Today is my husband and my 20th Anniversary. We were married on a beautiful, sunny June afternoon in the rose garden, overlooking the Willamette River. I remember being so nervous, I could not stop shaking, even when he took my hand in his. We were married for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health.

Unfortunately, we’ve had more than our share of sickness than health; however, I am eternally grateful my husband, Ed, knows CPR and saved my life back in 1994. For the most part, I have been a fairly healthy individual. My obstetrician told me I was his most healthy high-risk pregnant woman he had back when I was expecting. 

1. Favorite Television Show - Do you really have to ask? Scarecrow and Mrs. King, of course, with Chuck being a close second. 

2. Favorite Television Character - Chuck. I just love the nerd turned spy and Zachary Levi is great in this role. 

3. Favorite Television Couple - Lee and Amanda, no one else comes close - sorry, Chara fans. I love Chuck and Sarah, but Lee and Amanda will always be near and dear to my heart. 

4. Favorite Episode - Scarecrow and Mrs. King "Stemwinder." For Chuck "Chuck versus the Ring." 

5. Favorite Movie - Dances with Wolves is my all time favorite, but I also love Witness, the "Indiana Jones" movies, the original Star Wars movies (as long as Lucus keeps his hands off them), While You Were Sleeping, Cutting Edge, Dirty Dancing, and Field of Dreams. 

6. Favorite Music - My iPod is a strange mix of songs and genres, but it's what I like - you would hear a little classic rock, Disney show tunes, Disco ( I think I was born a decade too late), lots of 80's music, some easy listening, a couple Christian songs, and then new country. I love country from Garth Brooks to Josh Turner.  I am also a closet boys band fan. Love Westlife, Backstreet Boys, and Maroon 5. 

7. My Political Hot Button - Illegal Immigration (notice, I said illegal - I have no problems with immigration). 

8. Favorite Novel, Short Story, and Fan Fiction Story - To Kill A Mockingbird (Lee), The Open Window (Saki), and True Companions (Mary). 

9. Favorite Websites - I live on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and FanFiction

10. Favorite Vacation Spots - Yosemite is my favorite place in the world, but I really enjoyed visiting Salzburg, Austria and hope to return again some day. 

I could not be more proud of my boys these past few weeks. My youngest, Joey, finished his first year of homeschooling. If you asked me a year ago if I would ever home school one of my children I would have given a resounding, "No way." Followed by, "I would kill the child before the school year was done." Actually, it went better than what I thought it would. Joey has focus issues, so it took a lot of redirecting, but he completed all the tasks I asked of him. We didn't get as far as I would have liked (just felt we did a lot of review to catch up), but he did increase his reading level. In addition, we had a lot of fun on field trips. We went to the King Tut Exhibit, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Tillamook Cheese Factory, Tillamook Air Musuem, Squaxin Indian Tribe Museum, and went on a tour of two World War II bombers. Due to loss of funding for the home school program we were in, Joey will be going back to public school in the fall, but he will be in a out-of-district middle school, with much more resources for children with special needs. 

My oldest, Michael, graduated from high school last week. We are very proud of him and how he was able to finish high school and with good grades despite his learning difficulties. His German teacher wrote on his report card, "he was sorry Washington assessment standards do not allow A+ because he deserved one." I also ran into his Sociology teacher and he told me, "Michael was a great young man and brought a lot of thoughtful discussion to the class." Michael also did a wonderful job in the musical production of Oliver! the high school drama department presented, and he did a great job at the high school talent show. 

Steffen, my middle child, has had a great year at Hawkins Middle School. He participated in Honors, band, and Product Citizen. He was in the top 10% of 8th graders in Mason County. He was part of the marching band and participated in a trumpet trio and earned a superior at the contest. In addition, he received Student of the Trimester and was presented with a certificate at a year-end assembly last week. All his teacher comments included the words, "responsible, thoughtful, dedicated, helpful, dependable, respectful, capable, and talented." His science teacher wrote, "The answer isn't will he be successful. The question is what will he choose to do." 

This was a letter I wrote to a friend of mine after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer back in 2008. By God's grace, she kicked cancer to the curb, and has been cancer-free for close to three years now. 

*****
Snuggled next to my husband in bed late one evening, I heard him mumble, “How much overtime do you have?”

“Huh?” I asked, jolting him awake in the process.

“Sorry, I was talking in my sleep. I do that.”

“Yes, I know,” I answered back, trying to settle back to sleep. However, he got me thinking about how much ‘overtime’ we really do have?

Exactly sixteen years ago today, I l was lying in a hospital bed at Harborview Medical Center, on a respirator, with machines monitoring my vitals. I was literary knocking at death’s door. A nurse held my hand, and spoke to me. “Hello, Anne, you’re in the hospital. Your family is worried about you.” Or so I had been told, I have no memory of my stay at the hospital. The night before, I had stopped breathing and went into sudden cardiac arrest. The doctor’s never determined what caused my heart to stop beating, all I know is God was not ready for me, and gave me some ‘overtime.’ How much, I can’t say? It’s God’s timepiece, not mine.

Jan, I want you to know you are continually in my thoughts and prayers, and hoping our Heavenly Father continues to give you lots and lots of overtime. 

Here are links to purchase books written by Greg Morton. 

The Fury of the Bear 
​
To Catch a Fox

Lifting a Foot Forward: A Lesson In Balance

The Untitled Poems 

A House in a Field of Reeds