Let me tell you about my best friend...

Today is a special day...today is my best friend's birthday!  When I think about her, so many things come to mind and honestly... it is even hard to put all those feelings into words. When I think about the qualities anyone would want in a best friend - she possesses every single one of them! 

For me... BTF is my partner in crime, a person I can laugh with (or at), cry with, and even yell at if that's what it takes for me to feel better.  She is the one that when everything is going wrong in the world (for either of us) we turn up the music and dance it out. She is the one that I can show up at her house uninvited and feel like she has been expecting me all day long. She is the one that when I am 2,000 miles from home sitting in a hospital with my dad who calls me and says, "I can be on a flight in 2 hours, and I will come sit with you" and she truly meant EVERY word! She is the one that when your kids get hurt (and you don't do blood) who goes into super mom mode to take care of your kids and clean up the blood. She is my honky-tonkin', last minute road-trippin', festival goin' partner.  She is the one who shows up at the hospital to sit with my mom and daughter, and hands me a Frosty after surgery just to make me feel better.  She is the one with will pray for you and with you. She is my forever person who I can be silly with and always be nothing except myself!  She is my rock and some days my life line to reality...the one who always shoots me straight (even if I don't like it). 

So...today I celebrate her!  I thank God for her every day, and I thank Him for putting her in my life.  I hope that  everyone is lucky enough to have a friend like her! 

Happy Birthday BTF... I will always love you more!!

 

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Proud mom moment...

As a parent, you raise your kids and teach them the right things to do.  You teach them how to treat people and then, you hold your breath and hope they remember everything you taught them when the time comes.  Then, if you're lucky enough - you get to sit back and watch your sweet kid do the right thing and have a "proud mom moment" (which we all love)! Well...let me tell you about my moment.

This week has been exceptionally crazy for me. I went to the doctor on Monday because my left foot was swelling.  I honestly thought she would tell me to rest, elevate, put some ice on it and maybe have some meds to take. Well, that is NOT what happened at all!  I went to the doctor at 1:30 pm, was in x-ray at 2:30 pm, and a 4:15 pm received a phone call that I had an appointment with an orthopedist at 8:10 am on Wednesday morning. I got to the orthopedist, and within 3 hours, I had my pre-op and post-op instructions and surgery had been scheduled for Thursday at 1:00 pm (yes... that would be the next day) - definitely NOT what I had planned for my week! 

Thursday morning, I got up and headed to the hospital with my mom and the princess with me.  While we were waiting BTF arrived, and I had most of my people.  After that, there were hugs and I love you's and off to surgery I went. When I got out of surgery and home - that is where the fun and the proud mom moment began.  In my family, when you are told that you cannot put weight on your foot for the first 5 days or so - that means that you will have around the clock care! And... I am not exaggerating. It means that your crazy (and I mean that in a loving way) family, is going to go to the grocery store, cook, and do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. It means you get multiple texts and Snapchats from Alaska making sure that I'm okay from 3,144 miles away! It means that your bestie comes to the hospital to make sure that nothing is needed and not only did she take care of me - she made sure my family was taken care of. 

But, let me tell you about my sweet princess.  The doctor was very clear that for the first 3-4 days, I should take my pain meds every four hours to stay ahead of the pain. My sweet daughter has set her alarm every four hours throughout the night for the past two nights - to make sure I had what I needed.  She has slept on the couch (to be closer to my room) just in case I woke up and needed something.  My sweet girl has learned how to make coffee, has made sure she read all directions for antibiotics, pain meds and keeping aspirin in me as a blood thinner.  She has been the perfect nurse! In between her and J, they have made sure I have not spent a moment alone. They have made sure their back-up babysitters were here, before they left to go to work.  Yes... this week has definitely been one big proud mom moment as I have watched my kids act like the adults they are. 

I'm not sure what I have done to deserve this family and these friends of mine, but - I would not trade them for anything!!

A little about my life...

I have been doing this blog thing for a while now, and yes - I write in spurts (according to my crazy schedule). But, for those that are new here and are just finding my craziness - here is just a little about this thing called "my life."

I am a single mom, living in "everyday America," and have a  crazy busy life. I have 3 terrific kids (who are not so little anymore), but let's face it - everyone has their share of drama and shenanigans. As a single mom, you face all kinds of things along the way. You are the mom, the dad, the money-maker, the disciplinarian, the good guy and the bad guy. You are the shoulder to cry on, the person to throw things at, the only one around to scream at. You are also, the one who gets all the joy and the love from those little (or not so little) people running around, that makes everything else I mentioned before worth while. I figure if I have all of this craziness going on in my everyday life, then some others might be going through the same craziness, just trying to make sense of it as well. Maybe me letting all my mistakes be known, just might help another mom not make the same ones along the way.  Maybe this will let someone know, that they are doing a good job with their kids, and it might just give them a little hope that it will all work out in the end. Or just maybe... someone out there, might be able to give me some advice along the way (which I promise to listen to and consider, even if I don't agree).

So, this is how "Shenanigans of a Single Mom" began. I will keep you updated as I try to juggle my 3 crazy kids, work, my "dating life" (or should I say "lack of dating life" - but may be improving) , and everything in between. I can promise you it will not be perfect, but it will be real and more than likely entertaining. 

Oh yeah... and for all you Army (military) moms out there - I will be giving some insight into the craziness and all the emotions of this Army mom life.  I am now loving life and would not change a thing!!

