"Sniffle"

Dillon was invited to attend a

Leadership Conference at The Homestead.

I am sniffling ... Why?
Well, he is my baby.
Is he really old enough to go overnight without ME?!

I guess so.
He almost as tall as I am and his feet are bigger.

But I don't like it.

Sigh. Sniffle.

Flashback Friday

Let flashback to Easter...

Every year Grandma and Grandpa Johns

have an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids.
Parents are responsible for hiding the eggs of their own children.

For quite a few years we haven't had to worry about hiding Tyson's eggs. The only worry is for Tyson...
trying to FIND his eggs.

The Uncles take great pride in hiding his eggs to see if theirs can be the one to never be found.

Call it "Young vs. Old"
Call it "Boy vs. Man"
Call it "I THINK I know it all vs. I DO know it all"
Call it "Ugh! vs. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Call it "Hutchins vs. Johnson"

Call it whatever you like as long as you also call it...
"Tyson, the oldest, is the last one to find all his eggs."
(and he requires help at that)

Uncle Jared put forth a good effort this year.
(Are you seeing a pattern here with Jared... hummm.)



Wondering how Jared climbed out of that window? Getting out was easy... getting back in?
Not so much!
Notice the blue sky above the egg. Would that imply that there is nothing but sky above? ... ummmm, yes.

The action and danger brought the whole family out front to watch.
"Don't YOU ever get up on Grandma's roof!" was spoken by parents all around and heard by every
grandchild present.





Ty fit in and out of the window a little easier than Uncle Jared. However, he was MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more nervous.

Did we mention Grandpa needs new shingles? Yeah, a little
slippery up there.





Winner for
"Tyson's Best Hidden Egg of 2009"
goes to Uncle Jared!


Winner for best hidden egg of LAST YEAR...
not sure who to award it to
but Grandpa found it...

THIS YEAR!



Peek around the corner and smile for NOW Humm-a-roo-ski...
your day is coming!

I'm thinking we'll turn Tyson
loose on your hiding.
Oh, it will be fun to watch ... so fun!

He Doesn't Do Dairy ... ??

Mother's everywhere know the main rule of thumb...
Do not give your children dairy products
until they are at least 1 year old.

My little sister-in-law has obediently obeyed...
then came Uncle Jared.

All day everyone had asked permission before giving Lincoln anything to eat... not Jared! He jumped right in and gave him, of all things,

ICE CREAM!

You may think this screaming is from the brain freeze that can come from

ICE CREAM ... no. It is from the fact that Jared felt a little guilty and tried to take it away.

Feeling so sad for the little guy, we all (30 of us) hollered to let him have it back. We figured if there was going to be damage it had surely already happened.

The evening ended with

Lincoln being happy.
Now Mommy Emily ... ummmm, not so sure.

The Saddest Day of My Life

Sometimes I think it is good to remember the saddest day of your life. It helps reminds us on bad days that we've had worse... and we've made it through.

The saddest day of my life came

9 years ago today.

---------------------------

Nine years ago today I first saw these tiny feet...

I've looked them every day since, for they sit on the shelf beside my bed. They are right by the pictures of Tyson and Dillon.
They belong to our "Baby Boy" ... that is his name.

He was born unexpectedly early 9 years ago.
He was old enough to be delivered ...
Old enough for us to hold him and take his picture...
Old enough for us to count his 10 perfect fingers and toes...
Old enough for us to miss him when we had to say goodbye.


Sadly though, he wasn't old enough for us to bury him...
Not old enough to have anywhere to go for solace.

In my effort to find a place, I was guided to
this box...
My broken heart is stored here, along with all the things that belong to "Baby Boy". It is kept up high in my closet and comes out now and again. It came out a lot at first, but not so much now. However, it came out today... and today I smiled.

So much has happened since I filled that box.
A lot of sadness, a lot of fear, a lot of unmet dreams.
But alas, a lot of PEACE.

---------------------------

Two other little boys were born within days of "Baby Boy". Each belonging to one of my brothers. At the time I thought my heart would burst if I dare look at either of them. I had bought each of the 3 babies the same little gray bear. I feared to deliver the 2 as I tearfully placed 1 in the box. Somehow, I did it. I know the Lord helped me.

