OhMyHeart

I share the following letter with you today to encourage you, my fellow parents. I once had 4 Streamers under the age of 8. It sometimes felt thankless. It was hard. And it was good. But I usually felt like I had no idea what I was doing.
Was ANYTHING I was saying or doing making it into their hearts and brains? I so longed to plant seeds and be the kind of mother that I wanted. TAKE HEART dear friends. They are listening. They are soaking in what you are saying. And God will take our little and make it much.
I found this letter on my nightstand the other night. From my 20 year old son.


Hi Mom,
I apologize for taking so long on this, but I didn't want to buy a card or scribble a thoughtless project together...
I hold nothing but admiration and love for you and Dad because of how much you have changed and matured your past self to better the lives of not only yourself, but everyone around you and the future of your children. Along those lines, I cannot begin to comprehend the weight of the harsh trials that you have endured, but even after all of them, instead of lowering your head and accepting how it is, you raised your gaze to the sky and stood in the rain, smiling, refusing to fall into the patterns of what was and is no more. I feel you are the strongest woman I will ever meet in my life and I will always appreciate God's transformation in you. I cherish the memories we have made, I am encouraged by the tears we have shed, and I will always glow in radiant pride because my mother is Carla Stream.
Thank you. 
 With all the love a human heart can possess,
Your son
Joshua Patrick Stream

Always With Me

And Aubrey was her name,
A not so very ordinary girl or name
But who's to blame?
For a love that wouldn't bloom
For the hearts that never played in tune
Like a lovely melody that everyone can sing,
Take away the words that rhyme it doesn't mean a thing
And Aubrey was her name
We tripped the light and danced together to the moon,
But where was June
No it never came around
If it did it never made a sound,
Maybe I was absent or was listening to fast,
Catching all the words, but then the meaning going past,
But God I miss the girl,
And I'd go a thousand times around the world just to be
Closer to her than to me
And Aubrey was her name,
I never knew her, but I loved her just the same,
I loved her name
Wish that I had found the way
And the reasons that would make her stay
I have learned to lead a life apart from all the rest
If I can't have the one I want, I'll do without the best
But how I miss the girl
And I'd go a million times around the world just to say
She had been mine for a day

Songwriters: David Gates

Aubrey lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, David Gates D/B/A Kipahulu Music

12 Years!!

Thank you hardly seems enough for all of the staff at Rock Elementary School that have poured into our children for the past 12 years!! We are grateful for all you have done!! Thank you for the memories!!
Josh 20, Sarah 16, Nathan 13, Tim 11

From Tim

Mothers Day 2017

Nathan and Tim went out to lunch with me.  Sarah and Josh got home later after work.  Spent our time laughing together.  Our favorite thing.  
I love you my Streamers.  You have my heart.

I Will Win

Me "Tim did you change your underpants?"
Tim "No. Do I have to change them everyday???"
Me "Everyday."
Tim "Everyday??"
Me "Everyday." 
Tim "Everyday??" Goes to change.

You are the 3rd and final Streamboy. You will surrender son.
Mom always wins The Battle of Underpants.

Walkabout

3 DAYS!!
For the last 3 days I have walked around my block. In the rain. wethairdon'tcare It may not seem like a big deal. But it is. To me.
 For the last 3 years I have struggled with my health(adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, severe anemia, a frozen shoulder, bleeding to death every month, ladysurgery 2 weeks ago, PMDD, LMNOP)
NOW I want to move the bod. I have watched the scale go up and up and up and my shape become...um...shaplier. I used to work out!! I used to lift weights and do cardio! I was strong! I was fit! I started and finished 2 triathlons and was in Muscle and Fitness magazine! butIdigress

I have 28 pounds to lose but so much more to gain.

I WILL DO THE HARD THINGS!! With God's help!

I raise my water bottle up to you this morning. I don't know what battles of the mind, body or spirit you are facing today. But I pray that you persevere with me. That you run the race with me. We are in this together.
WE WILL DO THE HARD THINGS!! With God's help! <3 span=""> <3 span=""> <3 span="">

Beauty

I told you I would cry. And I did. After hair and makeup and seeing my daughter's face when she looked in the mirror. The tears came in the car on the way home as my daughter yelled, "Mom, stop crying!!" No. I will not. I was happy. Happy to pay for my daughter's dress and hair and makeup! Happy that I GET to experience life with her. Happy that she was soooooooo happy! And I of course tried to express that in words but only cried more. I told her she was beautiful inside and out. I told her that I was happy and excited for her. And I had a glimpse. A glimpse of moments to come of next year's prom and maybe a wedding day. And realizing AGAIN that my baby girl will ALWAYS be my baby girl and she will ALWAYS have my heart. And she needs to know that.
I love you, Sarah Ann Stream.
And maybe I'm crying again.

