The Graduate

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2010 Hilltop YMCA graduating class of 2010!

A little Annoyed

So today there was FINALLY a break in the weather, it's been raining for a couple of days and we were more than ready to get out and enjoy the sun. After school the kids and I went up to upper Arlington to what Leah calls "The Fancy Park" known to the rest of the world as Fancy burg. It's a nice little park with fun playground equipment and we just discovered it a few weeks ago. So Alex decided that with all the trees and stuff it would be fun to play guns with some of the other little boys there. Leah went off and did her thing while Ethan followed Alex around trying to do what Alex did and "secure the fort".

Everything was going just fine and I'd started to zone out about when all of a sudden I hear a woman yell "OH MY GOD that boy has a gun"... well like everyone in the park I turned to see what she was talking about... she started pointing at Alex and said "who's child is this?"... and I mumbled "uh mine" ... she said "Do you know he has a gun?" .. I said " Yeah, he has a couple of toy guns here" and she said "You HAVE to take them away from him... it MUCH to dangerous... it'll scare all the other kids in the park... its just not safe to have weapons at the park" And I kinda sat there for a minute trying to process what was going on and wondering "is she serious?" AND THEN she stood there glaring at me until I hollered "Alex come here and bring your guns please... you didn't do anything wrong just get the guns from the other kids and come here.... he took the guns from 3 or 4 other kids who wall did the "ahhhhh man ... we were playing with them still"... I told him the guns were making some of the Mom nervous and that we need to find something else to play....

I still was trying to process everything when anther Mom walked up to me and said VERY LOUDLY...."That's a bunch of CRAP!!! I just burst out laughing!

I'm sorry but it ridiculous that our kids can't play make believe because ONE mom in the park is wound up a little TOO tightly and reads and believes all of the crap they write in Parent magazine. ALL of our kids are just moments away from dying because we microwave their mac and cheese, or in the blink of an eye a terrible disaster will strike at leave our son crippled for life or a certain kids eye make up will blind my daughter... it's stupid I'm sorry to say.

WHEN will we let our kids be kids again??? Instead of letting them explore their world and help them to appreciate things, we are teaching them to be scared and cynical. Yes bad things do happen EVERY DAY... and its heartbreaking..... but there are so many more wonderful things that happen that don't get nearly enough press or enough of our attention. We are gonna turn our kids into a bunch of wimpy nervous wrecks...... instead of adventurous happy people.

But the cherry on top of this story is about 5 minutes later The mom who had thrown the hissy fit, had her oldest boy handed her his Light saber and said "Mom I don't wanna play Kill 'em anymore" .... I picked up the guns and said "Here you go boys" and cheer rang out amongst the boys and the other mom left in a huff..... sorry lady... light sabers... guns... potato... potato.

Family Pictures

When Theo & I got married back in December I was trying to be frugal and have some friends take our pictures. They got some amazing pictures, but in the end I was sad that I didnt get a "great" picture of all 5 of us together... so I told Theo that when the weather got a little nicer and before the kids out grew their wedding clothes I really wanted us to get family pictures taken. I found this great photographer through my "morman network" and we had pictures taken back in April. They were so fun and we are definetly going to use her again! There are SOOO many great pictures that It's so hard to choose even just a few....

It was so fun to get dressed up again and these pictures remind me again that I'm so lucky to have such great kids and a wonderful "new" husband!

Who says you can't go home?

It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go

if it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road

Take it in, take it with you when you go

Who says you can't go home...

Good 'ol Bon Jovi sure can sing a tune. this one struck a cord with me the first time I heard it, and on my most recent visit to Illinois... I found the chorus repeating in my head...

