Stephenson Family Ties

Here's what I think now: At first you fall in love.

You wake in the morning woozy and your twilight

is lit with astral violet light.  You spelunk down

into each other until you come to possess some

inner vision of each other that becomes one thing,

Us Together.  And time passes. Like the forming

of Earth itself, volcanoes rise and spew lava.  

Oceans appear. Rock plates shift.  Sea turtles swim

half the ocean to lay eggs on the mother island;

songbirds migrate over continents for berries from 

a tree.  You evolve- cosmically and geologically.

You lose each other and and find each other again.

Every day. Until love gathers the turtles and the 

birds of your world and encompasses them too.

from: Driving Mr Albert

by: Michael Paterniti

The stars aligned, the rain clouds departed and the sun shone warm and golden and Mothers Day became practically perfect this year.  Sure we were missing a few kids..but phone calls were the next best thing to filling in the void.

I cant remember the last time I've ever been completely taken by surprise.  But Saturday night it happened...a joyful, glorious surprise.
Seeing Joe and his whole beautiful family walk into the restaurant where My Builder and I along with Brian and Mericar were enjoying a delicious meal together was a most delightful surprise!! It was the very best kind of surprise!!  And then the fun really began....'cause painting primer on a million cabinet doors just wasnt quite fun enough was it Bri and Mericar!!!??  Getting a tiny home ready for their move in date is becoming quite the push.  But I'm so, so grateful that I can help..really I am.

Watching the kids swim at the hotel, going to church on Sunday morning with B&M and Anna and David and the kids and receiving a chocolate candy bar was just the beginning.
Having everyone come to our tiny home was wonderful and a little daunting...would we all squeeze in!!!??. There was art at the kitchen table and nap taking and kid shows to watch and newly planted flowers to yank out of the ground. (dear dear Beckham oh how we LOVE you!!!)  There was food to eat and an RC truck to race up and down the road and then the most satisfying  springtime walk along the Logan River.

 Life has gotten in the way for Joe...he may not even remember what a great artist he once was..and probably still is...but it looks as though Beckham will be following in his footsteps!!

I estimate that a 100 rocks were hucked into said river. What is it about bodies of water and boys and rocks?!!

The frogs sounded as happy as I was that the sun had returned after our 5 days of rain. Croaking chorus'es of frogs were singing to us all along the trail. David was determined to catch one of them to show to all the kids. So he rolled up his pants, hopped the fence and waded in!! (Anna was convinced that he was'going to 'catch' more than a frog from the muddy marsh...like a parasite or something worse. Oh sweet Anna...whose daughter are you anyway?)

He was a beautiful little reptile...who withstood much mauling by tiny little hands.

 Ben isnt afraid of reptiles, NOT AT ALL...he kept trying to give them a kiss!!

Brian and David also caught a little garter snake for the kids to see and touch..much to Natalies dismay.

I gathered some simple wildflowers to brighten my countertop.  Oh how I love buttercups.  They remind me of my childhood, and living back east.  Did you remember that holding  a buttercup under your chin can determine whether you like butter or not?  If you see a reflection of yellow on the underside of your chinny chin chin you love butter!!!

 (Is Anna walking with Jesus!!!??)

Oh what a glorious day!!!  My kids..and their kids, and their wives and husband, bring me such joy!  My pride in them  knows no bounds!!