When it rains...

Yesterday it rained. All day. I've been hearing on the news about how there could be so much rain in some areas that they are on flood watch! Not surprising since we live on the west side of Washington, where it rains 8 months out of the year, but that's not the point.
The point is:
When I was about 12, it rained. It rained really hard.
A little background. I grew up in eastern Washington where it rains 4 months out of the year it rains oct, nov. Snows dec-feb. and then rains in march and April.
Well it rained in Feb.  It rained a lot, and it rained warm. which, according to "experts" the warm rain melted the 3 ft of snow that had accumulated and it melted into Mill Creek which apparently wasn't equipped to handle that much water. So the great valley of Walla Walla Flooded.

Well. While everyone else was hiding in their house preparing for the worst, my sister and I sat on the couch with the windows open listening to the rain. Between arguing and listening to the rain apparently we were driving my mom crazy because at one point she said to us, "Go. Out.Side!" . . . You did notice the POURING Rain, right mom?!

Well because we were perfect little angels, we did as we were told. shorts, t-shirts, and no shoes or socks, to play in the pouring rain and flooded streets! I remember that the water in our neighborhood was level with the curbs, and in some places spilling over the curb and into the yards. As my sister K and I ran, jumped, and skipped through the murky, muddy streets, laughing, and enjoying our instructed 'rebel' moment, one of the neighbors around the corner felt it necessary to step out and instruct  us to go home. When we told her that our mom told us to go outside, she did not believe us (obviously! What kind of Mother would send her children out to play in the pouring rain with no coats, shoes or socks....when the whole town is FLOODING!?!?! My mom. That's who!) This neighbor was very upset how inappropriately we were dressed. She was very concerned that we would step on a rock or something. K and I laughed and kept running!

It's funny how some of the best memories are the ones that were created out of parental desperation and don't cost much, to anything at all.

In the Early Morning

It's funny to me how when I was younger, and relatively clueless. I loved my mom. I appreciated my mom. I knew who my mom was and what she stood for.
Or at least I thought I did.

My mom worked hard. I mean just look at us. Our hair is done, our faces are clean, our outfits match at least one other person. We are all smiling, well almost all of us. The house is clean, decorated for the appropriate season and clutter free. But if you look even further, My MOM is smiling! and even looks like she means it! A lot of work went into this picture, which at (my guess would be) 5, I didn't appreciate as much as a I do now.

Now that I'm the Mom and am the one responsible for the matching outfits, clean faces and managed hair. The clutter free, clean, decorated house. The truly happy smiling faces. I gotta tell you. It's a lot of work, and not easy blow through it kind of work.

It's the kind of work where you start at NOON to have everyone ready by 6, and hope and Pray that everyone stays clean and shiny. But can't get to upset if they don't.

The kind of work where after everyone else is ready to go you rush to get yourself ready and hope you don't look rushed in the end. Because as we all know, once you shower and the rush, you can't rush to fast otherwise you sweat, and the the shower just wasted time.

The kind of work where you get up at 4 in the morning because your 3 yr old wont stop coughing, and then you stay up because by the time you get the 3 yr old calmed back down and possibly ready to go back to sleep, your 2 yr old gets up.

So. At 4 this morning as I was listening to my 3 yr old cough his toes up. I started thinking about my mom.

My mom who had a 3 yr old 4 times. My mom who cleaned rooms, sorted clothes, washed dishes, and uncluttered a home. My mom who most likely also rushed to get all 4 of her kids and herself ready for church that started at 830am. and then took all 4 of us by herself (My dad worked Sundays when I was little) and when we got there, relied on her friends and other members to keep an eye on us because she lead the music!

In everything that my mom did. It amazes me. It amazes me that she was able to do that AND create a warm, loving, and fun environment for her family and children.

This blog is to record, remember, and share memories I have of my mom. From my earliest remembrances to a phone call I had that day. All mixed up and in no particular order!

My mom loves music. Her house is always filled with some kind of music. We all played an instrument, whether it was your vocal chords, cello, flute, french horn, trombone, drums, violin, saxophones, piano, trumpet....lots of music. She spreads the love of music to her grandchildren.

30 yrs later, and they still got it!

Our most recent family picture.



This one's for you Mom!