Many claim the world will end in less than a week. For the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, it ended yesterday. I'm not sure I agree with the timeframe of one week for the rest of us. But I do believe that we will be our own
demise, one tragedy at a time. Have
these things always happened and we just hear about them more because of TV and
radio and social media? Or have we unwittingly
done something to ourselves – to our air, our water, our food, our drugs, our media
– that is creating more evil? A slow but
undeniable fade into collective lunacy.
I can’t do anything to change others, or
save sweet innocent babies taken by senseless slaughter. But I can ensure that my own children’s lives are meaningful, healthy,
supported, and bring joy not only to their own hearts, but to someone else’s as
well. And I can pray that every other
parent on our planet will make the same effort so when it's time for their little angels to go, they'll know without question that they were loved.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Let there be light!
We've been toying with the idea of adding windows to our family room and the master bedroom. Apparently the people who were originally building the house were trolls and decided it would be great to live in a dungeon. Well, after almost 3 years, it hit the top of the to-do list!
If you, too, would like some new windows . . . first, gather your tools . . .
. . . assemble your audience . . .
. . . and then follow these simple steps:
Step 1~ Draw some lines on the wall.
Step 2 ~ Cut along the lines.
Step 3 ~ Make a box-shape in the wall with wood and a huge mess.
Step 4 ~ Close your eyes tightly and cut through the outside wall. Gasp!
Step 5 ~ Put the window in the hole and be amazed by your incredible husband since it fits on the first try.
Step 6 ~ Enjoy the view!
Repeat steps 1 - 6 in the bedroom.
Next, add a fireplace. :)
If you, too, would like some new windows . . . first, gather your tools . . .
. . . assemble your audience . . .
. . . and then follow these simple steps:
Step 1~ Draw some lines on the wall.
Step 2 ~ Cut along the lines.
Step 3 ~ Make a box-shape in the wall with wood and a huge mess.
Step 4 ~ Close your eyes tightly and cut through the outside wall. Gasp!
Step 5 ~ Put the window in the hole and be amazed by your incredible husband since it fits on the first try.
Step 6 ~ Enjoy the view!
Repeat steps 1 - 6 in the bedroom.
Next, add a fireplace. :)
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Moving Fran
Fransesca Gibson has a new home - Riverbend Ranch in Riverton, Utah. - Yes, she's still Sarah's, just moved into her new pad.
Click the links for the videography (most clips are less than 30 seconds).
What? You want me to do What?
Uh, no. (Let's try putting a friend in the trailer. Maybe then she'll get in.)
Uh uh. Still too scary.
Oh, all right.
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Arrival of the Diva
The new barn
Where the heck am I?
Backing out is worse than getting in! (Watch her back feet - poor baby)
Really, mom? This is all for ME?
Hmmm . . . This is interesting.
Now I'm running over here.
Where to now, mom?
Oh, now this really DOES look interesting!
Running free . . . Finally! (First time in her eight years of life should could totally cut loose!
Frannie and her new diva girlfriends (two gorgeous Andalusian mares are the faves) are having a great time establishing their rule over her new kingdom.
Thank you, Vicki and Mark, for giving her a wonderful home for the past four years, and making this dream possible for Sarah. We love you.
And, a special thanks to our friend, Vern, who came to our rescue AGAIN and getting Fran to her new digs!
Click the links for the videography (most clips are less than 30 seconds).
What? You want me to do What?
Uh, no. (Let's try putting a friend in the trailer. Maybe then she'll get in.)
Uh uh. Still too scary.
Oh, all right.
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Arrival of the Diva
The new barn
Where the heck am I?
Backing out is worse than getting in! (Watch her back feet - poor baby)
Really, mom? This is all for ME?
Hmmm . . . This is interesting.
Now I'm running over here.
Where to now, mom?
Oh, now this really DOES look interesting!
Running free . . . Finally! (First time in her eight years of life should could totally cut loose!
Frannie and her new diva girlfriends (two gorgeous Andalusian mares are the faves) are having a great time establishing their rule over her new kingdom.
