Happy Birthday Morgan

My baby girl turned 17 today! And my Josie girl turned 12. It amazes me how fast time passes...especially when it's the good things your trying to savor. Morgan has always been my "buddy". From the time she was born we went everywhere and did everything together. Our favorite lunch was Chi Chi's...she loves their salads. Yes, a three year old who's favorite lunch was salad, still is.

She has experienced alot, too much if you ask me, at the tender age of 17. Somehow she has still managed to remain excited about the future, compassionate and tender hearted. This year is turning out to be one of the toughest so far...we are in a form of endurance. Our amazing friends and family are helping make the journey a little (a lot) easier to handle. While she certainly missed having her Nana and PapPap here tonight...the Mashburns helped ease the emptiness. When our two families are together we laugh 'til our tummies hurt. We ate waaayyy too much food...all Morgan's favorites..taco lasagna and double decker banana pudding. Then we watched Open Season. Quiet but very nice...exactly what Momo needed, to be surrounded by people who love her unconditionally.

What makes Mo's birthday even more special is our Josie shares the same birth date. She turned 12 today. She got a smokey bone and, of course, a rose from the cake. It's become a tradition that Morgan always shares a rose from the cake with her. Everyday we keep her in our family is an amazing gift. When Morgan comes down in the morning Josie gets sooo excited and starts talking (Morgan is the only one she talks for this early). So Mo takes the time to sit and share some loving hugs and tries to speak her language...not sure what she's saying but Josie seems to enjoy the conversation. Our home sure will be empty without her.

As much as I'm excited for Mo to get out of high school and move on to her next adventure...I'm dreading that day. Like the words from Billy Ray Cyrus, "..get ready, get set, don't go..." . I'm very blessed to have such a great relationship with my beautiful daughter. She has always related to adults better than other kids, not that she can't be kooky and crazy like her friends, just always seemed more comfortable hanging with the big people. I remember being that way when I was young too...maybe it's from being the oldest and/or only. I can't wait to see where life leads her. She has an amazing compassion for people. When she sees people with disabilities she doesn't look away or point and whisper, Mo wants to go meet them and be their friend. This past marching season she took a gal from the track who is wheel chair bound to a friday night football game. She was sooo amazing with her. Made sure she was warm enough, comfortable and had a great time. I see that same compassion toward animals and just people in general. And she's incredibly beautiful too. Not that false eyelash, heavy make-up, fake kinda beauty...the real deal. Smiling eyes. Lovely skin. And a personality that will win your heart.

I'd better stop...I'm starting to feel like one of those Mom's who has the pictures in her wallet that reach the floor and everyone avoids because "she's gonna brag on he kids again". But I am very proud of them! And I love them both very much. Thank you God for blessing me with them...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL(S)....LOVE MOM!!!

Welcome to the Jungle...

I remember when I first heard this song from Guns 'n Roses, I was glad to live in "quiet" Ohio far away from California and Vegas. While the jungle is how they referred to drug pushers, prostitutes, etc... I was recently smacked in the face with the reality that the jungle has spread!
What ever happened to being responsible for your actions? If you did a crime, you did the time. And more importantly, you learned from it and didn't do it again. It seems fairly simple to me. My kids have even managed to understand that...most of the time anyhow.

It used to be easy to tell who the bad guys were. They looked like bad guys. Not anymore! Now they could be a teacher, neighbor, relative...some of them even hide behind "the cloth". How do you trust anyone? How do you let your children out of your sight? I don't worry about what they'll do...I worry about what will be done to them. I was driving down the highway the other day and had to quickly move off the road to avoid someone driving up the middle of the road at a high rate of speed. Would my 16 year old have been watching her rear view mirror and seen them coming? If I have to hear of one more adult forcing themselves on a child I think I will scream. What is wrong with these people? We have a responsibility to protect our children, they are our future leaders and parents...they will repeat what they've learned. The same holds true for our elderly. How do people not only put their aging relatives in a less than stellar nursing home, but never go visit? And the aids...they treat these wonderful people horrible with no caring or feeling. These amazing people are the ones who helped form this nation and raise their families...don't they deserve to be treated with respect?

