Sunday, May 14, 2006

Mommy Day

After a beautiful morning walk, Joel and I spent the day working in the yard (after he finished with the last bit of mudding -- yay).




Wednesday, May 10, 2006

The Rose Menorah

Here's a picture of a rose bush in our back yard. Joel commented that it looks like a rose menorah.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Pay It Forward...With Hugs

I was blessed with the opportunity to visit with my dear friend, Chris, this past weekend. She had driven from Scottsbluff (1,000 miles) and was visiting her mother in Coeur d'Alene (30 minutes from here). The remarkable thing about Chris and me is how our lives are inexplicably criss-crossed. She and Bob moved to Scottsbluff about a month before we did. We met when Jesse and Tyson were in 4th grade and kindergarten, respectively. Her sons, David and Jamie, were the same age and were great friends with Jesse and Tyson throughout their school years and after. That is just the start of our cross-crossing paths.

#1 -- Chris lived in the same Montana town as my sister in law at one time
#2 -- Two of her children were born in Spokane where we now live
#3 -- They left Scottsbluff and moved back a few years later, only to become our next door neighbors for many years
#4 -- Chris' brother in law lives in Post Falls (close by) not to mention her mother living 30 minutes away

While hugging Chris goodbye last Sunday, it occurred to me that she will be going back to Scottsbluff and walking among people that Joel and I knew there. By my hugging her, it was like getting to hug people we love and miss in Scottsbluff. David, her oldest son, is graduating from college this weekend. Such a proud moment. She invited Jesse and Tyson to attend the barbecue. If they are able to make it, my hug to Chris will pass on to Jesse and Tyson in a vicarious manner -- thereby, Paying It Forward...With Hugs.