Put me in Coach!

When you think of great coaches, names like Mike Krzyzewski, Tony La Russa or Vince Lombardi usually come to mind. They are famous and have had successful and long careers as coaches. What was it that made them so great and successful?

I think it's a combination of things.

Coach K focuses on making individual players become better teamates.

Tony La Russa had been a player and leads by example. He had been where his players are.

Vince Lombardi was a great motivator and leader. Even if a player thought it impossible, Coach Lombardi pushed him and worked him until he believed.

They took the best of a player and made him even better.

My brother Rob is a coach.

He coaches his boys' teams and loves it. He's a great football coach.

But he's an even better 'life coach'.

He is the oldest of 7 children. He's been the Neal Armstrong for all of us that came after.

He has always just naturally led. He was the first for everything.

He has been 'watched' for 40 years. He's handled that pressure well.

From the time I was teeny tiny, I have loved Rob. I have known that he was there for me. I have never doubted that he was watching out for me.

Like Coach K, he has always tried to make people better.

When I was a very awkward 7th grader trying to figure out where I fit in, Rob was a very popular Junior in High School. He had the most beautiful girl friends that would come to our house. I'm sure they felt stalked as I lurked in the corner admiring their big hair and big shoulder pads. A couple of these lovely girls were Angie Tueller and Gina Gyllenskog. (Don't their names just make them sound pretty?) anyway, these girls had younger sisters who were in my grade and I'm sure had no idea who I was. I found out much later that my sweet brother had encouraged (begged) Natalie and Kim to be nice to me and try and include me in their cool group. I'm sure the last thing they wanted was a 'project' worthy of a John Hughes plot line but nevertheless, they included me in their tightknit group and I am still friends with those girls to this day. Those girls also helped keep me on the straight and narrow and made my teenage years not only bearable but downright enjoyable.

I love the fact that baseball is the only sport where the 'coach' dresses up like the players.

(I mean, can you even imagine Jerry Sloan in short shorts and high tops?)

But in baseball it somehow works. The manager looks like one of the team. He's one of them.

Tony La Russa was a player before he was a manager.

He knew what it was like to strike out, miss an easy play, or score a homerun.

His players knew he wasn't perfect. They also knew that he didn't quit.

He knew how to overcome mistakes.

I have sat through hundreds of talks and classes and lectures on repentance and forgiveness.

They have been true and good.

But I will never forget when I truly learned what it meant to be sorry for something.

To feel it deep in your soul.

We were having Family Home Evening and Rob was sitting under the living room window. He had hair, (it was even permed). He had on his pink izod shirt that was my favorite. We were talking (I can't even remember the topic) when Rob started to cry. I don't mean the pretty Demi Moore one tear down the cheek cry, I mean the Ugly, lip quiverying cry. He then told us about skipping out on church to go to Troy Haslam's house to jump on his tramp. I know that probably sounds silly but he was genuinely sorry that he had done that. He hadn't been caught, nobody probably would have even found out...he was just sorry.

That has been the most effective lesson on repentance I have ever had. Whenever I feel the need to repent (daily) I think, "Am I 'jumping on Troy Haslam's tramp' sorry?"

I know that Rob will always have on the same uniform as me.

That's comforting.

Vince Lombardi is the coach that people who don't know coaches still know.

He's famous for his inspiring words and the way he motivated his players.

Rob has always been motivated. He missed many camping trips to be tortured during 3-a-Days. He worked to be able to help pay for his mission. He is very dedicated and works like crazy to support his family. He is very loyal and protective of his family. He knows what it takes to be successful. And he's survived at least 6 life-threatening incidents.

He is here for a purpose.

And my kids love when he talks like a duck.

While it may sound like I think Rob is perfect..I know he is not..

But Coach Lombardi said it best:

"Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.

"After all the cheer have died down and the stadium is empty, after the headlines have been written and after you are back in the quiet of your room and the championship ring has been placed on the dresser and after all the pomp and fanfare have faded, the enduring hting that is left is the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live."

