50.....How did THAT happen????

It's true....I am 50. (No, Dad, not 29 like you were for so many years!) While I don't really care a whole lot about being 50, I guess it is a time for reflection. Part of me says: "where did the time go?" and part of me wants to know: "what do I have to show for it?" I kind of thought life would be different at 50. That I would be more 'together', or 'established', or that I would have my whole life figured out by now. Maybe everyone feels that way, maybe we never get it figured out....maybe that's the point. We are ever changing, growing, evolving, becoming, being shaped by our life experience and the people around us to grow into the person Heavenly Father needs us to be at the time. And while we are ever changing, we are constant. Constant in our love for Him, for our families, our friends, the gospel. I guess the French critic, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, said it best: "The more things change, the more they remain the same."

The Last Days.....Armbruster Style

It seems like we've had a lot of 'last days' lately.....

Eleanor and Mary had their 'last day' of school the first part of May. They are both taking the summer off, and Mary will probably take off fall semester, too, so she can work and save money. Our plan is that she goes to BYU Idaho in January.

Sam and Peter had their 'last day' of seminary on May 16th. I was a great year for them. Sr. Terry is such an awesome teacher! I'm glad that they've had the opportunity to learn from her. I hope she continues to teach seminary (at least until they graduate!)

Sam and Peter's 'last day' of school was May 22nd. I guess it was an okay school year. Great as far as friends go, okay as far as academics, but we're all glad it's done. I know I was tired of homework every night! Peter is most likely switching schools next year. He wants to go to Woodmont. That's fine with me. Sam wants to stay where he is though, also fine with me. At this age, I tell them to pray about such decisions, and let me know what they decide. I trust them to choose the right path for themselves.

Sirius had his 'last day' of school on Friday last week. He had a great year!! He came out of 4K reading a little bit, made lots of new friends, and is ready for Kindergarten next year. He also had an end-of-year party that was pretty fun.

Joe's 'last day' of work is tomorrow. Still no job, but he has a couple of 'irons in the fire'. One is Atlanta (think traffic!), the other in Asheville. He has interviewed with both, and now we're just waiting to hear something. He sends out resumes every day, everywhere in the country. I could tell that he was getting desperate when he told me that he applied for a job in Minnesota!! He's still thawing out from when we lived there before (1984-85) I think we're entering 'The Fourth Watch". Which must mean that this trial is almost over! (I could be terribly wrong, but let's hope not!)

My 'last days'......to send kids out the door for seminary and school, to yell at kids about homework and projects that are due, my last day to send my husband off to work. My last day of sanity? Let's just say, it could be a LONG summer!

A pretty good day....

While yesterday started out kind of rough (bad headache + busy day) it turned out to be a pretty good day. First of all, I got all my chores done: bank, grocery store (x 2, I can never get everything I need at just 1 store!), scout shop, library, car to the shop, running kids everywhere. Second of all, I got mail!! I love getting mail! I mean, I get mail almost everyday, but it's usually bills, occasionally a magazine, (the only magazines I get are scout related!), but yesterday I got ME mail. A birthday card from my SIL (sister-in-law) Barb, totally unexpected as she has never sent me one before, what a nice surprise! A birthday package from my sister, (two rubber spatulas, an oven mitt, and a pot holder from William Sonoma!), Thanks, Kati!! And a book that I had ordered for my dad for Father's Day. (Shhh, don't tell, Jude!) I was expecting the book, just not quite so soon, so that was exciting, and I love it! I think my Dad will love it, too. I'd say more, but Peter (my brother) and Jude are just not that good at keeping secrets, so it will have to wait until after Father's Day. To end off the day, I got to spend an hour at the pool with Peter, Sirius, Sabian, and Joe. The boys played while Joe and I got to just sit and talk. It was nice to have some down time together. Life is so busy that we rarely have time to relax together. All in all, a pretty good day.

Stalwart?? Who me????

So there's this older couple in our ward. They're fairly new to the ward (a few months). I'd never really spoken to them much except to say 'hello' in passing. Then I had the opportunity to sit and talk with them at some ward function a couple of weeks ago. As we were getting to know one another a little bit, the woman said to me "I knew you were a stalwart member, I see you at all the meeting and activities, and it seems like you're involved in just about everything." Now, it's true, I am involved in lots of things. I have a Cub Scout calling, and a Boy Scout calling, and I do stay busy with church, but 'stalwart'? I guess I'd never thought of it like that before. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just trying to keep my head above water, and if I'm where I'm supposed to be (usually at a church function!) and doing what I'm supposed to be doing (also usually a church responsibility!) it makes it that much easier to stay afloat! So maybe I am 'stalwart'. Out of all the things I've been called over the course of my (almost) 50 years......that's certainly one of the nicest. I'll take it.

