For My Daugher On Her Birthday

Tonja.... What can I say about this special baby, young lady, and now grown woman and a mother herself. She was born on a fiercly cold, snowy and windy day in 1970, but oh my, the warmth that she brought to her Dad and I as we held her and looked into that sweet little muched up face with a "conehead" crown. She made sunshine break out in that hospital room and a warm glow was all around. We did not know if she was going to be a girl or a boy, but we did have names picked out for her. If the baby was a girl her name would be Tonja (this Mom loved the movie Dr. Zivago). Even tho she looked more like a Lara, she got the name Tonja with the scandinavian spelling. Tonja,,, how I have come to love that name more then I could ever imagine. For our Tonja, brought excitement whenever she walked into the room. She still does. Her personality is sunshine. Wow, we are blessed. She had a sweet and playful disposition as a little girl who slept all through the night before we even left the hospital. Her teen years, like for most teens, was a little rocky. However, at a young age she gave her heart and life to Christ. I will never forget the night she broke up with a young man she was dating who was not a christian. It was a VERY hard thing for her to do and my heart broke with hers and her Dad and I were so proud of her. Today she is a strong Christian lady that is leading her family in the ways of Christ. She has her hands so full with 2 teenage girls and 2 young ones 4 and 6.

Tonja, I just want to tell you again, how very proud I am of you. I thank God over and over and over again for blessing your Dad and I with your birth. You have been a source of so much joy for me and your Dad when he was living.

I love you Tonja and I miss you so very much.

Love and prayers forever.
Mom

What is Love

These were sent to me. I have kept only the ones that touched me the most. Little kids.. Wow,, sometimes they are so in tune to feelings.
*
What does Love mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8year-olds, "What does love mean?"
*
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
*
Billy - age 4 "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologneand they go out and smell each other."
*
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
*
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired ofkissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8
*
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop openingpresents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
*
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whoyou hate," Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
*
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are stillfriends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6
*
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he ishandsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7
*
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him aloneall day." Mary Ann - age 4
*
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8
*
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked abouta contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was anelderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman'syard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boysaid, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"
*
Blessings
Sandi

Good advice to women,,,

My girlfriend sent this to me... Needed to share...
*
*
I am only as strong as the caffeine I drink,
the hair spray I use
and the girlfriends I have.
*
Here's to you!
*
Why do we only have parties for each other when one of us gets married,pregnant, has a birthday, or retires?What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants, and shopping, lunching and traveling girlfriends?Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake!
*
Someone will always be prettier.
Someone will always be smarter.
Their house will be bigger.
They will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
*
So let it go, Be Happy!And love yourself and your circumstances.
*
Think about it.The prettiest woman in the world can have trouble in her heart.
And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, the clothes....might be lonely.
And the word says if "I have not Love, I have nothing."So, again, love you.Love who you are.
*
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!"I like that!
*
"Winners make things happen.Losers let things happen"
*
Be Blessed ladies.
*
"To the world you might be one person,But to one person you just might be the world".

Wondering

I wonder if God uses people who do not believe in Him, to accomplish things is the lives of those who do trust Him.

Blessings
Sandi

January 21, 1942

This is the date that Gilbert Moteberg, Jr was born. He and his identical twin brother Lyle was born to Lily and Gilbert O Moteberg in Fertile, MN. Shortly after thier birth, they went home to live on a farm near Gary, MN with thier parents and thier 3 older sisters. After thier birth 2 more brothers and 2 more sisters would be born to the family.

Gil grew up on that farm and graduated from Gary High School. Shortly after graduation, he was drafted into the US Army where he served for 2 years. While he was stationed in Germany, an old "girlfriend" of his gave him my name and address. You see, his old girlfreind had been my roommate in Minneapolis. So, one day I received a letter from a Cpl Gilbert Moteberg. I had no idea who this person was. By this time, my roommate had married and moved to WI. I read the letter, it was a pleasant letter and so I wrote back, thus started the relationship of Gil and Sandi. He had me call him once. It was 6 PM here and like 1 AM in there. We talked for about an hour, and let me tell you, phone rates have come down. That call cost way over $100. But it was worth it. On February 8th, 1966, I was not feeling very well, I had a cold and was all "Vickced" up when the phone rang and this deep voice said "Hi, Sandi, I have just been on a long boat ride. Can I come over?" I said yes and headed to the bathroom to get the Vicks off my body, my hair into some kind of order and some makeup on. 30 min later there was a knock on the door and there stood this handsome young man who took me in his arms and gave me a kiss. MMMMMMMMMM I was hooked!!! There had never been a man and never a man since, that could hug like Gil. On June 18th, 1966, Gil and I were married. He gave me 2 beautiful and wonderful kids. I am so proud of them, they are such strong christian adults now that are serving the Lord. And those 2 kids gave me 6 beautiful and talented grandchildren.

On March 2, 2002, Gil left us. The Lord called him home. His leaving left a HUGE hole in our lives. However, Heaven is all the richer for our loss.

Today would have been Gil's 65th birthday and I would have been planning his retirement party.

Happy Birthday Gil. Know that I still love you and I miss you, but I will see you again!!!

Sandi

Tired on a Thursday

THWUMP!!!! Thats me falling in the chair. What a crazy week this has been. Quarterly time at work is always wild, but with that year end and bosses out of town and it gets wild. Added to that this is day 9 of no coffee. I cant tell you how often I have been tempted to just go get that 1/2 cup of coffee when I smell it brewing in the morning, but I remind myself of how my body rebels against it and I dont. The headaches are gone and the sluggishness is waning, so I think I have it beat. Now, I just have to maintain. It is strange that coffe can be so addicting, but it is.