Thank you, Vicki and Mark, for giving her a wonderful home for the past four years, and making this dream possible for Sarah. We love you.
And, a special thanks to our friend, Vern, who came to our rescue AGAIN and getting Fran to her new digs!
The Saga of the Weenie-melon - Season Finale
We picked the first of six weenie-melons a few weeks ago! Despite its shape (round) and color (very distinctly striped yellow and green), the weenie-melon had seeds - much to Brian's dismay. It was semi-sweet. All in all, very weenie-like - opposite of predictions, oddly shaped, and semi-sweet. :) It was a fun tribute to him. We'll likely plant seeds from one of the melons in the same spot for next year. Hmmm . . . when does one plant watermelon seeds? Sarah had a good idea to water it with sugar-water and see if the fruit turns out sweeter. We'll try that!
Monday, September 10, 2012
We Will Never Forget
During the week of September 11, I am reminded not to forget those who gave their lives during that terrible crisis years ago, those who had no idea it was their last day driving to work, or those who didn't know it would be the last day to kiss their children goodbye.
I am reminded that I have gotten comfortable, and I often take my freedom for granted. Many Americans have done the same thing. That's why it's important to pause at this time each year and remember that freedom is a gift to be treasured!
How are you feeling as you start your week - the week of September 11? Are you sad? Do you hurt? Are you angry? Or are you oblivious, and don't even care? Whatever you are feeling, you are entitled to feel. That is what America is all about.
The theme I have selected for this week is "Be thankful!" May you have a peaceful and joyous week.
Be Thankful-
• Take time this week to say "thank you" to people at work. Let them know you appreciate it when they meet your deadline or give you information you requested.
• As you drive to work each day, be happy you have a place to go to - a place where you and your talents are needed.
• As you encounter new people this week, think of how you might help them become comfortable in strange surroundings.
• If you are presented with any challenges this week, tell yourself you can step up to the plate. Nothing is too difficult for you to handle.
• Be sympathetic this week if anyone you know needs a shoulder to cry on.
• Let those you care about know how you feel.
• Be thankful for those who serve as firefighters, police officers and in other emergency-related professions.
• Do what you feel you need to do on September 11 - whether that is to wave a flag, visit a neighbor, mourn a little or rejoice in the life you're blessed to have.
E-mail this to as many friends and co-workers as you wish. Help me spread this reminder as we honor those lives who were lost and their families.
I hope you all have a great week. ~Sharon
9/11/11
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
24 . . . and counting
We spent our 24th wedding anniversary in Park City with the kids. It was a great time! We headed up on Wednesday, stayed in the Marriott (which wasn't quite as nice as the name makes it sound), and spent three leisurely days playing in the pool, eating too much, wandering Main Street, hitting the Olympic Legacy Park where we rode zip lines and the alpine slide, and shopping at the outlet mall.
The Big Bucks
There are times in life when you expect to see the big bucks. There are other times when you think you should see them and don’t. And, there are other times in life when the big bucks just appear, and you’re grateful.
Get a load of those racks! Amazing. We were just driving to Costco and, who would have guessed we would run into these six bucks, at least 3 - 6 points each. Only in Herriman!
Get a load of those racks! Amazing. We were just driving to Costco and, who would have guessed we would run into these six bucks, at least 3 - 6 points each. Only in Herriman!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Life . . . Gibson Style.
I thought I’d give you a break and wait three months between Gibson Style updates. You know, just for relationship’s sake.
I’ve posted a few inbetweeners, so you’re aware of some of what’s been going on with us in between evacuations. Here’s the rest.
