post with pictures be with out Hunter

He is playing peek-a-boo with me

Grandma sees you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DONOVAN.

I LOVE YOU SON.