Prayer Request for the 211th Engineer Company

Guardsmen with the 211th Engineer Company sent out a request to their family and friends last week for some spiritual assistance as they began their work in Afghanistan.

Bev Warns of Madison said a soldier with the S.D. National Guard unit had phoned home to ask for persons to pray for them as the guardsmen started their active-duty missions in the southwest Asian country. Warns, the prayer chain chairwoman for St. Peter Lutheran Church in Wentworth, said the call arrived at about 8 p.m. on Nov. 11.

According to Warns, the phone call from Afghanistan requested prayers for the safety, protection and success of the 211th personnel as the National Guard unit started its military mission.

After she received the request, Warns contacted many area churches to spread the word about the request.

The 211th Engineer Company from Madison and DeSmet was ordered earlier this year to complete a 12-month deployment. While in Afghanistan, the guardsmen will conduct operations to eliminate threats to U.S. and allied military forces from mines and other explosive devices. The more than 110 South Dakota guardsmen will perform route clearance operations by detecting roadside bombs. The soldiers will also provide area security that will protect friendly units from enemy attack and deter hostile forces from taking over parts of the country.

The soldiers with the 211th were activated for duty on Sept. 19 and left the next day for five weeks of premobilization training at Ft. McCoy, Wis. After their training was completed, the guardsmen left on Oct. 26 for deployment in Afghanistan.

Native American Day

In many places today people are enjoying a holiday from work and school, and typically it is known as Columbus Day. Here in South Dakota we celebrate Native American Day, a day set aside by our former Governor George Mickelson in his declaration of a decade of reconcillation. That decade has come and gone and I'm not sure how much reconcillation has been achieved but I am proud to have a day that celebrates my heritage. My Father was half Indian and my mother is white, which makes me a quarter Indian. I grew up on the Indian reservations in South Dakota and my family is from the Oglala Lakota Tribe. I grew up with a respect and love for a beautiful culture and have made an effort to learn about the traditions, beliefs and values of Indian people. It is with pride that I remember my ancestors on this day and think about the values and beliefs that shape my life. A belief that all things are sacred, whether it be the earth, the skies, the animals, or humans. That there is a circle of life, the circle is important in Indian culture, in early days their homes were made of a circle, the camps were made in a circle, just as the birds made their homes in a circle. The cycle of life is a circle and in Indian culture the values of the circle include belonging, mastery, independence and generosity.

Children were raised with a sense of belonging, whether it was within their immediate family or the extended family called a tiospaye, which played an important role in their lives. Children were sacred and cared for by the entire tribe, they had a sense of belonging. They were gently instructed and trained in skills to acquire mastery for themselves in areas of their lives; independence was encouraged and lovingly supported and finally in all things generosity. Indian culture does not value acquiring material possessions, relationships were far more important and they only took what they needed. Sharing food, your home, or belongings was and is common. Growing up I remember anyone who ever came to our home was provided a meal and I also remember my father literally giving the coat off his back to those less fortunate.

My life has changed dramatically from what I knew in childhood, I have moved away from the reservation and acquired an education as my father encouraged. For all intents and purposes I have been successful in my life and enjoy the fruits of my labor. But today, I remember those lessons learned and honor my family and my tiospaye (extended family). Mitakuye Oyasin - This Lakota phrase means "we are all related." Kinship with all creatures above, below, and in the water is a living principle that gives the Lakota a feeling of safety in the world, as well as a feeling of reverence for all lives, a sense of purpose for all things in the scheme of existence with equal importance to all, and above all an abiding love.

