Before worse fell, and poorer was a reality,

Before babies stole our sleep, my waist line and our time

Before we knew what it meant to be held and to have

We made a promise 

Unknowing what keeping it would require

You my love are not perfect

And there are days I give you my worst because I'm not perfect either

But you have me, 

And with you I'm better

All the seemingly insignificant little life stuff adds up 

And you keep showing up

Holding me in your actions

Making me smile, opening doors, doing dishes, prioritizing us

I remember the first time sickness stole my decency

And it didn't phase you

You just wanted to make it better

I'm not a very good patient, but you are patient

I didn't understand the depth of love

How it gives, acts, and grows

And I'm learning how to cherish us,

In the quiet, in the dark, in the ordinary and uncertainty, in prayers whispered and dreams shared  

In the middle of tired and routine - How do we keep our promise?

1. Have; have fun, and have each other- at our best, at our worst and in bed

2. Hold hands, eye contact, and on to truth

3. Love with actions; plan date nights, get aways, and do dishes

4. Speak honestly; say what you mean, mean what you say and when it's not "fine" don't sit in silence 

5. Give selflessly; give time, kisses, and without expectation

6. Walk humbly; your needs and feelings above mine, my needs and feeling above yours

7. FORGIVE; most of all this - because no one is perfect

Linking up with the Five Minute Friday writers

Hosted by the lovely Kate Motaung

Dear Son, [3 Qualities of REAL Men]

You sit as a silent observer,
And when I look at you listening, patient, processing
The coffee flecks inside your chestnut eyes reflect back to me the darkness of the words you hear
Words like "sexually assaulted" "molested" "raped"
And my heart whispers silent prayers that the shadows of this bleeding broken world would never darken your soul but instead make you a champion of right and of good
A warrior for the weak, the needy, the lovely and the loveless
A real a man

Men, my quiet-soulful son, real men
Don't take, they cherish
They don't take the souls of girls wrapped in skin and use them for their own pleasure
Real men see the soul, the weakness, and the loveliness that lies inside the skin and they choose to cherish - honor the beauty, the need, and the uniqueness.  Real men do dishes and laundry and work hard to provide for their families not because women are incapable but because they are givers who cherish.

Real Men
Don't break, they protect
They don't break bones, bruise hearts, fracture dreams or tear skin in selfishness or anger.
Real men sacrifice to safeguard their sisters, and when you're a real man, you see the women of the world as your sisters.  Real men risk themselves to save hearts, bodies, dreams, and the souls of those they get to love.  Sisters, Mothers, Daughters, Wives.  Love is a great responsibility, and you my son have been gifted with souls to protect.
Real men tell her she's "beautiful" when she needs to hear it most (in sweat pants and stains and when it's least expected), Real men forgive and admit when they're wrong. Real men are selfless when it's easier to be selfish.

Real Men,
Don't use, they encourage
They don't carelessly waste those around them for personal gain, popularity, acceptance, or power.  Real men build walls of hope and encouragement around women with words that are true, honoring and intentional.  Real men see through the temporary and focus that which lasts - righteousness, contentment, hope, love, joy, honesty, truth.  Real mean stand for truth, they don't twist it to suit.
Real men listen, cry, and care when it's easier to be apathetic. 

I know what it's like to align your soul with a boy,
Boys take, and use and break
Boys squander the beauty inside, they steal hope, and trap you inside lies of self-doubt and fear
But I didn't stay there
It was the encompassing arms of a man, his disappointment, heart break and his forgiveness that brought me back to life
I have always been surrounded by good men
Real men
And if you ever wonder what one looks like...
Look to your Papa, your Daddy, your Uncles, your Great Grandpa
Ask them what it means
Ask them what they did right, and what they wish they wish they could change
They'll tell you
And I'll be here

Falling Out Of Love

With him,

I felt more

Wanted more 

Was more

And yet 

I was, completely myself

Without a doubt I loved him

In a whirlwind of words

Distance didn't feel so far

Day slipped into night

Unknown became known 

In Laughter

In Dreams

In Hopes

In Love

But I waited for it to end

Gripped

Bound

Chained 

By insecurities and secrets

Because 

If he knew

He wouldn't want me

I was

Unworthy 

Imperfect

Disgraceful

My insides wrenched with guilt

But I didn't want to hide

Because I loved him

My heart a broken barrier

The words escaped

Hurt abandoned

Secrets unbound

Breath arrested

I waited for him to let me go

But he didn't

Instead "I forgive you" echoed in my ear

And salty tears washed away the overwhelming sense of unwant 

Unchained

Forgiven

Still unworthy and imperfect

But covered in Grace

Covered in Love

It was then I fell out of love

With the idea of "love"

