Thankful For Flip Flop Fridays

It is good to be back at work.

I'm making a point to participate in Flip Flop Friday today.

The distraction helps.

And it is good to be somewhere all day where there is noise.

The house seems so quiet some days. Too quiet...

Go Crusaders! Our Beloved Mighty Case #6 Is With You!

If I Could Turn Back Time...

When Daniel was five years old, he once said to me, "I am never going to learn to drive."

When Daniel turned 16 three months ago, he was chomping at the bit to get his license.

Two nights ago, Daniel (right) and his best friend, Casey, were in a horrible car accident. Daniel survived. Casey did not.

Many wonderful friends have rallied around our family and Casey's family in the past 48 hours. And many have asked me, "Is there anything we can do for you guys?"

Yes. There is.

Please, if you can, turn back time. To when Daniel and Casey were five years old. Hand me some bubble wrap. Watch as I wrap them both up all safe and sound and lock them in the house where I can protect them and know they are safe at all times...And they will never learn to drive.

Independence Day

This IS It!

Every Fourth of July, it's the same question.

"Waddya doin' for The Fourth?"

"Got plans for The Fourth?"

"So waddya got planned for The Fourth?"

And every Fourth of July, my answer is, and always has been (in order)..."Nothing. No. Nothing."

This year, I am blessed with a three-day weekend. Not working today. Yee-hah! Cleaning. Not working tomorrow, of course, cuz it's The Fourth... but John, as it turns out, is weeding his garden.

Oh.

The Fifth? Yeah, I could use one right about now.

My friend Angie and her husband, Jeff, are taking today to drive to Minneapolis to go shopping. Just a roundtrip to Mpls (no small feat in my book, but no big deal to those crazy kids). They are seizing the day, as it were.

Carpe Diem, and all that jazz...

Vick and Big Lee and the fam are camping all weekend...

Linda and her fam will have the annual Fourth of July/Linda's Birthday (July 5th) cookout extravaganza -- and smack dab on Linda's birthday this year, no less...

Mary will most likely be picking up shells along Myrtle Beach...

Wait! I almost forgot!

We DO have plans...We will be attending the second annual Daniel and Casey Fireworks Display (with adult supervision, of course)...

Just what every mother dreams of...

Teenagers with explosives.

As I contemplate plans for the holiday weekend -- or the lack thereof -- I've decided that the Carpe Diem slogan should be replaced by three little words that truly drive home in a big way the fact that we must make the MOST of each day, that cleaning and weeding can wait...

"This Is It."

Yes, morbidly ironic, isn't it, that THAT was the title of Michael Jackson's comeback tour...I'm sure he figured he had a few more days to dance, to prepare...

Alas, it really was IT for MJ. One day he's dancing, rehearsing. Two days later he's dead.

THAT really was IT!

So it is for the rest of us. Today is IT, folks. Tomorrow is promised to no one.

Can't the cleaning and weeding wait?

Be it the Third, Fourth or Fifth of July, let's make the MOST of "it", shall we?