If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

My professor, Dr. Beth Birmingham, has been in town for several days with a friend of hers.  They came for a fun and relaxing ski get away and they've been staying with us.  I've loved it! They took me to my favorite restaurant Friday night for a fun evening out! We had Fondue Friday (on Saturday). Tiki had a great jump!

". . . Mom, you would have HATED it" were some of the first words Hays told me with a HUGE smile on his face when I picked him up at the airport this morning.  He was right, I would have HATED it and I kind of hate it (with giddy joy for my boy) that I know it even happened!  There is a great man who took Hays up in his plane today to get some flight experience and Hays hopped in the car on cloud nine (no pun really intended).  He loves to fly and I am so proud of him and so happy for him (even though the mama bear inside of me is screaming--NO MORE STALLING OUT)!!!  I love that he has passion and that he follows it.  I love that he has dreams and he is pursuing them.  I love the joy I see on his face when he has just done something that he loves (so much like his dad and that makes me happy)!!! This is the plane wearing a cowboy hat pre-take off. This is heading toward Engineer Mountain. This is Hays's bird's eye view of the ski resort! This is on a

I am literally sitting here in the middle of a pile of cardboard boxes that were filled with flip flops an hour ago.  360 pair of flip flops to be exact (and I know more are on their way).  I am BLOWN AWAY!  I am humbled.  I am thankful.  I am in awe.  Several months ago my son, Tiki, asked for flip flops for his birthday.  You can read the back story here .  That, in itself, was priceless.  My boy with the big smile and the gigantic heart asked for flip flops for the kids still living in his orphanage. Within minutes of me posting about Tiki's birthday wish, I began to receive email confirmations from Old Navy and Zappos and Children's Place.  I got emails from Saudi Arabia and Germany and Hong Kong and Jordan and Missouri and Oklahoma and Texas and Utah and California and places unknown.  Then the packages began arriving and never stopped! We opened the boxes today and our faces were plastered with smiles and our hearts were bursting!  Literally we were all so overwh