Love is not flowers, and chocolate

A fancy dress, heels and dinner

It is not lust or desire

It's self-less and accepting

It's forgiving, when forgiveness is least deserved

It's kind and humble

It's patient

It protects you, and it's worth protecting

Love it trustworthy and requires your trust

It's fills you with hope and it's hopeful

It's strong

And it perseveres 

Through secrets

Through sin

Through imperfection

Because LOVE - true love - never fails

Snapshots of our Reality TV Show

The hairbrush has gone missing again
I'm too annoyed to sing like Larry "Oh where is my hairbrush"

Breathe
There's grace for the little things
She's not organized, but always joyful in her distracted world
Her tangles don't matter as much as her spirit
A moment, I almost swallowed in emotion
I choose her joy, and helping her find the brush or asking daddy to help her find it
And the lost is found, on brothers floor - right where it belongs
Exhale

There's still milk on the table, remnants of breakfast bowl overflow
No one seems to notice except me.

Walk away,
I'm not going to let spills and our mess define my worth
And because today
He wanted to sit with me over the iPad and make a rectangle bracelet
In this moment I chose him, and rubber bands
And pretending the bracelets don't cut off circulation giving my fingers the pins and needles
Park it. Create. Stay.

There's laundry to fold and dishes to wash
Eyes heavy, body weary, zero motivation

Sit
Rest is necessary, time together doing absolutely nothing is valuable
Expectations ruin moments
Blessed that never has he expected me to be more than who I am or do more than I can
He washes the dishes, hangs the laundry, iron his own shirts
And I share his days
Hold hands. Rest. Be

Real life is being annoyed and then realizing you're over reacting
Singing like Larry will make you smile
Real life is getting swept up in tasks and then stopping to enjoy moments when you're wanted
Because it matters
Real life is not stopping, and getting annoyed when it doesn't really matter
And then giving yourself grace and a second chance
Real life is tangled fingers and sitting on the couch with a husband who just finished the dishes and falls asleep while you type and scroll through Facebook
Real life is the 8:00 rush to get kids into bed because your done being a parent for the day
And slowing down when you hear an unexpected an undeserved blessing in her prayers
It is simple- too boring for reality TV, but incredibly satisfying
All the little moments and choices compound into days and years and memories
Memories of life - our simple real life

For the Love of Today, Holding hands, Rainbow loom, JOY, and Making memorable choices,
Me

A Rehashing of life in 2013

1.  God is good, ALL the time.
In the middle of my mess and human insufficiency He is always enough and 100% available.

2. There is a little more grey streaking through my hair, just a little-on the right side, but my bangs provide a strategic cover for now

3.  HOMESCHOOL
I quit on day 9,
But 20 weeks later -- refer to number 1
We get funny looks when shopping at Trader Joes during "normal school hours"
There are probing questions about socialization and my children's social welfare
Then there's this undeserved praise I didn't expect - let me be honest, it's nice for people to think I'm a saint and have overwhelming patience etc.
The reality is ----- drum roll ----- I'm still me.  And I'll refer you here again to number 1!
We have our days, as with life.
There are days of great triumphs when learning is fun,
And days that 4 hours of instruction feels like 40 and we have to call the principal (I'm SO ridiculously in love with him!).
But we're in it together
I am a front row observer to their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, unfolding in the middle of math or handwriting.
I get to learn World History with them and geek out over how they can diagram a sentence
I'm silly excited about the virtual energy plant tour we're taking this week
And overall, I just can't tell you how this "thing I would never do" is changing our life
Being faithful isn't easy, but it's good

4. I've learned to ask for help.
God has been so amazing at strategically placing relationships in my life to help me with this homeschool journey, my faith, my kids, my sleep.  Again see number 1.

5. I am learning I have to say no, even to good things, so there is room for RIGHT things.  This topic deserves it's own blog post -coming soon.  If you have 7 minutes to spare watch this inspiration

6. Our life remains simple.

7.  We are blessed to have the same jobs that provide both income and balance for our family life. Me  x 11 years in June, and Jacob x 9 years.

