Window screens and my Mom

Why is it that every spring when I put my screens in the windows I think of my Mom?  I know...because when I was little I was always her screen helper.  (I use the word "always" loosely Mom)  But I do remember year after year wiping down the screens with her.  I can STILL SEE so vividly my bedroom window, and my Mom talking to me while we wiped down the screens.  I remember the goofy little triangle shaped things we had to use to put the screens into the windows and lock them in.  We were always short at least one for each window, but we made it work with 2-3 of the 4 they required.  The yellow floral fabric on the walls until I was older and then the Laura Ashley pink, balloon curtains...remember it all like a picture.  

Out of one of my windows was the backyard, terraced with woods and a pond.  And out of the other window was my favorite pussy willow tree which we would cut twigs off of in the spring and put on the kitchen table, always.

I need to remember that now as a Mom to 3 little boys, there are memories just like these that the boys will remember when they get older.  Something that probably seemed so little to my own Mom, something she probably just wanted help with...is something that to this day makes me tear up thinking of those happy times with Mom.  

Love you Mom and am loving putting screens in the windows.  

Dreams

You know it's bad when you start having dreams about organizing.  I woke up this morning from a dream where I was trying to get the boys closets organized, and mine, and every time I opened the door to each closet it was a mess again and another pile of clothes was sitting there for me to fold, hang and organize.  Sadly not so sure it was just a dream!  Time to get on top of those closets!

Guess what I am going to work on today?  Cleaning out my closet.   It is something I need to do for spring and it must be bad if it's giving me bad dreams?  

The Best Mom EVER

It doesn't take much at this house to be "the BEST Mom Ever"....

I cleaned out the freezer in the garage to prepare it for spring/summer treats for the boys.   The Schwans man came last night and I stocked up on ice cream and ice cream goodies.  4 different kinds of ice cream, chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, popsicles, dippin dots... 

We drove in from school today and Drew opened the freezer door, and did a little dance in the garage while chanting "you are the best Mom ever" for me.  

They say the key to a man's heart is through his stomach, think it works for boys too.  :)

Happy Birthday to the BEST pie maker EVER...

Scott's parents came to hear him speak at a meeting last fall in Ohio.

Today is my Mother-in-law Letha's birthday, Scott's wonderful Mom.  Happy 79th Birthday!  She is by far the BEST pie maker ever.  I am NOT kidding when I say that.  She has won awards and ribbons for her pies.  Her pies are sought after by every church member in N. Lawrence Ohio.  The men will pay a high price at any church auction for her pies.  I hope to someday master her skills, or at least sort of master them.  She probably has been making pies since she was 14 years old in the kitchen with her Mom and her Aunt Katie, who lived with them.  And when I say they made pies, they always had pies, and several to choose from on their counters.  So she has made 1000's of pies.  No joke.

If you know my beloved Scott, then you know he is a HUGE sports fan.  Well guess who else is?  His MOM!  Not so much his Dad..his Mom is the sports nut in the house.  She loves the Buckeyes most of all.  She follows the Indians and the Browns closely as well.  She follows Scott's High School team, the Smithies as well.  When we were in Ohio for Spring Break we took her to the Smithies regional basketball game, she was more excited than any of the rest of us.  She loves sports.  And I love that about her, and the boys think it is very cool to be able to "talk sports" with Grandma Shisler.

Smithie Game over Spring Break

I have a lot of respect for Scott's Mom.  She has worked very hard.  Scott's Dad was gone a lot when he was growing up, either out in the fields farming or driving his milk route.  She did a LOT of work.  She had a big garden as well.  Scott is the middle of 3 kids, he has an older sister and a younger brother and I can assure you there is a lot of effort in raising 3 kids.  Funny side note...from the time I have known her she was in charge of the church Sr Citizens dinner, which is a lot of people...and I always found it interesting that here she was a Sr. Citizen herself yet she was coordinating this meal and making it homemade.  She has since retired that position to someone else.

Thanksgiving 2007 with sweatshirts she gave to the boys..Go Bucks!

Grandma Shisler makes the best applesauce, best pot roast (sorry Mom), best snickerdoodle cookies, pies, mashed potatoes, zucchini casseroles, cookie dough, squish down cookies, pie crust, apple dumplings, best M & M cookies (right Love?)...EVER!  Don't ever go to her house and plan to lose weight there.

We appreciate you and all that you do....most of all thanks for giving me the Love of my life, Scott.  As a Mom of 3 boys I am sure it wasn't so easy to have given him to me, know he still loves you very much!  :)  Thanks for being supportive of Scott and I, our marriage, our family...we feel so blessed to have been given the parents that we have.  We appreciate the legacy that you are leaving for our boys, your only grandchildren.  We pray that they will always make you proud as they carry on the Shisler name into the next generations.

Happy Birthday...we love you!

How tall?

Tommy had a Dr's appointment today.  The highlight of it was when they measured him.  He was 5'3 " tall there.  He did have his shoes on so we determined they added an inch so that makes him 5"2" he was very excited about that.  Has felt like he was 5'1" for a very long time.  I think at the rate he is growing he will really be 5'3" by the end of summer.  

He has already passed up a couple of my friends in height and a couple of my cousins too.  Watch out to my Mom....he is going to pass you up SOON!

Gentleman Skills

Tonight at dinner

Jack: "Hey Mommy, I am working on my gentleman skills"

Mommy: "Jack that's great, what have you been doing to work on them"

Jack:  "I've been holding doors at school for girls and letting them go in front of me in drink lines"

Mommy:  "Jack I am proud of you, that is so kind."