Yesterday one of these boys spent the morning of his 9th birthday at our home. His face doesn't bring me sadness anymore, not one bit ... only joy. As I looked at Coy conked our in the car holding his new bat while wearing his new helmet and gloves, all I could do was smile.

I realized the heartache of 9 years ago
has long since been replaced with
PEACE.

---------------------------

I celebrated my birthday last week on the 18th. I didn't remember until today, while looking through the box, that 9 years ago on the 18th was THE DAY I learned "Baby Boy" no longer had a heart that could beat.

I was reminded how the usual joy filled birthday cards had been replaced by one's of sympathy ... just what I needed then.

9 years ago, I didn't think I could ever celebrate my birthday again and feel happy. However, we celebrated just yesterday... happily.
I, again, realized that the heartache of 9 years ago
has long since been replaced with
PEACE.

---------------------------

As I look back 9 years ago today, I can clearly see myself. I was so angry with the Lord. I remember telling him that one day as I screamed at Him from my living room.

Then, just as clearly, I remember the feeling I got as my screaming turned to sobbing ...
and eventually to
PEACE.

Today is a very different day from that of 9 years ago.
My tears are not coming from a broken heart...
but of a heart that knows The Lord loves me.


I became very sick just 4 months after "Baby Boy" left me. If he had been allowed to stay with me, I could not have taken care of him. Heavenly Father knew...
and now so do I.

He is sweetly taking care of "Baby Boy" for me... for now. He is not even mad that I screamed at Him.
He loves me anyway.

He's been the one to
lead me, guide me and walk beside me
until I could find my way to ...
PEACE.

Today I am there.

American Idol

Kris Allen...

Proof that nice guys
really can finish first!

YAY!!

The Chocolate Calculator

Don't tell me your age,
you probably would tell a falsehood anyway.
But the Hershey Man will know.
He'll know because of
CHOCOLATE MATH.








Want to see?
Don't scroll down first, just answer the questions in order.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 .... If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number.
The first digit of this was your original number.
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week.)
The next two numbers are YOUR AGE!
(Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

Wishful Wednesday

Is 13 to young to... fall in LOVE?
Most definitely, YES!
But it is the perfect age to...

WISH!

June didn't show!

I'm happy to announce that "June" didn't show up to church on Mother's Day Sunday!

Instead the speaker provided me with a
"Light Bulb" moment.

He made this simple statement:
"My mother was 'The Perfect Mother'
... FOR ME! "

I smiled, then winked at my cute husband
and thought
"Maybe MY children don't need fun hikes on summer days or a hot breakfast served every morning.
Maybe what MY children need is someone to keep score
at all their baseball games."

If so, that makes me "the perfect mother"
... FOR THEM!
(just call me "June")

I'll bet you're the
"Perfect JUNE"
for someone too!

Maybe Tomorrow...

I can't bring myself to do much of anything today.
It's due to the fact that my son has a broken heart...
therefore, mine is broken too.

Saturday was the first round of the Baseball State Tournament
We'd earned the home field advantage. It was truly

A BIG DAY in a SMALL TOWN.

The excitement of Tyson hitting 2 Homeruns
was overshadows by the loss of 2 close games
and the season coming to an end.

We will forever love the seniors boys who lead this team to believe they could do ANYTHING. They came together and formed friendships that will last far beyond today or tomorrow... but will last forever.




Thanks to Coach for a great season.
He made this team into a FAMILY
and we love him for it.

Thanks to his sweet wife
for giving him to all of us.

As hard as today is...
I hope that someday these boys will realize that
THEY were THE ONE'S
to put Cowboy Baseball
back on the map!

THEIR efforts
will change things in this small town for years to come.

I'm proud of you Tys.
And to Ryley, Benji, Alex, Jake and TJ ... Thanks.

Mother's Day ... ugh!

So I'm just going to come out and say it...
I DREAD Mother's Day!
I dread it so much that yesterday, after I went shopping in preparation for the event, I landed myself right in bed with a
MIGRAINE
(not a common occurrence for me)

I can't really pinpoint why I feel the way I do but I have a pretty good idea of what contributes to the all around attitude of DREAD...