Bear

Bear, who is a beautiful black lab has been in our lives for the past 8 years. He has brought such joy and laughter to our home. We have loved him and he truly has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. Our other lab, Cordie, loved to lead Bear astray...Bear never left the yard or ran off when he was out of the back yard with us, but when or if he and Cordie got out together they ran, and ran, and ran. Sometimes they were gone for hours, we worried and we would be out looking scouring the neighborhoods for signs of them. They loved to follow the creek to the north end of town. Unfortunately Bear was injured on those wild outings, on more than one occasion. He tried hard to keep up with Cordie but she was a very fast runner and it was just too much for him. His back hip has bothered him for some time now and we took him to the vet last week, they said his hip is shattered and the ligaments and tendens shredded, we have spent the last 4-5 days trying to come to grips with the fact that it was time to put him down. The last two days for him have been difficult, he has cried and had trouble getting up the stairs, I hated to see him suffering so today my daughter, husband and I took him to the vet and had him put to sleep. It was very difficult to do but I am also glad he is no longer in pain.

I prayed that his good friend Abby, my daughters dog who died awhile back, was there to welcome him to heaven and that they are once again running, wrestling and playing together, pain free and enjoying the wonderful blessings of heaven. We will miss him terribly and it has been a very sad day for us.

Garden Harvest

The fruits of my labor!!

Count Down

I can't believe the summer has gone by so quickly...school registration is next week and we are counting down the days until Zac will be finished at basic training in Texas. We are going to drive down for his graduation, Jordan and I plus Zac's Dad...we leave on August 11th. We are looking forward to seeing him and having him back for awhile. He will have to leave again for his training and will be gone for a longer period of time so we will cherish the time we have with him.

I have been bugging Jordan all summer to get her bedroom cleaned and today finally decided to jump in or it is never going to get done....why do teenagers have to be so messy? We cleaned for 3 hours, 2 LARGE garbage bags later and 3 bags of clothes for Goodwill she made me quit for the day...she said and I quote "ok stop, you are making me mad and we just need to stop for today." I did find the floor and was horrified at how dirty it is. Never again will it get so bad!

Harry Potter

I was able to take in the newest Harry Potter movie this week, saw it on Wednesday and again last night....it is so good. I just love the series and it has been a love my dear darling daughter and I share, both the reading and the movies! Of course the movies are never as good as the books...but reading the book first and then seeing the movie allows you to fill in all the pieces and gives you a deeper understanding of the storyline. Anyway J.K. Rowling rocks!!

She's a Senior!

I have spent the past two days having fun taking senior pictures of my daughter...thought I would share a few with you. I'm biased of course but think she is beautiful.

My heart hurts

A little over a year ago a young man came into our lives, he was shy, kind, and caring. Over the course of the past year and three or four months I have grown to love, respect and care deeply for Zac. He has had challenges in his life, yet with determination and perseverance has not just survived but thrived. He is goal oriented and driven to become the best he can be. I am so proud of him and he is like a son to me. I had to say good-by to him about an hour ago because he is leaving in the morning for basic training in the Air Force. My heart is hurting and I have had moments of feeling like I can't breathe. Logically I know he will be back to us in 8 or 9 weeks but it seems like a life time right now. I know that it is part of his plans for his future and I so admire him for having such strong resolve to be all he can be. He is the love of my daughters life and I can only imagine how she feels at this moment. It is hard, I feel as if one of my own children are going away and it is so far and too much to handle. My heart literally hurts. I will pray for him daily and count down the weeks until we can see him again. God speed Zac....we are proud of you and love you to death.

I thought I would get in on the favorite paint color at 320 Sycamore...some of my favorites:

Custom colors: sage green and deep burgandy.





And Sherwin Williams Mannered Gold

Had a glorious weekend, the weather was perfect so hubby and I worked out in the yard and gardens....digging in the dirt with your best friend, it doesn't get any better than that! The weekend ended with a heavy downpour with much needed rain and cooler temps today. I watched the Bachelorette last night...did anyone else? If so what did you think....there are a couple of guys that I think Jillian should send packing, especially the redneck who wants to beat up the other guys, what a creep. It will be interesting to see who she ends up with.

Zac's Graduation

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We are so proud of you!

