Sweet Sixteen

Oh to be 16 again! Paul and I always say- "God if we only had our 38 year old brain when we were 16" Can you imagine all you could have accomplished? All you could avoid? Yet on the other hand I guess that is not what a 16 year old is supposed to be! To be sixteen is to see the world as a big playground, where things come pretty easy, not many worries, your whole future ahead of you, and so much time to do it all! It's about feeling cool at times, playing your music loud, your 1st taste of freedom! "Driving!" Showing off, feeling pretty, laughing, learning, growing and becoming who you are. You begin to know some of your strengths and weaknesses, what kind of friends you want, your style, and at the same time still feel so young and insignificant!
Well we now have a beautiful 16 year old! Aubrey turned 16 on Sunday May 25th . We hosted a big bash and it was a success! About 25 kids and 10 adults. They swam, used the canoe and rafts in the lake behind our house, they went on our "homemade" slip and slide. It was a wonderful party with a lot of laughs and fun. A melting pot of new friends, old friends and family! I wanted it to be a party to celebrate her last taste of childhood and I think I was successful!
Aubrey has grown into a beautiful young woman with a beautiful heart. God has blessed me over and over for each day I have been her mom. My hopes for her future are that she is first and foremost happy! Happy from the depths of her soul. I pray she will always be healthy, that she will be fulfilled in her adult career, she will have passion, never lose her sense of humor (hopefully get a lot more), that she will find her hidden talents, she will treasure tiny miracles, that she will always have an adventurous side, she will always believe in herself, that she will love and be loved, love and be loved some more...I want all God has in-store for her and for her to always follow his path.
I love you Aubrey and am so proud to me your mom.

Muddy Buddy 2008!

Before The Mud! After The Mud!

My Muddy Husband- Paul & Me!



So we did "Muddy Buddy" again this year! It was fun! Exhausting...Hot and Muggy!

Thank God Paul knows me so well...he let me do most of the biking so I could stay up with him- (well sortof! ) One person must bike and one must run the 6.2 mile course. You can alternate throughout at anytime. You go through swamps- lots of mud- high weeds- ditches- You have to carry eachother piggy back- a tire obstacle- a belly crawl through a mud pit- down a slip and slide... It's a blast, I especially enjoyed dressing for it! Play clothes! Makes you feel like a little kid. It's great cuz it's one of those races that if you are the winner- you didn't have any fun or laughs! We definitely were not the winners- and we had a lot of laughs!

Another Week! Where is the time going?

So where have I been? What have I been doing?

*Last saturday we went to see "Made of Honor" it was really cute. Paul, Hayden and I went for pizza first and then next door to Hollywood 20.

* Sunday we went to church, the kids both performed in the Youth Band! It was awesome- so proud of the young people they are becoming.

*Monday- I can hardly rememeber monday! Was I even here? (I'm losin it!) I rememeber Aubrey and I took Hayden to piano lessons at 7:00 p.m. and we stopped to visit Ericka. Chit chatted with Bron and her.

* Tuesday- Worked...Hayden had his MMS Spring Band Concert on Tuesday Night. He did great as usual!

*Wednesday- Worked with Paul! It is hot and muggy...then did taxi service for the kiddos to Youth Group.

*Thursday- Okay I'm remembering more...I worked in the office, did laundry, found a pre-calc tutor for Aubrey, painted Aubrey's bathroom, we're re-decorating it for her final highschool years. Went to Bed Bath and Beyond- new items for new bath! Beach Bazzaar on Siesta to buy starfish. (Part of the new decor!) Planned in my mind all things to do for her party on Sunday! Sweet 16! I cannot believe it. I can remember everything about the day she was born. I can smell her newborn smell and can rememeber looking in her little newborn eyes. My God it seems like yesterday! So anyhow we went to bed and I could not sleep. Not a normal problem for me- so I tossed and turned- planned all I need to do for the party- gift etc. Finally got up- turned on the T.V. ate an orange and a miracle happened! Ha! Planet of the Apes was just starting at 1:50 a.m. I love Planet of the Apes- as corny as it may sound it brings back great memories for me as a child. It is the last show I can remember watching when my parents were still married and living together. (I was in 1st grade!) Then in Middle School our auditorium would play it during lunch so we could watch it instead of being in the lunch room. That was some great times, it was like going to the movies everyday with friends. So anyhow I could only watch 1 hour of it and told myself to go back to bed. (I taped it though)

*Friday- Difficult waking up. Not used to those late nights. Now here I set getting preparred for my errand day. Order cake- shopping- cleaning- all preparation for my baby girls 16th birthday. I want it to be perfect. I remember my 16th birthday- I was approaching the 1 year anniversary of my Dad's death- it was a sad time. The future I had invisioned- was washed away. I was still lost. I was angry, lonely, feeling sorry for myself. My dad had promised me a car! He was gone now! No car and worse no dad...I felt upside down- my life as I had always know had changed. I was different. I wonder what my day would have been like if he had not been killed? ANYWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY...Aubrey, it is her day...The day she has been counting down...........and We plan to make it special. I am so happy God has given me her and I am so happy that Paul and I have always tried to make her life as special as possible. You only have 1. She will only turn 16 once! God Keep Your Blessings on her- she Loves You!

