Graduation day...

What a wonderful day!  We celebrated Morgan graduating from high school.  Band has been a huge part of her life since 5th grade.  The Seniors always play a song with the band during commencement and then their final parade is Memorial Day (tomorrow).  It's sad to see her clarinet sitting alone on her chair.

Such a great group of young people the class of 2010 turned out to be...compassionate, entertaining, amazing. I hope to get to see where some of them end up.  Seems weird to watch them grow from pre-school and realize you may never see them again.

After graduation we enjoyed dinner w/ Nanna and PapPap at the Olive Garden, graduates choice.  Two more weeks until the graduation party...going to be a fabulous time!

Congratulation Morgan and the entire Class of 2010!

212°

No, I'm not complaining about the heat.

A small, red 5x5" book gave me the inspiration I need. Well, actually the words contained inside did!  It is time to make some big decisions and commit to them! I know what I want, what I need.  In this case they are one in the same.  I need to get, be and stay organized.  I need to continue building my clientele.  I need to lose weight. I want to spend more time with friends and family, craft and organize my recipes.

I remember as a young girl sitting at the top of a hill on a make-shift go-cart.  My Uncle coaxing me to "drive" down the hill. To help set the scene...I was probably 7 or 8 years old, we were in the "stripper cuts" (you know the land where they had stripped for coal) aka our playground, and the hill was probably 4 feet high.  I was terrified, but needed/wanted to go down that hill. I finally did! WOW, how exhilerating and empowering. 

I remember after I was pregnant with our daughter being terrified...wondering what I'd gotten myself into, would I be able to handle being a parent.  Now as my daughter is getting ready to graduate, I realize YES...I was/am a good parent.

So many things in my life have given me pause.  Fear, doubt, unknowing...all crippling emotions.  Now its time!  It's time to drive down that hill.  It's time to rid my world of the things weighing me down and holding me back.  It's time to spread my wings...and SOAR!!!

It's been a month...really?!

I knew it had been awhile since I posted...but I didn't realize it had been over a month.  Hopefully that will change very very soon!  I have been self-employed for several years now, as well as working anywhere from 24 - 30 hours at another person's company.  Well, this Thursday will be my last day working for someone else...woohoo!  I will be devoting 100% to MY world...my clients, children and home!  The long hours I have been working have had a poor affect on my family.  While they've been very supportive and haven't said much, after awhile it begins to show.  We have always been a tight family...dinner together most every night, hobbies together...just TOGETHER!  The last 2 years especially we've slowly lost all of that together time...well not anymore! 

So while I haven't been blogging...I've thought about blogging..LOL!  Below are pictures and stories to prove it :)  The last month has been very very busy, as the last month of school usually is. This time it's a little different, it's Morgan's last year of high school...as a matter of fact, Friday WAS her last day!  Jonathan has started to express an interest in baking, especially chocolate chip cookies. And thanks to The Recipe Society I now have a great recipe, no more of those flat ones produced with the "recipe on the bag".  He followed the recipe, mixed all the ingredients and baked them...with just a little help from Mom, someone had to taste test them :)  There's just something about fresh homemade cookies in the house that makes it feel like HOME!

Morgan's been so busy, too busy, Senior prom, projects, talent shows, parades, graduation practice...I could keep going...and did I mention she's also been working 3-4 days a week. The greatest hi-light was Mo's talent show, but to save space I'm going to refer you to my Mom's Blog because she did a great write-up on it...I'm sooo bad.  The band marched in the parade to kick off our street fair, Morgan is the field commander with the white bandana on...one more parade to go the she's done...sad :(

And to remind all of us that our house and home will not be neglected, we lost one of our 100 year old maples on the Saturday before Mother's Day.  Morgan learned how to drive the ole' Ford 8N, we spent 4 days turning that beautiful old tree into firewood and a bonfire...sad.

Last, but not least.  The school had it's annual Spring Arts Festival.  This is where the choir sings, the bands play and all the artwork the kids have made is displayed.  Both kids performed, first time on stage in the same night...and last :(  Jonathan made a pencil drawing of Frank's camaro launching off the starting line at QCR...it is amazing...my stick figures don't look that good.  More together time to come...I CAN'T WAIT!!