THE WORLD'S MEANEST PARENTS.....

My family..at least most of them...it gets harder and harder to get everyone together at the same time!

My Mom at age seventeen

My Dad, at about 26 years of age

Mom and Dad

Me, at one year old

Me, sitting on the couch by my Mom

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I need to just get this off my chest....vent a little!
I had the worlds meanest parents. Oh, they did a good job of covering for themselves, with all of their smiles and hugs and "I love you's" and stuff. But they couldn't fool me. No sir, they were mean alright, clear through to the heart!

You wouldn't believe some of the stuff they made us do. Like work, for example.

You would have thought we were indentured servants or something, the way they made us work around the house. And not just normal things like just making our own beds and keeping our rooms tidy. We had to help clean the rest of the house, too. And we had to do the dishes almost every night. My poor brother was the only boy in sixth grade with dishpan hands!

Then there was all of the outside work...they garden to weed, the lawn to mow. Cows to milk...everyday! I had to even drive the tractor while my Dad and brothers threw hay up onto the trailer. While they unloaded it, I had to go to the house and fix lunch for six people. Then toward evening, because Mom had to work, I was the one who had to fix dinner for all they family.

I had to do the laundry and ironing too and I had to learn to make 8 loaves of homemade bread each week, and clean the house. I don't know how many times I planned my escape while I was cleaning house.
Mentally, I ran away from home about 50 times each summer.

When miniskirts were the in thing in the 60's, I had to wear my dresses all the way down to my knees! I was never allowed to call boys and when I was finally allowed to date at age 16, the boys had to come to my door to pick me up and meet mom and dad...I wasn't allowed to just run out when a boy honked his horn...I was a lady!

And that isn't the half of it, these people were into total control. We had to ask permission to do anything...to go get a soda with friends, if we could stay up late and watch Johnny Carson, if we could have a sleepover. None of us could date until we were 16, we had curfews as long as we lived at home and we weren't allowed to buy a car with our own money until we had saved up for college, none of that 60's peace and love stuff for us.

We tried to convince our parents that all the other kids in the neighborhood had a lot more freedom than we did, but do you think they cared? I wondered if they had even heard of the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights.

On top of it all, they seemed to function under the impression that a parent is, first and foremost, a teacher. They thought it was their job to teach us the things they considered important, like... how to get along with others, how to cooperate, how to obey rules, how to uphold out values, how to respect the rights of others, how to find validation and satisfaction through service. And they thought that the best way we could learn those lessons was to live them...every day of our lives. No matter what.

And what do they have to show for it? Not much...just 7 devoted children who loved them and grew to adulthood reasonably happy and well-adjusted. Don't get me wrong...we have each had our share of problems, some more than others. But for whatever it's worth, we all make our living honestly. We all pay our taxes. We are all active in our church and civic affairs.

And we are all trying to do our part for the future by being just as "mean" to our children as our parents were to us!

(P.S.) I don't know how I could have ever got through raising my 8 children without my mean parents, who taught me all the lessons I would need to know, to get me through my years of being the "Mean Parent." Thank You Mom and Dad for being Mean parents...I wouldn't trade you for anything!
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(ps)....Please go see this lady for a fantastic "GIVE A WAY"...she is giving around 12 really nice thing away. She is super creative and has had her work publishes in magazines.
You will love this!... http://askmichelesomethingspecial.blogspot.com

SNOW and SMILES in the MORNING...

This is "Sage"...I found her out in the fields as I was going on my morning walk about 4 years ago. She was so tiny...just about the size of my palm. I fed her milk from a dropper for a week. Since we had to have our other cat put down last week, this one has not left my lap!
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This morning, I woke up to this.....SNOW.....it isn't much especially compared to other places in the country that have 2-3 feet of snow, but it sure made me SMILE.
Usually we get a dusting and then either the wind carries it off or the sun comes out so quickly it all melts, but this morning this bit of snow is sticking....it makes everything so beautiful!
And it is making me SMILE.

" A SMILE is the window of the heart that lets the soul shine through "

" Even our simplest SMILES are like parted shutters, emitting the soul-light of which there is no surplus in the world. Too many live as if boarded up, preferring to look out upon others rather than illuminating the scene themselves." -Neal A. Maxwell-

"You must have a good time meeting people if you expect them to have a good time meeting you."

A SMILE has the same meaning in every language...a simple SMILE says, " I'm so glad to see you," "You make me happy!"

The effect of a SMILE is powerful...even when it is unseen...it is called computer power...your SMILE can come right through your computer....see :D

A SMILE costs nothing, but creates much...it enriches those who receive it, without impoverishing those who give it.

