How will your kids remember you?

Sitting at soccer with the boys today they said we need coaches all you have to do is 1. Love God 2. Love Kids do you know anyone like that? Rob and Logan both put there hands up and said "Our Mom loves God and Loves Kids". NO I am not coaching soccer. But I am glad my kids know that I do love God and love kids. The last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about how my kids will see me apart from them. Phil bought me a plane ticket to go see the girls in Kentucky. Logan did not want me to go but Phil told him we have to share our Mom. Those girls love her too. It is funny the minute you become a Mom they have no memory of who you were before. I love that I am able to be apart from them but I am even more glad that I get to be defined as there Mom who loves God and Kids.

The stuff love stories are made of.....

From the outside eye my marriage is anything but typical. In fact if you have spent anytime with Phil and I you know that we have very nontraditional roles. Phil and I can be kinda low maintenance. Phil hates Valentines Day he thinks the card company made it up to make guys buy presents. I wanted to go out for Valentines Day. I got a babysitter and I wanted to do something. So Phil being a great husband made a plan. But if you have spent anytime with us you know out plans do not always come through. Last night around 1:30 he woke me up and said Logan is sick. What he should of said was Logan has managed to leave a trail from his bed, down the hall to the bathroom....gross. So I got up again if you know me you know I hate mornings and being woken up. I started to clean up the floor. I realized we had no carpet cleaner. I looked in the bathroom and Phil had Logan in the bathtub and I decided I would go back to sleep. Honestly why should two people be awake???? Eight hours later I woke up Phil was on the couch sleeping with Logan, all the sickness was cleaned up like nothing had even happened.( which means at some point in the middle of the night he had went to Walgreen's to get floor cleaner) I realized that was the best present in fact If I wrote sappy love stories this would be a best seller. There are times in life when someone beside you to take care of the kids and gross floor so you can sleep is the definition of true love. I am not sure it gets any better than this. I can not imagine any one I would rather do this thing called life with...

Baby just look at us all this time and we're still in love
Something like this just don't exist
Between a backwoods boy and a fairy tale princess
People said it would never work out
Living our dreams has shattered all doubts
It feels good to prove 'em wrong
Living our love song

Out of the mouth of babes...

Today I overheard Logan say this. " I have a great life." and that my friends about sums it up.

A MI that looks like me.....

I love the NIKE plus running system sometimes it seems I work for NIKE or get some kind of paid endorsement I talk about it so much. It motivates me. I am in a running group of people I never have met who do 100 miles a month and it keeps me going every month to keep up with these people. I never want to come in last. While uploading a few days ago I found where you could make a MI that looks like you. So.. here is mine.

whatever works. This is what works for me.

Home

Its comforting yet unsettling to me that the most at home I have felt in years came this past week at a IMO's. My dad took my sister and brother and our families out to dinner and just for a minute I looked up and thought wow this is it. It felt familiar and comforting and like Home. One of the things I have missed the most about my parents divorcing is not being to get that feeling back. But there at Imo's eating pizza listening to all my familes voices around me I was home. Just like that and then it was gone.

What Christmas looks like from my view....

We had an amazing Christmas. It was filled with family, a lot of laughter, food and some presents too. I am blessed I could not ask for a better Christmas or family.

17 days and counting

Anyone who has ever asked me the age old question don't you want more kids gets this response. "I love the age Rob and Logan are now why would I go back?" This season is no exception they are so excited for Christmas. We have had so much fun getting ready. I being such a country girl introduced my city living husband to the Christmas tree farm this year. A decision I now regret since we took home two trees, an additional one for the boys room. And awoke some crazy tree craze in Phil who has to this date put up six Christmas trees in our home. I regret waking that sleeping bear. For all of you laughing feel free to show up at my house after Christmas to help take them down. Anyway.. nothing can compare to hearing Logan sing Christmas carols adding his own words to what he doesnt know. Listening to him and Rob discuss if every Santa we see is the real Santa or a helper.. or seeing the Veggie Tale Manager riding along on the Christmas train. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Giving Thanks for Turkeys..