I’ll start on the younger end of the family this time. Brian. Oh, Brian. I love that boy. 6’ 2”-ish and counting. I’m on my tippy toes for goodnight kisses, and he gives the BEST bear hugs! He starts his Sophomore year of high school in just under two weeks and is actually looking forward to it! He’s taking a lot of fun electives – Digital Photography, 3-D Art, Auto Shop, Woodworking, Fitness for Life – and some fun core classes, too – World Civilizations, Bio-Agricultural Science. The school he will be attending is absolutely gorgeous with wide hallways, lots of ‘white space,’ big classrooms, and plenty of parking! High schools here have an every-other day schedule, so he has four classes on alternating days, each about 1 ½ hours long. Sarah loved it, and I’m sure Brian will, too. The teachers seem to like it as well because they can really get the kids involved in something in that longer time period. There’s also not as much homework because the kids have time to get things done in class! What a concept. The next big milestone is drivers ed, which he’ll probably take in September before the weather gets bad. Luckily, here they offer nine 2-hour evenings and two 3-hour Saturdays as an option to an entire semester of classes at school. Yeah, we’ll go for that option.
Sarah is having fun being undecided about her future. :) After much soul-searching and financial review, she decided to finish out her Associates degree at the community college before transferring to a 4-year school. Although she was accepted to Utah State University (twice) and five other colleges (everywhere she applied), she was wise enough to look at the long term gains and losses from tuition, housing, etc., and opted to stay home another year. Her mommy was not upset by that at all. At this point she’s going for a nursing degree but, as a 19-year-old, her future is never-ending and offering lots of possibilities, and her present is small and offering few responsibilities. So, nursing is up in the air as well. She’s a great nurse and a caring soul, and would do society well if she stayed on that path. But, that’s her decision to make. We’ll see! In the meantime, Sarah is enjoying her summer off, working full time as a Certified Nurse Assistant for a home health agency, and spending lots of time hanging out with her girlfriends and going to male-friends’ mission farewells.
Dave and I are just plugging away. Work, house, homework (mine and the kids’), yard, kids, pets, and cars take up most of our time and when we have a spare moment, we like to sleep, go out to dinner, and sit on the patio with a cold beverage. ;) Those moments are rare and cherished.
Otherwise, all is well on the Gibson front; same ole’ same ole’ so-to-speak. Consider yourself caught up. Check back in a couple of months for the next installment of Life, Gibson Style.
I’ve posted a few inbetweeners, so you’re aware of some of what’s been going on with us in between evacuations. Here’s the rest.
I’ll start on the younger end of the family this time. Brian. Oh, Brian. I love that boy. 6’ 2”-ish and counting. I’m on my tippy toes for goodnight kisses, and he gives the BEST bear hugs! He starts his Sophomore year of high school in just under two weeks and is actually looking forward to it! He’s taking a lot of fun electives – Digital Photography, 3-D Art, Auto Shop, Woodworking, Fitness for Life – and some fun core classes, too – World Civilizations, Bio-Agricultural Science. The school he will be attending is absolutely gorgeous with wide hallways, lots of ‘white space,’ big classrooms, and plenty of parking! High schools here have an every-other day schedule, so he has four classes on alternating days, each about 1 ½ hours long. Sarah loved it, and I’m sure Brian will, too. The teachers seem to like it as well because they can really get the kids involved in something in that longer time period. There’s also not as much homework because the kids have time to get things done in class! What a concept. The next big milestone is drivers ed, which he’ll probably take in September before the weather gets bad. Luckily, here they offer nine 2-hour evenings and two 3-hour Saturdays as an option to an entire semester of classes at school. Yeah, we’ll go for that option.
Sarah is having fun being undecided about her future. :) After much soul-searching and financial review, she decided to finish out her Associates degree at the community college before transferring to a 4-year school. Although she was accepted to Utah State University (twice) and five other colleges (everywhere she applied), she was wise enough to look at the long term gains and losses from tuition, housing, etc., and opted to stay home another year. Her mommy was not upset by that at all. At this point she’s going for a nursing degree but, as a 19-year-old, her future is never-ending and offering lots of possibilities, and her present is small and offering few responsibilities. So, nursing is up in the air as well. She’s a great nurse and a caring soul, and would do society well if she stayed on that path. But, that’s her decision to make. We’ll see! In the meantime, Sarah is enjoying her summer off, working full time as a Certified Nurse Assistant for a home health agency, and spending lots of time hanging out with her girlfriends and going to male-friends’ mission farewells.