Had a beautiful Mother's Day weekend, oldest daughter came and cooked a wonderful grilled rib-eye steak dinner, got these flowers from my daughter and son-in-law.
They smell so great, fill the house with marvelous smell of flowers and got a heartwarming letter written by my youngest daughter, which made me cry. I felt so loved, I have the greatest kids in the world.

Longing....

We have had two more rounds of winter with storms producing 10+ inches of snow, icy streets and sidewalks and cold again....yuck. I am so ready for spring to get here and stay warm. Longing for the green grass and warm sunshine and for the bushes and trees to bud.




Then perhaps I will get over this cold too and be able to air out the house.

Go Bulldogs!

Our high school boys basketball team has made it to the state tournament and just won their first game...yay Bulldogs!

You know spring is coming when....

While we still have a lot of this....


we know when the migration begins spring is soon to follow.

It was a busy weekend and I am exhausted today....moved daughter #2 and her husband to Omaha over the weekend....physically and emotionally draining. The first time she has been away from home so to speak, at this distance. They have a lovely home with a large fenced in back yard for the granddogs so that is good! Had planned to come home on Sunday afternoon but #1 son who also helped, actually the whole family helped, my kids love each other! Anyway I digress....#1 son drove the moving truck to the return site, locked it and dropped the keys in the drop box. Moments later discovers that he locked his phone in the truck so we had to wait until 7 a.m. on Monday to retrieve his phone before returning home. My baby, daughter #3 was anxious to shop for her prom dress and of course HAD to do it yesterday....upon arriving in the big city around noon, after 2.5 hours on the road, I drove to the Cancer Institute where I met my hubby and mother-in-law for a consult on further treatment for her head and neck cancer...have mixed feelings about her doing daily radiation treatments for the next five weeks at age 83 and her third bout with cancer. Means I will be driving her 50 miles one way to treatments every day. After we were done there three hours later hubby dropped me off to meet daughter #3 to shop for her prom dress. That lasted until 8 p.m. We did find the dress, expensive but she looks life a Grecian Goddess!

So today I have been worthless and watched the ending episode of The Bachelor on the internet...I am so disappointed in Jason who has turned out to be a schmuck. Don't I lead an exciting life.

Longing...

I am longing for the warm sunny days of spring to get here.

What a year.

I am probably the world's worst blogger only getting a post or two in every month but still I like to visit so many blogger sites and read up on what is going on in their lives. I guess I am probably a blog stalker! And although I have been remiss in my duties as a blogger I have had good reason....2009 has not started off as a good year and I was so hoping it would be better than 2008. First off my father-in-law died Jan. 15th and then we had the funeral with family from all over. He had been ill for a very long time so it was a blessing but hard none-the-less. Getting together with all the family was a lot of fun and too bad we wait until something like a death in the family before doing so. Then my mother-in-law was scheduled for surgery this past week to remove a tumor in her neck, a re-occurrence of head and neck cancer, unfortunately the news was not positive. The cancer has spread into her chest and they are not able to remove all of it so we are now trying to decide how best to proceed with care and living arrangements. We would like her to come live with us but she is adamant about going home to her own house, which I understand but don't know if it is realistic. I guess time will tell and things have a way of working out so will wait and see. Meanwhile while camped out at the hospital I have come down with a terrible cold so had to come home yesterday and will stay away until it is gone. I haven't had a cold in a couple of years so am bummed to have picked one up. So forgive me for not keeping up as I should but know that I am visiting my favorite blogs when possible and keeping up as best I can.

100 Things I've Done

I LOVE lists, and when I found this over at Tina's place, and thought I'd play along. Everything that is in BOLD I've done. If you decide to post this, please comment so I can check your list out!

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Plus a few more...
101. Rode a bull in a rodeo
102. Been to Disneyland, Disney World and Euro-Disney!
102. Saw the Christmas Pageant at the Crystal Cathedral - so inspiring and beautiful
103. Grew up on an Indian Reservation
105. Snow and water skied