Giving Thanks!

Hi All,
It's been such a long time since I have posted...I miss writing long posts...but fb makes it too easy to stay in touch.  But today I have so much to say...my heart is sooo full with all that has blessed my life.
Today ...and every day ...I am thankful :

For God my Father, thanks goes to Him for all that is good! He has abundantly blessed me and my family this year and always.

For my husband....who is the best partner I could ever imagine.  His desire to make me happy even in the smallest of ways, is so apparent to me.  His love for his family and their well being is always his top priority.

For my children.... Who have given me an abundance of joy...
My Paul and Jenn, and Tim and Sara, and David.  ....They love their family and give back to their community.  They appreciate the gift of life and adore their sister.  And soon.... very soon... one will become a Dad!!
My daughter Sierra...who fills my days with wonder, questions, beautiful artwork, and laughter!

For my siblings......don't ever underestimate the importance of brothers and sisters in your life.  Whether you are 10 or 54....they will be the ones who always have your backs!  ( love you Dave (and Alison) and Beth!)

For extended family....we are so blessed to have the most amazing extended family..my family Scott's family...their families...it goes on and on..love the fact that so many are near by...hate the fact that so many are far away!

For my friends....old friends ....new friends.... friends who have moved away.....old, newly found friends...long distance friends. friends I work with...friends around the corner!.I am thankful for you all..

For our health.......as I get older I so do not take good good health for granted...I have seen way too much.  I am grateful for each and every healthy  day I have!  My prayers go out to all my friends and family who are struggling with health issues...you are in my thoughts!

For my grandbabies...yes  TWO (twin girls) ...  who will be arriving in February via my son Paul and his wife Jenn!!  I can not even express the joy that I feel...longing to hold them in my arms and smell their sweet baby smell!!

For my job...I am loving my work this year as I work with a wonderful teacher and 17 precious kindergartners.  I love the younger kids...they are so REAL!  The days are flying by...a sure sign that I am happy at work!!

And for all the rest...the roof over my head, the food on our table, the doctors who heal us, the servicemen who defend us, the beauty of every single day, the ability to face adversity with Faith and Grace, and the chance to continue to grow,to continue to  learn and to change!!

And I wish for all of you...the same...today and always!  Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless You all!!

 Peaches that grew on our peach tree this year...such an example of God's beauty!

Cicada hunt....

We had been hearing and reading about it for months.  "This year is it!!  The cicadas are coming!!  Seventeen years have past.They will be everywhere.  Your yard will  be  crawling with them!! etc. and etc" Truthfully...I was not that excited about it.  I am not a big bug fan.  Actually I have always said that I would not want to live in Florida...because there are more bugs AND they are much bigger.  So the thought of thousands of cicadas descending on my yard did not make me happy.  Actually I was a tiny bit creeped out about it.  As the temperatures warmed I wondered if the ground had yet reached 64 degrees...the magical temperature....when the cicadas would crawl up through the dirt and into our lives.  I waited...and waited.. Then I learned...they were ...not here in my backyard but "here' as in pretty close.  Scott and I went to the Drs. one day and stopped at a nursery nearby.   I heard what I thought was an alarm going off in the distance...but Scott turned to me and said  "Do you hear them......the cicadas?"  So I waited some more.  A friend of mine, who lives not too far away, posted photos and videos of the cicadas that had overtaken her yard...hundreds climbing on anything over a foot high.  I knew they would soon be here.  And even though I was still a little bothered by the thought..I realized that Sierra was anxiously awaiting their arrival.  She was soaking up any information she heard and told me she really couldn't wait to see if they really  had red eyes.   I knew they were close by but I didn't want to ruin Sierra's surprise when she woke up one morning to the sound of hundreds of cicadas out her window.  So it was somewhat surprising to me when a friend asked me the other day whether or not I had taken Sierra to New Paltz to hear or see the cicadas.  "No I replied...I am waiting for them to come here."  "Kathie" she said,  I don't think they are coming.  They are close by but not right here."  Oh..........and I have to admit.....I felt a tiny bit disappointed.  I mean.... even though I was a little bit nervous...an act of nature that only occurs every 17 years is something to behold.  And it never occurred me that we wouldn't be experiencing it in our very own backyard.  Sooo...... tonight at dinner I got to thinking about the rest of the evening..rainy....maybe a little "boring".  Suddenly I got an idea!!!  Sierra and I would go cicada hunting.  We would drive the 10 or 15 miles to the nearby town that I knew had cicadas.  Her brothers had played a softball game there last night and the bugs were flying all over the place.  I was afraid to wait.. what if we missed it!  How foolish would that be??  So we jumped in the car...in the pouring rain and drove ten miles down the road..  The first couple of places we stopped...nothing...no sound except the rain...no visible bugs.  We drove a few more miles up the road and stopped in a pull off.  I got out and spotted something I knew Sierra would love...especially since it was dead and she could bring it home.  I called her out of the car and she spotted a big, winged cicada with bright red eyes.  She picked it up and put it in the baggy we had brought and then found another one..  A little farther up the road we found dozens of wings...the perfect thing to view under her microscope.  Her "Oh Mom this is an awesome adventure made it all, the rain the mud, the coldness, worthwhile!!" I am sorry I waited a little too long...I am sorry we didn't get to experience this wonder of nature  in our own backyard.  I am sorry that we will have to wait another 17 years to see it again...but I am not sorry that I got to spend an awesome evening with an awesome girl who is the perfect partner for any adventure!!