I know, I know...there are amazing nursing homes with caring staff, most of the teachers have their students best interest at heart and put in way to many hours without any additional pay and we are still living in the greatest country on earth. I just think we all have an obligation to step in and stop travesties that occur. Just think if each of us prevented one person from being abused, addicted to drugs, bullied, harrassed or swindled...what a different world we'd live in.

A tribute...

Morgan and I taught Sunday school this morning then took the opportunity for a mother/daughter lunch, at the request of my beautiful daughter. We went to a little mom/pop restaurant in town and enjoyed some really great conversation. Not about anything "big" just everyday stuff. One of the things that came up was a friend of hers whose family is planning on moving out of the state without regard to her desires to finish the rest of this year and her senior year in her present school. That led to a discussion of how too many parents live their lives without thought of how it may affect the rest of their family. And, how fortunate we are to have a close knit family.

On my way to work the other day my Grandma came to mind and what an inspiration she has been to me. I was fortunate enough to grow up on the same property as my Grandparents and benefit from their everday presence in my life. While I learned the usual things...how to weed, can vegetables, use elbow grease...she quietly taught me sooo much more. I like to call it quiet strength. She never openly complained. I have vivid memories of her trudging to the barn to feed animals in her house coat before getting ready for work. And she always looked perfect when she went out of the house. Elegant...always elegant, even going to the grocery store. Every saturday the house got cleaned, top to bottom. When her own Mother passed away I was 8 years old. Grandma Eva (an amazing woman in her own right) had lived in the house behind my Gram where we had lived for several years and I was sooo heart broken when she died. As I walked to the casket to say good-bye I began sobbing uncontrolably...my Grandma wrapped her arms around me and consolled ME...it was her Mom and she still had so much strength to calm me and surround me with her patient, loving, quiet strength.

Gram passed her many wisdoms to my own Mother who also taught me many selfless lessons. Mom possesses a strength I'm not sure she realizes. I'm proud to come from a long line of strong and loving women. My daughter is already showing her own strengths and compassion toward people. Grandma turned 79 this year. She is still working 2 jobs, playing cards with her siblings and singing in the church choir.

A new experience...

Last night our Marching band was invited to the chevy centre to perform during the minor league hockey game. Morgan is in the front row, second from the left with the dark jeans on. They had their own section and were featured three times during the evening. Once during the local news and between two different periods of the game. They showed them on the jumbo trons and had the spot lights on them...pretty neat for them. Especially since we aren't a big school...Mo's graduating class is something like 65 kids.

While I'm not a fan of hockey...I think it's just an excuse for boys to be boys, we had a good time. Actually the opponents (Motorcity Machines) goaly was sooo much fun to watch. He was very limber and had warm up routines that made him look like a frog...but I think he enjoyed playing to the fans. I think it's a guy thing. He actually ended up winning the game for the team. They were tied even after overtime and they had a "shootout" (I think that's what it was called). This is were one player from the opposing team tries to get a goal...they go back and forth one on one 5 times. Whoever has the most goals after 5 tries by each team wins. The machines won!

I have been a "Band Mom" for 6 years now and I really love it. The other Moms on our board of boosters are wonderful. We laugh and usually get into more trouble than the kids:) That's probably because our band kids are so well behaved we get bored! We have the most amazing, thoughtful and well behaved kids ever...no really...we do!!

Sun...where's the sun?

I haven't felt very inspired lately. Guess that's why I haven't posted. Life has been very very busy! I'm sooo ready for spring. The warmth of the sun coming in the window, the crocus's peaking up from their wintry home and the wonderful sound of the birds letting us know spring is finally here. I looked this pic up on-line. Can't you just imagine walking down this lane with only a sweater on...no gloves, no hat and no scarves!

I don't want to overlook the blessings we've received. My step-dad has finally tested negative for cancer...first time in a year. We are surrounded by amazing friends! The kind you can lean on and they are happy to hold you up. My Josie is still hanging in there.