Happy Birthday to my favorite coach.

Thanks for making the world and the people in it a little bit better.

Love you!

Happy Birthday Dad.

Today my dad turns 67 years old.

That's 24, 455 days. Those days have been spent in many different ways.

Ya know when people ask you if you could go back in time, "when" would you go? I always thought it would be so much fun to pull a Marty McFly and see my parents as kids and teenagers. I would especially love to watch the moment they met. I would love to be able to actually see those days that shaped him into the man he is today. I'm sure I would giggle on the day that he got on the school bus and then get off at the next stop to play hooky with his friend all day. Or the day that he swore and his Uncle Morris got after him. So little Johnny made up his own 'swear word'. I 'll try and do it justice here...*ahem*...

"Doggone, rickelfritzen, son of a gun and crackernottin, jitten belly, no good for nothin', dog breath nipper"......whew!

I don't recall ever hearing my dad use bad language. An occasional bible swear here and there but nothing offensive. I think you'll agree that this catchy little phrase would suffice in getting your point across.

I'm sure most of his childhood and teenage days were spent laughing and playing and making mistakes and learning from them. I'm sure he watched those around him... subconsciously allowing their influence to mold and shape him. I know my father was surrounded by good, hard working people. People who knew what was important. People who stood for things that mattered. Imperfect, but decent, loving people.

Although I did not 'see' him on those days of his youth, I am the lucky recipient of the lessons he learned. The days that I have seen of my father have been filled with knowledge to last a lifetime.

The majority of our days are like pearls strung together on a lovely necklace. But occasionally, there are jewels thrown in there that break up the monotony and make it stunning.

My dad's necklace is overflowing with jewels.

Many of those jewels stick out to me and remind me of the wonderful man my father is.

Like the days he spent fixing a neighbor's faucet, building trophy stands for the scouts, or taking me to visit some widows with him. The days (years) he would work 2 jobs to provide for our family. The day at Disneyland where he lugged around that Buick sized Video Camera so we would have memories recorded. The days he would take us to "help" him install a flagpole. The days he would spend planning big family camping trips. The days he has spent encouraging the youth of the world. He really has been blessed with a gift of understanding and love for troubled souls. They are drawn to his compassion. Or the night of my first date, when he came to my room with a white rose and told me how much he loved me and that I should keep myself like that rose. The day he sent me off on my mission. Or the day of my wedding when he sweetly put me in the care of another man. The day when I miscarried and he just held me and cried with me. The day of each of my children's birth. Today when I called to wish him Happy Birthday and he sounded like a little kid.

Days that he has surely forgotten but that are burned into my memory. Days where he not only told me but showed me. I know he is not perfect....but he's pretty close to it.

It would be impossible to count the number of people who have been blessed by, influenced by, or loved by my father. I was aware from an early age that I am lucky to have a dad like mine. I have known that not everyone does. I don't know why I got to come to his home, to be his daughter... I only know that I am so very happy to be.

He was the first man that I loved. The man who made me very picky about who I dated. The man who continues to teach me with his generosity, guide me with his example and show me that indeed, it is not about counting the days, but making the days count.

Here's to several thousand more days.

Love you Poppy John John!

Love, Sister Bug

Soooo....yeah.

So ya know when you get so behind on something and ya keep thinking, "I'm gonna get caught up, I am". And then more and more time passes and the catch up list starts to get longer and longer and no matter how hard you try or how great your intentions are..it just doesn't seem to make a difference. And then you are so far behind that you just have to give up on the catch up and start fresh from where you're at. Anyone? Anyone?

Well, that's where I'm at. I've had so many thoughts and such great things to post about from our summer and fall and it all just got away from me. So we're just starting fresh and there may be some random 'catch up' posts thrown in there. So if you get a post about Lake Powell or

Jack-o-lanterns thrown in there, just skip it. or whatever.

Perceptions

So I've noticed a lot of blogs that take Sunday pictures before church.
I thought that would be a cute idea to try and record the kids in their finery and have concrete
proof that they didn't look like orphans all of the time. (just most of the time).