Dave and I are just plugging away. Work, house, homework (mine and the kids’), yard, kids, pets, and cars take up most of our time and when we have a spare moment, we like to sleep, go out to dinner, and sit on the patio with a cold beverage. ;) Those moments are rare and cherished.
Otherwise, all is well on the Gibson front; same ole’ same ole’ so-to-speak. Consider yourself caught up. Check back in a couple of months for the next installment of Life, Gibson Style.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Weenie-melon
It was a stiffling summer Saturday. After waiting a few too many days for us to carve into it, the watermelon succummed to a bored boy, being smashed into pieces on the back lawn. They say that curiosity killed the cat ~ it also stuffed the dog. Oscar, ever-so-starving, grabbed the biggest chunk he could find and dragged it like a dead whale from the sea into the flowerbed bark. Several minutes and one nearly-splitting fat belly later, we pulled the rind from his grasp. That took a few days to recover from. His bulging middle rocked from side to side as he walked uncomfortably from room to room, frequently running outside to dispell of his overabundance of melon in one way or another. After a while, though, he resumed his daily routine of stretching out on the lawn, seeking the morning sun.
Fast-forward one year.
It was a stiffling summer Saturday. Dave and I were enjoying the heat out on our patio when we noticed a strange vine that neither of us remembered planting. Day after day, we watched it lengthen and flower. Each evening, we positioned it around the large rock in the bark, only to find it stretched back out onto the lawn the following day, seeking the morning sun. It finally sunk in. One of the seeds left from Oscar's foray into melon-overeating had sprouted. We have ourselves a weenie-melon.
And so it begins.
Fast-forward one year.
It was a stiffling summer Saturday. Dave and I were enjoying the heat out on our patio when we noticed a strange vine that neither of us remembered planting. Day after day, we watched it lengthen and flower. Each evening, we positioned it around the large rock in the bark, only to find it stretched back out onto the lawn the following day, seeking the morning sun. It finally sunk in. One of the seeds left from Oscar's foray into melon-overeating had sprouted. We have ourselves a weenie-melon.
And so it begins.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Again? Really? Again. Really.
June 29, 2012 will go down in history. Again? Really? Yes, much like September 19, 2010 did. Again. Really.
While the kids and I were in Logan at Sarah's Utah State Orientation, Dave was off work early to sell our camper (that's another story). After he 'did the deal,' he headed over to Smith's to buy some groceries. When he came out of the store, he could see smoke in the mountains above our neighborhood. Again. Really. By the time he made the six-and-a-half minute drive home, flames were taller than the homes. This time, having been through this not quite two years ago, he didn't wait for authorities to tell him to evacuate. He grabbed the dogs, my wedding dress, a box of pictures, the kids framed school pix from last year, and our computer hard drive. Since he was home alone with only one, quite small running car (that's another story), that was all he could fit. And ,since the flames were reaching the landscape of our neighbors about five houses away, that was all he had time for.
As I said, the kids and I were in Logan and Dave hesitated to call us for fear he would worry us for nothing. But, then one of Brian's friends texted to see if he saw the smoke. Engage panic. Needless to day, we called Dave immediately (in fact we spoke about 30 times in the next 30 minutes - hurried snippets about 'want me to grab this' and 'what about that' and don't forget the . . . ') and he reluctantly told us that it was really bad, much closer than last time. Again. Really. This is what he saw from our front porch. The glowing yellow part in the middle is the flames.
Uh huh. Yeah. Right there behind OUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE! Crazy, right? I can't decide if I'm glad I wasn't there, or wished I had been. For the kids' safety, I'm glad we were gone. But, I felt bad that Dave had to do everything himself. I don't know - maybe it was easier without all the extra drama that comes along with a panicked wife and two panicked kids? It took us about an hour and a half to get home and, by then, they were blocking traffic for miles, so Dave had to drive out of Herriman to meet us.
Again. Really.
We finally hooked up in the Home Depot parking lot and headed to my friend Jana's house who had been checking up on us regularly throughout the afternoon. She was gracious enough to let us stay there for what ended up almost 2 days. The news kept us blissfully uninformed, as they were being blocked out of the area as well and had to keep re-airing - same story, different newscaster.
