My Year of Numbers...

I've discovered that this is going to be an interesting year with numbers. Some are sad number, others are WOW numbers and one is an AMAZING number.


It's been 5 years since my Dad died. It is so hard to think of what I miss most about him. He had such a wonderful laugh and smile. I know that is one of the major things I miss. His crooked smile was beautiful. I miss his hands. He was a hard worker. He fixed cars like my husband programs computers. His hands were always covered in oil clean or not. You could tell he was a hard worker by just looking at his hands. I just miss him. Everything that he was and the sad part of who he never got to be. He missed seeing his great granddaughter and 5 of his grandkids. We miss you Dad!

The number 13... My oldest will be 13 on the 13th of February. I am amazed that he is going to be a teenager. I'm also amazed that I'll be a mom of a teenager. Where have the years gone. I can still see him when we brought him home. He had a head full of hair and an amazing LOUD voice. He started us on this road of parenthood and I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have 5 kids turning my hair Grey. He has grown into such an amazing young man. I'm so excited (and yet sad to see that "child" phase of his slipping by) to see who he will be in another 13 years.


Look at that number. That is the number of years Jeff and I have been married this June. It does not seem like we have lived together, laughed together, shared together 20 years of our life. To this day that man can make me laugh. I know when we celebrate our 50th anniversary he will still be making me laugh. I'm glad I didn't let him get away.


Then there is this one. The number 40. That is me. Or will be me on May 2nd. 40 years old. Sometimes it has felt like a blink of an eye since I graduated High School and not 22 years ago. I still see myself with long blond hair racing my bike with my brother. Or I see myself dressed in blue heading off to my job at Tastee Freeze. Or I see myself in a long BRIGHT yellow sweater walking across campus with my best friend Lisa. Or I see myself standing in front of a judge with the man that makes me laugh. I have so many pictures of who I am that I find that each year I love more and more of who I have become. So for right now I'm loving 40 (just ask me again on my birthday when I REALLY turn 40 if I'm still smiling).

There Are Some Days.....

when a mom needs a pause button. Ok, I could use it every hour at times and this week has been one of those weeks. Silvia has been sick and whiny (which is enough to send one over the edge) but add a sick momma and a 4 year old that has a very strong mind of her own.... well, lets just say I'm not pretty right now. You also have a mom that pushed the remote (and we have one just like the one in the picture and we STILL loose it!) pause button just to see what would happen. It didn't work but it did make me giggle.

Sometimes The Joy Just Leaps Off The Picture...

We were lucky enough to have 1 day of snow in Arkansas. The day after Christmas a few flurries started and kept coming for almost all the day. The kids were ecstatic and could not wait to run out in it. They were barely dressed before dashing out into the weather....

And to watch them play and laugh together was a joy for me. I could feel their joy and peace (for the most part)....

It was a perfect end to a beautiful Christmas with family and friends. And best of all, it was gone the next day. Sweet!

Just a few things I miss from Arkansas....

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”