Accomplice #1 ... CHURCH
That dang June Cleaver! I thought she was dead but alas, the speaker on Sunday will assure me that she is not. I'll hear that she (June Cleaver) was actually the mother of said speaker, "The Perfect Mother". You know her... the one who serves a hot breakfast every morning, provides fun hikes on summer days and always says the right thing at the right time. She is so WISE and PERFECT. I can't stand June Cleaver!

And there I'll sit. The mother who serves unhealthy pop tarts each morning, has never hiked a single trail in the 17 years I've been a mother and am so far from perfect ... I can't even go there.


Accomplice #2 ... My MOTHERS.
Oh, how I love them both (mine and Jeff's). They each deserve a whole day where they can enjoy the children they've raised. However, it's impossible! They must share the day with one another and there simply isn't enough time. If I made the rules there would be one day dedicated to each ... they deserve it. No, let's say 3 days. I deserve it too. Right?


Accomplice #3 ... hummm...
Perhaps it's the true problem. These 2 little hands and 2 little boys look at me from my bed every day. However, the reality of them has slowly passed by right before my eyes and I miss them.
They are now grown and gone are the days of homemade cards and handfuls of wild flowers.

So, back to the reality of yesterday.

As I lay there, I believe the Lord looked down sympathetically
on my pathetic self.
Me... the one with the rice pack over my eye
(wishing I could literally pull the thing out of my head)...
Whimpering at the thought of any light sneaking under my door...
Sick to my stomach, yet starving to death...
BEGGING FOR MERCY!

He heard me, as he always does...
He sent help...
Not just the mercy I'd asked for...
But the kind far better...

TENDER MERCY

The kind to take away the DREAD.

A handful of wild flowers. Lovingly and quietly set beside my bed. They were in a glass from the kitchen. Just like days of old.
I found out this morning that a 13 year old boy left them there.
My 13 year old boy.


A handmade Mother's Day card was handed to me so it wouldn't get lost before Sunday. The note inside was short but perfect. Just like days of old.
A 17 year old boy handed it to me before he turned in for the night.
My 17 year old boy.

A man returned from his business trip and told me I didn't have to go to church on Sunday... Oh, I'm just kidding! (Can you tell I'm smiling now?) But he did tell me he would cover my Sunday School lesson.
My (over) 40 year old boy.

Somehow I'm all better now.
No headache... No Dread.
Just thankful for MERCY.
It usually shows up when we least expect it
yet when we need it the most.

Slammin' It Again

Believe it or not...
life around here is not all about GHS baseball.

We are attending other games...
LOTS and LOTS of other games.

Hummer is participating with
The Slammer's
Super-League team again this year.


Maybe I shouldn't say he's "participating"
a better word would be "living".
Yes, he is LIVING with The Slammer's.

Hey... if he's not "technically" living here,
I can't feel sad for the amount
of time he's away from home!
(4-5 games a week... ALL in Salt Lake)


They just pulled out their first win of the season!
Hummer came through with a beauty of a double!
Way to go HUMM!

The Lord Works...

in mysterious ways!

Two long days after THE BIG GAME
the Grantsville Cowboys are

REGION CHAMPIONS!!

It's a very confusing turn of events but one if which, I believe
all the teams involved had the opportunity to play to the
best of their ability.

Morgan against Grantsville
Grantsville against Bear River
Logan against Grantsville
Bear River against Logan
(We love you Bear River!)

Thank you for your sincere words and prayers.
I love you ... thanks for loving ME!

Please know that I KNOW Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. He cares about EVERYthing we care about. Believe me when I say... if he cares about baseball, he also cares about the things you are caring and worrying about.

Coach Anderson left all "The Pray-ers" a message in response to the "Is this Prayer Appropriate?" post:

"The Lord does work in mysterious ways. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. The Cowboys became Region Champions, unfortunately, not on this day but two days later when Bear River upset Logan. We do have a good group of boys and they deserve everything they are getting. Thanks for all the support. Please, KEEP PRAYING FOR THE COWBOYS."

-Coach Anderson

CLICK HERE to check out THE TEAM BLOG, it's quite exciting!