Well, I have to post this on my blog because I don't want to steal Alexander's thunder on Facebook. Plus, Deborah does not Facebook. Alexander called night last night around 10pm. He was really excited because he had his first audition with Westminster Choir. Apparently, you have to go through a series of auditions but they accepted him after the first one! Way to go Alexander! This is the same group that Keith sings with and he absolutely loves it. Last year they took "World" in the competition in England.
I am very proud of him.
Life doesn't get any better than this!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Wow, What a Weekend!
So, we took Alexander down to Anaheim on Friday. Orey and Alexander picked me up from work and we headed down. As most of you know, Alexander is not a traveler. He gets motion sick (funny he will be working at Disneyland) and has to live on Dramamine and ginger for the course of the trip. Well, this trip was not different and I happened to have 2 Dramamine with me and planned to get more. Poor Alexander was sick from the get go. So what does any good mother do in a case like that? Insist her son eat something so he will feel better.
We got a bout 2/3 of the way there and poor Alexander got violently ill all over the place in the back seat(s) of the car. My heart went out to him. Usually when we travel I have tp, paper towels, garbage bags, etc., but I did not remember to have Orey grab these. So, we happened to have “A” towel. It might have been a Kleenex for all the good it did. There was just too much. We pulled over, Orey helped Alexander clean up, dug out some clean clothes for him, and sent him a little further away from the freeway to change. Alexander had to strip down to his birthday suit and put clean clothes on his poor dirty body. Then, because we did not have any bags, we had to put the pukey stuff in the full trunk and lay a jacket down for Alexander to sit on. We still had about 2 or 3 hours to go before our destination. By the time we got to the hotel, Alexander was soaked through again because he had to sit on wet seat. Then we found out the hotel laundry was closing in 15 minutes and so we could not do laundry until the morning. Alexander was going to meet up with Keith and have a good time. He took a shower, texted Keith and then went to sleep. They decided to meet up the next day.
By the middle of the night, my poor Orey was up puking. Yup, it was not car sickness at all. It was the flu. I left early that morning and found a Walgreen’s and spent about $65 on medicine, Gatorade, cleaning supplies, clothes soap, etc. It took about an hour and a half but I managed to get almost everything out. It still stunk but was much better than it was. I went back to the room, set everyone up with Gatorade and crackers and such. Took out some more of my plastic gloves (laugh if you will, I did not get it) and headed down to do laundry. By the time I got back, Keithy was there. Alexander was still green around the gills but doing better. I guess it is really bad for about 24 hours and then you just feel sort of yucky and have a tender tummy for a few days after. Poor Orey, we had to check out of the hotel at noon but there were no rooms available at our new hotel until 3pm. I felt so bad for Orey. We went over to Disneyland and sat and watched people. We also went on the Small World ride because it was still set up for Christmas. That was amazing! When we were able to check into the hotel he went straight to sleep. He was so wiped from the afternoon.
Sunday we checked Alexander in to his program. We met his roommate, Justin, who is from Las Vegas and is very nice. There are only the two of them in the room so he really lucked out. Orey and I went grocery shopping and apartment set up stuff shopping. I made fudge for them and then we left. We went over to Disneyland for a little while and hung out. Orey was still feeling yucky and I was feeling a bit emotional.
Monday we hung out and then went to the park. We still took it easy because neither of us were 100% yet. It rained like all get out. We had to purchase “slickers”. Orey did manage to get the frozen pineapple whip he likes. Last time he didn’t get to do it because they were always closed. We were soaked by the time we got back to the room.
