This is me...2

(Part 2)

My "shell" included lots of things to do. I usually kept myself busy writing -- stories, movies, ballets-- wherever I may have been led by my thoughts. I also loved to draw. I became a people-observer and gained a great love for drawing portraits. I learned that some people were easier to draw, and others much more complex. For example, Marilyn Monroe was always easy for me to draw, while Henry Fonda was considerably more difficult. I have always wondered if personality had something to do with that.

Another love in my "shell" included music. Music was always a huge part of my life, both within my family and on my own. Music moved me, inspired me-- and it always has. I have often said that music is the language of the soul. And because I wasn't the most proficient in reading piano music (I played the flute), I made up my own music, and before I knew it, I was a "composer" of sorts-- though I never could call myself that. Composers were people who made a living at it-- the big names-- certainly not me. For a while, it was my dream to write music for movies, or write movie themes. As you can see, I was never bored in my little shell-- and never felt lonely or deprived in any way. I guess I always felt that bigger things were in store.

In spite of my shyness, I managed to find a few friends. I met my husband while I lived in Oak Harbor, Washington, and we started our life together there, where our first child was born-- a beautiful little girl. A couple years later, my husband accepted a job in downtown Seattle, and we moved to the Lynnwood/Bothell area, where we lived for the next ten years. While there, I attended Shoreline Community College and gave birth to three more children. By 1990, I was ready to leave the city, the crime, the humidity and rain, and go some place where life would be simpler and safer. I couldn't go any further west, so I researched places eastward until I found myself falling in love with Montana-- and in 1995, we finally made the move.

We have lived in beautiful Gallatin County for over ten years now, and have watched it grow by leaps and bounds. We have added two more children to the family, making a total of six beautiful and wonderfully talented children-- five daughters and one son. I have found so much joy in being a mother that I often feel that it is the most important thing I will ever do. I started homeschooling my children almost five years ago, giving me additional time with my four youngest. They are all dancers, and so this arrangement has worked out very well for us. And as if this is not enough, I am a student again, this time studying Business with New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). I hope to eventually earn my MBA, though I am not completely sure what I will do with that degree, yet.

As I stated earlier, it is my goal to use this site to organize my thoughts and keep track of my life-- heaven knows I need all the help I can get! Please bear with me as I learn what this is all about and how to navigate my way around -- I hope to add photos and links shortly. Have a great day! ~

This is me...

(Part I)

Well, here I am. I have finally succumed to the world of Blogging. I am hoping this will be a great way to help me sort through my thoughts, while keeping track of my life, and in touch with my extended family.

By way of introduction, I was born and raised primarily in Washington state, spending most of my years in western Washington. I am the fifth of seven children-- the youngest daughter of two very loving parents who, to this day, promote family togetherness as a way of life. Sometimes I think of my dad as "Pa" in Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of "Little House" books. A man of honor, Pa loved adventure and new places, and was described as having an "itchy foot"-- one who wanted to journey on, moving further and further west. My dad is also a man of great honor and integrity, and like Pa, had an "itchy foot"-- we moved a lot. Difficult as it seems, this was not without its perks, as you will soon see.

I think of my mother as a woman of courage. Though I am sure I must have worn her nerves to a fray, I have great admiration for her and what she has done with her life. Like Wilder's "Ma", my mother's intentions always seemed to be to make the most of every situation. She did the best she could with what she had. Like Ma, I see my mother as soft-spoken and quiet, and very wise. When I look back at my childhood, I have to wonder if she purposefully created learning moments for her children, because my life seems to have been full of them. I believe both of my parents contributed to my natural curiosity and love of learning. For that gift, I am eternally grateful.

With every move to a new place, I found new adventure, and ease in re-inventing myself however I liked. As a child, I had the opportunity to experience things that many other kids could never claim. When I lived on San Juan Island, we farmed sheep. We learned to shear the sheep, wash and dry the wool; card, spin, and dye the wool. When we lived in Yakima, we maintained an orchard, raising many varieties of fruits and nuts. When we lived in Hay River (Northwest Territories, Canada), we experienced life in the far north, viewing spectacular auroras almost on a nightly basis. No matter where we lived, we always had a garden. As a kid, I loved moving-- with memories like these, who wouldn't? Being painfully shy, however, I found it very difficult to make new friends and often crawled deeper into my shell.