BY SOME MIRACLE

FINALS ARE THIS week and I, formerly in anticipation for a carefree night of study, dropped Shelby off with Josh to come home and get as much done as I possibly could in one night. Unable to predict my dis-ease, I have found it harder to focus without knowing that Shelby is peacefully asleep in the next room squeezing tight her Milhouse in pale pink 70's style bird print pajamas, breathing sweetly and softly. Every night before I tuck myself into bed I peek into her room to see her innocence at rest, almost unable to shut the door and turn away from her direction I find myself with perpetual night time butterfly's remembering in that ritualistic moment that by some miracle I am Mother to a Daughter.

OUR VERY SPECIAL bed time poem dedicated from me to her..

A Child's Thought of God

They say that God lives very high!
But if you look above the pines
You cannot see our God. And why?

And if you dig down in the mines
You never see Him in the gold,
Though from him all that's glory
shines.

God is so good, He wears a fold
Of heaven and earth across His
face-

Like secrets kept, for love untold.

But still I feel that His embrace
Slides down by thrills, through all
things made,
Through sight and sound of every
place:

As if my tender mother laid
On my shut lids, her kisses'
pressure,

Half-waking me at night and said,
"who kissed you through the dark,
dear guesser?"

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

INTELLIGENT DETACHMENT

I HAVE BEEN reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' lately and I just cant send enough thank yous out into the universe to Elizabeth Gilbert for publishing her book the year of my divorce. She is brilliant but skips over the use of $1,000,000 words (you know the kind of book that makes you keep a dictionary next to you). As impressive as that is, it is just trying to hard sometimes. This book is insanely entertaining, honest and rather insightful.

On page 173 is a passage that leaped off of the page and slapped me in the face. Leaving behind so many people, things, and places this year, and only keeping around a select few without feeling an ounce of loss or grief for (not all) those tossed relationships. I could understand my own feelings for the need to incorporate this practice into my life, but trying to explain those feelings to others was impossible for me...until now.

"Still, I can see where cultivating a measure of intelligent detachment in your life can be a valuable instrument of peace." "I got to thinking about how much time I spend in my life crashing around like a great gasping fish, either squirming away from some uncomfortable distress or flopping hungrily toward ever more pleasure. And I wonder whether it might serve me (and those who are burdened with the task of loving me) if I could learn to stay still and endure a bit more without always getting dragged along on the potholed road of circumstance."

Now it seems so easy to explain...it is when the need for Peace trumps all.

NAME {?} {!} {.}

WEDNESDAY EVENING I took Shelby down to PetSmart to pick out a fish. She liked the orange goldfish but I liked the bubble free maintenance of a beta, so I convinced her that the bright red beta was SOOOOOO cool! She discussed the matter with Milhouse then collectively they agreed.


After we got home I asked Shelby what she would like to name her new fish(promising myself to accept whatever she would like, I prayed to avoid such names as Nemo and Bubbles) she simply replied..."Name". Granted it was more of a.."name?" emphasis on the question mark or, "name!, because Mom I just repeat everything you say".

Personally, I love it! Shelby has her first fish and his name is....Name!

HONKY TONK BADONKADONK

4TH OF JULY in Prescott!

Dave...mounted!



Sarah, the snails advocate!

TOYOTA!


I realize how unoriginal this is but you cant visit Prescott without photographing the court house.

Just a couple of all American boys.


Fireworks at Embry-Riddle, Bens Alma Matre.

Anthony . Brandon . Me . Ben . Emily . Dave . Daisy


The tightest wranglers in the west! Dance ready Brandon and Ben.

PARADE

Kinda sad..


26TH ANNUAL BOOT RACE

The planets most annoying announcers! We get it - Ariat boots rock, your obsessed with beer and women are complete idiots! Gentlemen..."there's your sign"!

Ben came in second! We are so proud!


Lunch at The Palace, this is the ceiling.

"THE" IPOD / POLITICS / TOILETTE PAPER CREEK / TARP SURFING / CAR CIRCLES / 2 STEPPING...CAN YOU CALL IT THAT? / MAN MULLET, WOMAN? MULLET / VERY GRACEFUL DOGS-A.K.A. DEER / PUNCH THE DOGMAN FOR $50 / SSSHHHH, QUIET! HAVE A PIECE OF CAKE.