Anyway, I am glad it is Friday tomorrow. Jim and I are seriously looking at ways that I can retire early. I cant get full retirement until I am 66 but I have already written that one off, it will be 65 if not earlier. The thing that is keeping me from doing it before 65 is the health insurance. We are trying to figure out ways to work that out. But where I work, they pay my premiums, and I know for a lot of people my premium seems small, but to me it is not. So we will see what happens. I do think that I might go a little nuts if I sat home every day, so I think some kind of work is in my future, but just not this getting up at 5 every day and going to work every day. Gosh, I am sounding so complainy tonight. When I reality I have so much to be thankful for. My job 9 months out of the year is not very stressful and I do enjoy it and my bosses are the best out there,,, EVER!! So Lord, forgive my complaining, and accept my thanks for all that you do for me.

Blessings
Sandi

American Idol

As I sit here writing, American Idol is on TV, but I am NOT watching it. I watched it last night, and really truely, after it was over, I felt almost sick. I did not find it one bit entertaining to see 4 people be so harsh with people , that they set up for the very purpose, that it made them cry or angry. That is NOT entertainment in my eyes. Now I know once they are all in Hollywood I will watch again, even tho I know there will be the humilating going on there too, but not as bad as it was last night. I heard that 17 people got through to Hollywood, and what did we see? 4 or 5 at the mnost? What about all that talent that just wasnt quite there, couldnt they have showed some of that instead of those poor souls who really had no talent and had no business being get insulted and humiliated. I guess some people find that entertaining, but I dont.

I am not sure why I am having such a strong reaction to this. I guess because I think it was in a much meaner spirit this year. And Paula,,, I swear she was totally drunk or on drugs. She couldnt even sit up, let alone speak clear sentances.

Well I will get off my soap box for tonight.

Blessing to all

Sandi

Giving Up Coffee

It is going on day number 6 of no coffee for me. I gave it up because I have been having such stomach problems, and last Wed I got to work and had 1/2 cup of coffee and within minutes I was having stomach pains and bowel problems. I believe that God showed me that I needed to give up coffee. Anyway, I have not had any coffee since then and I am happy to say that I have had not one little bit of tummy and bowel problem in these 6 days. It feels good to not have that, but it is HARD to give up coffee. And part of me doesnt want it to be coffee, but in the long run, I am glad it is that and nothing more serious. But oh my, the headaches those first 3 or 4 days and the sluggishness that still haunts me is nuts. I want so bad to go and get a cup of java so my umph gets up. But I wont. I can drink colas with caffine, they dont seem to bother me, but I know that drinking too much soda, even or maybe especially since it is diet isnt good for me either. So, I drink water and hope and pray that God will help me to get past these "longing" days where my body is still crying for coffee and the huge burst of caffine it gives me.

Say a prayer for me.. I need to break that addiction of coffee/caffine.

Blessings
Sandi

Celebrating with a friend.

Last night I spent from 5:30 to 8:00 celebrating my best freinds birthday. We went to Ruby Tuesdays, ordered a salad for dinner and had a margarita (oh OK,, so we had 2). The salads were huge and each one of them could have fed 3. BUT,, I am glad it was just the 2 of us. I so enjoyed the long visit we had. Paula, I just dont get to see enough of you!!!

Jim thought that the 2 of us had run away,, but no,, we were just enjoying cataching up with each other.

Happy Birthday Paula.... I thank God for you.

Blessings
Sandi

Books on CD/Tape

I will be the first to admit that I am not a big reader. Never have been. However, 6 years ago I changed jobs and my commute to work became long: 45 mintues to an hour. I would stress out over the traffic and be a mess when I got to work, or home. A freind introduced me to books on tape/cd and so I thought I would give it a try. WOW!!!!! It transformed my commute. I would even be found driving around the block a couple of extra times or sitting in the garage to finish a particular chapter. And I know that in the 6 years that I have been at this job, I have listened to 50 times as many books as I had read in my life up to that point. One of my favorite authors, if you like suspense, is David Baldacci. WOW,, he is one fantastic writer. His best book by far is The Winner. If you want an edge of your seat, nail biting novel, go get it and read it!!! You will be hooked.

I like novels about Minnesota and North Dakota and have found a few good ones there too. All I can say is thank goodness for audio books. I have Jim listening to them now too as his commute is even longer then mine.

Thats all for today

Blessings

Sandi

Chamomile Tea

Tonight I bought my favorite night time tea. It is called Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile. It is such a soothing cup of tea just before bed time. But I got a bonus with this box. On the back of the box is a poem of sorts, and it spoke to my heart and I want to share it with you.

If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again

-

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less

-

I's do less correcting

and more connecting

-

I'd take my eyes off my watch,

and watch with my eyes

-

I would care to know less,

and know to care more

-

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites

-

I'd stop playing serious,

and seriously play

-

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars

-

I'd do more hugging, and less tugging

-

I would be firm less often,

and affirm much more

-

I'd build self-esteem first,

and the house later

-

I'd teach less about the love of power,

and more about the power of love.

-

Tonja and Eric, I am sorry I wasnt more like this.

I love you both so much

Mom

And some more pictures

Abbe and Faith
Jim and his kids Jon, Nick and Rebecca
JoeMan and Luke The Duke
Crazy teen grandgirls Emma and Issa
Us with Jim's grandkids

Da-Da- Da-Da Thats all folks

Now for the promised pictures

Jim and I
My son Eric and his family
My daughter Tonja and family
Jim and I with my grandkids