Pretty cute huh? (minus the suckers hangin' out)

Yeah. Well, here's the 'perception' part.

What looks like a nice, almost perfect picture of 5 happy, willing children is actually just the best of a bunch of tear inducing, tantrum throwing, frustrating attempts.

People sometimes see only what they want to see.

They only view one of the many pictures without thinking that there may be a whole series of shots that are not so lovely.

Sometimes we're just not ready...

sometimes we just want to run away.

Sometimes we just have no control over the situation.

Sometimes we just get downright grumpy and mean.

Sometimes we simply put on our best pretend smile just to please everyone else.

Once in a while we get that 'great shot'. The shot that we want to show people.

The shot that everyone looks at and says,

"Your life is perfect, your kids are perfect, I wish I could be like that".

I do it all the time.

I need to remember that the perfect shot that I'm looking at

may just be the best out of a bunch of failed attempts.

I think it's perfectly acceptable for us to show each other our 'weak' shots or our 'vulnerable' poses. I think we'd all feel better about things if we knew that occasionally our eyes were closed or we're out of focus.

So on those days when I feel not ready, when I feel like running away, when things are out of control, when I get grumpy and I'm not myself...

I hope I can remember that if I just keep trying...we'll get a good shot.

After all, I have a really loving and patient photographer

who can see the whole picture.

Here's to sharing and accepting the whole photo shoot.

Anticipation

So my sweet 9 year old Makenna found an old roll of film in a box the other day.
She held it up and with the utmost sincerity asked, "Mom, what the heck is this?"
I tried to explain it and then finally just went and got the memory card out of the digital camera and she knew what I was talking about.

Uhm....holy cow!!

I remember my first camera. I was maybe 14 and I got it for Christmas. I felt very grown up.
I recall learning carefully how to load the film into the camera. I also learned (by mistake) that you must not open the camera until the entire roll of film has been used. I took my little camera with me everywhere. But I only took it out for special occasions because you know, it only had 24 exposures. (sometimes you even squeezed 25 out of it.) It usually took me about a month to fill up the roll. (I didn't want to waste any of those precious exposures on just anyone or anything). Sometimes it would be so long that I would actually forget what was at the beginning of the roll.
Anyhoo, then you would take the roll of film to the store where you would fill out an envelope with your info on it. You would carefully slide the film into the envelope, seal it up and put it in the slot. Then you would wait 7 days while it was sent out to be developed at some other location. Finally, you would pedal on up to the store to retreive your photos. You'd hand over your hard earned baby-sitting cash and then you would start to undo the package even before you were out of the store. You would eagarly flip through the glossy prints only to be dissapointed that the picture you sneakily took of that cute boy you liked was out of focus. Oh man, the one of you and your best friends at Lagoon has half of your heads cut off. And that one where your hair was really cute that day and you looked super skinny?......yep, your eyes were closed.
And then there was that blasted red eye. Future generations will probably come to the conclusion that most people who lived during the last half of the 20th century were possessed by demons and surrounded by some hazy darkness.
And then, if you had to make a copy of a picture...yeah, you had to search through all of the negatives until you found it and then had to go and repeat the process all over again...and pay for it again.
Enter the Digital camera.
My four year old not only knows how to take a picture, he can look at it instantly and edit. He decides right then and there if he should delete it. He can tell if Daddy was looking off instead of at the camera. He knows immediately if Lindsay's eyes are closed. He can ask Olivia to smile instead of make a goofy face. He can take as many shots of the same pose as he wants. He is armed with a memory card. And then you take it to your computer, download, edit, enlarge, and print. You can even send a copy off to Grandma. It's relatively instant.
"Oh, you have to have an 'I am Special' poster?....tomorrow morning? No sweat. Let's head to the office and print off your life in 5 minutes."
No waiting.
But also no anticipation.