On Saturday, it was really weird because we could smell smoke, but couldn't see any. Of course, the news was still no help. So, we all went off to do our own things. I took the kids to the rec center to swim and so I could get on wifi and do homework. Dave headed to a local restaurant to meet up with neighbors and swap evacuation stories. The evacuation was finally lifted at 6:00 p.m. but, unfortunately, the authorities had shut off all of the power and natural gas, so there wasn't much point in returning. We did however, rescue some of our quickly thawing food from the freezer and put it into coolers with ice, pitch the now warm contents of the fridge, and gratefully change clothes. Unfortunately, we also witnessed the damage to all of our western neighbors who lost fences and significant amounts of landscape.
By about 9:00, we were about ready to head out of the dark and back to Jana's house. But then our neighbor called and invited us to share burgers with them for dinner. As we were all sitting on her front porch, the neighborhood lit up like a Norman Rockwell painting and we all cheered and scattered! (She said it was like watching roaches run from the light!)
We are so fortunate, again, to have a home. This time, we feel even more fortunate to not be battling smoke for the next several months. In fact, we just got rid of that smell from the last fire - almost two years ago! There will be blowing ash for a while, but we're old pros at that.
In the meantime, disaster preparedness has bumped itself up to the top of my priority list. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
While the kids and I were in Logan at Sarah's Utah State Orientation, Dave was off work early to sell our camper (that's another story). After he 'did the deal,' he headed over to Smith's to buy some groceries. When he came out of the store, he could see smoke in the mountains above our neighborhood. Again. Really. By the time he made the six-and-a-half minute drive home, flames were taller than the homes. This time, having been through this not quite two years ago, he didn't wait for authorities to tell him to evacuate. He grabbed the dogs, my wedding dress, a box of pictures, the kids framed school pix from last year, and our computer hard drive. Since he was home alone with only one, quite small running car (that's another story), that was all he could fit. And ,since the flames were reaching the landscape of our neighbors about five houses away, that was all he had time for.
As I said, the kids and I were in Logan and Dave hesitated to call us for fear he would worry us for nothing. But, then one of Brian's friends texted to see if he saw the smoke. Engage panic. Needless to day, we called Dave immediately (in fact we spoke about 30 times in the next 30 minutes - hurried snippets about 'want me to grab this' and 'what about that' and don't forget the . . . ') and he reluctantly told us that it was really bad, much closer than last time. Again. Really. This is what he saw from our front porch. The glowing yellow part in the middle is the flames.
Again. Really.
We finally hooked up in the Home Depot parking lot and headed to my friend Jana's house who had been checking up on us regularly throughout the afternoon. She was gracious enough to let us stay there for what ended up almost 2 days. The news kept us blissfully uninformed, as they were being blocked out of the area as well and had to keep re-airing - same story, different newscaster.
On Saturday, it was really weird because we could smell smoke, but couldn't see any. Of course, the news was still no help. So, we all went off to do our own things. I took the kids to the rec center to swim and so I could get on wifi and do homework. Dave headed to a local restaurant to meet up with neighbors and swap evacuation stories. The evacuation was finally lifted at 6:00 p.m. but, unfortunately, the authorities had shut off all of the power and natural gas, so there wasn't much point in returning. We did however, rescue some of our quickly thawing food from the freezer and put it into coolers with ice, pitch the now warm contents of the fridge, and gratefully change clothes. Unfortunately, we also witnessed the damage to all of our western neighbors who lost fences and significant amounts of landscape.
By about 9:00, we were about ready to head out of the dark and back to Jana's house. But then our neighbor called and invited us to share burgers with them for dinner. As we were all sitting on her front porch, the neighborhood lit up like a Norman Rockwell painting and we all cheered and scattered! (She said it was like watching roaches run from the light!)
We are so fortunate, again, to have a home. This time, we feel even more fortunate to not be battling smoke for the next several months. In fact, we just got rid of that smell from the last fire - almost two years ago! There will be blowing ash for a while, but we're old pros at that.
In the meantime, disaster preparedness has bumped itself up to the top of my priority list. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
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