This is perhaps the longest post you will ever read on my blog! Make no mistake though . . . I'm not promising anything!
May 21st, 2011 the world was suppose to end. Some guy named Harold Camping was certain God was going to destroy the universe on that fate filled Saturday, wiping the human slate clean. May 21st came and went like any other day. It didn't happen.
I didn't read about how the world was going to end until a few days later when I picked up the news paper and sat down to take my mind off my own reoccurring dismal thoughts. I, unlike Mr. Camping, had actual knowledge about the real date stamped with doom and gloom. I sat there in my impugning state and thought, "Harold has no idea when my world is going to end! Harold Camping is an idiot!"
I survived my baby graduating. My world did not end, in fact summer has come and gone. That's how time goes when you want it to stand still! Today thankfully, the world is still rotating on it's axis. Even though this was one summer I wanted to stop all rotation. I wanted this summer to last like a giant jaw breaker, the kind you sit on your shelf because you just can't finish it. One last season of summer fun before my baby takes flight, all grown up and leaving the nest. The last little bird to spread her wings.
I'm so glad I had 8 kids. Look at her, she's the connecting link in my eternal circle of love. She completes us.
Graduation was everything I expected. Des looked beautiful in her cap and gown. She has grown into such a beautiful soul. With her graduating, this truly was a Spring full of wet soppy rain soaked skies and flooding everywhere in every aspect imaginable! I'm telling you, with all my crying, the Crow's nest nearly floated away!
I've been putting off this post. I'm Scarlet O'Hara, "I just can't think about it today, I'll think about it tomorrow." After all if I don't write it down then it can't be so.
I should tell you about picking out Desi's apartment and the first few trips up there. Des has had her sights set since she was a little girl. She's always wanted to pursue a degree in Speech Communications. In order to do that, she has to move. We secured a place of residency for her and every time I left this place, I came home balling my eyes out. It was horrible.
The last trip up there, just before I moved her in, brought on a complete emotional breakdown. As soon as I got home, I walked in the house crying and ranting like a mad woman. I was sputtering and objurgating to anyone who would listen. I rambled on in my emotional state about how this was all my fault for letting her think she could go away to school. I was to blame for encouraging her dreams of becoming a Speech Pathologist. Why didn't I talk her into being a nurse? I swore and cussed at Weber State for not having a program that would allow my daughter to live at home. I beat myself over the head for hours. I conjured up every idea I could think of to get her to change her mind. I even contemplated just flat out saying no. I had to do something to keep her home. I was so entangled in my web of dysfunctional thinking, I even had Deserey all upset. There was quite an upheaval over it all. I hate looking back on it. I was a complete wreck.
That night when I went to bed I tried to sooth Des and all her tears. My guilt was pressing down on me hard. When I told her everything would be OK, I did not sound convincing. I knew she was apprehensive leaving home for the first time. I felt bad, my unstable condition was not making anything better.
That night I went to bed and soaked my pillow. I was crying so hard I got out my Do Terra oils and drenched myself in Balance, Lavender, and Serenity, what I needed was Chloroform. I climbed out of bed and got down on my knees and had a good long prayer. I had to cry on someones shoulder. My last plea to the man up stairs was, "H E L P!"
The next morning I got up and stumbled my way through the dawn like a drone. I went over to take care of my mom. Every blood vessel in my face was red and swollen. I looked like a ripe tomato fallen from the vine. I kept asking myself, "What am I doing, what on earth is wrong with me, why am I acting this way?"
That's when God sent me an epiphany. He did! In essence it was like a slap to the head! It was so bold it nearly knocked me off my feet. It happened right in the middle of a conversation with my mother. It was a conversation I had engaged in numerous times with her, my whole life in fact. It centered around her unwillingness to mentally let go of me. Right then I listened to her say the words, they swung at me like a crane swings a two ton ball. And when they hit my head, every light in the attic went on. It was a miracle. Immediately when she spoke that reoccurring sentence, "Don't leave me. Don't ever leave me." That was it. I knew exactly what God was showing me.
