EMPTY NESTING IS FOR THE BIRDS

Dear Ethyl..
The person who made up the fable called empty nesting was lying.  When Jesica turned 16, time for me sped up and I started looking to the future and worrying what my life would be like when my kids were gone from the house.  What would I do with my life?  What would my purpose be?  Do I even have a purpose?  Some questions might be better left unanswered, he he.  Pretty sure I spent the next 6 years worrying about it, even crying over it.  I am STILL wondering what life would be like when my kids all leave home...because they won't.  They have all moved out, but they just keep coming back, and coming back and coming back.  We really are trying to be empty nesters..no really! I love it when they come.  I realized there's a lesson that I need to learn first.  It's how to make Will the most important one, even in a crowd.  He has a problem with that too, so we get to practice.  Someday we will get it right.  It's busy right now, but it won't last long.  We are trying to learn what we need to and enjoy it while they are here. When you have a close family that's what happens I guess. Now we kind of get the best of both worlds. It is fun though when we get to pretend we're empty nesters. Is there such a thing as empty nesting?  I don't know... you tell me!

FORGIVENESS... WHAT THE HECK!

Dear Ethyl...
So...... Forgiveness is HARD!  I know, I know.  It's always been hard and it always will be hard, but seriously... It's soooo hard!!  The Lord commands us to forgive. So I try to be obedient.  I know it's for my own sake, I know it will make me feel better, and I know it's not my job to see justice done and punish the offending party...Dang it!!  I know I need to show mercy if I want any shown to me.  I know exactly what I should do and why I should do it.  SO WHY CAN'T I?  My head is willing, but my heart folds it's arms and stamps it's foot and glares me in the eye and says...MAKE ME!
I hate it when that happens!  It's easy to forgive when someone comes to you and apologizes for hurting you, but unfortunately that doesn't really happen all that often.  More often than not, there is no apology and therefore no resolution of the conflict so it is left to wander around in your mind and torment you like a bad toothache.  The bad thing is that when I refuse to forgive, I'm the one who keeps getting wounded over and over and over again.  This past week I finally got tired of being angry and holding out for an apology.  Anger is painful and it takes a lot of my energy.  It's not me.  It's not who I am inside.  I am not a mean person.  Not for long periods of time, anyway.  It's hard when you go to battle against yourself.  So I threw in the towel and hoisted the surrender flag.  I give up!  This war has been too hard on me. Somebody's gotta make the first move. So I apologized for being angry and for hurting someone's feelings and for not forgiving the party for months.  Then I repented for not forgiving and being angry, told the Lord I took the first step and asked Him to supply the feelings of charity that are supposed to go with it ( That are not there, not even close yet) But....  I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of my life.  I feel like the old me again.  I can do favors for this person, I can say kind things when I am around them and I can smile.  Maybe the Lord is starting to supply the feelings after all?  Who knows?   Someday, I will get tired of being angry right at the beginning so I can skip the ugly middle part and move right into letting it go and getting on with my life.  What a wonderful thought....

DISNEY ON ICE 2012

Dear Ethyl...
Thanks to my baby girl Jaci, Disney on Ice is now a yearly tradition for the Latham clan.  Well, most of us at least.  Well, all the girls and kids... Let's be honest.  Jaci started it about 4 years ago. Last year we went without her because she was on her mission.  It was sort of empty without her there.  So this year she got us tickets and we went again. Jaci, Jes, Hilary, Mom, Silvi, Daniel and I. Daniel LOVED IT!  He didn't go last year, can't remember why, but was sad that Jes went without him. He's waited a whole year to do this.  Jaci bought him a Phineas and Ferb shirt and beanie to wear.  He was so cute.  She bought him a $12 cotton candy with a crown and ears. Will and Tanner went on a man-date (he hates when I call it that) and saw the new James Bond movie. Shaun was out of town.  Dang it! I miss him!

Silvi was brave!  She had a bad toothache (had to have it pulled the next day) So sad she couldn't eat the cotton candy!

Daniel and his Goods!

The whale from Pinnochio

The finale... Toy story, Pinnochio, Lion King, Princesses, Aladdin and Mickey and the Gang.

And......  THE MELTDOWN!

Just having a good time

TRUTH

Dear Ethyl...
You have to acknowledge truth wherever you find it.
Yep....

GETTING READY FOR HALLOWEEN WITH THE COLTONS

 Dear Ethyl...
As you already know, I LOVE HALLOWEEN!  Just clarifying!  The Colton's were here with us for a month so we got to share with them.  That was fun.  It is a tradition that I make popcorn balls to give out to the kids.  I love to do that.  But... trunk or treat is Ruining trick or treating and hardly any kids come to my house anymore. I HATE TRUNK OR TREAT!!  It has a purpose when Halloween falls on Sunday or if you are in a remote area.  Neither usually apply here.  I think it makes the kids lazy and they miss out on trekking for your treats and talking to your neighbors.  It's good memories they are missing out on.  Just sayin...
Anyway, we carved pumpkins and made popcorn balls and had dinner and trick or treated and watched Halloween movies... Fun night!

Daniel is so big this year because he can carve his pumpkin all by himself

Carving pumpkins is always fun.

Emily taking charge of the caramel

Jaci LOVES Halloween too!  Actually, she loves any kind of party of craft or get together too!!  She is so fun to have around and the little girls  ADORE  her!  Ps... So do we!!!