Not to disappoint the loyal fans who are anxiously awaiting pictures from today.. Here they are pictures of the turkey trot(yes Karla those are the shirts I made even Dan Dan the tan pants man has one)....I have so much to be thankful for my family, my husband being able to walk around the track this year.(ten years ago yesterday he asked me to marry him :) My friends: who has college friends show up year after year for Thanksgiving just to run the turkey trot... This time last year things were so uncertain. I am so thankful and truly know how blessed I am. Happy Thanksgiving.
** Official race results... Logan won for the first year with a time of 11.05/mile**

More than politics..

I know what you are thinking another attempt to change your mind but this is different. I am different from so many of you because of the family I am in. I view voting as a personal decision, and this is mine.
Today in the car on the way home I asked the boys why they want to vote for Barack. They said because he will improve schools and give to the poor ( they don't see this as a bad thing). I wanted to say this. I am voting for Barack Obama because he is a Christian and that comes first to me. I am not going to debate platforms and all that is not what this is about. I am voting for him because for all the times that someone has said to me " I didn't know your husband was black" or my favorite " Your husband isn't really black you know?" or don't forget "Your husband doesn't sound black" I usually don't talk about these things but they are there. I am hoping if Barack is president that maybe we will no longer be intimidated by someone different than us. I am voting for Barack because of the words my Mom said to me when we first talked about me dating Phil. "well its ok for you but what about your kids which race will they identify with?" My answer now would be how about the human race? I asked Rob do kids ask you why your Mom is white and your dad is black? He said why would they Mom?. I am voting for Barack for Phil's Mom who would not get behind Barack for so long because she still knows the trials and troubles that her race has gone through. What we know as history she knows as her life. The women who had never from day one treated me like a white women but as her daughter. When you ask her about the election she still cant believe she has lived to see these times. She cant believe her grand kids are growing up in a world where a Black man could run and did run for the President of the United States. Which brings us full circle. I am voting for Barack for my two boys. If Barack is elected president on Tuesday no one will ever be able to tell them again they cant be whoever or do whatever they want. Regardless of what happens Tuesday I am hoping things will change for them. That is what I wanted to say and someday when they are old enough to understand I will.

September 14, 2008 My first half marathon

I did it. My friend Kristine and I completed our first half marathon. It was the longest wetest race I have ever did. Thanks to Ike it rained here all day with winds up to 40mph but the race went on. Thank God I put all vaniety behind me and decided to wear a poncho. Other people were wearing trash bags. When we were waiting for it to start I tried to get Kristine to quit. It was so miserable in the rain and cold. You couldnt look up cause it was raining so hard. She said we didnt come this far to quit. Once we got moving it was fun. My ponch ripped half way through so I picked one up off the ground someone else had thrown off. ( again I have no pride) What made me the most proud is when we got to the finish line there were only about 6 families there and there was mine in rain coats and long pants cheering me on....Logan yelled Mom you look like a banana.( the poncho I borrowed was yellow) And just like that is was over I am not sure when my shoes will dry out. I hope soon so I can get training for the marathon we signed up for next month.

What will there memories be of.

Sometimes I think about what Rob and Logan will remember about growing up. I think of all the silly things we do and think of what will define there memories of our family. Will it be bowling in the living room, the hours we spend reading books, the walks we take the lazy Sunday we spend at the park. I know I try everyday to be the Mom that I want to be. I try to keep the big stuff from them cause they are kids. Often Logan says when I have a wife I am going to do...it is often various things. Today it was when I have a wife I am going to tell her she is beautiful and take her out on dates. I asked where he was gona take her and he said to ride horses. Ok.... Today we were driving around singing in the car and they were so happy. I wonder if they will remember. I remember that kind of stuff I remember my Mom wouldn't sing and my dad would whistle off tune.. I hope they remember that its the simple stuff that matters. I am guilty of saying every stage of there lives I love the most. I love where they are in life. The innocence the way they do love everything. I am so lucky to have the life I have.

Not bad for a me.....

The 1st day of the rest of his life.

Logans 1st day of kindergarten today. Logan is so different from Rob. At times I am not even sure he belongs to me. For example, Logan loves to look at himself in the mirror. Those who know me know that often I dont even look in a mirror to get dressed in the morning. He often plays red carpet. It goes like this act like your taking pictures of me as I am walking down the red carpet. I actually asked the doctor once do you think you could of switched him at birth? Logan was excited to go to school. He wanted to play Legos and play on the internet. He was very sad when he realized even though there are computers in the class they are not for him. I am only sad because now he is exposed to a whole world that doesnt revolve around us. He didnt want me to walk him in school. I can do it by myself. I know the way Mom. I watched him go. He never looked back not once I think that is very symbolic of things to come with him. How old does that make me if my babies in kindergarten???