Welcome, please comment, and feel free to share any knowledge you have along the way! 

A picture is worth a thousand words...

The definition of the word photograph is, "a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused onto film or other light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally." 

My whole life I have heard..."a picture is worth a thousand words."   And, yes - I believe that statement is true.  A photograph can capture a moment in time... a moment you will never have again. A photo can capture the emotion and personality of the subject, and let you have a glimpse into someone else's life. A photo will allow people to look back and remember the documented events for years and generations to come.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I take way more photos than I probably should.  I want to capture and document as much of this life with my loved ones as possible - knowing that one day the photos are the only things I will have (besides my memories).

Last week, K and I sat down and went through an old box of pictures. There were picture of first birthdays, weddings, first days of kindergarten, welcome homes,  and some of my college and high school years.  I sat with her for hours, and relived some of those memories.  She sat and listened, and learned about some of the history of her family.  There were picture of my grandparents that she never met, and yes.., as we talked about them - tears were shed.  I reminded myself as we went through these, that I should be writing names and dates on the photos that we have printed.  Our digital photos should be documented as well.  One day... I will be gone and she will be able to look back and remember. 

I know that my sweet family (especially my boys) hate taking pictures, but I just keep thinking that we are not guaranteed tomorrow and I don't ever want to forget the things we have done, the looks on their faces.  More importantly...as they look at photos one day of our family and friends - I want them to look at the photos and be able to see the unconditional love in each one!

A very wise man (Vince Lombardi)

Tonight, I am sitting here thinking about everything that has happened in the last month, and let me just say...it has been a crazy busy month! Our family got to have C home for holiday block leave for 14 days (which definitely is NOT enough time), we celebrated Christmas and New Years surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.   There was lots of laughter, love, and there were even some tears as it got closer to time for our soldier to head back to Alaska. K started her last semester of high school (which I am definitely NOT ready for), we have been on three college visits, and she has made a decision as to where she will start the next chapter in her life in the fall. I have watched J work, doing what he loves, and I have watched him make some tough "grown up" decisions.  I could not be more PROUD of my three kids...they are definitely my biggest accomplishment!  

In the middle of all of the happy times, I have also watched friends and loved ones struggle with heart ache and loss.  I have watched as they have laid their loved ones to rest and said goodbye. I have watched a person who has become very dear to me, handle extremely tough times with dignity and grace, and I could not be more proud of the person they are. 

Tonight, I was sitting at JH's house watching football and we started talking about Vince Lombardi and his speech "What It Takes to be Number One." I knew bits and pieces of it, but had never sat and listened to the entire speech. So... he read it to me:

"Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don't ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.

Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he's got to play from the ground up - from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That's O.K. You've got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you've got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he's never going to come off the field second.

Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization - an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win - to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don't think it is.

It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That's why they are there - to compete. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules - but to win.

And in truth, I've never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn't appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.

I don't say these things because I believe in the ‘brute' nature of men or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour -- his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear -- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."

- Coach Vincent T. Lombardi

  As I was sitting there listening - I started thinking, "this speech is applicable to almost everything in life."  It applies to my job every day...I show up each morning, do my job to the best of my ability, and help entrepreneurs succeed.  It applies to my walk as a Christian...you must give your heart to Jesus and with every fiber of your being live to honor and worship Him.  It applies to C's life as a soldier...you must be smart and use your brain on a mission, but you also must have heart and discipline! 

So...as I have sitting here thinking about everything that this speech means - I think this will be my goal moving forward into 2018...enjoy the grind, be disciplined, always use your head and your heart, never settle for second place, and ALWAYS strive to do your best! Yes...Vince Lombardi was a very smart man! 

Counting the days...

Let me start by saying...I love the holidays!!  i love everything about them!  I love having all of my kids in the same place if only for a little bit.  I love having time with my sweet nieces that I completely cherish.  I love traditions! I love our yearly trip around Nashville looking at Christmas lights.  I love going to my parents on Christmas Eve, followed by the Christmas Eve service at church.  I love Christmas day spent with family enjoying all the loud laughter and the crazy of having everyone together!  There really isn't one thing I don't love.  This year, it's just a little bit different.  We are missing someone - we are missing C (our soldier)! 

This year has definitely been different for us.  One year ago - I sat down with C at dinner, he had just enlisted in the Army and had been given his ship date.  On January 15, we dropped C off and he left for OSUT (One Station Unit Training) for 15 long weeks. From the moment I dropped him off - I started counting the days until graduation...110 days.  He got to come home on leave evening of May 5, and I immediately started counting down the 10 short days he would be home.  When I left the airport on the afternoon of May 15, it hit me on the way home... I had nothing to count down.  I didn't know when I would see him again.  It was a horrible feeling - my baby was moving 3,144 miles away, and I couldn't do one thing about it.  But then, I got the phone call in October that leave had been approved for him to come home for Christmas.  So...guess what happened next?? You guessed it - the count down.  I had something to look forward to - 63 days!  Now... we are at 17 days and I could not be more excited!!! 

As I started thinking about the number of days that have consumed me this year - out of 365, I have gotten to (or will) see him for a whopping total of 32 days!  That means K, J and I have missed him for 333 days!  I knew I would miss him - but I didn't realize just how much!  So - this year, we will all enjoy having our family time just a little bit more.  We will continue to love on each other and squeeze in as much family time as we can while C is here for 14 days and more importantly - we will celebrate the reason for the season!