Fix the Gate

Easter morning was bright, clear and warm, unlike most of these recent days. I sat in the sun watching Cade and Lauren play soccer. My dad came over to visit and we were just enjoying being together. At some point, I’m not even sure how, one of the pickets on our gate broke off. They are pretty easily repaired, but it does take some time. I knew that it was important, because our dog loved to escape out of any free spot available. In fact, large portions of the fence were wrapped in chicken wire to keep that very thing from happening. But on that warm, lazy Sunday morning, I very clearly thought, “I’ll talk to Ryan about that later. The dog won’t figure it out today.”

Now let me remind you about this dog. She’s an English bulldog, who we’ve named “Tank”. We all love her like crazy. We spent more money that any sane person should, but had justified it, by saying that a dog would bring us more happiness than a one time vacation or the like.

The next day when we got home from school and work, the dog was there to greet us with her over exuberant self. But we had places to go, and things to do. So Lauren and I gave her a little pat, and headed back out the door. An hour later, when we returned, she was gone. We searched the neighborhood, we walked the park. We called the neighbors, our friends and even my parents. After hours of searching, we had to admit she was gone. There were lots of tears. Mostly from me and Lauren. There was regret. I should have told Ryan about the fence. Lauren was distraught because she had been irritated by the dog the day before. There was a little fear-“I hope whoever took her is treating her kindly.” We kept hoping and praying. But our dog never returned to us.

Since then, a thought has been running through my mind fairly often. “Fix the Gate.” Obvioiusly, it was too late for the literal gate at my house. But, how many things have I left undone, or unsaid. How many things have I put off for tomorrow, thinking that I still have time.

All of us have gates that need to be mended. It may be a sin left unresolved. It may be that we need to put a little extra effort into our relationships, our jobs or our callings. It may be lessons that needed to be taught to our children or forgiveness that we need to offer our spouse. It may be that we need to spend a little more time playing board games with the kids and a little less time playing solitaire on the computer. It may be that we just need to try a little harder and be a little better. Really, it could be anything.

Believe it or not, this story has a happy ending. Thirteen days after she went missing, Cade got a call from his friend Kenneth. It seems his brother walked out of the house to find a strange little dog on the steps. Kenneth thought it might be our dog so he called Cade. The rest of us were at Syd’s ball game when here came Tank, pulling on her leash dragging Cade along. I’ve never seen such joy (I know, I know, it’s an animal!) as the prodigal dog was reunited with her family. Sydney even ran out of the dugout to roll in the grass with Tank.  As we all knelt in the grass to welcome her home, I had to say a quick prayer of thanksgiving for our own little miracle. 

And let me tell you, we've all been checking the gate...

Global Warming?!

I don't believe it!  It's May 2nd and this is the view from my back window.

Yes, that's snow. 

I'm out of pellets for the stove.  My pea plants are frozen, along with my toes.  Yesterday, I bought some lavender to plant, but now it is residing in my semi-warm kitchen.

  I've lived here long enough to be grateful for moisture.  But I like mine in the form of lots of summer monsoon showers. 

Spring, where are you?

To be a Reader

I believe that life is not necessarily marked by calendars, birthdays or appointments.  Rather, it is counted by experiences that shape who we are and who we become. 

In my world, one of those events was when I became a reader.  I grew up loving stories.  My dad is a fantastic storyteller of both true and not-so-true stories.  As we were growing up, he would entertain us in the car and around campfires with stories ranging from ancient monsters to ghosts to tales of his youth.  Who needed books, when you had my dad around?  (Little did I know, that many of his stories came from books that he had read).