Ok here it is.

In a little longer than a month my friend Kristine and I are going to walk a half marathon. We have been talking about it for a long time and finally decided if not now when.. So we have been training. We have been adding a mile every Sunday this week we walked 10 miles. It was so fun. I have learned lots of things. Things I never knew like you can get huge blisters on the bottom of your toes and they hurt like heck. And you can tape them and they still hurt. After two and a half hours of walking your blood sugar may drop really low. You should not wear cotton shorts to walk in. I am excited to walk the half marathon. I wonder if we will make it only one month to go.

Kayak, lakes and sun..does it get any better?

Today we went to the lake that Marsha and my Dad live on. They have a great beach to play and swim. And to the boys delight they have KAYAKS!!!!!!!!!! So my dad took both boys out on the lake kayaking. We had such a good time. Did I ever tell you I love summer. Today was wonderful. It felt like a vacation. I love spending time with my Dad and Marsha they are so relaxed and low key. No schedules or rushing around. I am glad we have Marsha in our lives...
YEAH SUMMER....

This cracks me up.

I wonder when I will stop laughing every time I see my name as the teacher on someones paper I am grading...me the teacher. GO ahead I laugh every single paper.. Wouldnt Dr.Stevensons be proud or shocked one or the other.

You knew this was coming...

I LOVE SUMMER

Swimming....walking after dinner when it is still light......no school.......swimming.........wearing sandals.........the sun.........the MUNY...........ice cream............and lets not forget SWIMMING!!!!!!!!

I love summer and I think I have passed that love on to both boys not a day goes by they don't say..it sure is a hot day we should go swimming. I love seeing them love summer the way I do. Here are two pictures of them at the Muny for Karla and one from Fourth of July. The older they get the more there personalities are more like me.. They do funny things.

Enjoy the summer it will be over soon.

Happy Fathers Day

Six years ago in February I had the pleasure of meeting someone. I met this person some might say by fate others by divine intervention. They became someone I grew to love over time. I looked up to this person almost immediately when I met them. It was in a bit of a crisis and they handled it and became someone for me to look up to. I learned a lot about unconditional love from this person. I saw it in his eyes the first time he held our son. I saw his face when he found out he was going to be a dad he was so excited. I always loved Phil but seeing him with the boys and be a Dad has been the greatest gift. I love watching Rob and Logan and him play. I knew it was love when he would get up night after night with them when they were small and I would sleep. I see how when they are sick he sits up with them. The boys are blessed to have a dad that loves them and teaches them to love. They are blessed to have a Dad that teaches them to love God and others. I often hear Phil say it is your job to take care of Mom too. I love that Logan always says when I grow up and I am a Dad.... I love that he thinks that is part of growing up to be a Dad. I cant think of anyone I would rather raise kids with. I think we make a great team. I love that my boys have you as a role model. Happy Fathers Day Philip.

I finally figured it out.. The secret to friendship

What you say did I figure out.. I finally figured out why I am friends with all of you. Yes you if you are reading this.. why I like you. It simple really one reason. Because you wear a swimsuit. Simple isn't it.. I can not and will not be friends with women who do not wear swimsuits. I will never understand that. You know the ones that wear a size six and just don't like there bodies so they don't swim... that is it. . I am not saying you have to wear it to the grocery store but I cant remember any of you saying... Oh I don't swim... I don't even own a swimsuit. There it is so go ahead dig it out and wear it proud and when you put it on think of what I said no swimsuit=no frienship.

ITS SUMMER AGAIN!!!!!!!

What have I got to complain about?

Here is what was waiting for me when I got home. Rob had made me a card. My first "homemade" card. ( Ok I am not counting the ones Phil makes because he forgot our anniversary). I think this may be the best present I ever got. I included the picture he drew on the inside. It is him and I at a garage sale. I am the larger person you may recognize me from my smile. He is the smaller one don't our smiles look alike. He drew this because he is so happy to go garage sale with me. How can you not love the mind of a child. The back of the picture are the tables of clothes since I like to buy his clothes there. And the thing in red is a Scooby Doo game we bought at one this past Saturday. When your son is happy to go to garage sales and buy clothes do you really have anything to complain about?