A Mother's Day to remember!!!

I am so lucky to have my sons close by.  David still lives home and the other two boys each live close by.  They stop by often...but I always love it when they come over on Mother's Day!  Today was no exception.  It was beautiful out...blue sky, warm temperatures and a nice breeze perfect for sitting out on the deck.  So we visited...it was so nice.  Here is a picture of me and my boys ( actually men!!!!) taken at the fire company dinner a few weeks back.  Tim, me, David and Paul.  I am sooo proud of them and the men they have become!

After they left we went to visit Sierra's Mimi.  Since both her Grandma's are in heaven Sierra has a special lady who fills in!  She is amazing and we love her so much!

Next, Sierra wanted to go to the Reservoir.  There is a huge man made lake only about 10 minutes away.  The backdrop to this Reservoir is the Catskill Mountains.  It is breathtakingly beautiful. The road over the dam is closed to vehicles but you can walk and bike ride,  Its probably 3 miles across.  Today the weather was perfect.  Scott and I walked and Sierra rode her bike...it was her first ride of the year!

After Scott took this wonderful photo of us...I was going to take one of Sierra and him.  I had the camera in my hand when I noticed this bird gliding in the breeze.  As it got closer I had a feeling I knew what it was  so I just started shooting.  

When it got directly over my head we could clearly see its white head and tail feathers.  Scott also noticed the fish in its talons.  It was incredible.  Bald eagles are slowly coming back to this area.  

It was  beautiful!

So I agree with Sierra...the whole day got a thumbs up!  I am so blessed to be the Mother of these children.  Thank you God for entrusting me with their care!

Happy 7th Birthday Sierra!!!

Its had to believe our daughter is 7!!  It seems like just yesterday we met the most precious, beautiful 3 year old. But it was 4 years ago on a  January day in 2009.  She entered our hearts then and became ours in every sense of the word.  I can not imagine my life without her.  Its hard to remember life before her.  She has brought so much joy to our family that it's difficult to even express. Her 3 brothers adore her and she thinks the world of them. When people used to ask me why I would want to start all over again at age 50..I told them that as far as I was concern I could never tire of parenting and having children in the house AND I wanted my husband to be a father.  He is amazing.  The bond he and Sierra share is special.  But it was to my side of the bed she walked the other night when she felt like she was going to throw up  "Why? "  I asked her.  She replied  " because Daddy doesn't do well with throw up and I know you don't mind it."  Love that girl!!!  Happy Birthday Sierra!!  I wish for you joy, and abundant blessings.  I know you don't like growing up and getting older but I for one can not wait to see what God has in store for you!!    I will be eternally grateful for being the one chosen to be your forever  Mommy!!
Love you to the moon and back!!!

Pray, please, for Ivy Joy!!!

She is critical.  She needs our prayers.  Her family needs our prayers!!

http://sammonsfamily7.blogspot.com/2013/01/ivy-joy-is-going-to-boston.html

With Mixed Feelings...

