The Birthday Roses

Yesterday Cassidy turned 17! It's hard to believe my baby girl is almost a senior and soon heading to college. WOW! It was a great day. Her first class is seminary. Waiting for her on her desk were two roses, and notes from two of her friends. As the day progressed, she got more roses and more notes in each class. I was amazed at the thoughtfulness of the friend who put this idea all together. Each of the notes was full of love and admiration for Cassidy, and praise for her talents and her example. I doubt any gift could have made her feel any happier. (Not even a new pair of shoes!) It brought tears to my eyes as I read what her friends had written to her. They were all sincere and genuine and straight from the heart. You might think girls can get emotionally about friends, but I was extremely impressed with what the boys wrote. They expressed their appreciation for her Christ-like example, her modesty and her ability to make everyone want to raise their standards a little higher. Mothers, if you ever ask yourselves the question, "Is this worth the battle?" when it comes to clothing, or curfews, or choosing appropriate movies, or steady dating, the answer is a loud and resounding "YES!" It is worth it, and your daughters will be rewarded for their choices. I saw the rewards yesterday in the words of valiant young men who appreciate and respect those choices. To Cassidy, I say, "When I look at you, I see something rare...a rose that can grow anywhere. What makes you different makes you beautiful to me."

98 years and counting...Isn't she lovely!

Today my Grandma Ricks turns 98 years old. Saturday we went to a party to celebrate her wonderful life. It's amazing to me when I reflect on everything that she's done in almost 100 years of living. She went to nursing school with my other grandma. We have called on her for years when we have questions about ailments and injuries. She raised 8 children while living on a farm. She has the greenest thumb of anyone I know and can grow beautiful, exotic flowers. When I was little, she had a field full of every variety of iris on earth. Playing around those iris was like being in the poppy field on THE WIZARD OF OZ. When I went to visit she always let me make and decorate cakes for my uncles, but she would never try them. She's very health-conscious and eats like a bird. When we lived in Lehi, we took her out to dinner and she couldn't decide if it was okay to eat the olives on her salad because they 'would end up on her hips', but she let my dad buy her a milkshake for dessert.


When we moved to Idaho Falls she stayed with Whitney and Cassidy while Phillip and I went to a convention. They got up in the morning to get ready for school and she had left her false teeth in the bathroom ! It freaked them out! Eli loved to visit her at the farm because she always had at least 10 stray cats that she was mothering. She is also one of the most religious people I know. Her example to me is amazing! I hope I can live as long as she has, with a life as full as hers has been. I can't ask for much more than that.

Coolest Mom De-throned!

Just a quick update to let you know even the coolest moms can fail miserably at times. On Monday Eli came home from school with a paper announcing DADS AND DOUGHNUTS on Friday morning from 7-8 a.m. Phillip was so excited when I told him about it and we both made a mental note not to forget it. That's where we got in trouble. (*note to you younger and wiser parents) After age 40 don't rely on 'mental notes' for anything...WRITE IT DOWN! Friday morning dawns like any other day. We get up, we rush around getting ready. Eli eats his daily requirement of two waffles and heads out to the bus stop. He comes right back, looking very confused. "Mom, I think I missed the bus. No kids are out there." I check. Sure enough. No kids. I check the clock. By my calculations, it's at least five minutes before bus time. It's starting to feel like a weird episode from the Twilight Zone, one where all the kids but yours have disappeared. I call my neighbor and asked if the bus came early. "No, but everyone went to DADS AND DOUGHNUTS. Did you guys forget?" (Way to rub it in) Well, you can imagine how it felt when my heart just about broke in two. I ran up the stairs, screaming to Phillip, who was in the shower, "WE ARE LOSER PARENTS! WE FORGOT DADS AND DOUGHNUTS!" Thank goodness I have an understanding son who gave me a big hug and said, "It's fine, mom, it's really fine!" I drove him to school and personally escorted him inside so I could tell everyone why I was wearing a big "L" on my forehead. The principal, who I used to work for, started laughing and said, "Don't feel bad. Yesteday I went to pick up my daughter from school. She came out with tears rolling down her face and reminded me that I had also forgotten DADS AND DOUGHNUTS!" It's a vicious circle, this parenting, but it all works out in the end. Not to mention, it teaches our kids that we are human, and that, yes, playing on our emotions will get them EVERYWHERE. Last night before bed, Eli snuggles up to Phllip and says, 'Hey, dad, what time are you getting up tomorrow to take me out for DOUGHNUTS WITH DAD?" It's all good! I hope they remember that moms and sisters like the blueberry cake flavored doughnuts!