8.  The kiddos keep growing.
E is our reader, outdoorsman, soft spoken, sometimes silly sometimes shy guitar playing man who dislikes jeans and loves athletic wear.  Legos, k-nex, and bey-blades are his toys of choice.
C is our joyful, passionate (take that how you will!), funny, always herself unashamedly all the time, pianist who still prefers dresses, and any thing fancy.  Barbie and the 50 stuffed animals that sleep in her bed fit as perfect accessory toys to her imagination.
They challenge us, encourage us, listen to us - sometimes or most of the time, they have their own opinions and we are blessed to be their parents for as long as we have them to call ours!

9. The lake remains our favorite home away from home, and we sneak away when we can from our city life and schedules to relax there.  With extended family, hide-n-seek, tag, and Monopoly is our favorite.

10. Our church family continues to be an irreplaceable part of our life.  There is no other way we would rather spend two nights a week than surrounded by those we love and share life with while hosting life group and being youth group small group leaders.

Life is sweet, though it has it's trials - God remains faithful, we have hope for a perfect eternal someday and for now we have each other.
I pray we would have a blessed New Year, that Gods faithfulness and goodness would be evident in our life, that we would have real community surrounding us, that this year we can be more honest, transparent, real and that what really matters will be what matters everyday.

In 2014 my One Word is Deep or Deeper - what's yours?

I resign

Tuesday was day 9 of our home-school experience
Frustration piled on top of impatience, and bad attitudes
And in a wave of emotion

I resigned from my role as home-school teacher
[via text message]

I explained to the G-academy principal
I would continue in my role as 

Janitor

Laundry lady

Cook

Mother
And 

Wife

But could no longer accept the position of teacher
(You'd think sleeping with the principal would help me get my way)
However

Our principal, a patient man, who remains unshaken by the waves of my emotions
Refused to accept my resignation.
And so,
I resigned, to take 5 (which was more like 35)
Free read and quite time is a beautiful thing
I heated up my coffee for the 46th time
Rifled through a pile of papers to find Jacob's love note from the other day
Soaked in his words, a personalized rewrite of Proverbs 3:10-15
Most days, I do not feel like the woman he sees...
He loves me more than I deserve, 
I took a deep breath and allowed the truth he sees to saturate me
After straightening the couch cushions, and fluffing the pillows
I plopped my weary self down for a talk with my Heavenly Father
"I can't do it"
"Did I mis-hear you -This IS what I'm supposed to be doing, right?"
"This isn't easy, and I'm tired"
"Are you sure this was the plan?"
"I'm not good enough or patient enough"
"I need your help..."
And I left it there at His feet....
I resigned.
Resigned, That I could not
But through Him
I could
And He said - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"
"You can do all things through Christ, because He will give you strength - rely in My strength"
"Be strong and courageous and do the work...do not be discouraged, for I am with you and will not fail you."

For the Love of, Encouraging husbands, and Resigning to rely on HIM, everyday,
ME

2 Corinthians 12:19, Philippians 4:13, 1 Chronicles 28:20

Two little things

Fisherman
The ripples of water lap at you knees, rod in hand - casting
Setting and reeling, knoting and retieing.
Fishing - Still - Quiet - Peaceful - Patient
You lead our family with patience. 
Limited expectations of the insignificant details, you enjoy the moments.
Patient during instruction; be it how to play a game, improve a skill or in our devotion time
When you listen; you're still and really listen - quiet, hearing my heart and my emotions,
And during the late night post bedtime ramblings of E, and the inscent chattering of imagination from C - still, patient, quiet, listening.
I'm thankful for the fisherman in you
Runner
Beads of sweat roll down your cheeks, arms pumping, feet churning
Pushing ahead in the darkness, toward a goal as the sun rises with your strides
Running - Unswayed - Determined - Committed - Focused
You lead our family with unswayed commitment.
In times of uncertainty, you give us direction - remind us of our goals and keep us going
You seek the Lord for us and drive us to do the same

You keep us consistent, push us to give our best, and make us smile while doing it
In times of triumph you celebrate big and give us all your love and joy
Pressing on as a family
I love the runner in you

