Easter 2008

I have always enjoyed Easter. I love the fun traditions of decorating Easter eggs, hiding candy filled baskets and the Easter egg hunt.


The kids enjoyed finding there Easter goodies in the morning before heading off to church. Later Carson hid the Easter eggs for the kids to do an egg hunt.

We had my Grandma Robertson and Lanette over for dinner. Actually, Lanette ended up making dinner. I was sick with the stomach flu and she made the dinner I had planned out for our Easter feast. What a great friend. Easter is enjoyable and fun with friends and family around.

I am grateful that I am free to celebrate a holiday that remind me of what my Savior has done for me. As I have grown older I have gained a greater appreciation for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each opportunity I get to study his life and lessons for me I feel closer to him and understand his pupose in the "grand scheme" of life more fully.

More than anything, I am grateful I actually care to get to know him. I have a desire to have a relationship with him. I am often reminded that this is not how everyone feels. Whether in a movie I watch, something I read or even in my interaction with people I come in contact with, I see how often his mission and purpose are downplayed, disregarded as something of the past or dismissed completely. But I know without a doubt there is a reason to his sacrifice and that his resurrection was part of the plan. All good in this world come from him. He is my Savior and I love him.

A new hairdo

Sammy's hair has been bugging me. I mentioned to Tammy how I felt bad for her because she had to tilt her head back to look out beneath her bangs to watch a movie. By the time I left Tammy's house, she had a new hairdo. AND I LOVE IT!!!!

I just don't understand why she wouldn't let me get a good picture of it. Granted, she is two. That fact alone covers a multitude of situations of frustration with her. Alas, she is a cutie and that makes it easy to move on. Just out of curiosity, would anyone like to take a stab at what exactly it is she is wearing?

Also, my friend Lanette decided to buy some fun games for the kids for Christmas. Instead of presenting them all at once, she is bringing them over every so often to perk up their interest in something new. I have to say, it was a clever plan. The kids a really enjoyed all the fun stuff she has brought - me too!

This past weekend she brought over this marble maze. It's loads of fun for all the kids. I didn't get a picture of the maze Carson put together that was almost as tall as the ceiling, but this one is pretty good too! Kudos to Lanette for thoughtful gifts.

Sam

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

When I found out I was pregnant with Samantha I just laughed. Not because I thought it was funny, but because I didn't see it coming. She is our little caboose at 4 1/2 years younger than Gabby. At first I my thoughts were as follows:

I can't believe I got pregnant AGAIN! I was done!

I hate being pregnant!

I have to replace all the baby stuff I gave away!

I hate being pregnant!

Crap! Diapers!

I REALLY hate being pregnant!

After I entered the acceptance phase of my pregnancy, I calmed down quite a bit. I felt the reassurance that this was my last one. I just knew it. I will be forever grateful that I was given such a strong feeling about being done. I just knew that baby would make our family complete.

Of course I survived the pregnancy. I look back now and realize if I could have appreciated the fact that I could have children so easily and that the whole process is a miracle, I would have enjoyed being pregnant more. I will always regret my general bad attitude about pregnancy. It really is a wonderful thing.

Sammy came and was an absolute delight to have. A little one softens Daddy's heart. A little one brings out a sweet side of teenagers that makes me smile when I see it. Our little Sammy is Gabbys best playmate. Sammy is my buddy during the day when all the kids are at school. We love her!

I can't imagine our family without Sammy. I absolutely feel she was meant to be part of our family. I totally give credit to Father in Heaven for knowing what I need in my life even when I don't think I need it. As with all my children, she is a blessing from above.

I love to watch my kids sleep. They look like angels!

Why I like the Boy Scouts of America Program

I am not a scouter. There are many of you out there that are. I count my blessings there are adults willing to participate in scouting. I am grateful for those who have a desire to work with the youth of today. With that said, I have no aspiration whatsoever to earn a bead, a patch or any type of recognition ever in the BSA. But I like and support the scouting program and here is why.

1. BSA teaches my boys to make goals. Sure we talk about goals in our home. Sometimes we set them together as a family. What I like about the BSA is the structure it gives to boys to work on goals that have the steps already outlines for them. Rank Advancement and Merit Badges have cut and dry requirements for the boys to meet in order to earn a badge. This shows our guys how important it is to break down a goal into sub goals so the realization is doable.

