Ya'll did what??

Is eloping really eloping if you have a couple days notice?? Apparently the budding war romance has turned into a nuptial aggreement of sorts....Ain't that a cottonpicker.

Catchin' Up !!

Well now, where was I ? On the last episode, Slack was demonstrating the hectic schedule that we have just officially wound up. It has been quite a month and I can truly say, I'm not sad that we are about to open a new chapter in these days of our lives. Goddard High School has graduated the last rebellious, nonconformist child of this somewhat normal family and I'm sure they can't be as happy with that fact as we are. We have endured years and years of parent - teacher conferences, parties, awards assemblies, "come to Jesus meetings", and sporting events. The tears we have cried, both good and bad would water this ranch till Jesus comes back. Katie has a whole two weeks off before she starts beauty school. And believe me when I say this......she best study hard - because the older I get and the more of life I endure, the harder it's gonna be to make me beautiful! Plus....she just owes me bigtime and I plan on collecting!

We did celebrate in true Carpenter tradition for about a week off and on. Of course we had alot to celebrate. Karli turned the big 1 on Mother's Day, and Ben boarded a big military plane the next day with 180 other guys of the 920th Engineering Company heading to Wisconsin for another 4 weeks. They will officially leave for Afghanistan on June 9th and that will be that till next July. I was too tired for three parties so I just combined them all and had a birthday, deployment, graduation party. Entangled with all the festivities, we've had to haul several hundred loads of hay and oats...literally. The first cutting came off with a bang and with the slight promise of rain in the forecast, everybody was scrambling to get all the hay out of the field. We are now in a holding pattern for a short while. That dear friends will give me a chance to clean up my yard, and catch up on all my "woman's work". I am just throwing some random pictures of the past several weeks, at ya. Just try and sort through them.

Yellow Ribbon Ceremony at the civic center.

Ben and Claire. A budding war romance!

NCO's in the parade during the Yellow Ribbon Ceremony.

A tired little birthday girl not sure what she's supposed to do with that!



One last kiss goodbye.

Till next time, adios.

A Time For Every Season

Springtime is always a busy time for this family, but this year we will have a few more taters on our plate than usual. Slack as always, has graciously volunteered his valuable time to help tell the tale of what will be going on during the next several months. Each week, Slack helps process yearlings, chasing them out of the chute and into the pens. So, he gathered his trusty pony to save his latest canine pedicure.

Prom is next Saturday nite and Slack has chosen this pink ensemble with a tiara to wow his friends...just call him Slackerella.

Won't be long and it will be time for graduation. Slack would have graduated with honors if he hadn't failed Potty Training 101. :(

We are so into the gardening mood....what a cute sunflower!!!

Summer is almost upon us and we are donning the latest in beach bum fashion. He still has those last pesky 5 pounds to lose before he can show off his new bikini. Oh well.......

Till next time, adios!

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green. Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny , "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny 's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny ? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny 's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny . He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

And on the 8th day, Mamaw rested!

What a weekend!! Loved every minute of it, but now that it's monday, the possibilities are endless! Had kids coming and going.... eating and drinking.....sleeping, working and playing...and now...it's quiet. Katie left Karli with me this weekend so she could check out a local college in a neighboring town. It's been quite a while since I slept with a baby in my bed...human that is and that made for an interesting night. Between her and two little "bedhog" dogs, the fifteen minutes sleep I got was wonderful. The second night went a little better. I had a "come to Jesus meeting" with Ladybug and Slack and they finally decided to cooperate - threatening to kick them out in the cold had nothing to do with their decision. Ben was able to spend a little time with the family before he headed out to Santa Fe this morning for combat training. He will be there for the next month. Jake came home for spring break and we always have drop ins throughout the weekend - so my stove stayed hot and my sink, full of dishes. Forgot how much food it takes to feed teenagers but I love having a full house!! Well, gotta go. Karli has this walking business down to a science. So glad I'm so fit and trim....huff, huff... and in top physical shape...wheeze, gasp...or I'd never keep up with her.... till next time, adios!

March 19th 1986

Twenty-three years ago today, at 8:02 am, my life changed forever. It's hard to believe that this young man was once a 6lb. 9oz. bundle of pure joy....and mischief. And just as it is with most mothers, Ben's arrival into this world was indeed love at first sight. Lots of water has passed under the bridge in those 23 years. Sometimes the water was muddy, other times clear. At times it has been turbulent and occasionally calm....but always bubbling. In a few short weeks, he will be heading to Afghanistan for a tour of duty that he has waited a lifetime for. I guess every child is born with a God given desire for something. Some kids dream of being farmers or ranchers....Ben has always loved guns and reconnaissance. This is Ben's ride for the next couple of weeks. He is the medic for his unit and he is taking some of the 150 "kids" to various doctor's appointments before they deploy.
He will leave the day after Mother's Day....but at least I have Mother's Day. Until now, I've prayed for other mother's sons, daughters and husbands....I now have an investment in this war and you better believe my prayer life will be different. I now understand what sacrifice really is and the high price many families have paid for our freedoms since this nation was born. Say a prayer for our soldiers and their families tonight. Somewhere, there is a mother wondering how her son or daughter is getting along...and a mother's heart never changes. Till next time, adios.

Here Comes Karli Kottontail...

Yep, Easter is indeed almost here....only five weeks away, but who's counting! The wind is blowing a steady fify miles an hour outside, so we are entertaining ourselves inside the confines of the bunny barn!

There's always a wienie dog trying to steal your thunder....and your ears!




















Okay Slack...

From now till Easter, we will be passing the bunny ears around.....stay posted!