Two little things that contribute to the wonderful husband and dad that you are,
I love you

THE Plan

When I was little I made plans;
I planned
What I would be
In vauge beautiful generalizations
A wife
A mom
And Happy
I planned
My family
In specifics that hold no true meaning (except for laughter and butterflies)
The color of  my husband eyes
His features
How he'd make me laugh and feel butterflies
What age I'd be when we said "I do"
How many kids we'd have
And what their unique, but not weird names would be

Then...
Llife happened
Pain was never a part of my plan
I didn't factor in my head-strong nature
Or selfishness

I didn't plan on seeking the Lord
He'd just always been there

When I was little
I didn't know my own faith
When life happened
And Sin derailed
I needed Him
I needed forgiveness
And
A new plan

Grace gave way to trust
And I started to understand
His plan was the Garden
A real-life experiece of community with Him
He knew we'd mess it up
People, we're messy
I
Am
Messy

So He made a new plan
It couldn't be perfect with us in it
There would be pain
But there would be forgiveness
And fulfillment
And hope
And a future...

I am a wife
I'm also a mom
Most of the time I'm happy
Really, truly happy
My husband does have brown eyes as I planned
He still gives me butterflies, eight years after saying I do
And we laugh
A LOT
I was blessed with two children, not three as planned
And they have great names
None of which came from my middle-school notebook

I'm still head-strong, and selfish
But I'm growing in submission,
Learning to get over myself
And relinquish control
I can't control if my friend has cancer
Or if another is moving half-way across the globe
I couldn't control my miscarriage
Or Ethan's stay in the NICU
I can't control my children's choices
Or keep their heart's from breaking

But I have faith
And forgiveness
My hope is eternity
And while I'm here living my messy life
He listens to my prayers
He cares about what I want
He loves me
He gives me more grace
And He is good

For the Love of less planning, more trust, looking forward to eternity and faith that's real in the middle of this messy life,
ME

Courage

My eyes scanned the words
Full of
Hate
Ignorance
Contempt
And Fear disguised as pride and disdain

As my lips formed each name
I watched his heart break
A role call of the lost

Amidst the blinding fog of hostility
How do you shine
Courage
"For God, who said 'let light shine out of darkness,' made His light to shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6

When a cloak of slander threatens to envelope
How do you hope
Courage
"'If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first...Remember the words I spoke to you; No servant is greater than his master.  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.'"

As worldly knowledge challenges and confronts
How do you believe
Courage
"Now it is required that those given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2

And when the darkness of hate clouds the light
How do you love
Courage
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

It takes no courage to tear down
Belief in inconsistent worldly truth is still faith
There is no risk in fitting-in

Love builds up
Belief in an unchanging truth is a faith that matters
And the risk of giving yourself wholly to something bigger than you
Is worth it

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7

"Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13

"Have I not commanded you, Be strong and courageous, do not be discouraged, do not be terrified for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world."1 John 4:4b

"I have told you these things, so in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

For the love of hope, risking it all, standing in love under persecution, my husband, and FCA
Me

Have the day you have...

His smile, my eyes
My temper, his patience
Puzzle pieces of us that make you all your own
HE put you together
Then
Gave us the privilege
Of
Holding you
Singing together
Pasting, coloring and painting
Watching you grow
Dancing
Learning from you
Loving you
Running beside you
Laughing because of you
Baking with you
Making mistakes
Twirling
Hurting for you
Knowing forgiveness
Teaching you
Breathing you in
Everyday
While you are ours to have
And while we hope the having lasts, there is no amount of time that could ever be too much
So we will love you for you
Continue to make mistakes
And HAVE the days we have

For the love of "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," days filled with each other, mistakes, forgiveness and puzzle pieces of us,
Me

Odd: differing from that which is usual, ordinary or expected

I hope so

Words of a memory for A.D.R.