Tuesday, we watched the weather for a while. Realized we were going to have to buy tire chains for the ride home so we went all over tarnation for those. Apparently, no one really carries chains in SoCal. Go figure. We also bought umbrellas and a wind breaker for me to wear under my coat. We took to boys to lunch at some International Buffet which they seemed to enjoy. Yucky! We headed out. It was raining amazingly hard all morning. Even the umbrellas were not able to repel the amount of water coming down. We went to the park again. There must have been like 10 people in the park. Okay, I am sure more than that but we were all die-hards! We went on the Indiana Jones ride (Orey was feeling better) and if you have been on this ride you know you have to walk, like a mile, to get to the actual ride. Most of it is down these long indoor corridors. Yeah, it was raining so hard that the rain was coming though the ceiling AND we had a river of water rushing past our feet while we were walking. When we were done and headed out, we had to walk in huge puddles that went up past our ankles. We went on the Pirates of the Caribbean after that. We were actually on the ride, INSIDE the building and we had water seeping down on us!! It was insane! They wound up closing most of the rides. None of the outside vendors were open and several of the restaurants closed too. After several hours it started to clear up. Yes, we stayed in that weather for several hours. And we had a nice time walking around.
By Tuesday night we knew we were not going to be able to go home via 395 nor I5. We had to had 4 or 5 hours on our trip and cut over through Las Vegas and then up to Carson City. We left at 4:30 am and got home bout 4:15pm. As we were leaving, the road took us by Alexander’s apt and so I had to cry for a while. I hate leaving my kids behind. I know they are grown men (even though they don’t act like it when they are together) but they are still my little boys.
Oh, and through this, Marina, Rebekah and Juliet all have the flu up in Carson City and so I had to feel like a loser mother because I was not there to help them feel better either.
Well, that pretty much sums up the highlights of the trip. I can assure you there are more little things here and there that I could add…but then I would just be complaining :~)
Glad to be home and that everyone is safe and where they should be!
We got a bout 2/3 of the way there and poor Alexander got violently ill all over the place in the back seat(s) of the car. My heart went out to him. Usually when we travel I have tp, paper towels, garbage bags, etc., but I did not remember to have Orey grab these. So, we happened to have “A” towel. It might have been a Kleenex for all the good it did. There was just too much. We pulled over, Orey helped Alexander clean up, dug out some clean clothes for him, and sent him a little further away from the freeway to change. Alexander had to strip down to his birthday suit and put clean clothes on his poor dirty body. Then, because we did not have any bags, we had to put the pukey stuff in the full trunk and lay a jacket down for Alexander to sit on. We still had about 2 or 3 hours to go before our destination. By the time we got to the hotel, Alexander was soaked through again because he had to sit on wet seat. Then we found out the hotel laundry was closing in 15 minutes and so we could not do laundry until the morning. Alexander was going to meet up with Keith and have a good time. He took a shower, texted Keith and then went to sleep. They decided to meet up the next day.
By the middle of the night, my poor Orey was up puking. Yup, it was not car sickness at all. It was the flu. I left early that morning and found a Walgreen’s and spent about $65 on medicine, Gatorade, cleaning supplies, clothes soap, etc. It took about an hour and a half but I managed to get almost everything out. It still stunk but was much better than it was. I went back to the room, set everyone up with Gatorade and crackers and such. Took out some more of my plastic gloves (laugh if you will, I did not get it) and headed down to do laundry. By the time I got back, Keithy was there. Alexander was still green around the gills but doing better. I guess it is really bad for about 24 hours and then you just feel sort of yucky and have a tender tummy for a few days after. Poor Orey, we had to check out of the hotel at noon but there were no rooms available at our new hotel until 3pm. I felt so bad for Orey. We went over to Disneyland and sat and watched people. We also went on the Small World ride because it was still set up for Christmas. That was amazing! When we were able to check into the hotel he went straight to sleep. He was so wiped from the afternoon.
Sunday we checked Alexander in to his program. We met his roommate, Justin, who is from Las Vegas and is very nice. There are only the two of them in the room so he really lucked out. Orey and I went grocery shopping and apartment set up stuff shopping. I made fudge for them and then we left. We went over to Disneyland for a little while and hung out. Orey was still feeling yucky and I was feeling a bit emotional.
Monday we hung out and then went to the park. We still took it easy because neither of us were 100% yet. It rained like all get out. We had to purchase “slickers”. Orey did manage to get the frozen pineapple whip he likes. Last time he didn’t get to do it because they were always closed. We were soaked by the time we got back to the room.