2. Along with the goal-setting attribute, BSA progressively hands the goal making and goal planning process over to the boy. By the time a teenage boy starts to plan out his Eagle Project, he has had lots of practice reaching milestones. At this point in his scouting career, he is asked to set his own goals according to his own aspirations. As shocked as I was, I have seen it work. Scouting has helped my sons do things I didn't think they could do on their own.

3. BSA helps teenage boys feel like they belong to something important. Belonging to a program or a purpose gives focus to an individual and a feeling of worth. Scouting starts early in our house with Tiger Cubs. The boys move from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts effortlessly. The desire to participate seems to be in their blood - their father's side, no doubt. I owe a debt of gratitude for leaders that have followed through with their commitments to the scouting program and to my sons. A good scout leader is indispensable for a good experience in scouting. Thank you to all those whom have helped my boys and are still working with them.

4. An active Boy Scout is busy. The movie "Follow Me Boys" is the best example of why young men need to be busy. A boy who is active is less likely to participate in boy-related bloopers. Being involved in scouting does not make them immune to the affects of teenage stupidity. However, a good scout leader can redirect the wilds and silliness of teenagers by keeping a young mans hands busy. Busy hands are happy hands.

5. A Boy Scout is asked to stretch himself beyond his comfort zone. There are lots of activities the kids do that they enjoy. Occasionally there are some that they don't like or maybe they are a bit skeptical about. I have seen the kids push themselves to do things or try something new because other scouts were excited to do it. Boys Scouts give our young men experience in life.

These and many other things about scouting help me to appreciate this great program. I hope others will reap benefits from it also.

Seth is currently working on the Climbing Merit Badge.

Seth Climbing.

Carp and Carson went along to help out. Here is a picture of Carson belaying.

In Memory of Carson Amos Mellott Sr.

Have you ever heard the name of a family member or friend that you haven't seen for a while and thought, "I've got to give them a call and see how they are doing," or "I should take the time to stop by and see so and so."

Sometimes it is hard to know what is most important to spend our time on. I think everyone agrees that spending time with our family should be the top priority. Kids and husband - those alone take up a lot of my time and without regret. What time I have left I divvy out between extended family, working at the schools, church responsibilities, friends, hobbies and so forth. We are all busy with whatever it is that we chose to spend our time on.

Carp's grandfather recently passed away. We were able to visit with him during the 4th of July holiday. Carp and I had last seen him at J.J.'s funeral in 2004. The kids had not seen him for even longer than that. With the distance between us Carp often picked up the phone to call Pappy Mellott and others in his family. He has always been good about trying to keep in touch with those he cares about.

When we received a call from Carp's mom to let us know that Pappy had passed away, my first thought was of Iris, his wife. My next thought was how grateful I was that our family had the blessing of seeing him one more time before he was gone.

I'm not really much of a goal maker. However, I have one that I really am going to try and improve in my life. I want to make sure my crazy, wonderful life doesn't drown out that prompting to visit and call those I care about. It's easy to lose sight of important things like that when I am sooooooo very busy. I just don't want to regret not following through on a thought only to find out the opportunity is gone.

Carp was able to attend the funeral and visit with siblings and cousins. We will miss you Pappy.

Wayne Jr., Judy, Geneen, Colleen, Carp with Troy in Front.

(Back) Heather, Troy, Wayne Jr., Judy, Geneen, and Colleen.

(Front) Angela, Jeff, Kathy, and Carp.

Obituary:
Carson A. Mellott, Sr. died January 16, 2008 at Spring Creek Nursing Home, Harrisburg. Born April 1, 1919 in Lancaster, he was the oldest son of Amos and Silvia Mellott. He was a long-time employee and retiree of RCA, working in the Lancaster and Moscow, PA plants. Carson was one of the founding partners of Mellott Brothers Trailer Sales of Willow Street, along with his brothers, Glenn and Larry. He was a charter member of the Lone Pine Hunting Camp in Potter County and a long-time member of the United Church of Christ in Willow Street. He was also a member of the Elks club of Florida and the VFW in Millersville. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Violet (Dolly) Mellott; brother Larry; son Carson II; and daughter Joyce. He is survived by his wife, Iris Mellott, in Harrisburg; his son, Rodney, in Florida; stepchildren, Patricia and Zach in PA and Paul in North Carolina; 16 grandchildren; and 30 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 26, at 1 PM at the Willow Street United Church of Christ, 2723 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Carson's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Assn., 3544 N. Progress Ave., Suite 205, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9638.