I vividly remember waiting in line for 20 minutes to buy tickets to Jurassic Park. Then we waited another hour and a half in line before it even started so we didn't end up on the front row with a headache and vertigo.
Now you can buy your movie tickets in your pajamas, 3 weeks before it even comes out. You show up 2 minutes before it starts and find your seat. It's convenient with 5 kids that's for sure.
We can order something and have it shipped to our home OVERNIGHT.
That's like...mind-boggling when you really think about it. Things used to take weeks or months.
It's all very convenient and fast and gives us more time to hurry up and quickly do other things.
The last time I was getting my oil changed, (at Wal-Mart...don't tell Greg.) the guy in front of me was like freaking out that it was going to take them 20 minutes to change the oil in his car.
"I can't believe it takes that long." And he threw himself into a chair and pulled out his phone and laptop and spent his time in the virtual world.
I sat in my chair and watched a little 70ish year old couple wander aimlessly around the windshield wipers and floor mats and giggled at the mental picture of Greg and I shopping for car accessories in 40 years.
I flipped through a golf magazine and hoped that Ethan or Tyson would grow up to be a professional golfer. (Lots of money, low risk of injury...good choice). I watched Tyson study two ants crawl around on the floor, (I know, gross). He was fascinated.
Now I'm not implying that my time was spent more wisely than the other guy's. I like my electronic life as much as anyone. I just enjoyed my stay at Wal-Lube a little more I think.
So my question is this.
Are we losing the joy of anticipation? The excitement of waiting for something. The appreciation that comes after receiving. The simple virtue of patience.
Is it so wrong to slow down and just....*gasp* wait?
I guess it's a good thing we still have Christmas and the first day of school right?
Oh, and the Tooth Fairy...she's always good for some excitement.
(when she shows up. We have a crappy Tooth Fairy.
She has severe memory loss, she's totally inconsistent and she's kind of a cheapskate.)

You're acting like a child!

So if you've ever been to Chuck-E-Cheese's you are painfully aware of:

a. the absurd amount of germs surrounding your children

b. the disturbing lack of parenting that goes on there

c. the "ride" that takes a high quality photo of your munchkin.

My kids love this little attraction and usually end up spending most of their tokens on these photo keepsakes. Last time we were there, I had a pile of pictures, as usual. Makenna came up and handed me another for the stack.

You may be wondering who the cute little girl next to her is.

I was too. Makenna said, "I think her name is Amber. We're friends now".

Simple as that.

Kids just say, "Hi. Want to play?" They don't need any background information. A first name will suffice. They don't care where you live, if you have a cool bike or what you got on your last spelling test. They just want to play. And if the other kid says no, they just shrug their shoulders and move on to the next kid. They are best friends...until mom says it's time to go.

Adults are a little more guarded. We consider things like what kind of car you drive, how much money you make and what your pant size is. We take friendships slowly and carefully. We have expectations and rules. And if a friendship goes awry, we get hurt or offended.

When does this change take place? When do those walls come up? And why do we let them?

When does the basic human need for bonding turn into judgment and fear?

Is it because we're shy or uncomfortable going outside of our comfort zone? Or maybe we're just so busy trying to get to the next thing, the thought doesn't even occur to us.

Whatever the reason, I say we all start acting like children again. They have the ability to look outside of themselves and see the good in someone else. Let's pretend that the waiting area at Jiffy Lube is Chuck-E-Cheese's (same amount of grime right?). Or that neighbor you've never talked to is that girl waiting for a partner on the see-saw. Just do it, I dare ya.

It happened to me recently at soccer practice. I was trying to keep an eye on 3 kids on the playground, one on the soccer field and one in desperate need of a snack. While I was rummaging through the suitcase that is my purse, I heard a pretty voice from behind me say..."Hello."

I turned around to see the matching pretty face (and gorgeous hair, perfect teeth and teensy waist) smiling at me. I said hello back and we started easily chatting about soccer, kids and life in general. After the 5 or so minutes that we talked it was clear that we had many things in common and it felt like we were old friends. Suzette was kind and genuine and I think I was as well. We smiled and said, "See ya next week".

