have you ever?

this afternoon after my big last day of bowling for the season...then running errands all afternoon...i came home, was on the computer...and then basically crashed on the couch for a little nap...that was at about 4 pm...next thing i knew the phone was ringing at about 6:20...answered...woke up some more...thought, where are the kids...i'll just watch some tv until they come home....about 2 min. later i realized that i needed to be at the church...RIGHT THEN!  uh oh...i was dressed in a flash...out the door...luckily had good traffic to westlake...and made it by 10 to 7!! in time to put my decor up and help a bit...and luckily was there to say the closing prayer!!  lucky for me that phone rang!!

tv

so, in between my daily 'life'..i've been catching up on all the shows that i missed while on our trip...so, i've been 'off the grid'....i had to be caught up for the final shows!  a few i've been watching....24, it will be so sad when jack is gone forever...lost...the same for them, although, i won't be quite so mixed up! glee will still be there to cheer me up...and modern family for some laughs...so a few more days of questions...then summer where it's hard to find something to watch...

mothers

Today is Mother's Day...and i had the best mother ever...my sister marty wrote a some wonderful thoughts about her here, she is always in my heart...i love her so much and think of her daily...i also have a daughter and daughter-in-law that are fantastic mothers themselves...i am so proud of both my kelly's...they are raising darling kids...they are in that busy, busy, never have time for anything stage...but, they do it beautifully...my hats off to both of them...i know how hard it can be...but, the rewards are the fantastic children like mine....so, on this day, i'm so blessed with the different mother's in my life...love you all...

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing. 

 ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother."
-- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

• Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth.
  • - Erma Bombeck

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life."
-- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

“No influence is so powerful as that of the mother.”
-Sarah Josepha Hale

“Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” -Marion C. Garretty

"Motherhood is the greatest potential influence in human society. Her caress first awakens in the child a sense of security; her kiss the first realization of affection; her sympathy and tenderness, the first assurance that there is love in the world. Thus in infancy and childhood she implants ever-directing and restraining influences that remain through life."
- David 0. McKay

Always be nice to your children for they are the ones that will choose your rest home.

Phyllis Diller

Have a great Mother's Day!

wrap up....

i've been home now for a few days...trying to get over jetlag...read all my mail...unpack...all those fun things that you have to do...but, i keep thinking about the amazing sights i just saw...and to wrap up our trip, here are a few thoughts...what gorgeous country is in africa...it's huge, alot of empty land..the parts we saw had alot of bush, trees, and alot of water...the water in mozambique in the ocean was unreal...what a beautiful color of turqouise...victoria falls was unreal...so much water everywhere!!..we also saw  the most amazing animals there...we saw a pack of wild dogs, a coalition of cheetahs, a troop of baboons, a herd of elephants, a pride of lions, a journey of giraffes, an implausibility of gnus, a pod of hippos, a crash of rhinos, and a dazzle of zebras....those are pretty fun, aren't they?...we also saw huge swarms of insects,and maybe waaaaaay to many spiders, which are everywhere!!!  a flutter of butterflies, a host of sparrows, a company of parrots, a mustering of storks, a convocation of eagles, and a committee of vultures...we were also able to meet some of the nicest people...they trully made us feel welcome in their country...it's always so interesting to talk and learn about another culture and country...it's fun to eat different foods...we had croc (not the best), alot of antelope (pretty good), fish, crayfish, ostrich, the best granola, and of course biltong which is really just beef jerky...they love it and serve it with everything...we flew on all sizes of planes...the smallest was a 4 seater, 6 seater, 10 seater, and a helicopter...right up to a jumbo jet...cured any fear of flying in small planes or with pilots that aren't yet 20. and then kerry and russ flew off the bridge, without a plane!!...and then, this is a big one for me...i traveled with a bag weighing only 33 lbs.!!! i always overpack...and now i know...it can be done!!!  it was a fantastic experience...and i wish i was still there...luckily we only saw part of africa...so, we'll have to go back...can't wait!

bazaruto days

bazaruto island, mozambique...we are on a beautiful island, just off the coast...yesterday we flew from joburg to vilancous where we then got on a smaller plane to fly to the island...it’s only a 15 min. flight here...what a beautiful place...the indian ocean is so clear...today we were swimming in it...it’s so nice and warm and like i said, so clear...i could see my footprints as i walked along....there are shells all over the ocean floor...no waves to speak of...it’s so calm and serene...the island is really a large sand dune...they actually have a hill where you can ‘dune board’...the snorkeling and diving is some of the best in the world...today we just checked out the resort, enjoyed the sun...they speak portuguese here...guess that’s who settled it originally...a relaxing end to a great trip...

today is monday, yesterday we just laid out again in the hot sun...it was a gorgeous day..so not much happened except for us turning pages to our books..today we went out on a little speed boat..we went out to paradise island (it’s a deserted island) which is about 30 min. away...we snorkeled in the gorgeous water...it was perfect temperature...there were so many beautiful fish, striped yellow, black and white, fluorescent yellow, spotted, big ones, little ones, tiny ones...the coral was pretty also...brown, pink, purple..really pretty...afterwards we landed on the beach where we just laid out again...they had a picnic lunch for us and we just lounged around for a few hours...very fun...when we came back kerry and russ went horseback riding on the dunes...i was a little to lazy for that...another perfect day in paradise!

today is wednesday...yesterday we started our long journey home...we left bazaruto at 12:30ish...they aren’t ever really sure when you’ll leave...a 15 min. flight to vilcanous, then we flew to joburg, a 2 hour flight...then we had a wait of 4 hours and just arrived in london after a 10 1/2 hour flight...now have another layover of about 5 hours...so we’re hanging out in the virgin clubhouse...which is nice...kerry and i went shopping...since there really was nowhere to buy anything on our trip (lucky russ, didn’t have to carry much), all our shopping was in the airport...so our last flight home...it’s been fantastic...to see so many wonderful sights..the beauty of africa is amazing...we are so lucky!!