~It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever~

None are so rich that they can get along without SMILES...and none are so poor but are richer for it's benefits.

A SMILE creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunlight to the sad, and nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet, it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no earthly good to anyone till it is given away.

"Every time you SMILE at someone it is an action of love, a gift to the person, a beautiful thing."-Mother Teresa-

"SMILE...it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart." -Andrew D' Angelo-

"The reason people pass one door to patronize another store
Is not because the second place has finer silks or gloves or lace
Or cheaper prices....but it lies in friendly words and smiling eyes
The great big difference, we believe is in the treatment folks receive."
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Sending " warm heart felt" SMILES out to each of you my friends....you make me smile and laugh and sometimes even shed a tear.

I am so enjoying each one of you here in blog-land...What did I ever do with out knowing you?!

I'm so grateful to my daughters who made me sit down and learn how to use the computer...or I would have missed out on knowing you!
xoxoxox... to all :D

PART TWO of...THANK HEAVEN FOR GRANDCHILDREN~

Truth be told....I now prefer the company of bright-eyed grandchildren to that of the exquisite grown-ups in my life. I thought I'd seen it all, but I hadn't...because until my grandchildren, I hadn't seen it through the eyes of a child.

The first sight of them in that little knit cap was the moment when my life changed...like water coming to the desert. The joy of watching them figure out something for the first time, the glee of watching them make monster imitations to scare me...it is all so thrilling and fun.

~Tracen Ray McCoy~
~Our first great grandchild~

I think I have been ready to be a grandmother since I knew what grandmothers were. These grandchildren cause happiness to leak out of me as I take the role of grandma into my heart.

A feeling of gratitude, awe, hope, protectiveness, and a dazzling awareness of continuity of the links in the chain of family.

I wanted to call the Associated Press after every one of their accomplishments...say, a good burp after nursing! I wanted to sit them in my lap and squeeze them and cover them with kisses, read picture books to them and take them outside and point to birds, making tweet-tweet sounds. I want to sing to them, put my hand over their little hearts and melt when they speak their little toddler words.

The love that grandparents share with their grandchildren is a love that binds the past and the future.

" One day I said to the Lord, can you make me immortal? Is there a way I can live forever? And the Lord gave me children and now grandchildren...now, I can live on through their eyes and smiles and hearts. "

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly...cookies!

If I had my child to raise again, I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

(Diane Loomans)

Grandma's are a kind of first-aid station...they gather us into their laps, restoring us to health and confidence by their amazing faith in life and in our strength to meet it.

"Where there's a will, there's a way...and where there's a child there's a will."

" She belongs not just to me but to all the women who preceded her. Another daughter born into a chain of mothers. Sometimes I look into her upturned face, her smile so quick and so earnest, her eyes locked so intently on mine, and I think, Here is where it begins, One generation at a time." (Hope Edelman)

What do you do with mother love and wit when babies are grown up and gone away?

Why you turn to your grandbabies with all the love in your heart...they await all that you can give them, with giggles and coo's that heal and bless your heart, and theirs!

A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold...Our living treasure, Donna Harward,
she is 97 years old.

I will not play a tug o' war, I'd rather play a hug o' war, where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles...

And rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.

~A little girl with two big dimples in her cheeks brings sunshine into the lives of grandparents~

" Blessed be grandchildren, who bring down something of Heaven into the midst of our rough earthiness. "

" Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. "

"Our grandchildren will not care what we know, until they know that we care."

" The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. "

Family love...." Shared joy is double joy...and shared sorrow is half-sorrow."

Grown-up's never understand anything for themselves, and it is tire some for children to always and forever be explaining things to them...it's a good thing grandma understands!"
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To me, my grandma was the kindest person in the world. She loved all of God's creations, from the bird singing in the tree to the soft hug of a grandchild. She somehow always knew what to say or do in any situation. I loved it when I'd feel her soft hand slip into mine. That was the best feeling in the world. I loved her very, very much. Come rain or shine, I will always feel that soft hand in mine.

I remember sitting in church as a young child and looking at all the older women, some had such bony laps and arms or pointed noses and chins. Some were tall and had long hair. I couldn't help but make comparisons between these grandma;s and mine. I was convinced that my grandma came right out of the storybook encyclopedia that describes what the perfect grandma is like.
She is round and soft in places that grandmas should be. Her lap is comfortable to sit on; she has the perfect amount of wrinkles, gray hair. and glasses; and she is always smiling...even when she drifts asleep.

