Happy Memorial Day!

"And I’m proud to be an American,where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."– Lee Greenwood

Today, we reflect on those men and women who have lost their lives in service to our country. May God Bless and keep them.

My Memorial Day weekend included an evening with Alissa and Alan. We relaxed before dinner with margueritas (Yum!) and they served delicious sausage and pepper sandwiches and special mixed green salads.

Their kitties entertained us, and while we watched a movie, we enjoyed rootbeer floats! (Another Yum!) It was a "red letter day" for me as their shy Diego jumped up on my lap and actually let me pet him...a first for both of us! ;-)

And here is Sancho, being playful and cute!
This morning, we met Alissa and Alan, Mike, Corissa and Cailyn for a delicious breakfast at Joe's Farm Grill in Gilbert. The weather was cool at 8:30 so enjoyed the picnic atmosphere!

Here is Cailyn showing her innocent "cuteness"! What a joy she is!!

After breakfast, everyone came to our house for a relaxing visit. My parents joined us at 10:30 and enjoyed seeing their great granddaughter and grandchildren. I put lunch on the table by 11:30 so Cailyn would be home for her naptime. It was a memorable Memorial Day for me!

Happy Birthday Austin!

Several weeks ago, our nephew Austin offered to help us trim some dead limbs from a backyard tree. He came with his chain saw, and before I could get home from work to yell "timber", he had most of the big limbs cut down.

Austin, you have taken the phrase "helpful hardware man" to NEW levels...THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN for your chain saw expertise and hard work! We hope you have a wonderful 23rd birthday today!!

Where's Waldo?

We have a beautiful fish pond in our backyard. Every shovel-full of dirt was dug out of the ground by our family about 10 years ago. Vince was very enthused about the pond-building process. Over the years, we have all enjoyed hearing the trickling waterfall, and watching the koi and goldfish. The problem is that during the spring, the lilypads become very prolific, and then it becomes almost impossible to SEE the fish. Vince cleans the pond filters every week and patiently throws a few fishfood kibbles into the water every afternoon, watching, watching, watching....if we look closely, the lilypads move during feeding time. That tells us the fish are still IN the pond, alive and well. I think we should thin the lilypads so we can enjoy looking at the fish, however, in Arizona summers, the lilypads provide much-needed shade and lower water temperatures. See if you can find Waldo (I mean, the fish)!

My Cats

Our household includes three cats, adopted as orphaned babies, bottlefed by our family, and tolerated by my husband. They are 13 years old now, and thought I would share some "now and then" photos. First is "Pete", short for Peter Pan. He's my "needy-Petey" as I call him, as he "needs me" day and night. He's a "talker" and whiner, but the most affectionate of the three!

Next, let me introduce "Tinker" short for Tinkerbell. She's my "hissy-prissy" cat, as she hisses at her brother and sister, even though they've been together for 13 years! She's a light-weight, opposite of Pete as you can plainly see. Her fluffy calico hair helps hide her skeletal figure! She likes to lay next to me, but NEVER on my lap.
Last, but not least, we have "Baby", short for Baby Kitty. Guess we ran out of names with the 3rd one. Baby arrived 6 months after the first two siblings, and was accepted into the fold. She is my scavenger: a vegetable, fruit & flower-loving cat. Baby is small in stature and has developed an OCD licking/grooming issue in recent years. Probably is a result of being the "baby" with no name...I can feel guilty about this too! She is very sweet and has a very small meow!
Now, down memory lane, you'll enjoy these photos from 13 years ago. My how EVERYONE has changed! ;-)

BLESS HER HEART, our Ginger was such a patient 12-year old Lab with these feisty kitties!
It's hard to believe now that Tinker and Pete used to wrestle and play together!
And here are my three kids with my three kitties in 1997! My how they've grown!!

OUR SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Today seems like a good day to talk about sunflower seeds. (I promise the sunflower theme won't last forever!) Vince and I have been very blessed with wonderful children. As parents around the world will agree, each child is a unique individual, not to be compared with any other. Jennifer, Alissa and Michael, in turn, have married three individuals who have not only expanded our family circle, but have added their own unique personalities. After our grandchild was born, Cailyn Grace is such a blessing to all our lives! (By the way, does this make Cailyn a "grand-seed" or a "seedlet"??) It's always a challenge for parents to "let go" but this should be the goal when raising children. We want our children to have roots, but we want them to know how to fly on their own! The empty nest has been a big transition for me...

Here is our family's photo taken in late March, before Jen and Joe moved to Florida.

WHY SUNFLOWERS?

You might be asking....Why sunflowers? Well, my earliest childhood memories are of life in Kansas. After moving to Arizona in 1960, many vacations were spent in Kansas to visit relatives who lived there. Even though Arizona will always be "home" to me, a little of my heart is still in Kansas. The Kansas State flower is the Sunflower, and I remember fields of sunflowers along the country roads. I have many fond memories: big family gatherings in Kansas, collecting eggs from the chicken coop, picking mulberries in Grandma's backyard, homemade ice cream, lots of card games, riding on grandpa's combine for harvest, watermelon-spitting contests, lightning bugs at dusk, helping bring lunch to the farmhands during harvest, playing hide & seek with cousins, hayrides, jigger bites (not-so-good), finding our families' roots by exploring ancestors' farms and cemetery plots. My grandparents and parents all lived in Wilson, Kansas, home of the Czech Festival, which celebrates the end of the wheat harvest each summer. Lots of bierocks, kolaches, polkas and beer to enjoy! Sunflowers make me smile and remind me of Kansas!

Mothers & Sunflowers

sun·flow·er [suhn-flou-er] /ˈsʌnˌflaʊər/ Show Spelled

–noun

1. Gift of radiant warmth
2. Symbol of happiness, strength and love
   
3. Loyalty and longevity
4. Unique in their ability to provide energy in the form of nourishment and vibrancy
   
5. Their open faces symbolize the sun itself, conveying adoration
   
6. Always turn their face to the sun
   

moth·er [muhth-er]

–noun

1. Gift of radiant warmth
2. Symbol of happiness, strength and love
   
3. Loyalty and longevity
4. Unique in their ability to provide energy in the form of nourishment and vibrancey
5. Their open faces symbolize the sun itself, conveying adoration
   
6. Always turn their face to the sun
   

Sunflowers and mothers are one and the same. Mom, thanks for being our sunflower. We hope you enjoy your new blog. Share your stories, share your thoughts, share your photos. We will always be close by no matter how far apart we are. Looking forward to watching your blog blossom! We are so grateful for all you do...for all you've done...and for all you are. No family could be luckier than ours, because we have you! Happy Mother's Day!

With Love-
Your sunflower seeds :: A&A, M&C, J&J

Happy Blogging :)