Times tables
Sock eraser
Chalk
And kleenex box friends

Bad perms
Bomb threats
Single file walks
And prayer

Basketball
Slumber parties
Nightmares
And scary movies

FCCLA
Elf costumes
Presentations
And dreams in San Diego


Blond streaks and red turned purple
Trendy cuts
Dance moves
And dresses


Locker partners
Cheerleader and jock
First loves
And first heart aches

Falling away
Repentance
Renewed commitment
And accountability

Grey and Purple
Student IDs
Wildcat games
And husband introduction

Campbell's chicken and rice
Maid of honor
Shopping
And Fire safety

Trips to the mall
M&M Blizzards
Scripture study
And lifegroup

His first marriage choice
Her first prophecy
Writing
And new phases of life

I don't remember every wanting a sister

But for as long as I can remember I've had you
Maybe that's why

For the love of memories made with you A.D.R. (soon to be ADD), new chapters, husbands, adventures and the hope which brings joy of sharing eternity,
Me 

The season after spring

It's busy, and full
Full of
Togetherness,
Laughter,
Heat,
Fishing,
Time,
Swimming,
Sweat,
Sunscreen,
Running,
Water,
Band-aid's
And a little irritation
The kind that comes with lack of routine and increased presence of each other
But
It's the giggles,
Smiles,
Courage - to try and to be
Encouragement,
Imagination,
And capacity for more
That lingers in my mind
Little hands, that are much bigger than they used to be, rest in my palm
While Crossing the street or shopping for groceries
Little hands that now hold pom-poms and baseball bats
And little voices that have real conversations,
And tell me they prayed for me and hope I have a good night while taking care of the sick kids
Cutely-wrong words are seldom spoken
Rather, books are read, aloud and "in heads"
It's not been full of learning, except learning more about each other
And how to be what we need to one another
I've gotten out of the habit of doing laundry because J loves me so well
The house is a place for rest and nourishment between activities and travel
Hamsters, turtles, snakes and cats are easy pets but
Elle misses us dearly,
Or is she just extra loving because she's pinning for a scoop of non-diet food ?


For the Love of long summer days, time, fat-cats, clean laundry, and growing up
Me

Unsolicited Information: Marathon edition



Marathon 1 of 2 in 2012 was tackled,

and while his finisher t-shirt reads "Had a wicked good time"

His face at mile 24 did not reflect that phrase in the slightest

J's PR remained unbroken and for that there was some disappointment.

But with Boston as the goal

And marathon #2 still to be run I'm amazed at his resolve

He's my runner man, and I'm so proud to call him mine.

From six to twenty-six

Surrounded by dirty dishes we sat with fingers tangled
E and C had excused themselves
And instead of starting the dishes you stole a kiss
I stole another
Sweet, passionate and unashamed our lips moved together
Swept away by each other,
For only a moment.
Footsteps heard lingering in the doorway, interrupted and
"Gross" was E's diagnosis
Our longing turned to laughter, and playfully with additonal kissing the dishes got done.
There was a time whether at six or twenty six when witnessing a stolen kiss, or blatetntly intentional kisses shared between my mom and dad was gross
But, now I'm just thankful they still kiss

For the love of love that expresses itself in lip-lock, marriages that last, and my kids thinking it's gross for 20 more years or so,
Me

[Dear Self] When You're 30 Edition

People assume you're responsibly awake and start your day before 7am.

You will get texts wishing you a Happiest of Days starting at 6:30.

Your dad will apologize for waking you up with his call, and emphasize that he did purposely wait "a while" before calling!

Your mom will visit; take you shopping and out to eat, 

You'll talk like friends and soak up the time.

The crab cakes, seared tuna-salad, and ice tea will leave you full and you'll forgo dessert 

What?  

Yep, no dessert.

You'll shop for sales, even though your birthday cash is taunting, begging to burn a hole in your pocket, and 6 days later you'll still have cash to spend. 

The gifts of time and thoughtfulness will be your favorites; 

A homemade card that reads "I love you very much, your just SO old I can't believe your 30 and Awesome" - Ethan.

Coffee and time stolen away while children attend school.

Jewelry that looks just like me.

To end the night you won't attend an elaborate surprise party (cause that not your husband's style),  

But you will be surprised,

And you'll celebrate with family and friends from far and near via video.

You'll cry and roll with laughter as your watch and listen to the singing of happy birthday, 

and memories recounted in both words and acting.

You'll find out that cake, candy and cooking are what some people love most about you. 

Compliments roll off Charlie's tongue and Ethan wants to go on Wipe Out to win you 50,000 dollars.

You'll rewind and re-watch your nephews- songs, "I love you" proclamations, and silly faces.

Most of all you'll be humbled, and honored to be called a Christ follower, a good mom, and great friend among other things.

