It seems like only yesterday.  It was a Sunday morning in 1999 and I was running late to church.  I had just moved from Ohio to North Carolina and it was the first time I had visited this service.
     I flew through the door hoping that I wasn't too late.  Little did I know that the door was right beside the minister giving the opening comments to the congregation. 
    (You have GOT to be kidding me.)
    Slinking my way towards a seat an aisle or so from the front of the church, I felt my face flood with the heat from embarrassment.  
    That's when I saw him. 
    The cutest boy on Earth sat in the same aisle to the left of me.  The first thought that literally went through my mind was, "Good Lord I would have that man's babies".  
    He turned and smiled at me, my face burned even more red... and the rest...as they say...is history.
    Happy 12th Anniversary Adam! 
    You're still the cutest boy I know! 

    A few years ago, I was lucky enough to meet an awesome friend named Jen.  She is just about the nicest person you could know.
    Jen is very straight forward so when she says something, you can trust it.  Tonight she told me about a couple of friends that she knows who are in need of some help. 
    They are in a contest to try and win an accessible van to allow them to have transportation.  Working as a therapist, I see first hand the importance of this daily necessity. 
     This couple, named Barton and Megan would have their lives changed if they were to win.  They have a website where you can read their story:  http://www.loverollson.com/blog/ 
      Megan and Barton are in line to win this much needed van and currently have over 13 THOUSAND votes.  If you have a moment to add to this count, the contest ends on Friday (5/10).  You can help them win by simply clicking on:  http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/barton-cutter-raleigh-nc/
     Good Luck to you Megan and Barton!  You are an Amazing couple!!!  XOXO

    You know how it is...you're running late, trying to get the kids ready for school.  It takes a miracle sometimes to get everybody through the door.  This morning was no exception.  
    Yesterday at work, I had around a twelve hour shift so I came home last night starving and exhausted.  Waking up this morning, it took everything that I had to get things into gear.  Our two older boys were already on their way to school but our younger son, Preston, still needed to get ready for preschool. 
    His school is only about five minutes from our house but class had already begun and I was still running around the house trying to find his shoes.  To make matters worse, I was still in my pajamas.  
    Hoping that Preston's shoes were in the car, I put the two kids in the back seat to try and make some headway.  Jackpot!  Both sets of their shoes were there.  Now, to find my jacket to throw over my pajamas...then we could run Preston to his class.  
     Time was on my side and I smiled at the fact that sometimes it actually IS good to be late.  All of the other kids would have been dropped off by now, so no one at the school would see how completely 'awesome' I looked in my jacket, PJ's, crazy curly morning hair and unkempt appearance.  All I had to do now, was sneak Preston into his room with a wave of my hand through the door and be on my way.  
    What's that saying about the "best laid plans"?
    Pulling into the school, I was surprised by the amount of cars in the parking lot.  
    "Ummmm...Pret?  Is there something going on at school today Buddy?"
    "I dunno Mommy."
     Getting the kids out of the car, I nervously hoped that I wouldn't see anyone in the building.  Pulling the front door open...things looked to be pretty safe.  There were no groups of people, no one in the halls...everything was all clear.  I felt better and began to rush Preston to his room.  
     "Come on Buddy, we're late and we need to hustle!"
     Making our way down the long school hall, I noticed that most of the classrooms were full of parents.  (What's going on?)  The rooms we passed were for the younger students so I hoped that Preston's class would be safe.  Getting closer to the door of his room though, sure enough, I began to hear the voices of what sounded like people...a lot of people. 
     Wanting nothing more than to turn and go back to the car, Preston said, "Mommy!  A party!" 
     He was right.  His whole classroom was filled with the Moms of his classmates.  There was a Mother's Day celebration this morning and everyone was dressed to the nines.  
     The Moms were all in cute outfits and dresses, pretty shoes, their hair was clean and smelled good, make up and lip gloss...and then there was me...the mom in her pajamas with bed head.  
    If I could have crawled into a hole I would have.  Still in the hallway, I gave Preston a hug and said, "Little man, I'm not going to go in...you can come home with us if you want to but Buddy, I'm not dressed." 
    Looking up with disappointed eyes, Preston turned to see his friends.  "Mommy, I want to go in but I want you to go with me." 
    And there you have it.  No greater love does a mother have for her child than to walk into a room full of people, naked.  Pajamas yes...but at the time, it felt just about the same. 
    Preston has two Wonderful teachers and they gave me a beautiful card that he had made with his painted little handprints along with his list of things that he filled out about "his Mom".
    There was breakfast and juice...it was a wonderful celebration that I would have loved on any given day.  
     Preston's class has some of the nicest parents you could ask for.  I embarrassingly explained my appearance to one of my favorite Moms in the class named Erin.  She laughed when I told her as she looked at my crazy hair.  Smiling, she said, "I would love to have curly hair like that Girl!  Own it!" 
    Erin was right.  It didn't matter what I looked like.  What mattered was that one little preschool boy shared a morning with his Mom and gave her gifts that he had made with his own two hands.  He didn't care what I looked like or what I wore...as long as we were together.
    All in all, it was a fun filled morning.  Mortifying...but fun.  I got back to the car and sent a text to Adam saying, "You would not believe what just happened."  
    It was a Mother's Day celebration that I'll never forget.    
    I guess at least we didn't have parent/teacher conferences today.  I can't wait to see what I'll wear for those!     
  