Imagine if she hadn't said anything or if I had not responded. Instead, we are able to chat at soccer games and greet each other as friends at school functions. I am happy to say that I know and admire her and her beautiful family. And ya know that I'm gonna like her cause she named her son after a baseball player.

Recently at the first grade awards assembly, we sat by each other as we watched our two six year olds receive the award for...you'll never guess...being friendly to others

**

while our two four year old boys played with each other like they've been friends forever.

So I felt the need to snap a picture of the radiant Suzette and the thrown together Mindy.

If only it had that nice Chuck-E-Cheese's border around it.

Just goes to show ya...being childlike isn't bad. So yeah, I know we're all in a hurry but next time you see that cashier at the store who never judges you for getting Ho Ho's every single time, give her an extra bit of conversation. (Unless it's the one at Costco who asks me every stinkin' time if they're all mine). And maybe the receptionist at the dentist's office would like to hear about something other than your bi-cuspids. Or leave a comment on the blog of someone you don't know but love to read. (I'm getting better at this, I just feel so stalkery).

Or maybe just a simple hello to someone you don't know cause...ya never know...

This picture:

could end up in their wedding video. :)

Here's to being friendly.

**remember me mocking the high quality photos at Chuck-E-Cheese's....yeah sorry.

Live, Laugh, Love

This saying is everywhere right?

I've seen it on wedding cakes, in dr.'s offices, and on blogs.

I'm sure you've seen it in vinyl on someone's living room wall.

You know when you hear or see something so often you just kind of ignore it?

That's kind of how I am with this saying.

Don't get me wrong, it really is a beautiful saying.

It was just kind of tired to me.

And then I was going through some pictures of a sledding/snowmobiling trip we recently took with my whole family.

As I was looking at the pictures this saying just kept popping into my head.

We simply had a ball.

Live

It was a Saturday morning and we were all still in jammies enjoying the day off. We had just enjoyed a yummy breakfast and I was anticipating a day of nothingness at home.
Then my cute dad called and wanted us to come play.

*insert bad attitude here*

I was reluctant at the thought of getting 4 kids, a baby and 2 adults 'snowworthy'.

I asked Greg if he wanted to go (half hoping that he would say no).

Of course, he thought it would be great fun.

So off we went.

And he was right.

We all had such a fun time with my family

and I was so very glad we went.

I feel like a lot of times in my mind, it's just easier to stay home.

It's inconvenient to get snowsuits and accessories on.

(that's 14 gloves, 14 boots, 32 socks, 7 hats, and 7 scarves people)

...and you know at least one of the kids will have to go to the bathroom

after

they're all done up in the snow gear.

But we all know that we have to live life and not just exist in our comfy jammies.

The kids built a snow fort, threw snowballs, and made memories.

I hate to think that not only would my children have missed out on the fun,

I would have as well.

Live

laugh

This is my cute sis in law Steph.

She was trying to take our picture and just

couldn't quite get us both in the frame.

This is about the 5th attempt and we were laughing

so hard. (like pee your pants hard).

By the time we finally got a picture it felt like I had just done

an ab workout.

I am a firm believer in laughing.

especially at yourself.

Love

I have to be one of the most fortunate people ever to have so many people in my life who genuinely love me and accept me for who I am.

How lucky am I to know without doubt that I have a partner

who loves and supports me in everything I do.

To have someone who usually has to rummage through

the sock basket to find a pair of matching socks

yet never even complains about it.

Yay for me.

I have no doubt that if I randomly out of the blue told Greg

that I wanted to become a bungee jumping instructor,

he would do whatever it took to make it happen. Lucky girl.

It really is all about

not just living but trying to

live well,

finding things to laugh at and to

laugh often,

and not only being loved but learning to

love much

in return.

Serenity Now!!!

So I've always felt that I'm a fairly calm person.

I'm pretty patient.

I like to think I gots some skillz in seeing the good in things.

A "glass half full" kinda girl.

