It's my party...

So I am 52 now! Okay, my dad says I should start counting backwards so that would make me 50...but I'm kind of excited that in only 3 years I will get that senior discount!
Anyhow, I had a really good day. First Nica gave me an actual kiss when I dropped him off, instead of the kiss his hand and touch my cheek that he has been giving me since he started high school and said, "Happy Birthday, Mom". Then when I got to work, there were flowers on my desk! Billy text messaged me "Happy Birthday Mamacita!" and in the afternoon I got some more beautiful flowers from Katie - see picture! They were so perfect I actually thought they were silk!
Then after work we drove to Cozad to have dinner with Kenny, Kristi and family at a fabulous Italian restaurant. It's just perfect because it's about halfway between Kearney and North Platte. We had a really scrumpcious meal, lots of fun and even a bottle of Asti Spumante! Thanks everyone for a great birthday!

Then today we had a "Marty Party" at church - the kids dressed up and we had games for them - our table was face painting - took a picture of all the kids - it took three groups, there were so many of them! Then they trick or treated through the church. Anyhow, I have a few pictures of them dressed up, too!
Blessings, everyone!
Lisa

Today I got to see a friend of mine who went off to fight in Iraq. He was the first person I knew personally who went. When he went I started really paying attention every time the news mentioned that a Nebraska soldier was hurt, watched with dread every Sunday when George Stephanopoulos showed the "In Memorium" portion of his show. My friend put a familiar face on the soldiers were fighting over there, and who are still. He was hurt, suffered a closed brain injury, and now that he is back, he is not the same person who left. He is angry, tries to joke about things, he's lost his family and he just seems so lost. Tonight, upon reflection, I am saddened more than I can say by all he has lost, by all so many of these young men have lost - their lives irrevocably altered - and I realize that the pride that we all feel for our veterans - the thanks that we give them - is not nearly enough.
Let's keep them all in our prayers,
Lisa

Champions

The Zion Crusaders soccer team won the championship at the Battle Creek tournament this weekend. Saturday was a nice fall day, little breeze, just about right weather - and they won both games. Sunday was cold - the wind was about 40 mph with big gusts - and it started snowing during the second game! Poor kids were out there running their little hearts out - and it was Akaela's last soccer tournament...:-(
The kids had a blast, swimming at the hotel and Alex was a riot in his little floaty bathing suit. The group that went out to dinner with us learned a new old story about Ter and have been teasing him mercilessly about his biscuits ever since.
We had a fun time with the Zion group, as always, and that is what I will miss more than I can say as the kids grow up and move on. We'll just have to make a pact to stay friends and hang out as much as we can, but I am so grateful to have had this time with all of our friends and our kids are all more like cousins or siblings than classmates.
Anyhow it seems I'm a bit melancholy tonite - I best go get some sleep!
Blessings,
Lisa

Oops, I forgot!

So this weekend I was reminded that I never mentioned that I was in a car accident (thanks, JJ!) - On September 23 (I remember because it was Kenny's birthday), after I dropped off the kids, I was in an accident on the way to work. I was driving in the left lane on Hwy 30, when a little gal turned right onto the highway and right into the left lane - where I was. She hit the passenger side of the van, in the front, and squished it enough that we couldn't open the passenger door. I went right to the doctor's office, as my neck started hurting as soon as the adreneline wore off. He sent me directly to physical therapy, which I have been continuing. Some days it does feel better, but lately I have found myself being depressed sometimes about the pain continuing on. I'm just afraid that it will be that way from now on. I guess it's been a down time with the economy and layoffs and all - and the pain isn't horrible -certainly not unbearable - it's just there...and it's starting to wear on me a bit.
But don't worry, I'm hanging in there - so many people have things worse than I do, and I am so aware of it...but that's one of the downfalls of being empathetic, I'm feeling badly for them too! :-)
Anyhow - that's the story of the car accident...
Blessings,
Lisa

...and he went to a ball..

Our youngest son, Nick went to his first high school dance on Saturday night, Kearney High's fall ball. He said he had a lot of fun at the dance,and he did dance with several girls...and he's looking forward to Winter Ball.

How hard it is to believe that our little Nicky-boy is almost all grown up! Is it possible that it's been fifteen years since that little guy came flying into our lives? After losing a baby and then trying for three years, he was a long awaited addition. He was such a good natured little guy, all of his older siblings just loved him to death. I remember Katie saying - after she had been the baby of the family for 10 years - Mom, I just didn't know I'd love him so much! After knowing how fast the big kids grew up, I really took the time to savor the childhoods of the little ones - and now here he is going to his first dance!
I am fiercely protective, much more than his dad, and am warily eyeing those potentially preditory females in public high school!
Dang, I wish I could interview them all before he even speaks to them, but I guess that would be asking a bit much, you think?
I know that I have to let him try his wings a bit, but I don't have to like it!
It was so much easier when he was a toddler and I could keep the dangers of the world out of his reach...


but he has a good head on his shoulders, and a solid base that Zion helped him with...
but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep my eye on him!
:-) and heaven knows I'll be praying about it!
Ah motherhood, no rest for the weary....
Blessings!
Lisa

Ouch!

