BACK TO LIFE - BACK TO REALITY

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THESE TWO HANDSOMS!

 ^^Connor is going into 6th grade^^

 ^^Nathan is going into 11th grade^^

At the very last minute, we decided to put Connor in Freedom Elementary for 6th grade.  He has been going to Mountainville Academy since Kindergarten, but, among other reasons, we felt that it would be good if he went to Junior High having a good group of friends.  Since making that decision things haven't gone smoothly.  He ended up not getting the time or teacher that he was wanting and he started to really get nervous about our decision.  At Back to School Night last night, we met his new teacher and Connor really liked him, and then with the help of the big guns (Rick) we were able to get the time that we wanted.

As we were eating dinner last night I could tell that Connor was still a little nervous, so I asked the kids to think of advice that they wish they would have gotten before they went into 6th grade.  As they started talking, I thought that this advice was too good not to write down...so here it is...

-"Don't pick one specific Valentine."  -The story behind this is, when Britt was in 6th grade, she told a boy she would be his Valentine.  Another boy found out about it and wrote her a letter with $20.00 in it saying he would pay her to be his Valentine.  How Britt remembers the story going is that I made her give the $20.00 back because she had already said yes to the first boy.  She still, to this day, believes that if she hadn't committed to the first one then she could have had 2 Valentines and been $20.00 richer!

-"Don't write about your crushes in your journal at school - people read that shiz!"

-"When playing Heads Up 7up, don't pick the same girl every time - you will get made fun of."

-"Everyone is insecure, people are going to make fun of you, don't pay them any mind and know that you are cool."

-"Do your homework - learn from our mistakes!"

-"Be friends with everyone in the class and then you have a lot of options when people act like dicks!"

-"It will be a rough year for some girls - tell them they look pretty."

I thought it was all great advice!

When I picked Connor up from school today he told me that he loved everything about Freedom.  He said everyone there is nice and he is so glad we made that decision.  I can exhale now!

Happy First Day Of School Everyone!  Here is to a great year!

20 YEARS

What does 20 years of marriage look like?

I'm sure it is so different for every couple.  Everyone is just trying to make it work, trying to merge two lives and two personalities together.  Everyone's  trying to create a family, no matter how big or how small, and trying to make a home for that family.  Our 20 years have been filled with ups and downs, happiness and heartache, good times and bad times, and work, work, and more work.

I sometimes look at us and think we are ordinary.

Rick asks me to shave his back and I ask him to rub Bengay on my shoulder!  We go to bed by 9:00 and rarely are still awake by 10.  Our phone calls usually consist of lists of things we need to get done and trying to solve problems that have come up during the day.

And then I look back on our 20 years and I see something much different than ordinary...

I see him standing beside me as I have delivered three beautiful babies.  I see him holding throw up buckets and sick kids.  I see him cleaning poop off the walls after our child smeared it everywhere while he was supposed to be napping.  I see him holding me while I wept time and time again when I wasn't pregnant.  I see him standing at swim meets, football games and lacrosse games, that big rough man, choking back the tears because he is so proud of our children.

Memory after memory after memory comes to mind of this amazing man giving everything to our family, and to me, and I know this isn't ordinary.

A few nights ago, as I was telling him all of things I was stressed about, he told me that it would make him so happy if he could take everything that worries me or stresses me away so that I didn't have a care in the world.  He told me that his #1 goal in life is to make me happy.  In a world where everyone thinks of themselves first and wonders "what's in it for me?", my husband quietly nurtures our relationship.  Ordinary?  Not even close.

And so here is to the next 20 and 50 and 100 years together.  Here is to eternity.  Here's to working everyday towards something that is our own - that isn't like anyone else's - and most definitely isn't ordinary.  Here is to compromising and bending, to laughing and crying, to fighting and making up.  Here is to many more years of putting my cold feet between his legs to warm them up, to rolling over to be held,  and to laying my head on his chest.  Here is to making our wonderful, crazy love last forever.

Here is to us!

Happy 20th Anniversary!  I love you babe!

^ ^ At a movie on our anniversary ^ ^

^ ^ We both got each other the exact same card!  Is that true love or what?!? ^ ^

DAYS OF 47 RODEO

Kirk and his cute family invited us to go to the rodeo with them, so when we got to our seats we weren't surprised AT ALL to be on the front row.  I mean, the very front row!  We had manure and dirt all over us when we left and we loved it!

Because we were so close, Connor realized that he wasn't sure if he liked the way the animals are treated.  He didn't think nearly ripping the calf's head off was a good source of entertainment.  I don't think we will be going to another rodeo soon!  I love my animal lover!

BLESSED

A few weeks ago, as Rick and I were driving home from dinner, we got the phone call. It's the call that, thankfully, I have never had to experience before, but the one in the back of mind that scares the hell out of me. The dad of the birthday girl called from Nathan's phone, he quickly introduced himself and then told us that Nathan had fallen and had really hurt himself. As Rick sped up suncrest faster than he has ever driven, I was literally sick as I thought of all of the "what ifs".

Nathan was laying under a tree holding a swedish fish bag full of ice over his eye.  I quickly ran over to assess the damage, and as I kneeled  next to him, the tears he had been holding back started rolling down his face.  He couldn't remember anything, he was repeating himself over and over, and his head was killing him.

I often wonder how single parents survive in situations like this.  When I can't think straight, and I'm scared to death, Rick steps in and takes charge and carries us.

We quickly got to the hospital.  They got us right in and checked him out.  He had a couple of fractures in his face, a major concussion, and road rash.  They cleaned him up, wrapped him up, drugged him up, and sent us home with instructions on how to take care of him.

He was in pain, but he was okay.

The next morning as our little family was gathered around his bed, he asked why things like that have to happen, and I couldn't help but wonder why we were so blessed.  With how hard he hit his head, if he would have landed on the front of his face instead of the side, it could have killed him.  If he would have landed on a sprinkler head, or the corner of the cement, it could have killed him.  We were SO blessed.

Two weeks later and Nathan is almost completely healed - he still has a little blood in his eye, but he loves the way it looks!  The headache is gone, the scabs have come off, the swelling is down and Nathan is ready to get back to lacrosse and life as usual.

We are so blessed.