When I would sit on grandma's lap, I always felt like the blue-ribbon winner at the state fair. Grandma would examine my hands and fingers, telling me that they were the most beautiful hands she had ever seen. What she wouldn't give to have fingers like mine! My eyelashes were always long and beautiful, my feet were perfect for the sand and water of the beach, and even my multitude of freckles were a blessing. She would run her fingers through my hair, praising it's thickness and color. With each thing she would mention, I felt like I must have been the only one in the world to have dimples or strong legs or two of the best climbing arms or whatever it was that happened to be showcased at that moment.

What a blessing! What a special person I was! She would always say, "Best of all, you have a great personality." (taken from the book; " Glimpses"..the story of Marjorie Pay Hinckley)
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" No matter how old a mother is she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement...but the grandchildren......they are already perfect!"

THANK HEAVEN FOR GRANDCHILDREN.....(Part One)

They say that all GRANDMOTHER'S are inclined to brag a bit,
and there is some truth in this I frankly must admit.

For, since I've reached the Grandma Stage and all my friends have too,
I'm simply floored by all the bragging that these Grandmother's do.

To hear them rave, you'd think for sure that all the Human Race
was fast becoming Supermen at a tremendous pace.

Yet, when I see these boys and girls, their Grandma's pride and joy,
Each one seems to me to be quite an ordinary girl or boy.

Of course, I humor them along and say, I think they're fine,
But you'd see the difference if you've ever noticed mine.

My own are so much Cuter, Smarter, Handsomer than theirs,
I can afford to humor them whenever they put on airs.

I'm really glad that I don't brag like other Grandmothers do,
I'VE SO MUCH MORE TO BRAG ABOUT IF I JUST WANTED TO!

~I may not be rich and famous but I do have Priceless Grandchildren~

Grandchildren bring such light into our hearts!

Why, they just make us want to stand up and salute!

"Our hearts go walking outside our bodies when we look at our grandchildren"

It's not just snuggling quietly, and rocking in grandma's chair...
But even her house is special because Grandma is there.

I loved my Grandparents home. Everything smelled older, worn but safe;
the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture.

....in the home my grandparents created, I find the beginnings of the love I have inherited.

I wish every frightened, lonely, sick, bewildered child in the world had grandparents to run to.

Grandmas can always be counted on to produce sweets, cookies and candies that seem to taste so much more yummy than from anyone else.

A grand child is a kind of miracle. A persuasion machine. You can try to be strict but you can never resist their smiles. You can swear you'll not give them that piece of pie, but who wouldn't give in to that toothless grin!

You can swear that you'll never buy them another teddy bear, but with a tug on your fingers, a little cuddle, a single tear and a "Please Grandma, I love you." And they can have the world!

" Upstretched arms make grandparents put off rheumatism till tomorrow"

Grandchildren are a renewal of life, a little bit of us going into the future.

Most young people today live in a world that is changing so fast around them. There are few things they can put their faith in that are solid and true.

The sights and smells of their grandparents house can be a stabilizing and important influence. Sometimes, even the most cynical young people are brought back to a revaluation of their values in the midst of these family traditions. Grandparents are the centerpieces of these memories.

Grandparents are very ambitious when it comes to their grandchildren...When a stranger inquires to their ages, they reply..."the doctor's in third grade and the rocket scientist is in the fifth grade!"

I hang out with a lot of grandmas. Their grandchildren were all born in mangers and have I.Q.'s so high they cannot be measured.

Grandmother: "Did I tell you about my grandchildren?"...Stranger: "No, and I appreciate it very much."

"No cowgirl was ever faster on the draw than a grandma pulling baby pictures out of her purse."

"If only the Ugly Duckling had a grandmama, he need never have suffered. He would have seen at once that he was swan material."

~Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation~

I loved granny's tiny back kitchen with it's roaring fire and wooden stools. I felt safe there, sitting against her knees, watching her perform her domestic chores.

I felt as if I never wanted to leave, that I could stay there cocooned for the rest of my life.

Grandparents don't see any faults in you, they are placed on the earth to love and praise you.

Grandparents always make you feel like you are the most important person in the world.

These grandparents are thrilled that another grandchild is due in July!

Grandparents are always happy to see you. It puts big smiles on their faces and on ours too!

Grandma has a way of making you think you are the greatest at
what ever you want to be!

There is always freedom at grandma's house...Mom says; "Stop running!" and grandma says; "oh, let them run, I love it!"

It has been said that..." Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild." This is true...another way of saying it is..."Grand children are the reward for not killing your children! "

You might say that this is true too...well, you just might! If I knew grandchildren would be so much fun, I would have had them first!