TGIF

This week has zoomed by! We started lifting weights at the Y this week and I'm feelin strong! I'm really liking it. I have such a staring problem at the gym though. I can't help it. (Poor Paul- he has a nosey wife) Not in a critical way , but I just notice everyone. I watch their techniques- I love the little old men! They are adorable. Givin it their all... Talking about there hip replacements / bum knees, etc... but still trying to stay in shape and keep living. They inspire me!
It is a scorcher out so after work we're heading to the beach for an ocean swim. Haven't ocean swam since St. Anthony's...so it's about time.
Have a great weekend!

Is Mother's Day Over? I Love Being A Mother...

Everyday is Mother's Day! Mine started out with my awesome husband trying to celebrate it on the saturday before...why not a weekend celebration he said! We had watched the Travel Channel and saw the top 10 beaches in Florida. So we went on a crazy adventure to Sanibel Island on saturday (Sanibel was #8 on the list). Not sure what the attraction to that place is? I guess if I lived in a dark, cold hole in the middle of nowhere I may have enjoyed it. $6.00 to get over the bridge to an island covered with houses that no one lives in- and $2.00 a 1/2 hour to park and look at beach that isn't half as nice as ours in Sarasota. It was pretty but not worth the 3 hour drive - actually pretty boring place. We laughed and had nice conversation to make the best of it. So we then tried to make it to the Land of the Living...Fort Myers for lunch. Tried a new place- it was lousy too- So at this point just Laugh! 8 hours later we are on our way home- hungry... and tired of car riding. The kids arguing in the back and my mom trying to seperate them kept it real! Finally home...kid's went Long Boarding (skateboarding) ... w/ Aubrey's friend...she drives... I was told they were going to differnent location than I found out they were at... The Ringling Bridge- big high bridge... my children skateboarded down it with no pads or helmets- Hayden and " the friend" fell... Finally home to show us the damage- I was p---ed to say the least. They were very lucky! God was watching over them- "Thanks God" 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning Hayden wakes me up crying by the side of my bed. He was in severe pain from his fall. I doctored him, kissed him, loved him and yelled at him and Aubrey for the pour decision they had made.

Sunday- Mother's Day... Off to church- Thanks again God- The service was beatiful. Then off to lunch with Bron, Cory, Reagan and my mom. Another Car Ride- They all wanted P.F. Changs. So off to Tampa-

It went well great food, fun laughs, fussy baby, bossy waitress...Life! Then off to Krispy Kream Donuts for a dessert- they were out of the one I like... (Go figure) Haven't had one in a year decide to on Mother's Day- nope! But.....the really nice lady went to the back (for a long time) (thought she went home) and surprised me with one! Thank's Lady! Ironically- Krispy Kreme inside was a very fun time! We had a blast! Went home- napped...aah needed that after all my car riding... spent the evening with my children and husband...Life! Life is Good! My Mother's Day weekend was the true Motherhood Weekend! A smorgsasboard if- you -will -of all motherhood holds: Family time/ Togetherness, Laughter, Disappointment, Fatigue, Frustration, Relief, Joy, Thankfulness, Understanding, Forgiveness, Small Blessings, Big Blessings, Smiles, Frowns, Appreciation, Hungry Belly's, Full Belly's , Pain. Nurturing, Excitement, Boredom and I saved the best for last...Love! Unconditional True , Pure Love! Thanks family - I love you!

Ask Yourself Whether You Are Happy and you Cease To Be So

I've noticed that in the last months of us being bombarded with Political Combat, and Economic Shambles that it's really hard to be happy. I always try to stay happy... see the best in every situation. Go with the flow.............. but the world's tone seems to be one of distraught hopelessness. So I asked myself, "What has changed personally in my life?" Really nothing! We don't make as much money as we used too... but in everyting else it's the same. God is faithful, My family is healthy, my marriage is great, my children are growing more beautiful everyday and I have awesome friends and family. So I have decided to turn off the radio (talk radio is my downfall) and go back to La La Land. That is where I am happy! I cannot change the world- I cannot change the economy- I cannot choose the next President- I can't change everyone's negative attitudes- I can only change me... So I am going back to being simple. If I can't talk politics, "Big Deal" - If my mortgage is a few days late- "Big Deal"- If I miss a day of exercise to play with my kids- "Big Deal"- If the floors don't get mopped today- "Big Deal" I am going to live like I used to. Day By Day...Adventure By Adventure... Happily Ever After!

Want To Be Liked? Lift People's Spirits!

Seem's like everyone is wanting to bring everyone down lately! I know I am sometimes guilty of it. The radio- T.V. and local papers are full of nothing but negative crap. It's so easy to get caught up in it. It can drown you. So last week I told myself to crawl out of that pool and live! Live happily- I completed my first Olympic Distance Tri. (St. Anthony's) Paul, Aubrey my niece Bree and Brooke were in it too. That was an experience I will never forget. Granted I may have been the slowest but I ran in their footsteps and it was incredible! I learned so much in the course of my training. Bree I will never be able to thank enough for my training schedule. My family was a huge ball of encouragement and I love them even more for that. They believed in me when I had doubts.
Lift people's spirit. Give them a little extra inspiration. Help build up their strength. They will like you for it. You'll have a warm place in their hearts for always.