Which way is up????

Ok....so I am not that good at this blogging yet. I would love to be able to stop in....read everyone's pages....post on my blog and gorw my page!!! BUT.....motivation and time are slowing me down.

I started this blog as a window into my world.....but I am not sure which way I want to go. I have so many interests....which way to spread my wings. I even have a blog that I am creating for my daughter....yeah - well.....that is not going to well either.

So bear with me as I slowly find my way. I hope to get serious about blogging....it is FUN!!!!

Have a GREAT weekend all!!!!

Summer Storms

That time of year has come again. Each day is a little warmer than the next....the humidity thickens the air so it is hard to breathe. As the flowers bloom and reach toward the sky, they beg for relief. As the afternoon wanes.....the clouds roll in and the wind begins to blow. You hear the rumble of thunder far off slowly moving your way. Then there is a drop....and another ....and then a deluge. As quick as it moves in......it runs away leaving behind a fine mist making everything beautiful and vibrant....sometimes you can even find a rainbow.

photo: strange charm's

My Beautiful Daughter

My Beautiful Daughter

My beautiful daughter
You cannot know
How much my heart breaks
As I watch you grow

In time you’ll become
Independent and free
Always my daughter
And special to me

As you grow older
You will see
Through the eyes of a mother
Reflections of me

Past, present and future
All intertwined
My mother, your mother
All daughters you’ll find

Our reflections, not vanity
Mirrored lives we share
Always a daughter
Your mother, who cares.

~Julie Copeland

My mother is not with us anymore, she is smiling down on me from Heaven. There is a small part of me that is crying out, missing her very much. But to have my duaghter smile and hug me fills me with much joy. Being a mother is a TRUE BLESSING.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommas out there!!!

make them move.....

Spring break was last week and the weather was AWESOME!!!! So Bailey decided she wanted to go to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham...and take her little cousin Noah. So, off we went to see the space crafts, dinosaurs and butterflies.

Nothing is cuter than watching a 3 year old trying to catch a butterfly. Noah ran around the butterfly house determined to have one land.

But the funniest part came later when we made it to the dinasaur area. No matter how hard Bailey and I tried....we could not make Noah understand that we could NOT make those dinasaurs move. "Why" became his favorite word.

The afternoon was so much fun...full of running, jumping, digging and laughing. So much fun....that we wore poor Noah out.....

LORDY Lordy...loOk wHo is FORTY!!!!

Happy Birthday to my loving hubby!!!!!

Taking the next step

She started walking when she was around 10 months old. The weather was getting warmer and the grass was growing....she explored everywhere. Mostly she ran around barefoot...but once in a while I squeezed her foot into those cute kids shoes.

Basically, we tossed her in the pool upon birth. She has been swimming ever since. The required attire for a swimmer...FLIP FLOPS!!!! It cracks me up to see all the kids in the middle of December fall out into car line all wearing them.

Today.....was another mile stone in our baby's life. There comes a time when you have to let the lil one begin to spread her wings. My baby girl who used to be at home playing play dough...is now wanting converse in every color and running off to the movies with her friends. She is giggling like crazy and swapping Silly Bandz. One second I see my little girl and then ....I glance back and see a teenager ready to burst out.

I love watching my little flower grow and bloom. Each milestone that is reached is awesome...but part of me is so not ready!!!

Walking on Sunshine

Guess being happy has paid off........my nickname at work is "Sunshine". I love my job!!!

"Spring" Forward

I am so ready for Spring to be her.........just not liking the time change. Wonder how long it will take for my body to adjust.

Kid at HEART!!!

For some reason I have this sudden urge to jump on a merry go round, lean back and feel the wind rush all around me. now....all i have to do is find one!!!

Railroad tracks....

Well....it is official. After following Bailey for 5 years, the ortho has made the call....BRACES!!!

The good news...yup here actually is good news....she probably wont have to have her wisdom teeth pulled....AND she will be getting braces on the front part of her mouth. . . . . guess we can call that the silver lining.