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    You know that person who's always willing to jump into any picture when there's a camera around?  You know, the one who isn't afraid to be in any group of friends with a big fun smile?  That used to be me. 
    Then something happened. 
    I don't really know when it was.  I try to pin point the time or place when I began to hate having my picture taken.  The only thing I can think of was in 2003 with our first pregnancy.  
     We would get a picture back and I'd stare at myself in disbelief thinking, "Do I really look like THAT?!"  It was almost like some distorted version of myself with a swollen face and huge body.  I was pregnant of course, but regardless, I think that was the first time I remember wanting to shy away from a camera.  
    What's worse, is that when our first son was born, I vividly remember saying, "Don't get me in the pictures," because I knew how awful I looked.  Of course now that makes me sad for obvious reasons.  There are so very few pictures of me with our newborn babies. 
    If you pull that into the here and now, I'm still doing the same thing.  Birthdays, holidays, vacations...I'm always the one holding the camera, taking the pictures.  I cringe when I have to actually be IN them.  You can even go through this blog, week by week, month by month and you'll be hard pressed to find many shots of me.  
    I can't help but think that Facebook had an affect as well.  To this day, if I get a message that says, "You've been tagged," my stomach tightens.  I feel ridiculously nervous wondering what photo might show up when I click on. 
    The worst part of all, is that I'm disappearing in the pictures of the memories of our kids.  I'm in less and less of their special times and when they look back on their childhoods, I know that I'll be in very little of the photos. 
    As much as I hate this and think that I'll stop being so silly, it doesn't seem to change.
    So, as for now, I'm going to try to be better.  Summer is just around the corner and hopefully there will be plenty of photo opportunities with the adventures they may bring. 
    The kids will be surprised when I hand Adam the camera and jump in a shot with them, but I figure that it's about time.    
    Before we know it, the kids will be grown and these days will be gone.  I know that I should try to be more present in their memories of the here and now. 
    After all, no one ever said that life had to be picture perfect. 