The words of love, praise and encouragement from those who mean so much to you will overflow your cup already so full and continue to echo in your mind building you up and reminding you keep being YOU.

For the love of turning 30, laughter, tears, shopping, coffee and expressions of love

Me

For Always

Sometimes ornery, sometimes forced your giggle is contagious, or the gut wrenching belly-laugh that echos through the house -beautiful sounds of joy

Tunes cranked, windows rolled down, doing a mean car-jig
Someday this will be very un-cool, but for now it's really fun
And, I'm not going to worry about someday

TAG - You're It, Keep Away, Red Rover, Duck-Duck-Goose, Hide and Seek
Are you ever too old?  Maybe too stiff or out of shape, but never too old

Holding hands, kisses on the cheeks, hugs that linger

Dinner simmering-Booty-shakin', arms flailing, fist pumping, feet jumping, body spinning, breath stealing dancing
It's the kitchen dance, at times conducted in the living room, but never for general public viewing (it's best enjoyed while dinner is simmering)

Sweet words of gratitude, gentle reminders, soft encouragement, I love yous

Time stolen away from the busyness of the world, and routines
Sipping hot chocolate with extra mini-marshmallows (or just eating the marshmallows), Enjoying a cinnamon roll the size of your face, Sipping a latte or frappachino, Watching you, listening to you, soaking up you being you and me being me - US

Huddled together, cozy on the couch, listening, reading, savoring

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always

For the love of a beautiful season of life and savoring every second,
Me

Beautiful

So, September happened...

Jacob ran a marathon, and almost qualified for Boston
He's still hurting
I am calling a doctor tomorrow if he doesn't (he's been warned)
We cheered him and and were so proud!
26.2 miles in 3:17

Because of above marathon we got a mini-vacation to Sioux Falls SD
Beautiful time
Happy memories

I caught the running bug and started training for a half-marathon
Today I ran 8 miles
...and felt great
November 12th is race day
Ethan no longer cries at school
But I still get the BEST hugs when I pick him up
He turned 6!
Fall Fun Fest was fun, nothing like rides, games, fake tattoos, and Chick-Fil-A
So incredibly thankful for E's closest school-friend and his Christian family
"Mom, I kinda like Sunday School better than regular school because at regular school we don't talk about Jesus at all" - insert long talk about how He could and should talk about Jesus at school

Charlie still LOVES Ms. Janet's class, social butterfly that she is!
Ballet started and it's fun watching C practice her "new moves" as she calls them
Dad's and donuts was a success
It's a beautiful thing listening to a proud dad, and an excited in-love-with-her-daddy girl recount their time together at school
Life is good, God is greater.
For the Love of running without limits, birthday's, ballet and finding beauty in the everyday,
Me

A pointed weekend edition

• Hoping J can break in his new shoes before marathon day
• All smiles this week at Kindergarten
• I've created a NO eating over night while at work rule for myself
• Running total this week = 6 miles, for me, of course that's an easy one-day work out for J
• C was the first one to complete her morning work and so proud of herself
• While most people will enjoy a reprieve from labor on Monday, I will be laboring
• Wish we were at the lake instead...sometimes weekend-nights stink
• Counting my blessings
• Which include the biggest ones like forgiveness and family all the way down to coffee to keep me awake on these long nights

For the love of bullet pointed memories, tear free drop-offs and running,
Me

C

I love this picture of you
You look so grown up, but it doesn't make me sad
Most days you can be found somewhere between reality and a day-dream
You serve the best imaginary ice-cream and cookies
You told daddy you wanted to be a "Princess" when you grew up
I don't wish for any other day than the one I have with you right now

For the Love of YOU, just as you are right now - nothing more nothing less
Mom

Tied for last

This just in....I suck at put-put.

I successfully putted into one of the many water hazards, and by water hazard I mean a small pool of running water just off the mini-fairway.  But don't worry I saved my dimpled red ball from the rapids and finished the remaining holes.

There may have been a few mulligans.

Pretty sure, I balanced any successful par holes by taking the 5-stroke maximum on the rest.

The non-competitive, laid-back spouses tied for first with E (5-year old put-put enthusiast).  C was more interested in the rocks and dandelions growing off course - but managed to finishing 9 of our 18 hole game.

Leaving me and my golfing brother tied for last.

What a fun day