Now, I love my mother dearly. She is gone now and I miss those reoccuring words. I am her baby. She is the woman who gave me life and I will be indebted to her for eternity, but there is one thing that hindered me my whole life through. Throughout my entire course of human existence I have wanted her to let go of me. Just a little bit at least. I've wanted her to set me free. Allow me to take flight. She would never hear of it. In 90 years, she never once mentally released me. Now, standing there, listening to her, I felt the suffocation start in. I felt it encase me, sucking the oxygen from my spirit, and boom, right at that explosive moment, I saw myself in the biggest mirror designed for the blind. There I was standing right in front of myself, crystal clear, naked and bare with the truth. I stood gaping in horror at the sight.
That's when the astounding thought lit quick like a firefly, illuminating every dark and dreary tunnel in my cob webby head. "Good Lord," I heaved, "I am my mother!!!"
I know you won't believe me. Who would? Yet, right then, I heard a distant voice with heavenly wisdom. It spoke to my heart. "Is that what you want to do to Des," It questioned?
Talk about a riveting moment. Talk about a stark revelation. I humbly and most quietly whispered, "No!" And I meant it. I finished my conversation with my mom and the spirit, singing heaps praise and repeating words of gratefulness over and over again.
I walked home from my mothers house that day. I felt completely different inside. The old part of me trailed behind like a whipped pup. The new and improved 'me' boldly took the lead. There was a smile on my face the size of Texas. And the tears backing up behind my cornea's were of a different kind. Finally I knew why I had to let go and I wanted to! I saw what continuing to hold on would do to Des and to our relationship. Most of all I knew to continue to act and carry on like a fearful cry baby mother would ruin everything. Happily that day I threw my own selfishness out the window.
What ever that vision was I had standing in the kitchen of my mother's house, it immediately changed me. The day of packing Des up and moving was pretty dang good considering how I had acted in the past. It was a great day until I drove away from Desi's apartment with her standing there on the curb. By the time we got her all moved in and it was time for me to leave, it was dark. Dark is never good.
I bolstered up all the courage I could to put a smile on my face as I pulled away. As I saw her standing there in the shadow of the ark light, she ran up to the truck and gave me one last hug and a big kiss. I told her how much I loved her and how proud of her I was and then I drove away. The minute she was out of sight the tears came rolling in like a Monsoon in the worst Monsoon season ever. Never in my life have I had so much water come out of my body.
It was a different kind of crying this night though. So different from all the other times. This time the tears were flowing from my watershed of gratefullness. Selfishness was not present in any form. The tears were not for me, they were growing from a place inside me that stood up and all of a sudden saw all of my blessings lined up in a row like a giant army! Soldiers in the war against evil. And they were back from the bloody battle, victors that had come to celebrate the win!
All the way home I cried to my Heavenly Father. I started with, "I'm the luckiest human alive." And my conversation flowed easy like. I was so grateful to have a daughter like Des. I was so grateful for my time with her and I told Him it was a priviledge to raise her. I cried and I told Him thank you over and over again.
I started with Des and went through each one of my children's short years of growing up in my home. I told Him thank you for each and every one of them. I felt as if I were sitting by my Father in Heaven's side, crying my heart out to Him with all of the overwhelming persaveering grateful feelings that rumbled inside my soul, feelings of complete an udder astonishment at how truly blessed I was. I told Him, "I don't desearve so many blessings. No, not me," I cried. I honestly felt unworthy of everything He had given me.
How could I be so deserving of the richest blessings any person could ever recieve in one short life time, Man with a drill, my family, my children. At one point I was sobbing so hard I had to pull off the road in Sardine canyon. I could not see to drive, there was a wall of liquid in the way. I just sat there crying and my truck filled up with water.