This past wednesday was a horrible day. After work I stopped to fill the oil candles at church. When I was finished I knelt at the alter and prayed. He answered my prayers that night in the form of a phone call to my kids from Michael Stanley and an evening with friends whom I love dearly. A day that had started sooo bad ended sooo good.

Tonight Morgan's school band will play down at the Chevy Centre in Youngstown for the phantoms hockey game...and I am a chaperones. Therefore...I'd better get going.

I saw God today...

While I was on my way to work I noticed this unusual and spectacular sunrise. The picture doesn't capture what I saw. I have never seen a sunrise where the sun shown like a beam straight to the heavens. I reminded me of the spot-lights that used to circle at the drive-in theater's.

I have always been a christian, but have begun studying the bible more and understanding exactly what it means to be a christian. I pray...alot. My family are motorsports fans, mostly Nascar and NHRA drag racing. I was in awe of John Medlen when his son Eric was killed in an on track accident. He was so strong and he credited his faith and the Holy Spirit for his ability to come to terms with his sons death. That was when I decided to "learn" more about what being a Christian really means.

When I saw this sunrise I wondered what the message was. We all pray for things we want, money, healing, families of tragedies, etc... I have been praying for several things, but I've been praying the hardest for my Mom and step-dad. Mark (my step-dad) has Hodgkins disease and it has been very stubborn and not wanting to release it's grip on him. He is an amazingly strong willed, unselfish man who I admire very much! And of course, my Mom is amazing too. They have faced this demon together with great tinacity and grit. Well today, we got some good news...finally. Mark is in remission!!! And while this is just the beginning of another journey...it's the journey he's been trying to get to. He will now have to undergo stem cell transplant (his own...no baby umbilical cords) to stay in remission and kick this horrible disease. I am looking forward to Mark seeing Morgan (and Jonathan) graduate from high school, get married and have families of their own...after all isn't that what Pap Pap's are supposed to do?!

I will continue to pray because God works miracles everyday...if you just believe!

Nothing profound....

The winter blah's have officially set in! The economy sucks, my waistline is growing and my co-worker is an idiot!!! It's cold in the house, the closests need cleaned out (oops I meant clothes presses) and the twice daily walk to the barn is like an olympic event. On Sunday it was over 40 degrees, and sunny. I think that must have something to do with it...suddenly 20 feels downright cold again.

Aahh, I feel better after that little rant. I try not to be a negative person. I've been wanting to update my blog, but there wasn't anything "newsworthy" going on. Jonathan had taken my camera to grab a few shots of winter the other day and I'd actually forgotten. He never disappoints with the camera I assure you.

My kids are as different as the sun and the moon, except for their looks. They could never deny being kin, no matter how much they would like to. Jonathan has always been a challenge. From the first year when he refused to drink milk/formula, sleep through the night or ride in the car without screaming (and I mean scream). Through today always wanting to do things Jon's way, not reading all of the directions and always having to pick up the ducks, even when we tell him not to. (poor little creatures must have a mini heart attack everytime they see him coming. That being said, my son is also extremely compassionate and passionate. He loves animals especially puppies and kitties. He loves making people laugh, play games and cuddle in my "love chair". No it's not what you think...that's a hybrid version of a chair and love seat. [dirty minded people :)]

Looking at J's pictures I can get a glimpse of how he sees the world, and what matters to him. I once heard that the traits in our children that make us crazy when they're young are their strongest attributes when they reach adulthood. If that's true, my little boy will grow into a man with loads of love he's not afraid to share, a passion to preserve our earth in all her glory and a competitive drive to send him to the top of whatever ladder he decides to climb.

I hope you enjoy his pictures. As you can tell, blogging is very therapeutic for me...no more need to vent now. God Bless you all...I hope you have peace!

P.S. Don't think I forgot about my beautiful daughter (MoMo, as we like to call her)...I'll tell you all about her too, in a soon to come post.