Christmas time again

In the wee hours of the morning, my son sneaked out of his room to marvel at all the presents under the tree. I didn't wake up right away. When I did, I found this...

Christmas, I feared, would be tough. But it wasn't. The kids definitely make Christmas a holiday worth celebrating.  The immense joy they have. The surprise as they open each gift. It is a treasure for sure. My gift to the kids, though, was a special one. My friend, Becky, helped me make quilts out of Scott's t-shirts. The kids certainly seemed to like their new quilts. They also received pillows from a coworker of mine. She printed pictures onto the fabric and made the pillows for them. What an amazing keepsake! 

Scott presence was definitely felt. And that is what mattered.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Another birthday...

Having so many December birthdays can definitely keep one busy! This time, it is Hayley's 14th birthday! This kid came into our lives four years ago and I am so happy that she is a part of my life. 

I consider myself lucky to have her in my life and honored to be a mother to her. She drives me batty at times for sure. But she is an affectionate and loving daughter. She's silly, quite the conversationalist, has an obsession over shoes and marshmallows, and just an all around wonderful young lady. She and I often have the following conversation:

Me: I love you
Hayley: I love you more
Me: I love you most
(But not in any creepy Gothel sort of way)


We have our struggles, but I am proud of who she is becoming for sure. I can't wait to see what she does in life and how far she'll go!

Happy Birthday Hayley! I love you bunches!

A decade old!

Ten years ago, I became a mother. This young man came into my life and I had no clue what I was doing. My biggest fear was failing as a mom. He was my everything. Ten years later, I couldn't be more proud of the young man he is becoming. My heart aches for him, and all my children, for losing their dad. He is such an amazing kid with an incredible mind. I am so proud to be his mom and I cannot wait to see what the next decade has in store for him.

 

Last weekend, we celebrated his birthday. Star Wars is all the hype right now, so of course that is what Tristan wanted!

Happy Birthday Bubba-man!

A day to be thankful

This past week, I've been in a bit of a rut. I didn't really understand why until something Tristan said caused me to well up inside and tears suddenly came. My grief sometimes takes me by surprise and I started to dread this day. As the day winds down, however, I realize that I have much to be thankful for. This year has been a whirlwind of changes, heartache, mistakes, experiences, and new chapters. Today, my children helped with Thanksgiving dinner. They peeled and cubed the potatoes, they peeled and sliced the apples, Melayna helped me season the turkey, and they helped load everything to take to Grandpa's. We finished our day by decorating the house with our Christmas decorations and the kids got to work on the tree. It is feeling like the holidays at home. I am thankful for my kids. I am thankful for my family and the support they've provided us. I am thankful for the special people in my life who lift me up, who put up with me, who encourage me, who keep me grounded, and who remind me to slow down. I am thankful for all that I do have in life because you never know when your time will be up. There is so much to live for. So much laughter and joy to be felt. So much love to give and receive. Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family! I am thankful for all of you!

Happy Halloween!

The goblins, ghouls, princesses, witches, superheroes, and everything in between, were out in the neighborhood last night. The kids all went solo while I manned the fort giving out candy to all the trick-or-treaters passing through. The kids had fun and brought home a load of a candy. 

The Pumpkin Patch!

The kids and I enjoyed a wonderful day with friends visiting an apple farm and a pumpkin patch with a corn maze! We enjoyed some home style cooking for an early dinner as well. Over all, the kids had a lot of fun.

 

 

Melayna turns 7!

My youngest turned 7 this week and she got a party at the karate studio. She also received one really awesome surprise!

 

 

 

Melayna got a kitten named Stitch. She’s over the moon with having her very own kitten.

Happy Birthday baby girl!