Congrats Aaron - 2nd Degree Black Belt! Great job!!

2nd degree black belt! Hi - yaaaaaa!!

Best of luck to Aaron as he tests for his Second Degree Black belt on Saturday!!

Above is a picture of when he earned his First degree!

I am so proud of you bud...

when I told you that you could do the first degree

and would not let you quit,

who would ever dream that you would be SO good at it

and that you would continue on past that goal!!!

And now to teach? At 15??

You rock!!

You can accomplish great things when you put your mind to it!!

I can't say "break a leg" - so how about...

BREAK SOME BOARDS!!

More pictures to follow after the weekend!! Stay tuned!!

Brittany... happy graduation...

this week... I am overwhelmed...
my baby girl graduates from high school...
I am so very proud!!!

My very best wishes and all my love and prayers surround you as you begin your journey through life... without me by your side!

Enjoy the SMILEBOX SLIDE SHOW below... it shows a few pictures through the years...
because, for once... I don't think that words can describe what I am feeling...

maybe pictures can help...

I am overwhelmed with memories...

the pure elation of holding my baby girl in my arms for the very first time...
teaching this small sponge... about manners... and God... and life... and bugs... and hurts...
the wonderful, small, seemingly insignificant moments that I have cherished and carried in my heart as I have had the privilege of raising her...
the "over the top" joy in watching her grow...
the feeling that part of me was missing, when I was not able to kiss her good night!
the complete desolation as you watch your child fail...
learning about "tough love" - it is... by far... the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life!!
the raw, painful, feeling of having your heart ripped apart, as the child your brought up to have wings, ventures out of the nest into independence...
the feelings of "wanting to make it all better" that just get more intense, the bigger the child is...
the feeling that... I blinked... and somehow, 18 years have passed...
The way my heart, still reaches out to my child, even when I cannot hold her...
the feeling that I felt on Sunday... that I will never loose her love - no matter what - as she sobbed in my arms again!!

It has not always been an easy journey... but it is one I would do all over again... in a heartbeat!!
Today... and every day... I am so thankful for this beautiful, sweet girl...
and for all the feelings that I will always cherish for having been blessed with the title... "Brittany's mom"
Happy graduation - baby girl! I will always be your biggest fan!! I will always love you and remember... I'll be...

Brittany... 18 years

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mis-matched!!

I had to "blog-lift" this picture from another site I follow...
because I laughed out loud when I saw it!!
This is SOOOOO me most days!!

We are so obsessed with making everything "match"...
We feel we have to present ourselves as though we have everything together...
when often, nothing really is and to be totally honest,
we feel just like "little~miss~matched"
on the inside!

I too, wonder how much our stress levels would change
and how much more FÜN we would have in life
if we could just adopt fashion whims
when it comes to how we present our
mis-matched
„uʍop ~ ǝpısdn„
selves...
just let us be... what we is...

p.s. I had to order a pair of flip flops from their website
http://www.littlemissmatched.com/Catalog/womens-flip-flops
I am gonna laugh out loud...
every time I wear them!!

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Kyle

Kyle the kitty - King of the "Kouch"!!

Love those crossed paws!

"There are only two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."
— Albert Einstein

ok - I will admit that I am a quote nutt...
just one of my many psychosis~

forgiveness...

"Forgiveness is God's invention for coming

to terms with a world in which,

despite their best intentions,

people are unfair to each other

and hurt each other deeply.

He began by forgiving us.

And he invites us all to forgive each other."

Lewis B. Smedes

Taking a moment to say thanks...

I know it has been forever since I blogged...
sometimes life just seems to get in the way, doesn't it?

It has been a tough year & a half, I am not going to say it hasn't been...
I try to understand & I truly believe, everything for a reason...
But...
Sometimes I have such a hard time seeing the good in any of it...

But today, I am feeling reflective...
& very thankful...
& in awe of God's timing...
so I have to share!

ok... here it is... this is what my heart tells me...
Some very dear friends have come back into my life this year that I had lost touch with for far too long...
I know that I never want to lose touch with any of them again...
my life has been so blessed this year because, it feels like my life has come full circle.


so today...

for always loving me even when we were apart...
for not forgetting the great times we shared & cried...
for having the nerve to take the chance & make the connection, it is still there & always will be...
for keeping me in your heart, all these years... just as I have kept you in mine...
for loving me... I feel your love & hope you can feel mine...

thank you my friends... thank you!
{{{hugs}}}