Changes

I’ve never been one to welcome change. I get a sense of comfort and security from having sameness and stability in my life. When things are going great, why rock the boat? Unfortunately, God (and others) don’t always agree with me.

I’m experiencing some significant changes in my life right now. Some of them are hard for me but good for others. Although these changes have not been easy, I can accept them as necessary and right.

But there’s one major change that has been particularly painful. For months I fought hard against it. This change felt wrong and destructive, foolish and senseless and unnecessary. But, in the end I had no power to stop it.

In time, I may be able to see some good come of it. Although I can’t see it yet, I’m hopeful. So, as I wait, and as I search to find some firm footing again, I’m trying to cooperate with God and learn some important lessons.

Here are some things I’m trying to learn:

That no matter how hard I try to control my life, ultimately, it’s God who’s in control. When I try to control outcomes or other people, I just become frustrated.

That I have a choice: I can either choose to complain and whine and feel sorry for myself, or I can choose to have a good attitude and let my struggles change me for the better.

That the wisest thing I can do is surrender my dreams to God and then wait to see what better things He has for me.

Easier said than done! 

Grandpa Young

Pages from a scrapbook put together a few years ago for Ben, who never had the privilege of meeting his grandpa:

On the Beach at Larrabee State Park

(June 13, 2005)

Isla’s first impressions:

Discovering the rocks!

Enjoying the view:

Being the view:

Starfish!

Exploring:

And just hanging out…

A Portrait of Grandma Young: A Mother’s Day tribute for my kids, siblings, nieces and nephews to enjoy

My mom passed away when Ben was less than two years old, so I knew that he’d be left with few memories of her. Yet, I wanted him to know her. This is something I put together for him a few years ago. I thought I would share it with all of you today. I hope you enjoy the memories!

Walking With Isla

Friday Joe and I were babysitting Isla. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we thought that a walk along the Bellingham waterfront would be lovely. So, we loaded Isla’s stroller into the car and headed to Fairhaven and the trail that leads to Boulevard Park. Ready for some brisk exercise, we got the stroller out of the car and attempted to strap Isla in. it. But we soon realized that she had a different plan. She wanted to walk. And, not only did she want to walk, she also wanted to carry her stuff. At first that just included her ducky and her water bottle.

But then, she decided she needed to carry a package of wipes, too.

Of course, the water bottle was heavy, and the wipes were both heavy and slippery, and they needed repositioning every 3 or 4 steps.

Our brisk walk had turned into a very, very slow stroll, 3 or 4 steps at a time. Grandpa finally lifted Isla onto his shoulders.

Must have been too scary. Because at that point, she chose the stroller.

My Trellis Wears a Jacket

My trellis wears a jacket. This year it’s green.

Why does my trellis wear a jacket? Because of the squirrels.

I used to think they were adorable, those furry little creatures with the bushy tails. And so I giggled when my sister lamented over the third garbage can lid they’d destroyed. I even laughed when she told the story of how they had gnawed through her window screens and scattered Oreo cookie crumbs all over her kitchen.

And then…they moved into my neighborhood, and into my yard. I never saw it coming. The trouble, that is. It crept into my life so slowly. At first, the squirrels appeared at the bird feeder. It was fun to watch them up close through the window. That the faces of people and cats through the glass a mere 12” away didn’t scare them in the least should have alerted me that there’d be trouble. Perhaps the critters knew that we couldn’t harm them through the glass. Or maybe they just thrive on danger. Either way, their boldness should have prepared me for the elaborate and malicious scheme they would soon devise in order to frustrate and annoy me.

It’s an annual event for me, the stringing of my trellis. It’s time consuming, but I do a great job of it, if I do say so myself. The strings are tight, neatly wrapped, and evenly spaced. The finished product is a thing of beauty.

Until the spring the squirrels invaded my yard, that is. It happened one night while I was sleeping. The afternoon before, I had strung the trellis. The next morning the strings were lying on the ground. Upon closer examination, I discovered that they had been severed near the top. So, I re-strung the trellis. But, to my dismay, the strings were back on the ground the next day. This time, out of string, I tied the pieces back together as best I could and just hoped for the best. But the trellis was a real mess.

At first I blamed this strange phenomenon on the birds. After all, they do need nesting materials in the spring. So, I tried scattering little pieces of twine on the ground, hoping they’d accept my offering and leave the trellis alone. But, the birds didn’t take the scraps. That’s when it hit me: whatever was cutting my trellis strings was not taking them away, only severing them.

As time went by I discovered that the villains weren’t birds, after all. They were squirrels! I witnessed those clever little mischief-makers running along the top of the trellis. And although I never actually saw them do it, I’m convinced they were cutting my strings just for the fun of it!

Once I had identified my enemies, I was able to devise a tactic to outwit them. I began covering the top of my trellis with a wide strip of cloth, just long enough and wide enough to keep the squirrels from reaching the tops of the strings. It’s worked so well that the animals have had to move on…to my corn patch. Those malicious beasts! It’s been several years now since I’ve managed to harvest a ripe ear of corn before the squirrels devour it.

My beans and peas now grow tall and strong again because my trellis wears a jacket. But what can I do to save my ears of corn? Maybe I can dress them in socks?

We’ll laugh about this some day…

 

Joe, Ben, and I traveled to Comcast Arena in Everett this afternoon to see Cirque du Soleil.

Look at the date on our tickets:

Need I say more?

My Adventures at Grandma and Grandpa’s House (Or What I Did While Mommy and Daddy Were Away) -by Isla

 

           

I looked at lots of books:

I colored:

…with Ducky, of course!

I played with a bin of split peas while Grandma cooked dinner:

I played with the farm:

I took care of a doll:

I played records:

I got dressed:

I asked to go outside:

I went swinging at the park, twice:

(I asked Grandma to swing beside me):

I climbed up on the toys, but I didn’t really find that very interesting:

Here’s a picture of me at the top, anyway:

I spent quite a bit of time trying to get the rocks back where they belonged:

I hung out with my Uncle Ben:

I especially loved playing hide and seek with him:

I had snacks. (Sorry, Mom and Dad, but I forgot to keep my string cheese in the kitchen):

I did lots of other things that I don’t have pictures of, like hanging out with Grandpa. Fitting shapes into the right holes. Playing with pull and push toys. Playing with a toy parking garage. Eating. Cuddling (I only did this because I was feeling sort of sick. Don’t expect me to do it again very soon!). And I didn’t nap much. There was just too much other fun stuff to do!

Grandma would say that I spent most of my time just being cute:

Ugh! Stop taking my picture, Grandma!