"Where did it all go?" "I lamented to Him, "Why did you have to let it all go by so fast," I asked.
These were the questions that came out over and over again. And I went on and on, there by the side of the road, about how I had the best life ever and it all went by quicker than it should have. I gave a sermon to God on how much I loved ever single minute of it, and how much I loved every single one of my kids, how I loved being a mother and raising them, all of it, the chaos, the termoil, the days I thought I'd go nuts, the sweet times, the precious moments when life couldn't have been more perfect. I sat there and cried to my Father in Heaven how the whole experience of raising 8 magnificent spirits was priceless in every regard. I complained veheminantly about how I wanted to call it back, and that I didn't want to be an empty nester. I remember saying right out loud at least a dozen times, "I HATE EMPTY NESTING!"
Even God has a sense of humor, because I distinctly heard Him say, plain as day, "I know, I know, but you've got one more to raise! At least I orchastrated that for you."
It's true, He did. And I thought about Corbin. I thought about what he'd look like in the clan of all clans. Sitting there, I saw every single one of my childrens faces, all of them meshed together. I thanked God immediately and told Him, I didn't deserve it and I went on in my apologies that I really was trying hard not to be greedy.
By the time I pulled back out onto the road, I'm sure I weighed ten pounds less just from the release of all that water. I sniffled and boobed all the way home. When I walked in the door I saw Kelson sitting on the couch. I walked over to him, threw my arms around him and went off like a gun. "I hope you never get married." OK, I retracted that when I came to my senses. Then I backed it up with, "Well, at least not for a really long time.
I told him how grateful I was to have him in my house. I told him he could make all the noise he wanted. I hugged him and kissed him and it felt good to feel his massive spirit and his flesh and bones standing right there in front of me! I told him what a good kid he was. I told him what a priviledge it was to be his mother. And I thanked him again for all of his unselfish kind ways, for all that he does to help me and what a great example he is to me. I finished up with how thankful I was that he was poor and had to take up cheap room and board with me! I promised him I'd make it worth his suffering, I'd feed him good and I'd even allow him to make a mess anywhere he wanted to!!!
I guess it's here that I need to give every single one of my kids kudos. I have the best kids in the entire universe. Every single one of them have my respect and admiration. They are all doing such good things in their lives. And I look up to each one of them for different reasons. It is because of them I see worth in myself. Each one of them has made me a much better person, and they continue to lift me in ways they don't realize. Besides that, they put up with my balling remarkably!
So I went to bed that night tired and emotionally drained. The rain barrell inside me was empty and all dried up, but my soul felt warm and full.
I guess you could say I made it. I am happy to report, my world is still spinning. Some days when I'm home all alone I still feel the emptiness and sometimes I have my little moments when I struggle, but I'm grateful all is as it should be.
THE TRIBUTE
She was born September 17, 1992. Nineteen years ago TODAY! Wow, 19 years certainly vanished in a fraction of a second. Happy Birthday Des. What a blessing you are!
7lbs 2ozs. 20 inches long, born at 10:18 pm September 17th, 1992
I have to laugh when I think how Des was voted into the family. All the rest of the kids were a surprise. Not Des. She was officially the result of divine inspiration and a family vote.
It was family home evening. I knew from the day Corbin died there was a little girl in heaven waiting to come to our family.
The spirit had been nagging at me something fierce. We had family home evening. For some reason, despite what God wanted me to do, I would have no more children if my children wanted no more children. I sat all the kids down and asked them if they wanted another brother or a sister. I passed around a piece of paper and told them to vote. I promised them their vote would be private and there would be no reprocussions from it. They didn't have to put their name on the paper and no one had to know the way in which they voted.
Kelson had not learned how to read yet. I still remember him coming up to me and whispering to me, "Mom, which one say's yes?"
We won't talk about the voting results that night. We won't talk about how that went down. We won't point any fingers at absolutely the only person who voted "No."
