mad man

this is my boy.

my favorite mamas.....

today we celebrate mothers.

in my life, i am touched daily by amazing moms.

i wish i could tell you about the qualities that each one of them brings to my life but since this is only a blog, not a book, i won't.

so, i'll hand pick a few and tell you what i'm learning, everyday from them.

my own mom:

she is one of the most loyal people i know. she loves her family and the Lord like no other. in all my life, i will never be able to thank her for being such an amazing mom. i aspire you be just like her. she is loved and respected by so many and i get to call her my mom. how great is that? i love this lady! 

my sister:

i love how her kids like her. i know that sounds weird but not all teen-age kids like their mamas. the fact that they do, is a great testament to her. her motto in parenting is 'pick your issues'. i'm learning much from that statement. she has taught her kids a great balance between fun and hard work. she is raising unbelievably great kids. when i grow up, i want to be just like my sister. i love my sister.

my bff, kath:

kath is the most patient mom i have ever met. things that would set me off, she handles with ease. she shows more grace to her little ones than most moms. because she's so patient, her kids have learned to be creative and curious. i  love that about kathy.

my girl, tam:

tam is one of the most giving people i know. she has an amazing ability to see hurting people and then does her part in making other peoples lives better by doing the little things. she shows her girls everyday what it means to give of her time. i love this about tam.

my mother-in-law, milly:

if you've met her, you can guess what i've learned from her. she exudes hospitality. i have never met a person who entertains others better than she does. any time of any day you can find a pot of coffee brewing at her house. no matter what she is doing, she'll stop so she can share a cup with you. she cares about people and everyone who walks thru her door feels loved. this is a gift that i wish i had more of. i love this about dear milly.

my sister-in-law lisa:

she is incredibly creative.  she's creative in everything she does. from making their home a place that her kids love to come home to and being creative in her parenting. i love how she has given her free spirit and fun sense of humor to her incredible kids. i love this about lisa.

my sister-in-law, cindy:

i love how cindy gracefully balances her busy work life and keeps her family grounded. this is often a difficult task for us mom, she makes it look easy. i love this about cindy.  

my niece, taya:

taya is one of the most incredible moms i know. she loves her little ones so well. i love to watch how her boys adore and respect her. she finds a way to teach them more about Jesus in every minute, of everyday. i love that about tay.

and to my own little blessings. not a minute goes by that i don't love being your mama & your wife. i know that i am blessed, far beyond what i deserve, by having you in my life. i am a better person because you love me. tonight, before we tucked the boys into bed, i was sitting at the bar (bar stools, not the actual bar. duh) and my dear, gem of a husband, called the boys and had them gather around me. they formed a circle and prayed for me. i have an amazing husband who showed my boys today what respecting their mother/wife means. i love him for that.



These things I wish for you.....

These Things I Wish for you....

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we often made things worse.

For my grandchildren, I'd know better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.

My cherished grandson, I hope you learn humility by being humiliated and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your bed and mow the lawn and wash the car-and I hope nobody gives you a brand-new car when you are 16.

And I hope you have a job by then.

It will be good if at least one time you can see a baby calf born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but-when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared-I hope you let him.

And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along I hope you let him.

I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

And rainy days when you have to hitch a ride I hope your driver doesn't have to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your mom.

If you want a slingshot I hope your father teaches you how to make one instead of buying you a new one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use those new-fangled computers, you also learn how to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get razzed by friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and that when you talk back to your mother I hope you learn what Ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knew climbing a mountain, burn your hand on the stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I hope you get sick when some stupid old person blows cigar smoke in your face. I don't care if you try beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you a joint or any dope I hope you are smart enough to realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and the joy of the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time, when you give her a plaster of Paris mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you-tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness.

-Paul Harvey

precious....

this is my grandma denbleyker. my dad's mom. a few years back, she passed away at 99 years old.

she was a phenomenal woman. i am proud to be called her grand-daughter.

i think this is one of my favorite pictures of my dad and his mama. the day this picture was taken, i remember thinking that i never want to forgot how happy everyone was. we were all together. cousins, aunts and uncles, etc.

this was the last time that we were all together before she died. i'm so thankful for that day.

grandma jean & grandpa ollie.
i believe they were married in 1923.


grandpa arnie and grandma hermina.
married in 1941.

my uncle dave, auntie faye and my pops.

my gramp (on left) & his army buddy.

grandpa ollie, again, in the dress.

this is my dad. dad looks mighty handsome in that suit.

these are my great grandparents, on my mom's side.

their last name is Roon.

we named our baby jack after them.

it's unique and we have never regretted naming him that.

my mom & her grandma.

this is my great grandpa roon. he doesn't look real happy to be celebrating another birthday.

grandma roon making some pretties.

G&G genzink at the beach. that's my mama with the 'i CAN'T believe you're taking MY picture' look. :)

gramp genzink working at his store (The Filmore), near Hamilton, Michigan.

obviously, this was when selling cigarettes was a BIG business.

unlcle dave & my dad & their litter of puppies. my dad's in the red coat.

another sweet shot of my gramp.

sweet. sweet. sweet.

please tell me how AWESOME my pants are.

and what about lori's hair?

and tim's wicked shirt.

and brady's deer-in-the-headlight look.

yup, we're a bunch of lookers alright.

this is my gram. i can't wait to see her in june. she has Alzheimer's. when i was there a few years back, she recognize me AND "the naughty one". that's how she referred to my hub. :) more blogging about this later.

my mom.her sister, jan. her brother, gary.

her dear, precious parents.

be still my heart.

oh daddy dear. i have no words.

just before their 65th wedding anniversary.

my grandma was 90 years old when this was taken!

i love her smile.

mother dear. you couldn't be ANY cuter.

really, you couldn't.

another one of the sweet couple.

gram and mom.

can't you just feel the love??