I remember making popcorn balls with my mom as a kid.  I loved to put the butter on my hands and especially eating them when I was done!  Good memories!  

We ended up with about 100 popcorn balls and only gave away about  25.  Next year I'm only making 50!

The end product!  Always a Halloween pencil and a tag with our name on  it so people know where it came from

THIS IS ME!  A rare beauty I know!  My fallback  costume.  I am a hillbilly!  I usually sit out on the front porch with a fire going and bluegrass music with my washboard.   I have to dress up to hand out the treats...
It's Tradition!

THIS IS MY TUFF GUY!

Dear Ethyl...
I just wanted to brag on my AMAZING guy!  In the words of a lot of people at the gym... He's and Animal!
He does crossfit 5 days a week.  He teaches 2 days a week.  He runs, he bikes.  He's a stud, what can I say?  He ran the Tuff Mudder for the first time.  I was going to go to support him but it was $40 a spectator and it was cold and rainy so I offered my support from the comfort of my living room.
He said it was pretty hard, but I know he felt good about it and it was something new he conquered.  He likes that feeling!  I get the same feeling from canning or cleaning out a closet.  Hardly olympic sports and vastly underrated!!!  If they were... I would own the gold!!  And let's not even go into "Helping".  I am a world champion!  he he
Back to the adorable subject at hand...
The Tuff Mudder was 12 miles long with 25 obstacles. Lots of water obstacles, ice water, wall climbs, barbed wire, mud and 2 live electric wire obstacles.  He said it really hurt and the electricity would slam you down into the ground.

This is Will sporting his hare earned Tuff Mudder headband.  He's pretty proud of that!

Will's fancy new workout socks.  They are the latest thing in fashion among the crossfit set!

This is what Will looks like after a race, after a workout, in the middle of  the day, whenever he sits down, when he's driving, after church, during church, after he's just eaten, in the evening....

THIS AND THAT...

Dear Ethyl...
It's been a while and I am forcing myself even as I speak to write.  Life is good.  There have been a lot of things going on and a lot of changes. We are having company for at least a month. Paul, Kate and the kids have been here between our house and mom's house and it has been fun!  I'm so glad they came because I think it's made our relationship better. I'm so glad because i worried the opposite would happen.
Spiritual Side Note...
For the first time ever in my life, I let go of the outcome of my life and my plans and am able to  let God take over and take me wherever he wants to. That's a BIG step for a control freak like me. I have been learning lots of good/hard things these past couple of months about myself and other people. I have lots of stuff to practice but I'm getting better at it.
Shaun had an interview for a really great job in...Wisconsin!?  Yah, I freaked out a couple of days ago thinking that I could possibly have no grandkids around. Tanner is going active duty after next year and who knows who Jaci will marry and where she'll end up. I didn't like that thought at all since my life plan for me centered around having the kids and grandkids close and doing things together and having a close family. I asked for help adjusting and God let me know that everything would be ok and my life would be good and I was able to let go of the outcome for the first time ever.  I wish I could pass that on to my kids so they could learn to let go too.  Maybe that comes with time?
So here are a few of the things we've been doing lately...

Daniel climbing the walls...Literally!  We also hook up Will's big crossfit bands to the  bar and it makes a big johnny jumper for Daniel to bounce on.  He loves that too!

Was having a rotten day and My Sweetheart brought me flowers and I got the cute boots I ordered in the mail, and they fit!  I got the newest Josi Kilpack mystery book too!  My day went from rotten to Great!  I love that!!

Silvi trying to catch goldfish in grandma's pond.  She sat there for a long time and tried lots of different techniques, but alas, to no avail.  Sometimes the fish just won't cooperate!

Daniel eating Halloween waffles.  I made them, he tasted them and then refused to eat them and said they were yucky. He doesn't like whipped cream.  What???  What's wrong with that kid?

The is the cutest girl from Deb, in the mall, who said I have GREAT HAIR and that she loved it!  That has never happened to me and so it is a momentous occasion in my life and thus... needed to be recorded for posterity.  Yes...
I do have great hair... Thanks for noticing!!

Making sugar cookies.... Always fun!

Making edible glitter

We used some of the edible glitter to make this TIME OUT  timer.   They say necessity is the mother of invention and Daniel REALLY NEEDED a time out ... again.  It's made of sugar and he has to watch it and think about what he did wrong until all the sand is gone. Actually... Everybody loves to play with it.

Silvi sort of helping Will put in the new wood stove.

My impression of a stove pipe.  Pretty good huh!

We were all playing our favorite game...Sorry!

Daniel helping Papa start a fire. Daniel LOVES to help!  Even without being asked.  I caught him sneaking  a knife on  the front porch and carving his own pumpkin.  He also snuck Will's motorcycle key and tried to start it. He brings wood in for the wood stove and tries to start his own fire in the fireplace.  He's very curious, ambitious and thinks he's capable of doing anything.  That combination keeps us on our toes!!

Daniel learning his ABC's on the V Smile.  He doesn't play too often, but at least he learns something when  he does.
 I love when he comes to stay at our house.  I just like having kids around.  It feels like a family and I like to play!  I love to make stuff and do projects and read to him and watch cartoons!

That's what I'm talkin about!!!