Please Hum the Following: Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.

There is shopping on the beach. Only trouble is that I don't have money to spend. Recession, smession. Oh and politics, both sides are fanatics about this election. I think we are going to see the biggest voter turnout ever. I'm thinking of a scripture. $5.00 to the first person who guesses it. (There is irony there, look harder.. read it again...). I feel the need to say some thank youse. (i know how I spelt it, it made me laugh... and spelt is a word.. look it up. I've won that battle before. It's how the British spell spelled.)



Back to thank yous.



First, Mom and Dad. You have taught me about family, and how to stay together through any trial. How you pull out all the stops to help support, uplift, lighten, for family. Which is crazy, because our family is so busted up. Brent, Carol and I couldn't be any more different in every aspect of our lives than we are now. We may be busted up, but you keep us together.



Carol..



I love you, and I don't call you enough. I am sorry. A friend here says I have a lot of confusion in my life . I do that to myself. I don't even want to talk to people because I don't want to deal with my part of a conversation. I don't even trust my interpretation of the events occuring right in front of my face. I've been so wrong so many times. But you keep being a big sister to me. You keep in touch. Thank you so much for that.



Cady...



I know this is supposed to be thank yous, but I have some advice for you too. Grandpa once told me to stop looking in the mirror and look out the window. I learned what that meaned (sic) when I had you and your brother. I never knew what love was until I had you both. I will thank you in advance for giving me three beautiful grandchildren. Thank you for making sure that they were raised to love themselves, and love others.. Thank you in advance for teaching them the most important lessons in life. It says in the scriptures , "Greater love hath no man than lay down his life for his friends.". Well, I think a woman does that. She sets aside her life, for the life of her children. Satan would tell you that you are missing out, that you should be out having fun. You have been taught that there is a difference between fun and joy. I hope you find joy in your life. It is something that you have to look for, it never comes and finds you. What finds you is sadness, sorrow, remorse... but those can't get you if you are searching for joy... Find it for yourself and for your children....



Glen...



You make me see the ridiculous in my life when I look at it through your eyes. The only question is why I don't change things.. You probably can't understand that... Your sister does a bit... But I know you can't... It's not what you think though, and you don't have to be scared about being a father. Children change a man for the better. Some men.. and I know you, and you are a good man. So don't worry too much about that hair-trigger temper of yours... Only a good man would worry about the things you worry about. So what thanks do I have for you? Thank you for changing me. You were my first child. The first time I experienced a parent's love was when you were born. On the day you were born, I set my life aside. (I took it back a time or two... usually over the summer, when I didn't have children.) I am sorry for the mistakes I made, and I have made some doosies that have a/effected you, but thank you for coming to be with me as crazy as it was, and thank you for making me a better person. When I close my eyes, I see you as a tiny 2 year old, with that big curly hair....



Lauren...



Thank you for loving me. Swimming upstream in our post-divorce froemming pond... Thank you for being a friend... You are an amazing person. Annoying at times, but amazing... I hope you have the most amazing wedding, marriage, family, life.... I would say (in the Galaxy Quest alien voice).. You are our only hope, but we still have Kirsten.



Adam...



I keep trying to nail you in your shanangins that you pull on your father, over and over again, but you are a slipperly little devil. I have sold you short a couple of times or a hundred or so., but I think we have experienced a bunch of the same things.. We have that in common. Thank you for the lessons you have taught me. Mostly, the moat/beam lesson. I have to learn that over and over again with you. I keep trying to nail you for stuff I do... We both do it for the same reasons, so why? I don't know.. but thank you for that.



Kirsten...



You are the angel sent from heaven to heal my broken heart. It was broken before you came, and you have shown me that I can grab my tummy and go "Ha, ha, ha. Ha ha ha." I love your tennacity, and strenght. Hold to the rod... Let's figure out how to do this together.



Anyolina..



You were the whole reason this started.. I really wanted to write you a letter of thanks for what you do for our daughters... I felt so much appreciation for you during your talk tonight about Girl's Camp. I wanted to tell you thanks. No, not thanks, but thank you. You are an amazing woman, and I hope we get to work together again. My goodness together we could change the world. I wish you were awake right now, I would call you and talk to you. Can we do a girl's day? I think November 11th is a holiday from school. I have the day off from the ballet studio, and I will tell Cady that I can't babysit for her. Can we do something? Even if it is to work on your house. Can we spend the day together?



Barb, Debbie , Brian and all my sister missionaries....

I have to get back to you.... It's late and you will have to be volume 2.