My children had voted unanimously and I quickly informed (you know who) "Sorry, your vote doesn't count!"
After Deserey was born, every time Man with a drill held her she cried.
I use to tease him unmercifully. "She knows you voted no," It really got to him. He started bringing her a sucker home from work everyday to persuade her affections. She finally forgave him!
From the day Des arrived, Seth had a unique bond with her. I'd put her to bed in her crib and when it was time to check on her, I'd find her missing. In a panic, I'd look high and low all over the house. I always found her in the same place, Seth's bed lying next to him.
He watched over her like a hawk. He still does along with his 3 other fearless brothers.
Taking a family vote seemed to create an amazing bond between Des and all of her brothers and sisters.
That bond just continued to grow stronger every day.
Often times I had to remind my kids that she was MY baby! "Hey," I'd say. "She belongs to me, I'd like to hold her, please."
Those were good years.
That time period
Where all of my kids
were growing
And we were always together as a family was the best time ever.
Rituals began . . .
Like our annual trip to Lake Powell. I think it was Kaedell that started the braiding tradition. She is afterall THEE master Braider. If Kaedell braids your hair it will look perfectly beautiful for eons of time.
My mom worked at Smith and Edwards and bought Deserey her first pair of cowboy boots.
My mom loved Deserey! I was my mom's baby and Deserey was my mom's grandbaby! My mom took full advantage in her Senior years of loving the last grandchild to hit the Blanch family.
So many good memories! There were all the fun times at the trabin and I have come to fully believe,
"The family that plays together, stays together!" This is a fact! If you want your children to like you, then you had better spend a lot of time playing with them. That is the arena you will gain their affections in.
I've decided when you play with your kids,
They really grow to like you. With those cemented affections, a bond grows, and it makes it harder for them to make decisions that would hurt. Playing together bonds a family close.
As Desi grew
we got to see more and more of that cute personality!
She has a bubbly spirit that spills out all over.
And it didn't seem to matter growing up and even now, whether she is with her sisters
Or her brothers
Life is always good. They are her favorite people to be with. She loves them like no other.
Des developed a relatioinship with Craig's little nephew. They were so cute toghether. Dallin is now preparing for a mission and going to the same college as Des. We tease Dallin all the time about the song he use to sing to Desi.
"I Love My Deserey!"
When I look at these pictures
I wanna drift backwards in time.
Life is so precious when your children are little.
Hectic, crazy, nutty, and priceless in everyway!
I'd pay top dollar to have re-runs on this part of life.
As Desi grew
The Crowther family became one in every aspect!
When I look back on my life, if I had to choose one period in which I would go back to, in a single heart beat, the above photo is where I'd stand. It was the best time of life there was. My little family old enough to go everywhere together and old enough to enjoy each other and 100 percent together in spirit was the best part of life.
So together
We made one great memory after another.
One thing I know about Des. No matter where she goes, no matter what she does, she will charge right in! That is her nature.
And there will be a massive group of people right behind her cheering her on!
My kids are always there for each other.
I started a Christmas tradition long ago. It's called the "All Girl Gift." It's the funnest tradition ever and a chance for me to be one with my girls. I can't wait for this years gift. I'm working on it as we speak.
There were lots of tears looking back at these pictures, trying to scan them all onto my computer and savor each memory in my heart.
I miss my dad! And now my mother too. The trip down memory lane provoked a great deal of emotion in me. So many things
I miss!
So many sweet memories.
When I was scanning in the above picture, Desi told me why she sort of looked sad in it. She said she had been by Goose's side waiting in line for the picture. When she turned around he was gone and that set her to crying. She told me she remembered it as if it were yesterday.
I was never a creative mother when it came to Haloween. Poor Emilyn had to wear the infamous red crayon costume several times. She laughed when she came to my house and found I'd passed it on to Deserey.
I think she said something like, "Poor Child!"
She looked so cute in it though. Just like Emy did.
