Senior Prom

How did it happen that Chris is on the end of his high school experience?  Senior Prom was last weekend.  SENIOR!  Sigh.  

He made his own corsage this year - his first flying completely solo.  I didn't help him much with last fall's Homecoming corsage either, but I wasn't even there when he made this one.  He did a fine job.  He calls the flower... a flower.  But all the other bits of frippery - ribbons, small flowers, beading -  is "garbage."  Little insights into a teenaged boy's mind.  He chose great garbage and arranged it well, didn't he?  He was not disappointed to have an excuse to run to the store and get a new tie.  All good-looking: the corsage, and the tie.  But especially this handsome boy who isn't fond of having his picture taken!

Mission Monday

Every week, I send a regular letter to my missionary sons, and one additional email with the question of the week.  This is my (sometimes vain) hope to get a better feel for customs of the country, health issues, personal questions and other things I just wanna know.  That way they don't have to answer a slew of my questions, just one a week.

This week's question was about how we learn things from difficult situation.  I asked Ben what he had learned last week.  His response was thoughtful, and has made me and Trent both examine some of our own attitudes.

What I learned this week is that you can do anything. We taught as many times this week as I did in my best week in Fort Dauphin and had a Fort Dauphinesque amount of people at church too. It just takes a good attitude and lots of work and you can do crazy things. I love it. Like it's not all about the stats, but there's this terrible mindset in my mission that the work goes way good in fort d, toliara, and mahajanga and everywhere else it's not super great, and because they have that mindset, that's what they get. But it's not true. I love that.

His letter this week was short, but enough for my mother-heart. You can read it on his blog.

Grandma Lucy

My maternal grandmother, my mother's mother, passed away when I was 5.  I don't remember much about her except a sweet powdery smell and the way she bounced me on her knee and sang,

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross

To see a fine lady upon a white horse.

With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,

She will have music wherever she goes!

Then she would make me sway on her knee as she exclaimed, "Whoa, horse!"  I've jogged my own children on my knee countless times, reciting this same little song.  I love that I have a piece of my grandma that I can pass on to them.

A few months after Grandma died, Grandpa found a new sweet lady and married her - much to the surprise of his children!  She became my Grandma Lucy and we loved her.  She taught elementary school, and I thought she had a treasure trove in her downstairs closet because she had so many books!  They lived just up the street from us and I loved to spend hot sticky afternoons in the cool of her basement, lost in the dusty pages of her wonderful books.  She was always so good to us, and we never thought of her as a step-grandma; just Grandma Lucy.

Grandpa passed away 10 years ago, just the month before Jay did.  In the past few years, Grandma Lucy has gotten more and more frail.  A few weeks ago, she too crossed the bar.  We miss her happy smile, but we are happy for her.

The family has been cleaning out her house, and I found this stack of old school lunch trays there.  They were so cheerful, their pastel shades sweetly thinking back to a simpler time.  Just looking at them made me happy, and reminded me of Grandma Lucy.  Thanks for loving me, Grandma.  I hope I can encourage little children around me half as well as you did!

General Conference

We enjoyed watching General Conference last weekend.  Sometimes we make a big party of it, with an all-you-can-eat buffet of mostly indigestible food and conference games for the small fry.  This year we just sat around and watched.  So lucky to be able to see it on the big screen instead of having to... you know... get dressed and all.  We are so spoiled!

I was taking notes and Georgie came over with his "whatcha doin'?" face on.  I showed him that I was writing down the things that I liked best because they would help me to become a better person.  Next thing I know, he was asking for a paper of his own.  I tore one out of my notebook for him, and got him a pen.  Unprompted, he wrote:

"The things that Jesus said"

Through the next few talks, he wrote down a few things and I was impressed with his sober nature.  He's a deep thinker, that one.  It will be fun to watch him grow!

Welcome Home!

He's back!  I can hardly believe it's been two years already.  I wasn't sure what to expect when we saw him, but it's been good to have him back.  He looks older, more confident and sure of himself.  It's been fun to see him smile and the dimple in his cheek.  

Some of his aunts and uncles came over the house to welcome him back.  He actually wasn't home very long before he was already off again.  This boy knows where he is going and has a plan to get there.  He had an appointment with the drivers licence division to renew his lapsed licence.  After that, he has freedom (as long as he can borrow my car!).

After he came back, he sat and told stories to his uncle and aunt, who have spent time in Africa themselves.  It was fun to hear his experiences.

I sat and watched as he visited with his brothers.  Makes my mother-heart happy to see him.  I was struck by some of his mannerisms - just like his dad!  I wasn't expecting that, and it took my breath away for a moment.

Welcome home, my first-born.  Whether you know it or not, your mama will always love you.  

It does my mama-heart good to have most of this crew back together again, even if it is for only a moment before the older ones go their own ways.

Now, on to your next adventures!

Science Fair

I'm sitting in a large high school auditorium,  listening to a very dynamic announcer read of the names and awards of state science fair projects. The kids here are in junior high and high school,  so many of the projects are over my head.  I don't even understand all the words in their titles!  A huge amount of research and hard work go into these science projects.

Chris and his friend have already won a specialty award from NASA.  I'm impressed with the depth and and scope of their research,  but I can't sum it up for you very easily.

Chris has such a brilliant brain,  and his thoughts are progressive and well ordered. I'm so peeps of him!   I'm sure I don't tell him that enough, but it's hard for a mom to say mushy things like that to a teenage boy without eye rolls and embarrassment. But I am proud of him, and impressed with how he is growing up.  He is graduating this year,  but I'm not sure how that happened.  He will find his own place in the world,  and do well at the things he throws his heart into.

And now I'll quit,  before we all die of mortification.   Love you,  buddy!

Mission Monday

I wrote two letters to my missionary boys this week - for the last time.  It's hard to believe that Alec's two years has come to an end,  but he really will be home this week.   I'm pinching myself. 

I know he won't want to stay home once he gets here - what motivated young adult would rather stay home and be bored over getting out and on with their life?   But I'll enjoy just sitting back in the corner and seeing him interact with everyone.

I've missed his self-assured confidence,  his loving tenderness with our small fry,  and his mischievous dimple.  He reminds me so much of his cheerfully brilliant dad.  I've been blessed to be surrounded by such amazing men.

The blogs:  Madagascar and South Africa.