Jack:  "Yeah Mommy, I know"

Mom's 70th, Benson, Easter, the Farm....

We had a full weekend.  We left early Saturday morning to head to Benson MN, where my Grandma Lu lives.  It is about 2.5 hours from Mpls so it was about a 6 hour drive from here. The boys were so excited.  

We got to Grandma's in time for her yummy, homemade sloppy joes for lunch.  My big brother Mike, Cara, Charlie and Alice were already there as well as my Mom and Dad.  Jack couldn't get out of the car fast enough to see Charlie.  I couldn't help but cry when I saw sweet Alice WALKING!  We hadn't seen them since Christmas which is a really long time it seems.  

Charlie (5) and Jack (6)...the best of friends and cousins

On Grandma Lu's deck with the Terwilligers and Shislers

After lunch we drove out to my Uncle Mick's farm.  It is the same farm where my Grandma Lu lived when we were little so it has this wonderful feeling of home to me.  Although the house has changed, they have added a garage, the horses are no longer there...the land is so familiar to me.  I feel like I am 6 years old again running around in her yard.  I don't know how to explain it but it is such a happy place for me.  I have so many wonderful memories of the farm and Grandma living on it...the cool bottom drawer in the bathroom filled with the most wonderful bath toys, the metal swingset, the smell of her burn barrel, the garden, the barn where the horses once were, the kittens that were everywhere.  I remember playing in the yard with my cousins, running around, playing house, playing in the little pool...it just takes me right back to being a little girl.  Uncle Mick and my cousin Andy got all of the toys out, the 4 wheeler, front loader, gator...all of them and we had a blast playing with them all.

On the farm playing with the toys

That night we had a birthday celebration in honor of March and April birthdays.  We all went out to eat...14 great grandchildren under the age of 12.  It was so busy.  The waitress was so sweet, she was a little older and she just kept saying to me, you have the most wonderful family.  What wonderful people.  You are all so kind.  It has been a pleasure serving you all.  It was so sweet.  She even gave me a hug as we left and as I was apologizing for leaving the room like a tornado just blew threw it.  So much fun.  

Great Grandma Lu and 14 of her 18 Great Grandchildren

Sunday morning was Easter.  After the boys woke up at 6:15 am in the hotel...ahem.  (a little early for this Mom)  We had breakfast with the cousins who were all at the hotel and quick popped over to my Grandma's to wish Mom a happy 70th and sing to her before church.  We filled 2 1/2 pews at church and Grandma Lu was in all her glory.  I could see it in her face...despite the chaos of all the little kids moving, up and down, coloring, whispering, talking, crawling on the floor...etc...she didn't notice a bit of it.  You could tell her heart was so content.  She had 3 of her 4 kids home, she had 14 of her 18 grandchildren in town...her cup was overflowing.  She didn't mind the craziness.  She sat between my Mom and Tommy with one of the most content faces I have ever seen.

All the kids on Grandma Lu's step...looking into the sunshine...

The Shislers, Mom and Dad, and the Terwilligers

We celebrated Easter and our risen King at her house after church.  All of us...thanks to Butch Behrens who catered it and is a good friend of the family, we were able to relax and not think about the food.  We just had fun.  The little cousins all got along wonderfully...the big cousins did too and we had moments to catch up.  6 of Grandma's 9 grandchildren were there.   There was a lot of laughter.  An Easter egg hunt for the little guys, thank you Aunt Sandy for coordinating that effort.  And even some time to celebrate Mom's 70th with yet another cake.  

Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

Me with Sweet baby Alice

Charlie and Poppy in their matching shirts and ties

My favorite from the whole time was little Jack...Mike had Alice and they were walking while we waited for our food on Saturday night...Jack, Charlie and Soren followed Mike out and as they were walking Jack put his arms around the 2 other boys and patted them saying "Good Times...Good Times".  Couldn't have said it better myself.

Good times...

Easter drawing...

 I did ask Jack to draw a picture of Easter morning for me, while we were in church at my Grandma's church Easter Sunday.

This is his picture. Another sweet one.  I asked him to describe it to me this is what he said 

"Mom, the sun is shining because it is a happy day.  The sun stands for happiness.  Jesus has risen and isn't on the cross anymore just his crown is left and the blood marks.  The people are our family, you, me, Daddy and my brudders and we are all happy cuz Jesus died for our sins"

Think that sums it up...

Easter Picture...Wow!

The bunny is coming to our house tomorrow morning...since we will be out of town it seemed easier to do the hunt and have the bunny early.  The thing I really like about that is then on Easter we get to focus on what EASTER is about...Jesus...not the bunny.   But we love the fun the bunny brings.

Jack told me he was going to write the bunny a letter...like we do to Santa.  And this picture is what he made...he told me the following  "Mommy, I want to be sure that the bunny really knows what Easter is all about, Jesus....not chocolate and eggs!"

(click on the picture for a closer view...and note "KING" written at the top of the cross...)

Left me speechless and with tears in my eyes.  

Tomorrow is Good Friday...this picture drawn by our 6 year old says it all.  Darkness, blood, sadness...and Jack's sweet words.  "Estr bune...JESUS"...and on Sunday I am going to ask him to draw another picture for me, of Easter morning!  Can't wait to see it!  Jesus will be out of the tomb, the stone rolled away...He has RISEN, He has risen indeed!