Whirl Wind

Monday June 3rd 2013 Is a day that will live with me forever. 

A day that brought us the greatest joy since our kids were born.

Our incredible son and daughter-in-law gave us our very first Grandson!
 I am flooded with love and connection with this tiny little boy.
Cole Hunter came into this world at or around 7:20 pm  weighing a mere 6 pounds 7 ounces.

To see my son and the way he looked at his son with all the hopes and dreams wrapped up in this little bundle of boy, was truly and incredible sight.






Still very surreal to be called Grandma and Grandpa but I wouldn't trade it for anything! This is the best of both worlds.
Hold them
Snuggle them
Love them
Have a blast with them
Read To them

SPOIL THEM
Then send them home
All the fun without the responsibility.





But, Grandpa and I do feel a great responsibility to Cole, to be Godly examples. To teach him why we love Jesus so he will one day love him too.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth!

Cole Hunter I make you these promises.

I will always love you!

I will always hug you, (even when you think you're to cool to hug your G-ma when you're a teenager!)

Every moment with you is priceless and I will always treasure our time together.

I will do my level headed best to show you how cool Jesus is so you will love him like I do one day!

There's just one more thing, I promise the cookie jar will always be full! 

I can't promise you that I will have baked them always, but the jar will be full! (as soon as you have teeth!!)

 We love you Cole Hunter Bettelli we are so blessed that God gave you to us.

You are truly a gift that we will always treasure!  

The Last Bird

All of the sudden it hit me.

All of my kids are adults and out of school.

My responsibilities have diminished significantly.

I began thinking what this means and came up with a “short” list that goes something like this:

I will never shop for school supplies again. (for my kids)

I will never run to the bus stop because we’re running late.

I will never tie another shoe and look like a genius to my kids.

I will never have a late night run to the grocery store for Lunchable's and pudding packs for the field trip.

I will never sign another permission slip.

I will never hear, “ Mom, can you wash this so I can wear it tomorrow?” (At 10:30 pm!)

I will never have to run gym shoes to the school so they won’t get detention.

I will never have to go to conferences EVER again!

I will never make another brown bag lunch with a little love note in it.

I will never plan another school party.

I will never have to run to the 24 hour Walgreen's at 11 pm because someone needs Tag Board for a school project.

I will never write another check for school pictures. (oh wait!!!)

I will never watch another one of my kids in a school play.

I will never again help build Rome in a night!!! ( 5^Th Grade Rome project)

I will never get another call from the school nurse!

I will never have to call the school nurse to tell her they won’t be there.

I will never have to sit in the carpool line!

I will never have the smell of water logged cleats in my car!

I will never feel guilty for throwing away a peanut Butter sculpture that is unidentifiable but I love it because you made it!!!!

It may seem silly to think of these things as my last child graduated high school in June.

But I really feel like I just lost my job.

I feel a little purposeless.

I have no idea what I am going to do when I grow up!

As friends were questioning my daughter as to what her plans for the fall were, at her graduation party.  I was thinking to myself, what are my plans?

What do I want to do?

Where is my future headed?

Sound a little selfish? Not at all, I have worked at home for 23 years.

My pension is watching my kids flourish.

Seeing them grow beyond who they thought they could be.

What greater reward is there?

So, as I embark on my new season of life. I have to ask myself, What do I want to do? What is most important to me? What am I passionate about?

Then there is a silence. There is nothing I can even think of that I would want to do? I have lived my life for my family and they are my career.

Many thoughts of what I would like to do come to mind but what God wants of me is greater and sometimes harder to hear. So I will wait.

But as I watch my last little bird fly. My throat has a little lump in it. It's getting harder to swallow and tears are filling my eyes. 

I could pat myself on the back because this has not been an easy endeavor but through prayer, love and trust in the Lord, I am done with this season. Never to return.

But, new things will come and I wait with anxious anticipation. 

Congratulations to my sweet Kelsey. I love you with all my heart, to the moon and back! INFINITY! 

Photo A Day In May - Day 30

There is something very surreal sitting in a preschool graduation watching all the parents react as their graduate walks in the room. 

Their sweet little caps and gowns and beaming faces. So proud of their accomplishments and rather enjoying the attention of the cameras and phones taking pictures and video. 

As I watched the darling little teachers run the program  for their adorable preschoolers my mind came back to reality. Oh my goodness that teacher is my baby girl! 

She should be donning the blue cap and gown and toothless grin and yet somehow she is standing in front of the class leading them as their teacher!

Katie I am so proud of you. As I watch you work with these kids your hard work, hard days and unbelievable creativity and compassion as well as your undeniable dedication to each child, is simply amazing! 

You are a gift to these kids and their parents and you are a gift to our family!

you are an awesome young woman and a GREAT TEACHER KATIE!!! 