I'm pretty relaxed and

it takes quite a bit to get me riled up.

Even during the holiday season when I'm surrounded

by "button pushers"

like this:

No biggie.

It's like a puzzle.

And this one:

Piece of cake.

It's like meeting new friends.

And this:?

It's not as scary as it looks.

Makes ya feel alive!!

And I never worry about this one:


I mean, it's not like I ate the entire plate of cookies and fudge.

And sure...this:

may be what's happened to Christmas.

But I don't sweat it.

Even with all the commercialism crap

that gets shoved down their throats,

I feel like my kids have a pretty good

grasp on the reason we celebrate.

So despite all the craziness of shopping, wrapping, cooking,

preparing and planning that went into the big day,

when I saw the pure joy and the genuine surprise on

my kid's faces when they got

that certain item they were wishing for....

it was all entirely worth it.

It was lovely.

.

.

.

.

And then came these:

The genius who thought of these is an agent of the devil himself.

If I ever meet this evil Einstein,

I will shove a silicone packet down his throat and then

I will strangle him with a plastic twist tie.

Next, I will screw his buttocks to a piece of cardboard

and then I will shove him into hard plastic and

seal it up so tightly that no amount of

pulling, twisting or saying of bad swears

will undo his situation.

I want one of these:

This, surely was created by some heavenly being....

or a fed up parent of an impatient child.

Either way, he is my new hero.





Look at it. It's like some sort of magic.

Hope you had a relaxing Christmas.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

National Learn to Row Day day days learn learns national nationals row rows event oldrower date: Sat, Jun 06, 2009 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM location: Salt Lake City, UT Great Salt Lake Marina cost: $0 + No charge

OLDROWER feedback score: (0) view member since: May 2009 ads/events: 1/0 buddies: 0

views: 87

posted on: Sat, May 09

expires on: Sat, Jun 06

Media Release What National Learn To Row Day When Saturday June 6, 2009, 09:00am – 12:00pm Where Great Salt Lake Marina – West End @ small boat docks Directions SaltAir exit from I-80 Westbound, then frontage road westbound past SaltAir to Utah State Parks and Recreation marina office, then west along marina to event – watch for the Great Salt Lake Rowing Learn to Row Day banners! Background • Always wanted to learn about rowing? • Always wanted to try rowing? • Always wanted learn more about the Great Salt Lake? Great Salt Lake Rowing (GSLR), your Salt Lake City-area sponsor, US Rowing, and Concept2 announce National Learn to Row Day – a free public event intended to give participants a “taste of rowing”! Some of the events scheduled include: • Hands-on ergometer lessons • On-the-water rowing experience with experienced rowers • Information on the year-round rowing experience available on the Great Salt Lake • GSLR member discussions on training • Membership information Participants should plan to wear suitable recreational /sports clothing and bring lots of water! For additional information on National Learn to Row Day and rowing in the Salt Lake City area contact Michael Spackman with Great Salt Lake Rowing (m.spackman@q.com 801.560.0915) or Glenn Eurick (OLDROWER@att.net 801.541.3577)

Seriously?
'National Learn to Row' Day? It gets it's own day?
Who decides what gets a whole day?
What do you give someone on 'National Learn to Row' Day?
A nice pair of oars? Maybe a flotation Device.
I want to know when it's going to be
'National Help Mindy Get Caught

Up On Her Laundry' Day.

That would be a good day.
Happy rowing.

Self-esteem, your table is ready.

So lately I've been feeling a little blah, blah, bleeh about myself.

My hair is giving me this "you're not the boss of me" attitude and I just can't regain control. Not that I'm not used to this. I get it every single day from Olivia. She recently perfected the "over the shoulder, eye-roll as she's walking away" look.


She's five. No kidding I did not prompt her. I simply asked her to clean her room while I was holding the camera and this is what she did.

Every day is pretty much a really bad hair day. Right around 4 months after I have a baby, my hair decides it no longer wants to be a part of my life and packs it's bags and storms off in a childish huff. It's an ugly break-up for everyone involved. It falls out by the handfuls and it causes me daily stress and anxiety.
But, as bad as I think it is, it is not this nightmare.