So...a couple of weeks ago, Akaela and I went to have a mother-daughter day...compliments of my sister Deb, who sent me a "pamper yourself" gift of manicure/pedicure to celebrate after receiving my award (wasn't that sweet?)
Akaela and I had a fun day of the spa, and then we went to see a girl movie, "Nights in Rodanthe". Of course, I bawled my head off and had to do the hurried rush to wipe my tears away before the lights came back up. Good movie, though.
Anyhow, the week after that was ultra busy - Akaela had volleyball on Tuesday, a soccer tournament on Friday, then a volleyball tournament on Saturday. On Sunday, I took her in to urgent care because she had been complaining of ingrown toenails and they had started getting pretty icky. They just gave her some ($50) ointment and told her to come back in a week if it didn't get better...so on Friday, we went to a podiatrist. He put both her toes to sleep and cut them out. I guess the gal who did her pedicure cut the nail in a round shape, but didn't get it all, so that they were still growing inside poor Akaela's toe. Anyhow, he wrapped them up in her favorite color purple bandages and when she got home, Ter called them clown toes. She's still pretty sore, and I'm not sure if she'll actually get to play next weekend or not - he yanked the nail out to the root on the sore sides of each big toe. Actually kicking a ball might not be all that comfortable...
If you think of it, say a prayer for my "clown toed" daughter!
Blessings,
Lisa

Some more pics

Here are some family pics from the last few weeks...
Some are of baby Shane - our newest grandson! And Katie was visiting at the Worms Volleyball tournament...

Tough times....

Hi all,
Today at work, somewhere between 60 and 70 people were told that they were going to be temporarily laid off. This is the third layoff in the last year. It's been hard to wait, knowing something would happen, hard to hear who was hit, and hard to imagine how worried and scared they must be. So far, we have both not been chosen, but some of our friends have.
Times are tough all over the world these days. Watching the news is almost painful. The stock market, the economy, today I even read about how the suicide rate is going up because people are losing everything. It is scary, and sad, and upsetting.
Last night, when I was trying unsuccessfully to go to sleep, I wondered how we would make ends meet if we were laid off. We're having a hard time now, without one of our incomes I don't know what we would do. I tried to prepare myself - what would I say - try not to cry till you get home - things like that.

But, a little voice reminded me that if God knows the number of hairs that I have on my head, and if He knows each time a sparrow falls, surely He will take care of us.
This is the scripture that has given me peace. We will be all right. It will work out.

May God's peace give my friends rest, too - all over the world.
Blessings,
Lisa

Volleyball!

Akaela has been playing volleyball. I'm so proud of her! She is a phenomenal player...of course, I might be biased! But honestly, she is not only very good at it, but she is being a leader to the younger girls, encouraging and helpful. I will post a video of her awesome serving.

Some pics

Last time I couldn't add pictures - my computer locked up - so here they are...

and off to Cleveland

So we got home on Monday September 15th...went to work on Tuesday and tried desperately to catch up as much as I could - went home and packed again and after a quick half day at work on Wednesday, I took off for Lincoln, to catch a plane for Cleveland. I had been the Eaton Diversity Council Chair since 2004 and had stepped down when we went to get Noelle. But, I received an email from Glenn Gouldey, Kearney's mentor, asking me to attend the Worldwide Diversity Conference this year anyway - he said that they were having a panel discussion with the 2007 winners of the Excellence in Diversity Awards (Kearney had won the overall award). I asked if I could go and they let me! I was very happy to go, I am very committed to inclusion and diversity, and in the past when I had gone to this conference, I usually had to give a presentation. This time I just had to answer questions! So off I went, not nervous, and happy to connect with old friends and make new ones. The conference has grown over the years - this year it included 30 different plants from about 12 different countries. When I arrived at the Cleveland airport, our friends Eric and Holly Ushiroda met us and introduced their beautiful daughter, Reina to us. Oh my gosh, she is such a little doll! She was a little nervous at first but before we left, she let both Angela and I hold her. I'm so glad that they were able to see us! I miss them!
On Angela and I went to our hotel and out for a great dinner with friends...
The next day was the beginning of the conference and it was a day packed with interesting and thought provoking activities. I wrote notes like I was still the Chair, thought about stopping, and couldn't. So many ideas just flowing around, excitement growing - that conference fires me up, every time. That night we went to the executive dining room at Eaton's Worldwide headquarters high up in the building - the room is incredible - with views of the lake, dark wood, and incredible food. We visited, ate, and sat down to enjoy the awards ceremony. So many were given out to friends near and far. Kearney won the award for Business Impact. Athens won the Overall award. Then they were over, except Joe Palchek didn't stop talking. He said they had another award, a new one - called the Buente award for leadership. Before I knew it, they had called my name! I stumbled up to the front of the room, where I stood while Joe read a page and a half about me and the things the Kearney team accomplished while I was at the helm of the council. It was a surreal few minutes, as I looked around the room, people were smiling at me, giving me the thumbs up, then when Joe finished talking, they all stood up and gave me a standing ovation, for way too long! Lisa Prater and Angela were both crying, and I came mighty close myself, but I was still in the bubble of disbelief. Afterward, everyone came up to me and hugged me and congratulated me. They had such kind things to say, but one really struck me - he said that my passion had helped the cause of diversity and inclusion around the world since others had heard my ideas for several years now - and that they were working to emulate what we had accomplished in Kearney. I had never thought of it that way. I was completely blindsided - the Kearney team had nominated me, and everyone in the room but me knew about the award except me! I didn't know it existed since I was no longer on the team and didn't receive the email. Anyhow, it was probably the best moment that I'll ever have in my work life. It was a good night. :-)
I'll add a few pictures of our trip back and whatever else I have!
Blessings,
Lisa