Tuesday, we watched the weather for a while. Realized we were going to have to buy tire chains for the ride home so we went all over tarnation for those. Apparently, no one really carries chains in SoCal. Go figure. We also bought umbrellas and a wind breaker for me to wear under my coat. We took to boys to lunch at some International Buffet which they seemed to enjoy. Yucky! We headed out. It was raining amazingly hard all morning. Even the umbrellas were not able to repel the amount of water coming down. We went to the park again. There must have been like 10 people in the park. Okay, I am sure more than that but we were all die-hards! We went on the Indiana Jones ride (Orey was feeling better) and if you have been on this ride you know you have to walk, like a mile, to get to the actual ride. Most of it is down these long indoor corridors. Yeah, it was raining so hard that the rain was coming though the ceiling AND we had a river of water rushing past our feet while we were walking. When we were done and headed out, we had to walk in huge puddles that went up past our ankles. We went on the Pirates of the Caribbean after that. We were actually on the ride, INSIDE the building and we had water seeping down on us!! It was insane! They wound up closing most of the rides. None of the outside vendors were open and several of the restaurants closed too. After several hours it started to clear up. Yes, we stayed in that weather for several hours. And we had a nice time walking around.
By Tuesday night we knew we were not going to be able to go home via 395 nor I5. We had to had 4 or 5 hours on our trip and cut over through Las Vegas and then up to Carson City. We left at 4:30 am and got home bout 4:15pm. As we were leaving, the road took us by Alexander’s apt and so I had to cry for a while. I hate leaving my kids behind. I know they are grown men (even though they don’t act like it when they are together) but they are still my little boys.
Oh, and through this, Marina, Rebekah and Juliet all have the flu up in Carson City and so I had to feel like a loser mother because I was not there to help them feel better either.
Well, that pretty much sums up the highlights of the trip. I can assure you there are more little things here and there that I could add…but then I would just be complaining :~)
Glad to be home and that everyone is safe and where they should be!
Friday, January 15, 2010
What if?
Certain things happen in life that makes you grateful that the “what could have happened” is not what happened. I try to remember that daily in my life. I look at Eric and at Seth and I think, man, how fortunate that they were brought into the family. I look at where they could/would have been if our hearts were not ready to receive such a blessing. How grateful to the Lord for making us ready. I also try to keep there birth families in my thoughts and prayers.
I look at my kids and think “Wow! How grateful I am that they are responsible people who try to do right in their lives”. I know some people say that it is how they are raised. Certainly, there was some influence there surely. However, I know plenty of good parents who struggle with the pain of their children’s choices and behaviors. Orey and I are so very blessed that we have the children we do. Not all their choices are right 100% of the time, but they take responsibility for them and try to do better. I am grateful that they trust me enough to be a part of their lives. I am proud of them. I am thankful they love me. I wonder what my life would have been like without them and it makes me emotionally raw at such a horrible thought. I love that they have never questioned if they are loved by their parents. I am sure there are probably times they have not allowed themselves to feel it, but I trust that they have always known it.
I look at my husband and think “What would my life be like if I had not asked him out?” There were so many times and obstacles that came in to play in our early dating days that would have ended that relationship. I will name a few of them. Orey was in Colorado when I started working at Wendy’s. He was visiting his dad. He was supposed to fly home but decided that Carson City had nothing for him so he would just stay there in Denver. He called the airlines to cancel his flight for later that afternoon but the lines were busy (they did not have internet back then). He fell asleep and when he woke up it was time to go to the airport. Being the responsible person he is, he figured he could not waste money by not using his ticket so he came home. The very next day I met him. He was not popular with many of my family and friends. He did not seem to fit the mold that I dated. I am glad I did not listen to most of the people who told me not to date him. It was not easy for a while. At the time I met him, an old boyfriend who I “loved” very much came back into the picture. He asked me to go out with him but it happened to be the same night that Orey and I were going on our first date. I am ashamed to say I really debated on whether to cancel my date with Orey. I almost did. At the very last minute I heard myself say that I could not but would he contact me the next week. That was the last time I spoke to the old boyfriend. Oh, also, I was dating someone the week before I met Orey. However, my friend Tom was coming in to town and my current boyfriend did not like that I was going to hang out with my friend so he said that we should stop seeing each other for the weekend and I could contact him the following week when I decided what I wanted. Tom came in, we hung out, I went to work on Monday with the intent of calling Roy after work but I met Orey that day when I came in to work. If I were still dating Roy I would never have dated Orey because I did not cheat. Anyway, those are just some of the obstacles and those were just in the first few days. Sometimes I wonder about any of those scenarios and how a different course of action on any of those would have changed my life and where I am at now. I am incredibly grateful that the Lord knew this was the man for me, my eternal companion and the father of my eternal family. What a wonderful man he is. I would not be who I am or where I am without his unconditional love and unwavering support. To say that I love him with all my heart would be an overwhelming understatement!