On top of that I just can't seem to shake the extra baby poundage. I know, I know...I can hear you saying it. "You've just had your 5th baby, relax, give it a minute, you'll lose it, don't worry." I know all that and it sounds good and all but in the back of my mind there is this annoying little creature running around saying things like "neener, neener..you'll never fit into that fav swim suit again" or the equally depressing, "hello, meet your new best friend, the swimsuit cover-up. You'll never go anywhere without her."




If only that little creature would run around in other people's minds as well.



I've also felt a teeny tiny bit...okay TOTALLY, COMPLETELY disorganized with my time. It's noon or later sometimes when I finally hop in the shower. And don't tell, but sometimes I jump in and *gasp* I don't wash my hair. And then there are days when I simply throw on some clean clothes and spray myself with Fabreeze and then avoid close proximity with anyone who smells like strawberries or coconut.

Still, I am not attracting insects who's sole purpose in life is to eat as much rotting matter as possible before they die.
You can go throw up now.......really...I'll wait.




And then there's the brain damage that has apparently occurred. I find myself having difficulty with the simplest of tasks. And it seems that recently they started introducing Rocket Science to 2nd graders and trying to pass it off as simple math. How dare they. And my memory..don't even get me started on that. Uhm...what were we just talking about? Hmm.
But at least I get to be stupid and forgetful in the privacy of my home in front of small children. This sad lady got to be stupid and do so for a much larger and harsher audience. Poor thing. I wonder how many times Regis asked her if that was her final answer.


For quite a while after I have a baby I feel like I look pretty Frumpy most of the time. I try my best but I just don't feel like the Fashion Diva I would like to be.
But then just when I'm afraid I've hit rock-bottom with the fashion sense and good taste......





Yep ladies. That's just what you think it is.
My question is this. SERIOUSLY???




So even though I'm feeling a little like a slug at the moment, at least I can be grateful there's not a snot-nosed 7 year old boy standing over me with a giant salt shaker.

Hope you feel good today.
Here's to common sense and good taste.

Has it already/only been 3 months?

Tyson is 3 months old. It's hard for me to believe that he has only been with us for three months because it feels like he has been part of our family forever. It totally amazes me how quickly, almost instantly these little people become essential to the happiness of a family.
I have met and loved so many people in my life and I am so grateful for the things they have taught me. I have such strong feelings of love for my parents and siblings.
I vividly remember falling in love with Greg. I knew he made me better. He has an amazing family and I realize how seriously lucky I am to have them.
It really was like meeting the other half of my family.
I felt complete.
And then I had Lindsay. I felt like life could not get better. Then I had Makenna and thought it was perfect. And then Olivia came and confirmed to me how lucky I was. And then came Ethan. Finally, a boy to compliment our little family and teach me a different kind of love. I thought my heart was full and felt it was time to call our family complete.
When we decided to have another one I was more than concerned that I would be a good mother to five children. I worried that I would have enough to give to another little pipsqueak.
A little piece of my soul tears at the thought of not having Tyson in my life and part of my heart. He has reconfirmed to me that we all have more love to give. Your heart does not lose love, you're just somehow given more love to give away. I can't explain it, I just know that my life has become like a roller-coaster that I cannot, nor do I want to get off of. What a thrill it is to be at the top of those high peaks when you feel the air of life rushing through your hair and you can't help but throw up your hands at the excitement of it all. That's what I try to remember when I'm in the "what's for lunch", "I peed my pants", "She's looking at me" straight parts of the ride. And I know a lot of us would trade those unexpected twists and turns to stand in a boring line where scary things don't happen. But just like we can't stop time, that line keeps moving us closer to the unknown of what's beyond that turnstile.
Luckily, I kept my hands and feet in the cart, even though I thought it was time to get off. I hate to think I would have missed out on that last little dip they throw in at the end of the ride.
Hold on Tight and have fun!