Good Bye Teenager

Today Iā€™m giving myself a little pat on the back and a ā€œgood job, you made it.ā€ This self-congratulating is because today is my daughterā€™s birthday. Ā Good bye teenager. Ā Hello 20s. Ā Sheā€™s alive and thriving.Ā  I still have mostā€¦

Grateful Rage

2020, as sh!tty as it has been, has not been the sh!tt!est of years that Iā€™ve ever had so on that scale I feel quite fortunate. I can quickly recall a couple years way worse for me. Covid19 struck both my teenagers several weeks ago, but theyā€¦

Beautiful Quarantined Easter

I venture to say that Easter 2020 wonā€™t be one we will ever forget. I doubt we will ever have the conversation that goes ā€œWhat year was is again when we couldnā€™t have an Easter program at church because of mass contagion?ā€ Itā€™s unlikelyā€¦

Corona Virus, Please Leave Starbucks Alone

On Christmas morning, after gifts were opened and before the extended family celebrations began, my husband and I went to Starbucks.Ā  It was like an extra gift to us that no one was in the drive thru. Ā The Starbucks angels were sitting thereā€¦

FB Memories

My dad was battling brain cancer. We had 2 pre-teen middle schoolers. Job changes were around the corner for both of us. Volunteering at school, sitting on boards, leading a team at church; to list a few. We were on the move. We moved so fastā€¦

90% Chivalrous 10% Caveman

90/10. Ā Thatā€™s the ideal ratio for my idea of the perfect guy.Ā  90% chivalrous, charming, thoughtful, laughs at your jokes, just because flowers, remembers your motherā€™s birthday, does his own laundry.Ā  10% drags you, consensually ofā€¦

Hero Stand-In Mom

My husband and I walked into a restaurant on Saturday evening. We were taken to a table where a waitress quickly appeared asking for our drink order. Our 16-year-old sonā€™s band was the entertainment for the evening. The band was already onā€¦

Anxiety Attack Epiphany

A few days ago, first thing in the morning, I had my first ever anxiety attack. Ā I was sitting on the couch, eating my breakfast and watching the local news when my heart began racing. The Fitbit I was wearing on my wrist clocked that my heartrateā€¦

Outwardly Calm, Inwardly Turbulent

Outwardly calm, inwardly turbulent. Ā I took this pic from the window of an airplane yesterday. It was a beautiful, mild, spring day with blue skies and a spackling of fluffy white clouds. The sky looked calm and peaceful, yet the flight wasā€¦

No Thanks I’m Just Not Interested

No thanks. I donā€™t want to join your Body Pump Class. I appreciate you thinking of me though. Iā€™m sure itā€™s great. Youā€™re great. Iā€™m just not interested. Iā€™m cool with yoga only because, for the most part, people keep their eyesā€¦

It’s Cold In Kentucky and I’ll Be Okay

Itā€™s cold in Kentucky. Itā€™s cold all over this half of the country, but Kentucky is where I live and so Iā€™m mostly pissed that itā€™s cold in Kentucky. Everything is frozen, even pipes. Ā Also, house breaking a new puppy while the iceā€¦

Good Friday Sunsets

Predictable and stable, yet different every time. I can look at my phone and find out the exact minute it will fade into darkness. Itā€™s never late. Never absent. Dependable and strong. No matter where you are in this world we all look atā€¦

Sweet 16

A couple weeks ago something terrible happened to my daughter. Brace yourself. Take a moment if you need. I donā€™t know how else to say it besides just coming right out with it: It was a Friday night and my teenage daughter had no plans. Itā€¦

For Non-Perfect Family Thanksgiving Dinners:

I've hosted Thanksgiving dinner most years, since we've been married, for my husband's side of the family. I normally begin drinking around 11am when the turkey goes in the oven.Ā  By the time 5pm rolls around we are both baked.Ā Ā Ā  (Relaxā€¦

Broken and Crumbly

I woke up at 2am, heart pounding, sweating. It sounds like it could be a chapter opener from a cheap romance novel, but I am neither cheap nor romantic feeling at the moment. It could have been the pimento cheese sandwich and big pieceā€¦

Teenager Thrill Rides

Teenagers get a bad rap. Itā€™s for good reason. I know, I have two of them. They live in a world of polar extremes. Their ever evolving brains make them predictably unpredictable. Iā€™ll watch my teenage son and daughter, sitting shoulderā€¦

Sorry For What I Said When It Was Humid

Last night, as I was preparing dinner, my 15-year-old daughter walked up to me and asked, ā€œMom, what is wrong with you? Donā€™t say ā€œnothingā€, just tell me whatā€™s wrong.ā€ I had to stop and take a deep breath, feeling bad that Iā€¦

Little Boy, Big Ideas

A few nights ago I was on the couchĀ channel surfing for something good to watch on TV. There really are only three channels I watch. From the stories my mom tells, three channels is all she ever had growing up. I donā€™t feel sorry for her.ā€¦

Awkward Family Photos

I found this picture in a drawer this week. The other pictures from this vacation are all in a photo album. It was one of the last times I actually printed off pictures and put them in an album. Now most of my pictures live on jump drives andā€¦

Simple Sisters

Last week I kept waking up feeling heavy. Iā€™m not referring to the heavy from the unreasonable amount of carbs I indulged in recently. And seriously, it was an unreasonable amount. I have no self-control around a basket of warm, butteryā€¦