Then came second grade.  The scenes are still burned into my memory.  By Whiting had asked Mrs. Hicks to read "Where the Red Fern Grows" to the class.  Each afternoon, we would flop onto the floor, mesmerized by the tale of a young boy and his hounds.  When we finally reached the end of the book, Mrs. Hicks, with her voice cracking, could barely read about the death of those dogs.  We all lay on the ground crying our little seven year old hearts out, unable to believe that a story could end this way. We comforted each other.  We laughed about the good memories and questioned the necessity of the bad.  We had just experienced about the power of the written word. We had become a community.  Since then, I've read the book many times.  Each time, I cry.  I've read it to my class, and with my voice cracking, I've had to read about the love that Billy shared with Old Dan and Little Ann.  It's one of those books that I pull off of the shelf when a reluctant reader comes to me.  For me, this book marks the time when I started to realize that there was a world outside of my own.  And yet, that world was not so big that I couldn't find common thoughts, experiences and emotions within it.

So you can imagine my satisfaction when Lauren abruptly stopped reading out loud a few nights ago.

 "Mom," she said in a hushed voice, "I can't go on."

Looking up from the dishes, I walked over to where she was pointing in her book.  "Mom, her mother just....died!...."  Lauren looked up at me, her eyes welling with tears, willing me to say it wasn't true. 

My eyes filled with tears as well. 


My daughter had just become a reader.

When Your School Colors are Red and WHITE

I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever chose WHITE as a school color never had to do laundry.  In fact, I know for a fact that Ray and Ryan (the baseball coaches) think that the white uniforms look "sharp".  I also know for a fact, that at least in my family, I am the one who sprays, soaks and scrubs these things numerous times a week so that they stay looking "sharp".  Rather than watch the games, we moms discuss whitening and brightening techniques.  (Slight exaggeration there....) But I have learned that Cascade dish washing detergent is a must.

After a night of soaking, everything is all right again.

But I'll tell you what.  If they ever decide to change our school colors, I'm voting for something that matches grass stains and dirt...

Easter Activities

Lauren woke me up early Saturday morning to let me know that the Easter Bunny had visited sometime during the night.  (At our house, the Easter Bunny comes on Saturday so that Sunday can celebrate the birth of Christ).  (Funny how the Easter Bunny is willing to work with each family on that....)  We let the big kids sleep in so that she could get ALL of the Easter eggs without any competition.

Later that morning, Cade and Syd went over to my mom's house to hide eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt.  They really outdid themselves this year...

Hayes had to climb on the roof to gather eggs....

Lauren had to search through the playhouse...

And Chase, well, he just had to be cute and sweet...

Cade thought it was all pretty clever.  (Jorden just did her best to put up with him).

There were so many eggs that Hayes and Lauren didn't even have to fight over them.

And once again, Syd hid from all of the pictures.

HAPPY EASTER!

My Springtime Peeps

Yesterday, Lauren and Mimi spent the day celebrating Spring Break.  They decorated sugar cookies as they discussed their favorite episodes of "Cake Boss".

They decorated their Chocolate Easter House (what else would you call this?) with the intensity of "The Ultimate Cake-Off". 

Can you tell we are watching way too much TLC this Spring Break?

I'm so glad that Lauren has Mimi in her life.  How lucky is it that her cousin is also her best friend?!

Today I went to a Funeral

I didn't know the man very well.  But I have worked with his wife for fifteen years now.  He leaves behind his wife and four kids, one who is still in high school.  His was a life ended too early by cancer.  While I celebrate that he is now free from pain, I mourn the family's loss of a husband and father.  When I walked into the viewing, I was overwhelmed by tears for the struggles they've had and the the ones that lay ahead.

As I waited in line to offer my condolences, I watched as the wife grabbed the couple ahead of me and with red-rimmed eyes said, "Love each other every minute.  You don't know how quickly it will go!"

And so,

Today I played Frisbee with Lauren, let Syd go for a cruise with a friend (even though she should have been cleaning her room), went for a walk with a friend, visited a great-uncle at the retirement home, and told my parents that I loved them.  I also did many many loads of laundry, got the mail, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom and chauffeured kids around. 

I'll let you decide which group of those carries the most importance.  As for me I'm going to get off this computer, lay down by Ryan and ask about his day....