He said...she said....

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?", she said.

"Ok, but a little sore." He said.



In a soft, quiet voice, she told him of all the texts and phone messages wishing him well. Then, seeing his eyes drooping with fatigue, she said, "You go to sleep, Sweetie. I'll just quit talking and read while you rest."

"That's ok", he said, his voice slurring with sleep. "I like the sound of your voice..." "You're my favorite person", he whispered, as his eyes drifted closed.

"Happy Anniversary, Kevin" I whispered. "You're MY favorite person, too."

Twenty-two years ago...

May 21, 1988

I made the best decision of my life. I married my best friend - the love of my life. It's hard to believe it's been 22 years...sometimes it seems as if the wedding was yesterday. Up to that point in my life, it was the happiest day of my life. Every day since has just gotten better! I wouldn't change a thing, and I would do it all again!

"Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be..."

Kev, thank you for the best 22 years of my life! I love you!

Someone Special!

Once Upon a Time.... I know you're thinking, "UH-OH, here she goes again!!!" haha But seriously, this is a 'Once Upon a Time' story. I'll make it quick, tho.

Ok, to start again...ONCE UPON A TIME...four young people from very different backgrounds met in High School. One was from Oregon and grew up on a Christmas Tree Farm. One was from Mesa, AZ and still lived in the house he grew up in. Two were brother and sister and were fresh from having lived most of their lives in Europe. Yup, it's about us!

My brother, Marc and I met Kevin and our dear friend Don Hunt in Mesa, AZ during their Senior Year at Westwood High School. They were kind enough to let me tag along with them on various adventures, even though I was just a Sophomore. The four of us became the best of friends.

Time and distance eventually separated us as the guys left on missions and we all came and went from college. More time, more distance, more life, marriage, children, and more life came and went.

It is now 32 years later...THIRTY-TWO?!?!?!?!?! WOW! That seems like a long time. Although, sometimes it seems like yesterday.

What makes me post this on my blog, today? Well, I'll tell you...(I can hear you thinking, "Get to the point already, Annette" haha I promise, I'm getting there.)

Today, the first of the 'Four Musketeers' turns 50.

It's our Sweet-Don's birthday, today.

So, in honor of the nicest of all of us...

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!!! Happy Birthday Dear Don! Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

We love you very much and wish you a very wonderful 50th Birthday! ...and many, many more to come!!!!!!!!!!

...and may ALL your Birthday wishes come true!

It seems like a long time ago...

I decided that what I wanted to be when I grew up, was a "Mommy". In time, I got married to a wonderful man, and we planned on having at least six children. To make a LONG story short, that didn't happen. After years of trying, we were blessed to adopt a beautiful baby-girl. Amanda was a gift and blessing in every way possible. (She still is.)

Five years later, through Divine Intervention and after 2 years of Amanda's CONSTANT prayers for a baby-sister; we were blessed to adopt ANOTHER beautiful little girl. Jackie was a little ray of sunshine...(She STILL is, too.)

As we think about Mothers and Motherhood this weekend, my heart is full. I think of the Mothers who came before me with gratitude and reverence. I think of my own sweet Mother-in-law whom we are blessed to have living with us. Then I think of the birth-mothers of my children. For all these amazing and wonderful women, I give thanks this day.

You've all given me a legacy and gift I will treasure always.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

There's a reason...

...why God invented marriage...

Some call it "fate". Some call it "happenstance". Some call it "luck". Some call it "coincidence". I call it "Divine Intervention". You know, that magical thing that happens usually once in your life. You meet that "perfect someone". Oh, you know they're not PERFECT, just perfect for you. If you're lucky or in my opinion, extremely blessed, they think YOU'RE perfect for them, too. If that happens for you, as it did for me, you get to spend the rest of your life or even eternity with that "perfect someone".

I had a crazy, hectic morning. Actually, it was a continuation of yesterday which was crazy & hectic the ENTIRE DAY!!! During one of my brief stops at home, Kevin called to invite me to meet him for lunch. Of course I jumped at the chance.

We met at Cafe Rio and had a yummy lunch. We talked about life and all the comings and goings of the denizens of "Happy Acres". Part of that conversation included concerns for our kids and where to send Mandy to High School. We also talked about my upcoming surgery, Amanda's & Debra's recent oral surgeries, and Kevin's upcoming hernia surgery. (Did I mention that he was diagnosed with a hernia, today?) We chuckled at how 2010 would go down in our family history as the year of the surgeries; with four of the seven of us having surgery this year. We discussed our individual schedules for the rest of the day and made plans for spending time Mom and Dad time with each of our kids. It was a nice break from a busy day. It was especially good to brain-storm on "parenting issues" we'd both been worrying about.

As he walked me to my car and kissed me goodbye; Kev said, "You know this is just a test. All that's going on. It's not just one of us, it's everything. Heavenly Father is just testing us to see how we'll hold it all together." We agreed that making sure we keep Heavenly Father at the center of things, and remembering that He's our partner, we'd get through all of this just fine.

I sat in my car and thanked my Heavenly Father for a partner, husband, and friend who "gets it". Knowing that I get to keep him for eternity is just icing on the cake.

Inspiring...

I began reading the "NieNie Dialogs" a year or so ago. Hers is a story of heartache, trial, pain, faith, beauty, and love. Now, I read it everyday.

Stephanie Neilson is a young mother who went through something devastating and was changed forever in ways I cannot even imagine. Although her daily life includes constant pain, she uses her faith in God and love of her family to triumph over adversity. She inspires me to be better...a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter of God.

I'm sharing this video of her story here so you can be inspired too. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Chinese Food and Bowling...

...What a combination...

We were celebrating the fact that both girls had a terrific day at school. Jackie did a great job getting her grades up, while Mandy made the school Talent Show and got an "A" on her History test. That was cause for something special for Family Home Evening. Chinese Food and Bowling was what we came up with.

At dinner, Mandy entertained us with her chop-stick technique...

The "two-handed" approach seemed to work....maybe???

In the mouth, QUICK!!! Before it gets away!!! Can you see the look on Jackie's face?
PRICELESS!!!!

SWEET SUCCESS!!! YUM!!! Mandarin orange slices!!!!!!!!

Bowling was entertaining... We all used different approaches:
"Addressing the ball?
or PRAYING to it???"

A kiss for luck?
*SMACK*

THERE'S an approach I hadn't thought of...
Hunch-ball-bowling???

No matter how we started, the ball HAD to go down the lane, somehow...

Amanda tried "Ricochet-Bowling" (thank goodness for lane-bumpers).
Kev had great form...

...While Jackie debuted "Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Bowling"
...(don't laugh, it worked!!)

We all had different reactions to our varying degrees of success...

The goofy...

The serious...

...and the cheering-section...
(Grandma said SHE wants to give it a try next time!)
You GO, Grandma! YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!

We all had a blast!
(The Bowling Alley may never be the same, but WE had fun!)

This one goes down as another successful and memorable Family Home Evening here at Happy Acres...

WHAT are we going to come up with NEXT week??!!??!!???????