HOME

I just got home from playing basketball over at the church with some of my friends that finally got me to come and play. I am happy to say that I have gone numerous times now and am having a great time! I know that anyone that knows me is probably red in the face from laughter, but it is just for fun-it's not a real game-but I am learning some things about basketball and although I am not a pro-I believe I have improved a little and on top of that, it is great exercise! A little tidbit about myself that some of you may not know....I LOVE TO EXERCISE! It may not be the crazy heart pumping exercise that some people enjoy like running a marathon or anything like that. It is just my little gazelle and me in my bedroom at night settling down for an hour long session in front of one of my television shows that I have TIVO-ed for this very purpose. I enjoy my TV shows-but one of my favorites (beside OPRAH and American IDOL) is Men In Trees. Anne Heche plays the lead role of a woman named Marin Frist. Who moved to Alaska few years prior to "find" herself. I find myself relating to her quite frequently and love her little monologues at the end of the show where the final scenes are shown while she talks about something that matters to her and is relevant to the episode just shown. Last nights episode monologue was especially nice. These are Marin Frists' words last night...

"We all love to lose ourselves in a good movie. When I was a girl I loved The Wizard of Oz, especially the moment when Dorothy opens the door to that fantastic world. But once Dorothy appreciated how bright and beautiful everything was, she had realized she had a bit of a mess on her hands. One of the classic examples of be careful what you wish for. Spend 5 minutes in a fantasy and you just might find yourself wishing for your old life back. We miss what’s right in front of us when we are looking for what’s over the rainbow. But sometimes, it takes stepping into someone else’s shoes to realize how much you love the life you have. Because no matter how magical the movies are, at the end of the day, there is no place like home."

There have been a couple of thoughts that I have had about HOME lately.

In our home right now, we have been able to make a few improvements to out humble abode. It has been more refreshing than I even expected to have some things look and feel a little more fresh. Make our home feel even more like "OURS". There truly is no place like home! Even though my home would be wherever Jeff and my children are, I have to admit that it is nice to have the space and the ability to refresh that space periodically. When I am finished with these spaces, I will post some pictures of what we have done.

At Easter, we were able to get together with both of our families. Jeff's family on the Saturday prior and my family on Easter Sunday. Going to my mom's and seeing the hot crossed buns that she made upon my dad's insistence and the BUNNY cake made me feel like I was HOME. Traditions are an amazing thing that help you to remember where you come from and who you are. When we were little, mom would make a bread Easter basket for breakfast and then have the hot crossed buns with ham for dinner, and then the bunny cake for dessert. There truly is no place like home-especially when you have a mother who is a great cook!!!

The day before Easter, we had gone to Jeff's mom's to have dinner and an Easter Egg hunt. AT the time, there was still about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground and so we did an indoor hunt. The kids had a blast. We also sent some balloons in the air with letters to Grandpa tied on the string. I had suggested this idea when I had overheard Mack talking to his friend one day at the house as he was showing his friend a picture of his grandpa and started crying. When I saw this, I ran to him and tried to comfort him and he asked me why grandpa couldn't be here with us anymore. I explained to him that Heavenly Father needed him to come HOME to heaven. He was still so sad and asked if he could write him a letter. I told him that of coarse he could do this and then I remembered the balloon idea that I had seen on a television show one night. It was a special time that we were able to share with our family. Jeff's mom asked me if I might be able to get a balloon big enough for her to fit in. I know how I feel about my home and I am sure that with Galen being physically absent, she is not sure what home is for her right now. I hope that eventually she will find her home again and that she knows how much we are here for her and how much we love her. Thank heaven that we know where our eternal HOME is and the steps that we can take to get us there. I am grateful for this knowledge and having lost someone close to me has emphasized my desire to return to my Heavenly Father so much more over the past few months. When we are all there together...I am sure we will still say

"There's no place like HOME".

Here the kids are writing their letters.

That was the best part.

They were so thoughtful and adorable.

They said some very special things to grandpa.

We watched them until we couldn't see

them anymore (a little difficult with the sun and the tears).

Hello Sweetheart, Dad, and Grandpa! We love you!