When Desi climbed on the school bus
I was a wreck.
That's the day I went out and bought me the biggest and the best Nikon camera Nikon sold.
I felt like my full time job as a mother got on the bus and drove away. All my kids were off and in school.
I'm so happy I bought a camera! It was providence! It was the wisest idea God ever gave me.
I never tire of taking pictures.
I never tire of recording every second of life there is!
Watching life go by has made me want to capture every shot I can.
I started the tradition of making pies. Every Thanksgiving me and all my girls go to town baking in the kitchen. Des learned to make pie at an early age. Now she makes Killer pies. Who ever marries her is going to score in the pie department.
In fact the day after my mom died I came home from her house a crying wreck. I walked into the kitchen and Des had two pies, apple and jumble berry, cooling on the rack. They had just come out of the oven. She was dressed in my cow apron and cleaning like furry. Wow, did I ever start to ball when I saw that. It is a memory I shall never forget.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The true gift contains a portion of thyself." Perhaps that is what touched me. Desi had truly put herself into the giving. I will always treasure this memory. The pie was oh so sweet, the memory is even sweeter.
There is one problem however in regards to Desi's baking.
She doesn't bake anything else. I can't get her to bake a cookie for love nor money! Hahahah Maybe now she's on her own she'll learn how to cook something besides wonderful pies.
It wasn't long after I bought my first film camera that I went digital. You can never own to many cameras! You can never take to many pictures!
And capturing the people I love most and the time we are together, is one of the most rewarding things I do. The trouble with digitle however is now I take even more pictures than before and I never thought that was possible!
Des grew up with a camera being pointed at her non stop. The rest of the kids took a little longer to warm up to me always taking their picture. Even now they get a little annoyed with me. As I look back though on all the pictures I've taken, I'm not sorry I'm a shutter bug.
Since we are fans of Bear Lake and so much of our time is spent there,
Des decided that's where she wanted to be baptized.
It was a beautiful day. She was baptized Saturday September 16th, 2000
And confirmed on Sunday, her birthday. She was confirmed in our Bear Lake ward.
She was so little when we had our first missionary.
It was so hard to say goodbye to Seth. For a long time Des couldn't go to sleep without crying.
She learned to write her brother fun letters. And his first Christmas he sent her a dress from Singapore.
He also got her a pen pal, Her name --- Jency Chau.
Today Jency and Des are still good friends and they write back and forth on Facebook all the time.
Des is quite the fisherwoman, and our trip to Bridger Lake every year in June continues to be her favorite trip of the year.
Being a Crowther means Being Crazy!
There is never a dull moment at our house!
This picture with Goose was taken right before he left on his mission. I think I'm really glad the mission thing is a good memory now. Besides being hard on me, it was hard for Des to part with her brothers.
The above picture has always been one of my favorites. That was a beautiful day!
Looking back on all of the memories we've made as a family is more satisfying than I could ever describe with words.
Eight years ago, we built our cabin in Bear Lake. That was one of the most gruling and rewarding experiences we've had as a family. Our cabin took three years of monumental efforting before it was completed. Every log holds our blood, sweat, and tears. Every inch of building it, laboring over it, when we knew absolutely nothing about construction, proved to be a priceless memory.
Seth and Gavin drove from Twin Falls, Idaho to Plain City, and from Plain City to Bear Lake, Every weekend. When they were done working on the cabin, it was back to Plain City and then back to Twin Falls.
It didn't matter the weather either. They did that for a year, and through the worst winter storms ever.
It's rewarding to spend time there now. My kids will tell you they made the best memories working there all together and it only proved to make their relationships even closer.
I'm trying to think of how old Desi was when we gave her a puppy for her birthday. She named him Winston.
I think it was for her 14th birthday.
Besides loving her dog,
This girl loves to read. I had to laugh when I came in and found her reading while braiding her hair for Lake Powell. She's a multi tasker, that's for sure!
