First Day with a Teenager

I am now officially the mom of a teenager! It is just amazing how time flies by... Thirteen years ago today I was laying in a hospital bed, only 21 yrs old, and just glimpsing how much love I had for the little baby in my arms... Now, well now, there are 10 seventh grade boys, who found the old boxing gloves in our basement and think it's fun to videotape boxing (no head shots..) matches on their phones. What happened to that sweet little baby of mine?

New Blogs

There are a couple new blogs in my blog list, one from an old friend - 5 Good Griefs - who decided to give the blogging world a try. The other, my husband's football team - HYAA 7th Grade Gold team. If you are interested in all in sports photos, scores and updates check it out!!

Early Morning Run

It's always a big step for me to actually get up and around and out for a run in the morning, it's so much easier to crawl back in bed and get up at 8, just in time to log into work... But, I got up this morning, did dishes, got kids on the bus, then changed and headed over to the workout room for some weights and toning, and then a nice, hilly 2 mile run. And I feel great, inspite of the sore knees....

Now, I just need to store this feeling for the next time when I would rather just go back to bed...

Late Nights and Busy Days

Finally getting back into the groove of school days, work, and football practices, and then reading/doing homework at night, catching up on housework and laundry whenever time allows. I managed to get through sorting 2,472 tubs of cookie dough last week as part of our HYAA fundraiser. I spent plenty of hours counting, tallying and recounting order forms in the couple weeks before, and then last weeks biggest job was getting them sorted and handed out. Thankfully, we have lots of helpful team moms who pitched in and we managed to get it done!

So now, as the clock runs closer and closer to 10pm... I realized that not only do I still have laundry to do, but homework to finish reading, dishes to do, and thank goodness I still have 1/2 a pot of coffee freshly brewed after dinner (which these days is usually after 8pm). So I will go pour one more cup of coffee, throw in the laundry and crack open the books, as I have 2 good hours left in me, could be later, but that 6 am wake up call comes all too early!

Crazy Days Ahead...

The day is finally here! My "brother" from New Mexico and his sweet wife will be here this afternoon, and my sister from Arizona flies in late tonight, and then two days and my parents will have the last of their 5 kids married and on his own! My baby brother, 11 years younger and who will always be a "baby" in my book, is getting married. I'm so glad that it is a happy occasion that is bringing the family home for this short visit.

I am taking this morning to sit here, enjoy the quiet of the morning with my cup of coffee before the craziness begins. I have tux fitting to do this afternoon for my youngest who is the ring bearer, a few football errands, and then dinner at my parents with my brother/his wife when the arrive. Then tomorrow morning crazy will really arrive with my sister and her family. Her three kids, my three kids, and my other sister's two kids are already planning the "who is sleeping where..." slumber parties, and somehow I always end up with the boys, who are the majority of this group. So I can plan on tomorrow night after rehearsal, having 5 boys playing (most likely with nerf dart guns) in my house, while my sister will get the three pre-teen girls who will most likely be quietly giggling and locked in her daughter's bedroom. Somehow, I feel like I might be getting the short end of this stick, but I love it nonetheless. Not sure life would seem normal if there was no crazy.

I know that I need to get up and start cleaning, get another cup of coffee, do laundry, etc... but for now, I am enjoying sitting here, soaking in the peacefulness of the morning, and just reflecting and preparing for the chaotic days ahead! Tomorrow will be filled with all the visiting with family, getting ready for rehearsal and then rehearsal dinner, more family fun, Wedding on Saturday, etc.... Ahhh. I can't wait!

To Jessi...

Jessi,

I turned around the other day and you were just a room away,
content to sit on the floor and play, toys strewn all about you.

Yesterday, I turned again, and on the floor were you and your friend,
laughing and chatting on the cell with friends, no longer my little girl.

Today I glimpsed the turning tide, when I saw you in the mirror,
but it was a reflection of me, not a girl, but a young woman was there.

Tomorrow I know I'll look again, and see you moving on,
a boyfriend, a car, then college, a woman living life and making it her own.

Somewhere down the road I know, you'll be a wife and mom,
until then, I'll treasure every moment spent, with you my little girl.

~ V. Slaughter ~

A Lifesaver

This past weekend was a scary weekend here at our house. It was one of those fun, friend filled summer days that could have been an absolute nightmare. My two oldest kids had friends over for the night, and when they all got up in the morning they wanted to head out to the swing. The swing is one my dad made out of that super thick rope that he tied to a maple branch about 50 feet high. Then he set up some scaffolding so the kids could jump and swing super high... I know, it does sound dangerous, but they are really only jumping from like 4ft off the ground and they are swinging. They've been doing this for months and no injuries.

Then on Saturday morning, my daughter's friend was out there with her hoodie on, since it is a bit chilly here in Michigan in August. She swung at just the right height, the right angle, and somehow caught her hoodie on a hook that was there to hook the rope to so the kids could reach it once they climbed up. The sweatshirt around her neck instantly cut off her airway and she couldn't even call for help.

I am so thankful that I have a daughter that was a quick enough thinker, she stood underneath her friend and pushed up onto her tiptoes so that her head pushed up into her friend, and took some of the pressure off her throat. And, then my daughter screamed her head off for someone to come unhook her friend. There was a burn around her friends' neck, and I cannot stop counting all the little what if's... I've wanted to cry just thinking about all the times one of the kids was out there alone, or if my daughter had ran for help instead of doing what she did, what if my daughter wasn't tall enough to push her up, if my dad had put the hook just 2 inches higher and she couldn't have saved her... What if what if ... I've been trying to not think about them, they just keep popping up into my head though.

