Over the fly zone and thru the skies, to Grandmother's house I go...tra la la

Okay, it's mom's house technically, but she's a grandmother so it's all good. I'm heading to Ohio. I'm going to be there when Charlie and Olivia make their appearance. I plan on rocking them and doing all I can to enable their development as much as possible while they're in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). All prayers and good wishes are welcomed and appreciated. What a priceless Thanksgiving this will be, huh? Talk about priorities revealing themselves!!! Let's see what's on our plates...

1. Living and breathing...we'll start with that. That's about as basic as it gets. I've been going to the Temple a lot lately and on Wednesday that was really brought home to me...that we (or me, perhaps) survive/thrive on "every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God"...yea, a steady diet of truth and light-good for soul, pile that on my plate please.

2. Love and laughter...plenty o'that happening. I have seen a LOT of families in my lifetime and I have to tell you, I have one funny family...and the beautiful thing is, like attracts like and we have pulled to us some truly funny people(in-laws, out-laws, friends, etc)...and we are blessed to have this beautiful, supportive, whimsical, system that holds us together and bounces us along life's path...we're not necessarily a flippant lot-we appreciate the depth and breadth of heartache and loss, but we can also smile and crack a one-liner that will definitely smear your mascara...let's just say we are NOT afraid of laughter or mirth in any way, shape, matter or form-except for that at others' expense...even we have our limits...

3. We appreciate that we live in a country where we are allowed to kvetch and whine about our government and the governing process, but where we also have running water, police, fire-fighters, good roads, schools, plenty of food in the stores-and the stores are everywhere, restaurants, etc. We have a "promised land" that goes from sea to shining sea and encompasses some of the most beautiful and productive scenery on the globe. We are free to worship according to the dictates of our own conscious. Our Constitution has been copied in one form or another for dozens and dozens of other countries and has from its inception, beginning with France-sorry Marie Antoinette and the whole "storming the Bastille" thing...our bad...well, actually YOUR bad, or your husband's whole ruling monarchy's bad...you married into it...OPTIONS girlfriend, OPTIONS!

4. Personally, I've been allowed to have most of my family members grow old with me. I buried my birth father when I was 17 and that was painful. I buried my sweet maternal Grandmother Emma Jane (Calamity Jane) when I was 20 and that was painful as well. But other than that, I had Pops until he was in his 90s. My mom, age 88, is alive and kicking. I'm so very very very grateful for her. I am grateful that I'm at a place in my life where, when I look at my mother's face, all I see and feel is love and gratitude. My mother has become a kind of Church for me. It's all right there in her face... And my sweet, wonderful uncles are still here, albeit aging quickly. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have experienced enough life to view them as an adult and to see them for who they are and to be able to share with them my love and respect for them, as well as my gratitude. That's been a true blessing...to be able to tell them personally that I can look back in my life and see how hard they worked and how kind they were and what truly great people they are and what their legacy will be. What a great blessing...

5. And the best for last: ----> MUSHY ALERT------> I'm stating publicly my love and gratitude to my Heavenly Father for my life and for the people He has placed in it and for the love that fills it-every. single. day. I'm grateful for the plan of happiness and that it delivers every. single. day. I'm grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for all He does for me every. single. day.

I told my daughter Emily yesterday. If something would happen to me (which it won't) and I was taken tomorrow, everyone should be pretty happy. Our family shouldn't have any "closure" issues. We live a very emotionally open life with each other. We laugh a lot. A LOT. I refer you to point #2. We also get pretty cheesy and cry when we want to. We're an emotional lot as well. We speak our minds and our minds are therefore satisfied. So, we don't need a long goodbye to share things or say things that haven't been said. Ya know? That said, I think this goodbye is long enough....bye!