Kyle was always the 'go to guy' when a school project was pending that involved math. He runs his own business, he machines everything and knows how to build anything. If you want something machined he's the man to call!
With Des being my 8th kid, I was always so happy when Kyle showed up! I was not the only happy parent, so was Man with a drill!
We were all a little surprised when Des took up basketball. I guess hanging out with four older brothers gave her the edge she needed to make the team.
Deserey served as a school officer for all six years of Jr. High and High School. She is a great leader. She is a happy kid who is friends with everyone.
Ray Long is one of the few principals to recieve
Utah's Huntsman award. If you know anything about this man and how he cares for every student in the school, winning this award came as no surprise. Deserey was lucky to spend all her time with this man as both her principal for Wahlquist and Fremont. He is one of the finest Principals I've ever worked with as a parent.
During graduation, in tears, he stood and paid tribute to Deserey's class of 2011. It was the class he'd gone all the way through with and together they had a tight bond! Des developed a great friendship with this man. She has a tremendous amount of love and respect for him.
I have to laugh when I look at the above picture. Des went on Trek with our stake. I was a nervous wreck. Good grief I've had a lot of stewing moments with my kids.
Christmas right before Goose went on his mission.
Des with Eleanor her other wonderful grandmother and the only one left.
THE SHELF
Des has a shelf that goes around the upper part of her room. It is a shelf that holds that which is of great importance to her. On this shelf rests items that depict the most inner feelings of her heart. Therefore what ever rests there holds the ultimate seal of love.
There are predominantly two items that take up the biggest majority of space on the infamous shelf. The first, the beginnings of her dead set goal to own a library, which amounts to a ton of books that she has read and loves. The rest of the shelf holds pictures of the people who matter the most to her. They are pictures that were given to her. Pictures she has kept and treasures.
Here they are:
Everytime I walk into Desi's room, I see the love she has for her brothers and sisters. Today they have her vote in every way shape and form!
More Life Shots As A Crowther
Soon, I'm going to need a bigger truck bed!
I love this picture! I have the best daughters ever!!
We are a crazy fun group of people.
I bought a sign that sits in my house. It says, "Remember, as far as anyone knows we are just a nice normal family!"
It's a partial truth. I think we're nice, we're just not normal!
We're a little unique . . .
Certainly crazy!
Normal is just not in us!
The boys use to torture Des with the above mask when she was a toddler. I've never seen a child have such an adverse reaction to anything in my life. Just the sight of the horrid wolf mask would send her into a frenzy. Every Halloween the boys just had to tease her with it.
It's finally ripped and torn. Des put it on and I took a picture just before we threw it away! Des was all to happy to chuck it in the garbage.
Graduation
I have 19 years of the best memories ever with Deserey.
Every day has been a blessing.
Good through and through
She has a giant heart and a loving spirit.
She is kind, easy going, always happy, and she is supremely caring.
She is very spiritual and has a solid testimony.
Her love for her Savior runs deep.
She is honest and grounded in the things that matter most in this life,
She is always generous in her love for those around her.
Especially her family.
Her name means
A daughter fullfilled.
Desired, longed for.
You should have seen Seth's face the first time Des came home from getting her makeup and hair done for her sophomore year officer pictures. After doing a double take, he told her he was not ready to deal with her wearing makeup and going to high school with boys.
I won't tell you what her brothers all say now she's in college. I'm seriously worried for any boy she happens to bring home!
Like it or not. It's here boys. She's all grown up!
Oh The Places You'll Go! (Dr. Suess)
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the gal who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
The last assembly I attended, to watch Des recieve several awards, I walked out to my car and climbed in. I had to sit there for a long time. It is a funny feeling to watch your last child graduate. I had to stop and reflect for sometime on the days I spent there with each one of my kids. A flood of memories came roling in.
