It has been a wild and crazy summer here.  Lots of activity and changes!  Hence, my absence for a few weeks.  The weekend brought a few chuckles and thoughts that I wanted to share.

First, mothers of boys, be sure that you allow your sons to play to their heart's content with toy trucks and bulldozers and shovels and other "manly" things when they are little.  Doc's mother would not let him take his Tonka trucks out in the dirt when he was a youngster.  As a result, my boys had absolutely pristine Tonka trucks to play with.  Their sons will have rusted and dented Tonka trucks to play with because I let the boys dig in the dirt and sandbox with them.  Occasionally and irresponsibly, they were left out overnight but they were loved and enjoyed for all their worth.

Doc grew up to be an adult who still wants to play with Tonka trucks.  And now, his mother cannot tell him to keep them inside.  Hence, the tractors, backhoes and front loaders that we own.  Hence the chain saws and log splitter.  He gets a kind of crazy look in his eye when he needs to use them.  In fact, he seems to spend some of his time looking for ways to use them.  I was moving some plants this weekend that were in old barrels that were falling apart.  I was working with a shovel and bucket and digging them out, moving the dirt and replanting.  He got that look when he was watching me and kept insisting that he could get the backhoe, lift those barrels and the job would be done!  I fended him off and did it my way, fortunately as the barrels no longer had bottoms.

But don't worry, a tree needed to be cut down.  I stopped him at one tree, although he continues to eye one or two more and I am certain that they will disappear one afternoon when I am not there to protect them.  There was a lot of chainsaw noise, a little swearing, a lot of our son and son in law standing by to help and finally a loud crash as the tree toppled to the ground after stalling out on a couple of other trees.  Of course, I felt it necessary to holler "Timber!"  My boys seem to enjoy these events, but I am fearful that they are catching the "fever" from their dad.  The more they are all together, the more "guy things" they seem to do.

So thanks to my mother in law, for stunting my husband's psychological and emotional growth and preventing him from playing with his toys as a boy.  It has left me to deal with a man who plays with bigger and louder toys!  I hope my daughter in laws appreciate my efforts in having let our boys play away!  Have a blessed week!

I apologize in advance.  This post is not the usual humorous one that gets a lot of attention, but I feel that I just have to say what follows.  So, tomorrow is the Fourth of July, Independence Day.  It is a great celebration of our nation's birth and a chance to reflect on those who risked everything to begin this country, those who have defended it throughout the years, and sadly, those who continue to try to destroy it.

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, John Adams, Nathan Hale to name only a few risked it all to challenge and battle the unfairness of a governing body in England that was oppressive and taxing its citizens to death!  After they succeeded in defeating the British during the Revolutionary War, it fell upon them to organize a government that would be fair and just and balanced.  The United States of America is not a democracy, it never has been a democracy.  (As a parent, I follow that same model.  My family is not a democracy.  I am in charge, and while willing to listen to alternatives, I make the decisions in a fair and just manner.)
We are a republic, and the government was set up to allow for individual rule of the states while all work together to form our nation.  George Washington was called upon to become the king of the United States.  (While he wisely refused, had he accepted my soul mate and friend could possibly today be the Queen of the United States - but I digress).  The government was established and its citizens were encouraged to represent their states at a national level.  It was never intended for these people to make a career out of their representation. It was a service to their country and a duty.

Over the years, MANY have died justly and unjustly to defend our country.  Unfortunately, our government has mutated into people who "represent" us as their career.  But, they don't really "represent" us, they represent their private interests.  They have used these interests to start wars and military actions that have cost the lives of many who honorably tried to defend the freedom that our forefathers established.  Our country has mutated into something worse than what we endured under British rule.  We are taxed to death!  We are forced to pay for people who choose not to support themselves.  I am not talking about people who legitimately are unable to work, I am talking about those who have learned to manipulate the system for their own benefit.  Some have turned it into an art form garnering millions from a system that should be in place to help people get back on their feet.  Now we deal with people who get rich off the systems meant to help our citizens and who even use this money to hurt us.

I cannot remember a president who has ever had the support of every person in this country.  It is part of our freedom to have our own thoughts and beliefs and to express them.  What I see in the news and social media today demonstrates a vile new low for the American people.  I cannot remember any president and his family enduring the hate, accusations, and threats that President Trump and his family live with daily.  As a mother, my heart cries for this family.  As a human being, I am sickened by the people who think they have a right to be vicious and hateful and do so proudly.  I wonder how any of them would behave if they were put through this.  Oh wait, let's remember Kathy Griffin complaining about how unfairly she was treated after her photo shoot with a severed head!!!!!

So what is my point?  As mothers, as human beings, we carry a lot of power.  We are the ones who teach our children how to behave.  We have the ability to discipline them and teach them right from wrong.  We have the responsibility to raise them with decency and morals.  We have the power to teach them to do what is right, to change the world using the proper channels and not violence and threats.  We have the power to teach them to stay away from drugs and crime.  We have the responsibility to be PARENTS!!!! It is not a responsibility that we should even consider giving away to our government. 

Love your children.  Enjoy their funny moments.  Correct them with love, but by all means correct them.  Stay involved in their lives, teach them about God and make sure that faith and hope are always part of their lives.  When the fireworks are going off tomorrow in your community, stop and say a prayer of thanks to all those who gave everything for us and make a vow to become positively engaged and supportive of our country.  Make positive changes in your life and influence your children and community in the best way possible.

Happy Fourth of July, may God's blessings extend throughout your life.