There are so many other “what if’s” that could be mentioned. The family I was born into, the way my parents raised me, the places we lived, the love they gave me, the friends I associated with (good and bad), and so on.
So, to my Heavenly Father and my brother Jesus Christ, I give my heartfelt gratitude for giving me those things in life with I needed but did not even know it. For loving me enough to bless me so richly with trials, tribulations, love, knowledge, family, friends, experience, and the gospel. I thank Thee.
I look at my kids and think “Wow! How grateful I am that they are responsible people who try to do right in their lives”. I know some people say that it is how they are raised. Certainly, there was some influence there surely. However, I know plenty of good parents who struggle with the pain of their children’s choices and behaviors. Orey and I are so very blessed that we have the children we do. Not all their choices are right 100% of the time, but they take responsibility for them and try to do better. I am grateful that they trust me enough to be a part of their lives. I am proud of them. I am thankful they love me. I wonder what my life would have been like without them and it makes me emotionally raw at such a horrible thought. I love that they have never questioned if they are loved by their parents. I am sure there are probably times they have not allowed themselves to feel it, but I trust that they have always known it.
I look at my husband and think “What would my life be like if I had not asked him out?” There were so many times and obstacles that came in to play in our early dating days that would have ended that relationship. I will name a few of them. Orey was in Colorado when I started working at Wendy’s. He was visiting his dad. He was supposed to fly home but decided that Carson City had nothing for him so he would just stay there in Denver. He called the airlines to cancel his flight for later that afternoon but the lines were busy (they did not have internet back then). He fell asleep and when he woke up it was time to go to the airport. Being the responsible person he is, he figured he could not waste money by not using his ticket so he came home. The very next day I met him. He was not popular with many of my family and friends. He did not seem to fit the mold that I dated. I am glad I did not listen to most of the people who told me not to date him. It was not easy for a while. At the time I met him, an old boyfriend who I “loved” very much came back into the picture. He asked me to go out with him but it happened to be the same night that Orey and I were going on our first date. I am ashamed to say I really debated on whether to cancel my date with Orey. I almost did. At the very last minute I heard myself say that I could not but would he contact me the next week. That was the last time I spoke to the old boyfriend. Oh, also, I was dating someone the week before I met Orey. However, my friend Tom was coming in to town and my current boyfriend did not like that I was going to hang out with my friend so he said that we should stop seeing each other for the weekend and I could contact him the following week when I decided what I wanted. Tom came in, we hung out, I went to work on Monday with the intent of calling Roy after work but I met Orey that day when I came in to work. If I were still dating Roy I would never have dated Orey because I did not cheat. Anyway, those are just some of the obstacles and those were just in the first few days. Sometimes I wonder about any of those scenarios and how a different course of action on any of those would have changed my life and where I am at now. I am incredibly grateful that the Lord knew this was the man for me, my eternal companion and the father of my eternal family. What a wonderful man he is. I would not be who I am or where I am without his unconditional love and unwavering support. To say that I love him with all my heart would be an overwhelming understatement!
There are so many other “what if’s” that could be mentioned. The family I was born into, the way my parents raised me, the places we lived, the love they gave me, the friends I associated with (good and bad), and so on.
So, to my Heavenly Father and my brother Jesus Christ, I give my heartfelt gratitude for giving me those things in life with I needed but did not even know it. For loving me enough to bless me so richly with trials, tribulations, love, knowledge, family, friends, experience, and the gospel. I thank Thee.
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