I saw Em at the piano playing for the choir all her curls and those cute braces. I saw Kaedell number one chair in the orchastra, a full scholarship, and a violin under her chin. I saw Seth dressed in that dorky tuxedo with his tennis shoes, He really tried to play the violin. I saw him in the parking lot, about right where I was sitting reminicing ---he was having his first wreck. I saw him with all of his friends and all the crazy things they did. I saw Gavin and cold shudder went through me, then I saw white trash being launched into the air! I saw a video camera, brainless children filming it, and later Gavin, trying to explain to me why his car didn't run anymore. I saw Gage running off the football field. I saw Man with a drill and I laughing when we realized, "When you are on the football team it is not cool for your parents to wave at you and try to get your attention!" And everywhere in the halls of Fremont, I heard kids hollering, "GOOSE, GOOOOOOSE!" He was everyone's friend. I saw him in the blue civ. the one Gavin wrecked, The one with the two tone paint. What great memories I have of my time at Fremont. Every day, the running back and forth. Droping off, picking up, clapping at every accomplishement, too many to count. Each child, my life full of everything that matters most. It's not hard to see the greatest gifts there are in this life when you pause and take time to look. Looking tells me I am lucky to be me!
I got to visit the Fremont lots with this girl.
So many good memories of my kids, good kids, doing good things, in the halls of Fremont High.
If it has anything to do with the artistic side of life, Des loves it.
She loves people and people love her!
The day I moved Des into her apartment, I found this written on the mirror in her bathroom.
She is a girl with vision.
Optomism
And an exhuberant spirit!
She has always made dynamic choices in her life, from choosing the greatest friends,
To knowing exactly how she wants to live her life each and every day.
She loves gaining knowledge. She loves learning. She is goal oriented. Like knowing what she wants to do with her life. She has wanted to be a speech therapist since she the second grade. Going to speech therapy herself and having to overcome a tounge thrust gave her that desire.
She is a bright! Full of light and goodness!
She is talented and creative!
She has a good heart, and a remarkable soul!
She has solid strong spiritual values. She loves her savior and seeks to live her life the way he would want her to.
When it comes to the people she values most in this life, she will tell you, it is her family! When you hear her talk about the people who matter most to her, the people she loves, values, esteems, and seeks to be like --- those who have won her heart and gained her greatest admiration and respect, that is when you will hear her speak of her brothers and her sisters, every single one of them. And she will give them the greatest compliment a sister can give; "They are my very best friends."
Her personal relationship with each one of her brothers and sisters, Emilyn, Kaedell, Seth, Gavin, Corbin, Gage, and Kelson, her deep abiding love for them, her desire to be like them, to keep and sustain their love, respect, admiration and approval, proves that in the beginning they voted for her, and forever more, that vote won them something . . .in return, it won them her love and devotion!
So today I pay tribute to a little girl who compliments our family in the most remarkable way.
If you spend time with her, you will leave a better person than when you arrived.
And to count her as your friend is a real blessing.
I can still see myself standing in my bedroom. I still remember the voice that told me not to take Corbin's blessing dress back to the store because I would indeed have a daughter that would wear that dress.
Listening to that voice was the smartest thing I ever did. Congratulations Desi! You are a winner and a keeper! You have your whole life ahead of you, I have no doubt you will do great things!
In the yearbook I left you a note. They limited me on how many words I could use. Wow, that was hard. It went like this;
"Des (aka Scout)
The day your mother has dreaded is finally here ---you're all grown up! You're the ultimate kid any parent could dream up. God was surely playin' favorites when He sent you to us! Beautiful clear through, you will forever be our JOY! You've been an inspirational leader since the voting began. Continue! We'll watch and cheer! We love you foreer and always!!! Mom, Dad and the Gang"
So continue on little girl! You are a credit to the Crowther name. And rest assured, I'll keep taking your picture! I'll be there to capture your life in a frame. And know this ---WE LOVE YOU!!! The Whole Fam Damily! Happy Birthday Honey! So happy you came into our lives!
