Wander and Ponder

Lately I find my mind wandering off task and pondering where I am, where I've been and where my path is going... seems it's becoming a tradition over the past few years as my birthday approaches.

I don't think I realized how wonderful this stage of life would be - how much you can still learn and achieve, how much there is to embrace and how fun it could be.

And what I love more than anything is creating my life year after year by his side:

And paving a path for these four sweet children:

A path that they will use as a foundation to create a life they can someday ponder.

I love this life of mine - spontaneous, unscripted and completely fantastic.  

Here's to my best year yet!!

Quote of the day...

This time it wasn't about the fries

I was driving by a Chick-fil-a this past Wednesday and couldn't believe the traffic, I mean chick-fil-a is a busy place but this was like a restaurant opening where humans hadn't seen food in two years.

A friend on the phone explained to me that the founder of Chick-fil-a's son was asked about his opinion on marriage and expressed that he felt marriage is between a man and a woman.  His simple opinion, nothing specific against anyone else's opinions.  Just his opinion.

A big stir was made by people that don't share that same opinion and word went around that on Thursday chick-fil-a would be boycotted.  Fine then, loyal fans of Chick-fil-a decided that Wednesday would be the day for chick-fil-a lovers to support their eatery and come out and show that love. 

So there it was Wednesday, lines down the road, police helping control traffic... and me.  I wasn't even hungry, but I I felt inspired to wait in the line too.  I admire a business owner that is willing to share his opinion, knowing it's not the "popular" opinion, even if it means risking revenue {although this was not the case, instead the stores had record breaking sales!}.  I'm a business owner and I don't remember trading in my opinion when I signed my business license. 

Even though my "please make them crispy" fries were not crispy, it didn't matter.  Because today it wasn't about the fries.

Summer lovin'

We are lovin' summer break!  I really think I could home school, although I may forget the schooling part every now and then.  Who says you can't be smart through good ol' fun!  When's the last time someone asked you to explain Newton's law, the history of the Revolutionary War or the meaning of pi... see Packer Home School may work after all.  And when you can promise your kids a restaurant for income opportunities you could even skip the college part.  Hmmm, pondering....

Mekena has been working at Mekenita a couple of days a week.  She does most tasks that the rest of the team does and she's making some good dough.  She keeps track of all her earnings on excel - pays 10% of her income to tithing, 50% to savings (not to be touched until 16+) and the rest is for her to spend how she desires.  For now she's been holding on to it for something fun.  Tomorrow we're going to set up her very own savings account at the bank. 

Kirra has been nurturing the four little kittens that have defied nature's odds and still live wild in our back yard.  I do need to find them a home, but it's hard to take them from all of the fun havoc climbing big trees and pouncing all over the place.  Not to mention Kirra's little heart may break without them, remember the bird? - still feeling a little guilt from that.

Reef and Kaia go from room to room following the big girls.  Reef loves to chase and hear the girls all scream.  It's a little loud around here.  I like it!  Kaia drags around two big teddy bears from Nana Gertie all day long, they sing and move their head back and forth, after about the 40th time I want to play hide and seek with them and forget where I hid them {the bears not the kids}. 

We've all taken on archery, the movie Brave was inspiring.  We play with the basic bow and arrow and all watch in awe as Rand uses his super cool bow and spears trees and plants from afar.  Each day is a new adventure.

Here's to the best four weeks left of summer break six Packer people could have... I think I see a last minute plan for an out of town excursion in our near future!

Time spent

I was reading a story today about the importance of spending time together and finding a good balance between an occupation and the family, I found this line of the story quite fascinating:

"I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, “I just didn’t spend enough time with my job."

Many people have seen us with our troop of schnookums and mentioned that they wished they would have spent more time with their kids when they were younger.  Sad.  And how true it is that you never get the time when kids are small and dependent back; once the time has passed it's gone. 

I am so incredibly grateful that Rand has sacrificed an amazing career as a high profile chef where accolades would have come his direction every day, instead he chooses to be home with us, with me as a partner, and to be a daily influence on each of our children.  Mekena, Kirra, Reef and Kaia may not know now but they will know one day how truly fortunate they were to have a dad that's given them his best!! 

This time is so precious, so genuine - the rewards of seeing the day to day growth could never be matched by any employee of the year award, bonus, big salary or company appreciation dinner. 

Thank you Rand for being a true companion and lovin' the day to day of our crazy life side by side.

Kaia

Thank you for being the best last baby a mom and dad could wish for!



Almost...

Almost time for summer!  16 more school hours and the three month Packer Party begins.  I can't wait!  I love having all of my kids home and two days a week just isn't enough.  Last year Senorita Summer payed us a visit.  The girls think she looked a little like me, but said it was some crazy lady all dressed up - sombrero, sunglasses, flower lei, funky accent and all.  She just showed up at the door, the girls let her in and then she and the girls made a list of summer rules and planned a list of fun summer things to do.  I wasn't around to see it.  I was "resting" in the other room.  The girls wondered if she was coming again this year, not sure she'll be available, but I'll check.  Either way for this summer I want to make a SAND PAIL LIST with the kids, ya know kinda like a bucket list, but more short term. 

Can't wait!!