Freak accidents happen everyday. Our town seems to have been plagued by them the last three years, right around this time. The one year a child from my kids' school strangled to death in the blankets of his bunk bed, the following year a middle school kid from our school shot one of his friends accidentally, and last year a student from our school was playing with a blood pressure cuff around his neck and died. Not too long ago, a very young child from town had a tree fall on him when his dad was cutting wood. All of these kids were from our school, and a lot of the stuff happened right before school was supposed to start. And, I keep thinking that maybe she was the "accident" that was next in line, and somehow, my daughter and the grace of God changed this horrid string of events. Not that it doesn't all happen for a reason. I believe it does. I believe that God will work some good out of every tragedy.

The last few days I've been praying to figure out why it is that this would happen. I know she survived, Thank God, and I know that we have all learned from this, and the hook has been removed. But will the girls be emotionally scarred? Will her parents trust us to let her come back? I'm not usually a person that worries too much, but I've been a mess. The girls seem fine. My daughter's friend calls my daughter "Lifesaver" now, and she means every bit of it. My daughter shrugs it off like she didn't do anything. The mark on her friend's neck is fading, but still sore, and yet I'm still here wondering what the good will be, what the higher meaning and purpose of it all was for. I know that I may never know that answer, but I just keep praying that His purpose is served in this incident. Somehow and someway... But for now, I'll treasure every minute with my children and their friends, with the full knowledge that we do not know what tomorrow will bring.

And even if my daughter doesn't acknowledge it, her friend and her friend's family have expressed their gratefulness for her saving something they could have never gotten back. And I will be forever proud of her for thinking fast in doing what was right. Some of us never get a chance to prove what we really have inside of us, but I think both girls did that day.

Job Hunting

Well I still have my current job for about another 10 months or so, but I figured I should probably get a head start on the 'job hunting' since the economy here in Michigan is still so horrid. However, there are a few things that I have found while searching on monster.com, indeed.com, careerbuilder.com, mlive.com, etc... While there isn't much out there in the claims world to go with what I have been doing for the last 7 years, what is out there isn't very close by, and nothing compares to this wonderful job that I have had for the last couple years.

I have to say it really stinks thinking about having to go back to the office and working that dreaded 9 - 5 type hours. I love the flexibility of working from home on my own hours. As long as the work is done, the phone is answered, and the claims are handled, no one is looking over my shoulders saying "your lunch was 5 minutes too long," but of course looking the other way when we are pounding out some over time at 10pm...

So then, I thought maybe I should just look for "something else." I initially went to school to be a teacher, and then when I found out that probably wasn't for me, I switched to an English major and Journalism minor. However, even with a piece of paper in my hand, come next June finally that Bachelor's degree will be mine... all the options out there still want 5+ years of experience. So switching careers appears to be an option that won't be easy to come by until I find some entry level opening at the bottom of the door.

And then there is finding something with meaning... I would love to just switch completely and find a non-profit group, church, anything... that has actual values and morals to focus on and work for them, but still get paid an amount that we can afford to live on. Or writing, I definitely need a little brush up on some skills, but I did check out a couple of freelance sites. But that means putting the time in now, while still trying to do my job and going to school. I feel like just sending out an ad that says:

"Wanted: full time, paying job, that allows a complete work-life balance by working at home yet being in the office when needed; a job that provides an atmosphere of Christianity and morals that increase my desire to grow and develop as an employee and person; an employer that wants a highly motivated, creative and energetic employee that loves to help others, be involved in the community and has a job opening that supports all of the above; a position that would support my individual growth and support trying new venues; and an employer who will give a free caffeine boost as needed to keep the juices flowing and moral high."

{{SIGH}}

I know that there is probably no hope for the above to attract an offer, but since my sprint tri didn't set any land/sea records and I don't think I have any hopes of becoming a professional triathlete anytime soon, I might as well give it a shot, no?

It all comes down to the fact that, "when God closes the door, He opens a window" so now, I am just looking, waiting, and watching for which window it will be that He opens for me. I also know that I need to just sit back, and pray, and leave it all in His hands, which is always harder to do than it is to say I need to do it. Alas, I am trying... but still fervently watching the windows waiting for just a crack to bolt through.

45 Life Lessons

I've had this email forwarded to me a few different times. I guess this last time I had time to really read it rather than just skim through it. Some of these are so basic and simple but so very true... I had to repost it just because I liked it so much.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Two Days..

Only two days to go until we try doing our first sprint triathlon. We had an easy workout this morning, just 5 miles on the bike and a 2 mile run. Jenny is going to leave me in the dust on the run portion of it as she is all about running the 5k in 24 minutes (she can actually run it in like 20 or 21 but she's giving herself a few minutes since she'll be doing this in the third leg of the tri). Me, on the other hand, not being a runner until this year, will be glad to finish the 5K in under 30 minutes and am hoping for 28 minutes. We'll see... I'm now thinking, with two days to go, that I should have sucked it up and bought a new bike. I've been borrowing my moms or my nephews as I don't even own a bike. But I didn't want to put the money in until I new if I would even be able to drag myself across the finish line, since they are anything but cheap. Now, I wish I would have just to save me a little energy on the bike portion.

Oh well, to late to think about that now. I just have to make it through the seaweed and follow my sister across the finish line... Then, it's on to Summerfest where, gasp, I might actually attempt the 10k...