I grew up in a little town in central Illinois called Lincoln... population 15,000... when I walked out the back door of the house I grew up in... I walked into a corn field. Growing up, I couldn't wait to get out of this little corn town. Everything about it was small and corny and I was MEANT for bigger and better things! I left town the day after I graduated High School and started my quest to see the world. I was young and stupid, but I had some grand adventures and lived in some amazing places. but every time I'd come home for a visit I'd have a pang of quilt for leaving it all behind. Now don't get me wrong I'm not packing up the house and scouting the town for a new house. But I realized that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. So there is only 1 movie theater, and The super Wal-mart is about all their is in way of shopping, for food or clothes, or that downtown consits of 1 square with the court house in the middle.

It's small, but the hearts of the people that live there are enormous!

I went home for a funeral and expected to see some "Old friends" but waiting in line for 2 1/2 hours at the visitation, took my breath away. I can't imagine how many people came to pay their respects, it had to be in the THOUSANDS....but everyone in town knew Michelle or someone in the family and wanted to give their love and support. It was just amazing and brought me to tears.

Then we went to a fundraiser for the grade school I went to, and was greeted by all my old grade school teachers and parents of my old classmates. I hadn't been in the door 5 minutes and I'd been hugged and gushed after...and I swear someone even pinched my cheeks... what an amazing feeling it was to walk in a room and have 30 people recognize you and to be glad to see you!

The weekend also allowed for some sibling bonding time, My sister and I had 6 hours there, and 6 hours back of interrupted sister time. We didn't turn the radio on ONCE the entire way there. On the way home we each took quick cat naps to make up from the lack of sleep we'd had the night before. We got to spend the night at my baby brothers bachelor pad, and I know he's my brother and I'm biased, but that boy is just amazing. He is so funny and quick witted, I just loved being around him. He was so excited to have us there and even more excited to play bartender and mix us up a drink called "The lunch box" I'm not sure I want to know exactly what's in it, but it was a tasty little drink even though we didn't "chug" it like we were suppose to!

But what I got from the quick trip there and back is that while I may never Live in Lincoln again, I'll always be a Lincoln Railer at heart. Part of Who I am today is because of where I grew up, because of the people that surrounded me and because of the lessons I learned in that corny little town

I can take THAT with me... wherever I am...

A life too short

Today was a beautiful day, The weather was gorgeous, I spent the day washing the teachers cars at Alex's school for Teacher Appreciation week. We washed 28 cars today and I was feeling worn out... but with that satisfied job well done king of feeling. I got the kids ready for bed and then came down to check my e-mail and facebook and discovered some very sad news.

My friend Michelle had lost her battle with ALS she was only 32 years old.

Michelle was also the sister of MY sister in law Traci. Our families were close and even though I haven't been close friends with Michelle, she was the kind of person that just meeting her, you liked her. I've loved and adored her family for years. Michelle and Traci's mom, Boo, sat next to my Step Mom's bed every afternoon for months while she was sick. They are the kind of people you are referring to when the saying "they are GOOD people"

I want to try and honor her memory, but I'm not sure how... She was such a sweet genuine person, she had a smile that would light up her whole face, and the cutest laugh! She was lucky enough to marry her high school sweet heart and they were blessed with two adorable kids Avery and Norah.

Awhile back my brother was able to do an article about her and her struggle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and when he asked her what was the hardest part of what she was going through and even though I can't remember her exact words, it was something to the effect " That when my daughter falls or gets hurt or is heart broken she doesn't even reach up to me to have me pick her up because she knows I cant pick her up... "

I think of how many times during the day my kids do that exact thing... they come to me with their arms reaching up to me and I am cringing now to think of how many times I'm annoyed by this. Michelle would love to have been able to do this simple task and she couldn't. So maybe that is the one way I can honor her..... and her life... to happily pick up my kids every time they ask, and even sometimes when they don't!

I am so thankful to have known Michelle and my heart feels so heavy to think of her husband Justin who lost the love of his life today, her kids who just didn't get enough time with her,.... Her mother that lost her baby girl, her sisters that lost their best friend,... I just can't imagine their pain... their loss.... I'm saying a prayer for them all and hope you will too!