Rocky James

Rocky James is my oldest grandson and my second grandchild. He is named Rocky for his Dad's father and James for his Mother's father. I call him both names together because it keeps people straight on whether I am talking about him or my husband, his grandfather.

In this picture he is the boy in the back with the sunglasses. He is 15. He has been a light in my life ever since he was born. He has always been my little buddy. Now he's not a little buddy anymore, but he is still by bud. He has kept me awake on many a trip. He is very good at talking and he always asks a lot of questions. I love that about him.

When Rocky James was in Pre-school, they lived in Hiko and I lived in Alamo. He would come down to town on the bus in the morning and they would drop him off at my house and he would stay until time for pre-school, about two hours. Then I would take him to school and he would ride the Kindergarten bus home. I cherish those times. We had some pretty good times together. Sometimes we would go to the store for some groceries and I would buy him a little treat. He would always ask for me to buy one for Crystal, too. He is still thoughtful like that.

Rocky James loves motorized vehicles of any kind. He can talk for hours about 4 wheelers, motorcycles, dune buggies, cars, trucks, etc. He is really bright. He learns all about these things and how they run. It just comes natural to him.

Rocky James is a hard worker. He loves to help his Grandpa, and he is always helping me in the house. He would keep my floor swept when he was just a little guy. He always asks what he can do for me. I love that about him.

Rocky James loves dogs. He had to talk, work, and beg long and hard to get his parents to let him have a dog. They wanted to be sure that he could take care of the dog himself. He practiced whenever he was at our house by taking special care of Ryan's dog, Riggin.

Rocky James is very close to Ryan. They are more like brothers than Uncle and Nephew. They even fight like brothers. But they are loyal to each other.

Funny Story: One of those times when Rocky James was at my house waiting for pre-school he told me that a truck had broke down up by his house. He assured me that his Dad should be the one called to fix it because his Dad can do anything. He wouldn't even need anything to lift the truck because his Dad is strong enough to lift it all by himself.

As anyone could tell, I love this boy. He is one in a million. I love you Rocky James.

Grandma

Crystal

Crystal, the beautiful sixteen-year-old girl in the back, is my oldest grandchild. She is intelligent, talented, beautiful inside and out.

Intelligent: She could read almost before she could walk. She has always been able to read well above her age level. She has read many, many, many books. Her grades in school are excellent.

Talented: She can play the piano beautifully. She plays the flute and is first chair, I believe, in her orchestra. She writes and her artwork is pretty good, too.

Beautiful inside and out: Crystal has always been a beautiful child. Of course, I am prejudice because I think she looks a lot like her Dad, my oldest son, who I think is a very good looking man. But the most beautiful thing about Crystal is her inner qualities. She is quiet, sweet, and a joy to be around. She is fun to play games with. She is always polite and respectful to people. I can't get enough of being around her. She always makes me happy.

One funny story: When she was little, maybe about 3 or 4, she and Rocky James, her brother, were staying with me. They were playing so good, so quiet, when I realized that quiet can be deceiving. So I went looking for them. They were in the back part of my house by the bedrooms. They had found some marking pens, thank goodness they were washable markers. They had written all over the walls and all over Rocky James. Me: Oh dear, who has done this? Crystal: Rocky did it. Me: Oh, I see, I wonder how Rocky was able to write all over his back. Crystal: :).

There is a whole lot I could write about Crystal. I have nothing but admiration for her. I love you sweetheart.

Grandma

My Plan

I came up with a plan for my blog while I couldn't sleep last night. I thought about how this blog is, in a way, a journal for my grandkids. So I thought it would be kind of neat for them to someday come upon this and find a post about them. So, for the next couple of weeks, that is what I am going to do. One child at a time. This may be a wacky idea, but it is my wacky idea. For anyone that doesn't want to read these particular posts, they will be named after the child they are about, so you can skip on by.

It's Over, but it's Not Over

The surgery is over and I am greatly relieved. But what isn't over is the disruption in my life. I am having trouble sleeping tonight. It isn't like me to not sleep. Especially on pain meds. But I am not really complaining. I feel very blessed by how well everything has gone. I am thankful for an attentive loving husband. I am thankful for sweet, concerned kids. I am thankful for my daughter bringing me home and taking care of me. I am thankful to spend some good time with Dalley. I am thankful that I will get to see Luke, Kayce and the kids while I am here. I am thankful that I will get to go home with Shawn, Stina, and Ira. So, the disruption has its perks. I am okay.