Prom

Please bear with me this weekend. My favorite daughter Sarah is going to her first prom. I will post a zillion pictures and make you see them. 
I will do all of the things for her that I wanted my mom to do for me. I will say all of the things to her that I wanted my mom to say to me. And I will cry with joy!! Pure joy!! Praise God that I have the mother/daughter relationship I have always wanted!! 
And here's Carla at her senior prom with her friend Tracy. Because this weekend is really about me. 
PS I couldn't find my junior prom picture because I am pretty sure it burnt up in the cleansing ritual that I did with Rachel, Monica and Phoebe.

Tradition

This photo was taken before the darkness fell. 
We have made tombs forever. And ever. Until this year. As the grass grew The Cats That Shall Not Be Named dug through the dirt, carried off the crosses in their mouths to Jesus knows where, peed in the grass, dumped the trays and basically partied every night. Sorry Jesus. We rolled the stone away Resurrection Sunday and prayed for The Cats That Shall Not Be Named. Forgive them for they know not what they do.

TWENTY!!!

I do believe I started this blog when Joshua was 7.   ooooooof
Happy 20th Birthday to my best Josh!

Carla's Citchen

After the melted plastic bag on the new stovetop fiasco I jumped back in to make Cranberry Chicken. Because I'm not a quitter. In the French Onion soup mix box was a package of hot chocolate.(a belated April Fool's joke??) I poured the package and stood there. Stumped. Why does soup mix have miniature marshmallows?? I let out a very loud, "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" My youngest boys came running in and stared with me. And then started eating the miniature marshmallows(of course)while I took a picture.(of course)
Alls well that ends well. I scooped the hot chocolate off, poured in the onion mix, more French dressing and cranberries, added the chicken and baked for 45 minutes. I fed my family. The End.

This Happened

New stove.
Hot surface.
Plastic bag.
The middle picture is Africa.
All day scraping.

What's For Dinner?

I told my family that next Saturday dinner is potluck. They all need to bring a dish to pass. Can hardly wait to see what the 11 year old and the 13 year old will bring. 
Is that why it's called POT LUCK?? We will need all the potluck we can get.

Cruisin

I had to take Joshua's car yesterday to go and pick up Tim after school.  He didn't see me so I rolled down the window(it has windows that you have to crank down!!)and yelled to him.  Tim got in and said,"Mom I didn't recognize you in Josh's car because you look so poor!" 

I Love Us

Brutal Honesty

"Mom I really want you to meet my children but I don't think you are going to make it." 
 -Tim Stream

For the Last Time

Tim picked out an old box that Nate had made and we worked together on the Valentine cards that said God Loves You!!  Bittersweet.

Sweetheart

Received a letter from the little girl we sponsor through Compassion International. She signed it Your Daughter.
Yes. I burst into tears.

Not Exactly

"Mom I think this might be cigarettes but I'm pretty sure it's something from Nike. There's the swoosh." -Tim Stream

Silent No More

We Have Arrived at 19161311

REPOST

Thursday, January 31, 2008

10742

The ages of my children are 10742. It is with a great sense of relief that I can type that. For you see, 9631 was tough. Oh my. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it most days. But here we are. For sure everything will be smooth sailing, from here on out. Make no mistake.
Some numbers just flashed in my brain and now there is concern rising up in my person. There are other ages that are coming and they could be tricky. Let's be on the look out for 19161311.

Happy 11th Birthday Tim!!

Tim enjoying his candles that relight and as The Joker in the play Alice in Wonderland. 

Winter Me

God Heard and Answered

I cried out to God this morning.  Asking for help. Telling Him I needed Him.  That I didn't think I was going to make it with the groceries.  Help me Lord.

An older gentleman watched me pack my cart at Aldi today. He stated that all that food might last until Friday. I told him I had 4 children, 3 were boys. The food should hold them until tomorrow. Maybe. I told him they always say "Mom, there's never any food in this house!"
He said,
"You are going to make it.You are going to do alright. Have a good day, honey." 
 I told him to have a good day too and then cried in my van.

The Girls

Lola and Lucy.  Sweetest cats in the whole wide world.

What I Have to Offer my Streamers

So Blessed

Merry Christmas 2016

STEVIE NICKS!!!!!

For my 51st birthday my sweet husband bought tickets to the Stevie concert in St. Paul, MN! That man knows the heart of his wife.
The concert was AMAZING!! Stevie was beautiful and rocked the house at 68 years old! Some of the songs she sang  Gypsy Star Shine New Orleans Stop Dragging My Heart Around   Stand Back
If Anyone Falls Rhiannon Edge of Seventeen Bella Donna Gold Dust Woman Landslide and Wild Heart.   Stevie did a tribute to her friend Prince during Edge of Seventeen.  I cried.

I was the youngest one there and wanted to DANCE!! So when Stevie sang my favorite song(Rhiannon of course)I got up and danced.  While everyone around me stayed seated.

I sang to Patrick my favorite lines of Edge of Seventeen. I'm a few years older than you. My love.
(Just 4.  4 years older.)

Thank you Stevie for your God given gifts and talents and for being an amazing performer and giving me one of the best concerts I've been to.  My FIFTH time seeing you in concert!