Hug your babies

I watched Oprah yesterday, but missed this part. My friend Kristin sent it to me not even knowing that I had missed it. Be prepared to find your "babies" & hug them when the clip is over.

Please turn off my music to the right before you click on this.

99 days

My little girl

It's 10:44 p.m. and Leah just called. We talk almost every day, and I appreciate that she didn't forget about her lil' ol' mom when she left. But she called tonight just to say, "Good Night Mom. I'm really tired, so I'll call you in the morning. I just wanted to call to say good night." Leah, just so you know, any mom in the world would be happy to get that call.

She sounded like a little girl on the phone, just a tired little girl. It sort of made me sad. I had to go look for a pic of her when she was just little. Wouldn't you know I would find this one right away? We had just got finished swimming? Now she's in Florida. Funny huh? I love you Lele!!!

Dreams

My awesome friend, Maren, and I have a fun thing in common: our dreams at night. She has some of the most amazing dreams I have ever heard. She goes to places in her dreams at night that most of us have never been to during the day. It's wild.

Many people do not recall their dreams the next day. I LOVE waking up and realizing that I had so much going on all night long! Often times though, I realize that my dream was not a dream at all, but a message. Heavenly Father speaks to each of us in our own special way. For some people, it's through their dreams. I have felt for the longest time that He communicated to me through them. (Some of you are now leaving the building. It's all good.) Anyway, I know that I need to pay attention to my dreams. Amazing things have happened when I have listened to them.

Many years ago, I was having a dream about a cousin of mine. I rarely saw her so I found it odd that I would dream about her. In the dream she decided to go on a trip to the beach alone. While she was there she was brutally attacked. I continued to have this dream and several promptings about it while I was awake. I was initially embarrassed to call my cousin, so I called my aunt and discussed this with her instead. I knew she would not think I was strange. (Her mother was a tarot card reader.) I told my aunt this story, and said that I just needed to know if her daughter (who is a grown woman) was planning on going to the beach any time soon, and told her about my dream. It was winter time, so it made me doubt the dream. The goosebumps spread like wildfire all over my body as my aunt said, "You know, she just asked me to go to the beach with her because she didn't want to go alone. I told her I wasn't' going to go. I think I will now." I'll never forget that experience, and it has made me pay attention to my dreams ever since.

Many other similar experiences (not quite so dramatic) have happened since that time. One of my most recent dreams was that I had decided to go to college. In the morning, I woke up and had this extreme desire to go to school. After much thought and much sharing (thanks Amy, Leah & Maren), I decided to go. I started last week and am so happy about it. It has been a life-long dream to go to college. I really don't know if I would have even thought it possible if I would not have had that dream. It felt like a prompting, and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for it.

My son, Josh, is going to be a big dreamer too. I don't know about promptings or any of that, but he has a heck of a good time while he sleeps. He wakes up many mornings with a story to tell. The other day, he said, "Mom, I was traded last night." He explained that he was traded to another football team in the area. He dreams about sports A LOT. How funny. Last night, he dreamed the show, Extreme Home Makeover, gave him a million piece Lego set. Then he went to the beach and saw an eel and a giant octopus. How much fun is that for a 10-year-old boy?

How long did it take you to break out of your shell?

Tonight was a major milestone for one of my favorite men: my Josh. We went to another one of his football games tonight. We go every week & never miss. Invariably, the week a parent misses their child's game, is the night their child has some amazing play. Well, tonight was Josh's night to come out of his shell, & praise God, I was there to see it. I know I talk about sports all the time, and how much it's part of the Groft gene pool, but tonight Josh showed his true colors. All season Lonnie's been mumbling about how Josh is not giving 100%. He keeps saying that Josh is holding back. I can tell Josh is being a bit tentative, but the grandparents keep reassuring us that, "It takes time. It's his first year." Thank God for grandparents. Tonight Josh broke out of his shell. He made so many tackles, & we were smiling all over each time they announced over the loudspeaker, "........and #23, Josh Groft made the tackle." It happened time & time again. We couldn't believe it. It was like we were watching another child. Then he threw a touchdown pass as the quarterback. I'm going to make him BBQ chicken before every game. I don't know what got into him, but it was so cool to see him play FULL OUT just like Lonnie talked about. I am so happy that Josh really applied himself. You could tell he was pleased with his efforts. He knew he gave 100% & that is such a great feeling. Before every game, Josh & I always say a prayer together. Tonight we prayed that if Josh gave his BEST, that Heavenly Father would do the rest. Thanks for playing football tonight Lord. For some this may sound insignificant, but to a 10-year-old boy, it's life. God knows what makes everyone's heart tick. I have long believed that if we try our best that we can ask Heavenly Father to help with the rest, but my friend Gwenda reminded me of that the other day. Thanks Gwenda for encouraging me to keeping believing it.


This was Josh at the homecoming game last night showing his school spirit. He does not even go to the local public school, but is in that school district & therefore, plays sports for the school district. Way to be supportive Josh!!

Florida!!

Ok, so back to our time in Florida. Lonnie, Josh & I had a GREAT time with Leah & Brent. There was nothing so wonderful as the sight of her face as I got out of the car. I know I had said this before, but it is worth repeating. I am certain that when Bill & Diane (Brent's parents) go to visit they will be smiling all over as well when they see their son. I just spoke w/ my parents last night as they are visiting the kids in Florida now. My mom said the same thing. It was just so good to see Angelia's face. It's not like you forget or something. It's hard to describe I guess unless you're a parent w/ a grown child. Once your child leaves home it's like you want to know they are happy, really happy, & that they're okay. Their face says it all. And you wonder, "Does she REALLY miss us like we missed her?" Yeah, she did. Her face & her hug said it all. :(

So for Josh this was a fun trip too. As soon as we arrived in Florida we had to, of course, get the OFFICIAL glass of orange juice. Oh my, was it good!













One of my favorite sights was of the palm trees. They were just gorgeous. It just made me think, "Ah......heat!!!"


Then of course was the beach. I will post more on this later, but let me just say it really was MUCH cleaner. Having only been to the beaches here in the north I never realized how disgusting they were. You all know how much I love Ocean City. Will I ever be able to swim in the ocean there again knowing how dirty it REALLY is? Ignorance is bliss you know. I am NO LONGER ignorant of ocean water. And the temperature.......oh my. It really was like swimming in bath water. The first days were warmer than the last days we were there, but still MUCH warmer than OC. This was the most Lonnie had ever been in the ocean. He came out & got in the water every time he came to the beach & STAYED in the water for a bit. He rarely ever gets in & when he does, he's not in long. Anyway, Josh & I truly could not get enough of the beach. We loved every minute we had spending time w/ Leah & Brent, & every minute of the sand, sun & water!