Sleep.....

Why is it that I'm exhausted by 3 every afternoon, yet wide awake at 4:30 on a Saturday morning?? I used to be able to sleep in (before I had children) but now, here we are on a perfectly good 'sleep-in' day (I could have slept till at least 6:30 before I have to get the boys up for their bike ride!) and I'm wide awake. I tried to go back to sleep, but no go. Although I did learn something interesting this morning....I am in the livingroom on the computer, I heard Sabian get up about 20 minutes ago. He padded down the hall to my room, opened the door, and went in. When he discovered that I wasn't in there, he came back out and went to his mother's room! Interesting that I was his first choice. But I'm glad he ended up with his mom.

Changing Times..........

My youngest, Peter, came home from a campout yesterday exclaiming "I got to shuck corn for dinner last night, I've never done that before!" At first I was just a little surprised, and maybe a little embarrassed. What will people think that my child is 15 and has never shucked corn?? What kind of a mother am I? Then, as I thought about it, it occurred to me. He has never milked a cow either, or gathered eggs from the hen house, or walked 3 miles a day to school (uphill both ways), or had to dig a hole for a new outhouse. I'm pretty sure that my father did most of these things. (I heard plenty of stories about it when I was a kid! At least about the outhouse and walking to school) I guess my point is.....times have changed. My father and mother grew up during the depression era. My dad lived in a very modest 'tar paper' home, with no running water and an outhouse out back. My mother's dad died when she was only 5, and the youngest of 10 children. Her mother took in washing, and ironing for people to help support the family and the older brothers got extra jobs to help out. (Let me interject here....that Peter has offered to drop out of school and get a job to help out should Joe not find work soon!) I grew up a little differently, in the 60's, a time of great change for our country....my 'hardships' (according to my children) were the lack of color tv, cable and internet. We had no microwaves, video games or vcr/dvd players (we could only watch a show once, poor us!) At the time I was born, there were only 48 states, gas was 25 cents a gallon, bread 20 cents a loaf, and Ike was President. Yes, times have changed, and I can only imagine how they will continue to change as my children and grandchildren grow up.

This is the home my dad grew up in......

This is me and my brother, Peter, in 1960 or 61.....

San Diego Temple

I went to San Diego in February and had the opportunity to go to the SD Temple with my sister, one of my brothers and my Dad. I had never been to the SD Temple before, and it was absolutely beautiful! I loved being able to go with Dad, Renn, and Kati. I had not had the opportunity to attend the temple with them in more than 20 years!! Far too long. But we live so far apart. It's not often that we can all get together. On this trip, my Dad wanted to have as many of his kids with him as possible. It took a lot of work, but we ended up with 5 out of 6. Only Mike couldn't be there, he was in NY on business that weekend. We missed him...but it was great to see everyone else. I truly can't remember the last time I was with that many of my siblings in one place.....I'm thinking maybe 30 years ago??? Anyways, here we are:

Back row, left to right, Kati, me, Dad,

Front row, left to right, Paul, Peter, Renn

Left to right: Renn, Jude, my wonderful 'step-mother', Paul, me, Peter, Dad, and Kati.

As I said, we live so far apart....Peter in California, Renn in Utah, Paul, Kati and Dad in Minnesota, and me in South Carolina. Our 'missing' brother, Mike, lives in Virginia, so we really are all over the country. More to follow........

Illya Kuryakin??

Who knew that Illya Kuryakin was on NCIS??? And if you knew, why didn't you tell me?? I love David McCallum. I used to watch him on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (many,many, years ago!) and he was in the classic WW II movie "The Great Escape". So when I was flipping channels one night a few weeks ago, there he was on NCIS. Now I'm hooked. I can't get enough of 'Ducky' and the rest of the NCIS crowd. I can't believe the show is in it's 5th season and I've never watched it before. Is there anything else you're not telling me?

To My Brother.......

So I had written this heartfelt, inspiring blog about friendship, new friends, old friends, etc., but one of the 3 people who actually read this blog told me that it was a little too much. So instead you get to read this blog....the message of which is: "Thanks alot, Peter!!"