A Tribute to the Dad's in My Life

The main Dad I want to pay tribute to today is the Dad to my kids. He is the best choice I have ever made. In two days I will have spent 37 years as his wife. Each year is better. Each year I discover more about him that makes me realize how blessed I truly am. I have been sitting here as he talks to each of his kids on this special day. Words cannot express the love I feel for him in the way he counsels them and tells them he loves them and most of all tells them what terrific parents they are.
This does make me miss my Dad. It makes me yearn to see him and talk to him again. I know that day will come, but right now I have to be patient. I am so thankful for my knowledge of Heavenly Father's plan. And one of the main reasons I do know the things that I do is because of the great man, my father, who taught me all about it. It makes me want to live better so that I can be with him as well as my Father in Heaven and my Savior.
I do not have the gift of expression. I admire so much those who do. But this is my simple heartfelt tribute to the two most important father's in my life.

And the Jury is Out

I have spent the last two days doing jury duty. I won't say that it was fun. Quite the opposite. But I will say that it was interesting. I learned a lot about different things. Like, railroads and how they run and what they carry and a lot of other details., bloodhounds used in police work and how they are trained and how they work, and just a whole lot of other stuff. Yes, I would say that it was interesting, but I lost two days of my life in which I did not live my normal life and did not see or talk to anyone in my family pretty much. Glad to serve, but glad it's over.

Don't Be In A Hurry

Wow. I just read an article that may have changed the way I think forever. I have been feeling confused by the gravity of being "busy". But then I read this:
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "I fear that we may feel the busier we are, the more important we are--as though our busyness defines our worth." And he said, "Being busy is not necessarily being spiritual-for in fact, noise and busyness can actually crowd out the still, small voice of the Spirit."
This article goes on to say that we should not be too busy to remember God, don't be too busy to include Christ in what we do, don't be too busy to meditate and ponder, and to not be in such a hurry to do everything. Of course there is more to be said about all of this. But it did make me think in a different direction than I have been. I was one guilty of thinking that being busy made a person more important or noteworthy. I am now totally sold on the fact that this is not true. I now believe in the merit of taking time to remember, ponder, and pray to God.

What Does Love Have to Do with It?

Everything. Love is what makes us tick. It is what makes us happy. It is what makes us sad. It makes us joyful, it makes us hurt, it makes us content, it makes us reach for the stars. I was just sitting here thinking about how so many times we don't think there is quite enough love left to go all the way around. We are jealous in a way of other peoples joys and achievements. We sometimes think that we aren't as good as those people so we are less deserving. So Wrong. There is more than enough. They can be wonderful, capable, high achieving people and we can still be who we are and be just as deserving. They can have wonderful experiences and it doesn't take anything away from our wonderful experiences. There is no competition with love. I guess I am talking about God's love. But where do all of us get our love from. From God of course.
I am talking to myself here. I have to be reminded. I am way too low on the self-esteem pole. But I am getting better. Because I KNOW I am loved.

I Really Shouldn't

I really shouldn't be blogging today. So why am I? Here is some ideas I have come up with:

1. I feel guilt for not having blogged for a few days.
2. I like to write things down when I am sad or scared.
3. I need to be validated.
4. All of the above or none of the above in which case it would be "I don't know."

Why shouldn't I be blogging. Because I don't feel good. I don't have anything uplifting to say. Or really of any interest. I am BLUE.

I can't seem to shake this BLUE feeling.

Do I know why I am BLUE. I think so. I am facing a surgery in two weeks. Only minor surgery. Nothing to worry about. But I am a control freak and this is way out of my range of control. I will be out of control of my house, my yard, and my job. I feel like I will be out of control of my entire world.

And to top it all off I feel like a WIMP. This is nothing to worry about. This is going to better my life in the future. But still........
And then there is the money. It is going to be a small financial burden until it is paid for. Therefore the stress.

Now the question is: Do I delete this post or not. Is it of any value in the future which is what this blog is all about, a type of journal.

Maybe it will help. Maybe I will keep it. Maybe I will delete it.

NOTE: If you are reading this, it didn't get deleted.

Picture of the Twin Tornados

Just thought I would a picture of the little ones. I love the looks of pure joy on their faces!

Twin Tornadoes

Have you ever seen two tornados running side by side and coming your way? I have. This weekend I had these twin tornados running through my house constantly. They are only about 2 feet high and have very blond hair, both of them. They even have names. L.E. and Dalley. They are so cute together but they leave a mess in their wake. But, oh how it does my heart good to see them so happy and to see them truly love each other. They did not fight even once. They couldn't wait to see each other each morning. In fact, L.E. woke Dalley up on Monday morning because she couldn't wait. When they went for a walk down to the field, they were holding hands. It was so cute. I've heard of cousins that are really close growing up. I've always thought that would be cool. Well, these two look like that is where they are headed.