Just a sample of Katie's creativity here with Swiss cake rolls that look like diplomas! 

What a yummy idea! 

PHOTO A DAY IN MAY - Day 29

We went to get ice cream and ended up going to SUPER AMERICA for Coke ICEE'S and as I am looking at this picture I realize we have one rogue Mtn. Dew Icee!! 

I love my family and the simple fun we have together. 

There will be many more Coke/Mtn. Dew Icee runs this summer and I love it!!! 

                                    

PHOTO A DAY IN MAY - Day 28!!

At this point on day 28 I am glad we are nearing the end of photo a day in May this year. I'm sure you are too.
I really thought, first of all that Spring has so much to offer I shouldn't be at a loss for pictures, and then the fact that my Grand baby was due last Saturday, gave me reason to fully anticipate many photo opportunities!!

However, things are not working out that way this year. No baby and no sunshine to be able to be out and about this spring has put a damper on my Photo a Day In May!

Today's photo is more of a commercial than anything else. (I am grasping at straws here people)

 Even though there has been more rain this spring than we got all last summer, my allergies have been very intense.
I had decided last summer that I would only take something like Allegra if I absolutely couldn't stand it.
Well this year has been tough.
Most of the time I wake up coughing like an emphysema patient.

One day I mentioned that my allergies were kicking my butt this year, to my chiropractor and she said I should try these herbs!
I was like, really? Herbs? Allegra barely touches it when I take it what in the world will a bunch of random herbs be able to do? Needless to say I was skeptical, but I bought them anyway.

I am here to tell you that within 24 hours I was about 80% better!! I couldn't believe it.
I was so skeptical that I honestly thought I had just flushed $28 dollars down the toilet!
I am here to tell you that I have been suffering with the constant inability to clear my throat for nearly 4 years due to allergies.
Nothing touched it until these!


You have to chew them up a bit before you swallow them and because they have cayenne pepper in them they are a bit peppery. But they are worth it! Chew them with your front teeth so it doesn't get stuck in your deep back teeth. And for heaven's sakes don't plug your nose to try an eliminate the taste like I did.
I tried it and nearly maced myself to death due to the Cayenne! It was hilarious!
You will not regret buying these! They are not a cure all for allergy sufferer's but they got rid of most of mine and I no longer have the clearing throat problem!!!

Totally worth every penny!!! TRY IT!!!!!!!

PHOTO A DAY IN MAY - Day 27 Memorial Day

Some Gave All 

My heart aches for the moms who's sons never came home. 

Mine did and I am grateful everyday.

 I will never forget this day in these pictures! Our Family and 75 of our friends, came to our street to welcome home our son!! 

Every day he was gone, a little piece of my heart broke. 

The fears I had to overcome from this time were unlike any I will ever experience again. 

Some mom's are not as lucky as me. 

They cry themselves to sleep each night just as I did but their tears never stop.

Their heart never stops aching. 

I don't know the sting of that pain, thank God, but I hold each of them as well as their son's deep in my heart. 

From the Revolution to Afghanistan so many lives have been given to secure our freedom.

Thank you hardly seems enough. 

When I see a man in uniform I pay for his meal, coffee or whatever he may be purchasing. It's my way of saying, Thank you, to all service members here and gone. 

My patriotic heart will never forget what you have given for me. 

John 15:13 Greater Love has no man than this: to  lay down his life for a friend. 

Thank you dear ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

You will NEVER be forgotten. 

PHOTO A DAY IN MAY - DAY 26

Sometimes life throws you curve balls. We definitely caught this one in the gut!

About 9 months ago our middle child started getting really sick just about every time she ate.

We started logging what she ate and began making connections to the foods that were making her sick.

At first we thought it was Gluten. So we removed everything gluten from her diet. We gave it a month and there was no change. So we went back to logging her diet. 

We quickly discovered that every morning soon after she had her coffee she would get sick!

So we figured out that it had to be dairy. 

The pain staking process to change not only her diet but her mind set, began. 

The mind is much more difficult to change!

It seemed She began to focus more on what she couldn't have than what she could.

Ice cream and cheese are among her favorite things and most of the ice cream we have tried is just, OK. As far as cheese alternatives its hit or miss. Some taste like straight yuk and others are pretty good.

It will still be a challenge to find tasty things for our girl to eat but we are finding that changing the focus was the most important thing of all.

We are so thankful it wasn't something more serious. 

The search will continue for good foods to keep her nutrition level high.

We are so thankful for Earth Balance (her new butter)

and for Lactaid chocolate milk! I have never seen a girl smile so much in my life as when she found a chocolate milk that tasted good!! 

I mean come on every girl needs a good Chocolate!!! 

Much more to come on this subject.