Bailey...she is moaning about what she wont be able to eat....ME....is crying because my house renovations are on hold for atleast 18 months while we pay off her teeth. I am skeptical about braces myself....I had them for about 3 years and when I was about 27....my bottom jaw grew which in turn caused my lower jaw to move out of allighment...yeah me!!!

So....in 2 weeks...Bailey will have a BRIGHT green smile with a little metal tossed in.

Ready . . . Set. . . Go!!!

Today is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The sun is shining and it is a balmy 63ish. A perfect day to go door to door and raise money.

Ya'll know that our Bailey swims for a year round swim team...New Wave Swim Team. Every year they have a "swim-a-thon" ~ which wording we can not use...so we have a "Laps for Cash" and 5% of the money raised will be going to the Duke Children's Cancer Center.

This year, Bailey and several of her swim friends decided it would be fun to do it as a "GROUP". So last week, the parents put our heads together and figured since this was the only weekend that our children DID NOT SWIM {but there was a meet this weekend....just not for our swimmers} and the weather was GORGEOUS!!!

The plan was to have a about 5 of them all together go out in a neighborhood.....only 3 were actually able to make it. N, H and our B were really excited and had been practicing their opening lines all night. I have to say I am proud for them to want to actually do this....it is kind of intimidating.

After 3 hour and tons of walking and knocking...the 3 trooped back to the house.....with $380. They had so much fun and it was also a great learning experience....it takes guts to get shot down not once, not twice....but several times and keep on going. They found their rythym and worked as a team.

I am so proud that these kids were enthusiastic to help out and raise money for a good cause. They truly have become a family and back each other no matter what.

Spring Fling

After weeks of rain, and several threats of snow, and one actual snow storm, I believe that spring is around the corner. We may be done with frigid mornings, being spent sprinting to the car in your pj's to crank your car so it can warm up so the ride to school is WARM!!! and do NOT forget to turn the seat warmer on for your daughter!!!

Today - the sun is shining ......my spirits are high. Tomorrow, the weather people are teasing me saying it is going to get to SIXTY!!!! Ya know what that means?????? The trees will begin to bud and within a week or so....LEAVES will come out!!!!!!!!

I get the "winter blues" I am so ready for the warm weather and SUNSHINE!

So please join me in doing the "Spring Fling" ...shake your tail feathers and welcome in Miss Spring.

Silly ....with a side of Banana

Yes....It has been a VERY long time since I have posted. Life has a way of tossing you curves and I seem to have been manuvering those curves lately.

Here is a little recap:

* a most compassionate boss gave me the "you are laid off" the week of Christmas. Merry Christmas to me!!!

* 3 weeks of job searching....landed me a new job with a GREAT company working only 3 days a week.....so even though a curve was thrown......I was able to straighten this one out!!!

* Bailey has had more swim meets that I am not sure what pool I am supposed to be at. We have been to GA, Charlotte, NC and we are headed BACK to Charlotte next weekend.

* The "yucky" bug seems to like this family....Bailey has battled an inner ear infection, a double swimmers ear infection and a BAD cold....which she so kindly "shared" with me.

* My loving and wonderful hubby is on a mission....to get a Jeep. I am all for this ...now do not get me wrong.....but he was trying to do it without selling his truck!!! NOT HAPPENING!!!! soooo....if anyone is in the market for F250....give ma a buzz.

I have come to a decision. Most people make their New Years Resolutions on Jan 1st.....well......I guess I am a little slow. Most people choose to get in shape {which I swear I am going to do}, me.....I am going to SSSSSLLLLLOOOOOWWWWW down. Life seems to be swimming by at an alarming rate and I am not ready. I want to slow down, make more time to smell the roses.

My first step ......well...to post here. Second....tidy up my house today so that I have free time with the family tomorrow and Sunday. Third.....go on a date with my hubby tonight.

So ~ while life can toss you a curve ball....hold your head high, give a little giggle and press on.