MY WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE

On June 19, 1994 my mother gifted me a colorful book entitled A Creative Companion: How to Free Your Creative Spirit. She stumbled across it in a gift shop at the San Francisco airport on her way to Hawaii and thought of me. I was 15 years old at the time and had been drawing outside the lines for my entire life. I found writing in Kindergarten and the characters quickly became part of my life as did a flare for the dramatic and eccentric. I was the girl whose arrival everyone awaited in fourth grade because I often had different colored socks on. And while I didn't mind being me, I did sometimes feel like the girl that drew purple tree trunks while everyone else fought over the brown crayons.

Then came SARK and her book and suddenly, I was ok just as I was. I knew I would be one crazy and creative adult and that I would never conform and be like everyone else. SARK made the juicy adult life that I dreamed of a reality and even more so I began to really love that my skies were sometimes rainbow colored and that my friends referred to me as Punky Brewster.

Here I am now, almost 30 and having grown up with SARK. I have an eight year old daughter that has fully embraced her own creative living. We talk to fairies and decorate the pictures in our home with flowery head wreaths instead of frames. We paint on our walls and make murals to hang on the ceiling and put glow in the dark stars all over our rooms. She too will grow up loving herself for her awesome imagination and someday she will be a wonderfully creative woman, she has even recently started to write. We need those that break the mold because they are where art and literature and music comes from.

I continue to write because I cannot go for long before I get that passion of expression tingling inside me, when the paper in front of me is thirsty and only the sweetness of a juicy pen can quench it and rehydrate my soul.

I'm so thankful that SARK lives her life true to who she is because her writing has helped me live true to who I am in the very best and colorful ways possible.

Quick Moving Update

Hello from....my house is scary.....me! We're finally going to start our move on Friday morning and hopefully be pretty much done by Sunday night. I guess this is a blog update for Nicole:) because Liz and Tirza are away and Jude knows we're moving! So, we would like to know which day(s) you and Aaron are available for a house warming get together in the next two weekends (present upcoming weekend excluded.) Let us know cause we really want you to join us and there's enough land for the children to run out their energy and that, is always a good thing:) SMOOCHES!!!!

Hey Nicole....doesn't have the same ring as Hey Jude!

Ok, in my defense, I didn't know when your birthday was but....................

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

I have appreciated getting to know you better through blogging. I so like that you are REAL and that you speak the truth. Until now I thought I was the only one with that "special" trait:) I think your family is awesome and that you're doing a fabulous job with your boys. It is such a peace to see you and Liz raising your kids to be true warriors of Christ. And it doesn't make me feel all alone in trying to live morally. Thanks for including us in your life:) Have the most blessed year ever.

Love, Lucy, Jude and whoever I am this week:)

Count Down...

Welp, it's a count down!

9 Days to Moving day!

My house looks like poo with lots and lots of boxes and stuff everywhere. Oh wait, my house kinda always looked like this. I told Jude that after five years, the only way I could get the house cleaned is by moving out of it:) I know, I know, curious minds wish to know where we have chosen to run from the madness that is our life. We desperately wanted to get out of state and I do mean desperately. However, in researching our options it was brought to our attention that other visitors Pop receives only come once a month when the bill is due and so we didn't feel like we could abandon him. What we decided on, is an 18 month lease to own (that and because of the housing problems, there isn't a rush on loaning money to those that are self employed/ stated income without 20% down. Sure, I'll just pull that out of my butt!) Anyway, it's a beautiful 1930's house in....drum roll please....DESCANSO (so far away) with a granny flat so Jude can close down his office in town and have less to pay every month. I'll post some pictures as soon as we're in. And I hope, for those that live close, you'll come join us when we have an open house. Big yard for rambunctious children:)

In other news, after the latest battle of family fighting....Smiths this time and all the changes, I've been having a little trouble with some eating issues (I seem to do this every summer, it's like my winter). I'm working on it and praying on it and have managed to not lose any weight in the past few days...yeah! I would appreciate a GIGANTIC prayer covering until we can get settled into the new house. Things are going a bit better with my dad, so that helps. Thanks guys for all the words of wisdom and silliness during this wondrous year of blogging:) I'm looking forward to all the good life has to offer in the future.

By the way, I have been ordered by a certain husband to quit being ridiculous (because we live so far) and get together with Nicole. We like that Nicole, she's real:) Thanks for everything ladies...smoochie woochie

A Poem for Summer

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends. And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight. To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black. And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow. We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go. To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know. The place where the sidewalk ends.

Summer Dress Up Fun!

Lu and her friend Aurora played dress up in my clothes. I did Aurora's makeup too, she looked so pretty, as did Lu of course.

This was half way through the pictures, Lu's first red ant bite.

Nothing a little ice couldn't fix.

Pretty Lu with a flower leaf in her hair.

Pretty Morning Glory clusters in our yard.

Morning Glory close up. I always think of God and the Crucifixion when I see the inside of flowers.

Aurora looking all grown up and gorgeous.

Sweet girls.

Aurora sweetly placing the flower leaf in Lu's hair. Aurora's family is moving back to Stockton soon. Lu's sure going to miss her friends.

Fourth of July

Again, the pix are out of order.

Lu with a view:)

Lu fishing (without a hook but with some cheese...they didn't like the salami)

Lu and Uncle Jono
Daddy and Lu.


The boys.

There I am with my bug eyes.

Jono gets silly.

Jude, below deck.