Tomorrow is January 2nd.  Sierra and I go back to school.  Both in the same building she as a student...me as a Teaching Assistant.  The same as before......but not really.  It is not the same...and probably never will be "the same" again.  On December 14th in Newtown CT the unimaginable happened. Evil descended on Sandy Hook Elementary School.  We all watched and cried....we all sobbed along with the families that had lost so much.  We returned to school the following Monday and had a safety committee meeting.  I am a member.  We have been working on ways to improve safety in the building for awhile now..but the reality of Newtown...was too real to ignore.  We tightened up security even more...made plans for more drills, more checks and balances, more ways to keep the kids safe.  The district even had patrol cars at the schools in the morning and afternoons.  The week went on.  We began to relax.... a little...not with security but with our minds and our bodies.  The kids began to get excited about the upcoming holiday.  Classrooms were filled with decorations, gifts for parents were being lovingly made, music was in the air.   And then the letter came. ... on Friday....Dec. 21...to our school.  Threatening.....not nice ....911 was called.  Police responded....the school was in lock out...no one allowed in.    Our afternoon, all school holiday sing a long ...canceled.  The children had no idea.  They happily exited the building at the end of the day oblivious to the fact that some sicko just had to go and write that stupid letter.  Probably just for laughs.  But I am not laughing, and the staff is not laughing and parents are certainly not laughing.  School...the place where your child spends most of their day.   A safe place.......but not really....anymore. We have met over winter break to tighten up security even more.  We will have police presence in our building.....for awhile.  We pray that the police can find out who sent the letter......and that will help.  But the truth is....the unthinkable has happened.....and every threat now ...must be taken seriously.  I am glad I work in the same building as Sierra.  I can't imagine how hard it will be for some parents to even send their kids tomorrow....and I don't blame them if they don't.  I am anxious for tomorrow to be over.  To have the first day back under our belts.  To know that we can do this...that we can move forward despite what is happening around us. Oh how the world has changed.....God please help us to  understand.

Dear Sierra..

Dear Sierra,
Today is Election Day 2012.  Not a day I have been looking forward to.  I hate politics.  I hate all the name calling and people bashing and all the lies and promises and the gloating and it all.  I hate it.  But I do love the fact that as a country WE get to pick who our leaders are.  Now it is complicated beacuse the person who wins the popular vote..who gets the MOST votes..may not be the winner... but that is another story.

Tonight at dinner you asked me who I voted for.   I wasn't sure I would tell you..its private I said...people don't have to share...and then I told you anyway.  You asked me why I voted for Mitt Romney and I said because of you.  You looked at me questioningly and I  said I would explain it some day.   I mean how  do you explain abortion to a six year old....

You see Sierra..it was a difficult year for me this year.  I don't fall into one political party or another.  I maybe should...but I don't.  I feel strongly about many issues but they don't fall into one party's agenda or another.  Its hard.....  But this year  I voted in honor of you Sierra...in honor of you and Grace and Izzy and Ivy Joy  and Julia  and Brianna and Mary Elizabeth and all the children we know who joined their families through adoption.  Seven and half years a go Sierra, your birth mother in China found out she was carrying a baby. She chose to carry you for nine months    and then brought you somewhere where you would be found.  Some of the birth Moms may have full intended too keep their babies, some may not have...but they chose to give you life.  Some people may say they had no choice...maybe there was no place to get an abortion...maybe they couldn't afford it.  Exactly my point....they carried you and you were born.  A beautiful, smart, joyful, little girl who will grow up and do great things some day.When I think of what the alternative could have been been...I cry.  You are here because for some reason..abortion was not a choice.  I don't think it  should be.  I don't want ANY of my hard earned money going to fund anyone's abortion,   From the time a child is conceived it is a growing living thing  whose life should be valued not extinguished.  You will here a lot of talk about a women's right...but I care about the unborn babies right...I believe they have a right to be born...its what God believes too.  I am a woman and I am against abortion.

So Sierra...you helped me .  You are a constant reminder to me to value life.  Mitt Romney is against abortion and although he stands for some things I don't agree with, it is enough for me.  I pray for our country as it is so divided.  I pray that we can come together , put aside our differences, work together to become the great nation we should be.  But this year Sierra, I chose life...because of you...
I love you baby girl...to the moon and back...
Mom