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     A friend of mine recently told me about a date she went on...and how she was surprised at the disrespectful way that her date treated their server.
    This hit a nerve with me.  You see, I put myself through graduate school by being a server.  I'd wake up first thing every morning, go to class all day, get home, change clothes, work until 11 or so at night, go home from work, study until one or two in the morning, sleep, wake back up and do it all over again.  
       Needless to say I was exhausted but proud to complete my education.  You can understand then, how it made me CRAZY when I had to deal with "that guy" at work who treated me like I was "just a waitress".  Regardless of whether I was putting myself through school or not, there was something about an arrogant person who assumed they were better than the "working class". 
       One of the worst experiences that I ever had to deal with, was a high roller who laid into me because his rice pilaf wasn't steaming.  He literally wanted STEAM to come off of his food like I had anything to do with the preparation.  The tables in my section stared in disbelief as he yelled and grabbed my right hand, actually sticking it into the rice screaming, "Does THIS feel HOT TO YOU?!"  The manager rushed over to pacify the man by giving him (of course) a free meal to soothe his anger - but I never forgot him.    
       On the TOTAL flip of that, two little old women came in for lunch one Saturday and ordered coffee and dessert...nothing else.  I knew that I would get a small tip if any, but they were so much fun and so cute that it didn't matter.  They stayed for a loooong time which meant that the table didn't turn over, missing more and more groups of the important Saturday crowd and tips.  The two women were so great that I didn't care though.  They were wonderful.  
     When it was time for them to leave, they stood and gave me a hug.  I cleared their coffee cups and picked up the black folder with their check.  Walking to the back, I opened the folder but there was over 100 dollars inside.  I panicked realizing that they were elderly and had mistaken the bills so I shot through the restaurant and out to the parking lot to catch them.  
     Handing the folder full of money to them, they gave each other a twinkling smile and said, "She really was the one".  
      Evidently, the women had been friends since they were young girls and even waited tables together in their early 20's.  Someone left a big tip for one of them saying that they had to do the same one day when they could. 
      The two women said that they always remembered that and looked for a waitress to give it to, but it never felt right until that day.  They told me that it was my job to find a server who was a hard worker and could really use the help when I could give it to them as well.
     To this day, my husband and I give each other a secret grin when we're at a restaurant waiting to see if it's "the one" but we haven't found them yet.  It will be fun when we do.  
     All in all, I try to think of our kids when I write this blog.  I want to leave them with not only memories of their childhood, but also of lessons learned.  
     With that being said, take this example on how to act towards people.  It's always easy to show respect and kindness to those when it benefits your best interest.  You can tell a lot about the soul of a person though, by how s/he treats those who can do nothing for them.
 
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     The smell of hot dogs and popcorn are the air.  The crack of the bat, cheering crowds and warm summer nights.  It's baseball season.
     Our younger two are on the same T-ball team.  It's the second year for our five year old son and the first year for our four year old daughter.  It's actually the first time she's played any sport.  We THOUGHT that she would love finally getting off the sidelines and playing for once, but were surprised at her reaction.  
     She's just about the smallest thing on the team being that she just turned four and most of the kids are boys.  That doesn't seem to phase her though.
     What she DOESN'T seem to like, is being out 'there' all alone.  If you tell her to go out on the field, she takes one look and says, "I don't want to."
      We wondered what game day would bring...it finally came.
      Putting Preston and Lauren Elizabeth's uniforms on, we grabbed their gloves and bats.  Getting to the field, all of their teammates arrived, but Lauren wanted to stay with us.
     "Baby Girl!  Go!  Have FUN and play!"
     "I don't want to go."
     "Lauren...it will be fun."
     "I don't want to.  I'll stay here."
     Just when we thought that it wasn't going to happen, out of nowhere, Preston said, "Oh come on Lauren, just come with me."
     Looking up, she watched as he ran towards the field.  Pulling away from us she chased after him.  That bitter/sweet feeling took over of holding onto your youngest then letting them go.  Without another thought, she was gone. 

     Preston told her to do what he did, then showed her how to get down and be ready for the ball.  They stayed together as the game began.

     If he ran, she ran.  If he moved, she moved.  The whole time she watched and stayed with him. 
     When the inning was over and it was time to bat.  We couldn't help but wonder what she would do without her brother.  When her name was called, the coach told her to go to the fence and get her bat.

    Walking to home plate, Lauren stopped and turned to see us.  Feeling butterflies, I leaned towards Adam and said, "I hope she does it..." 
     Out of nowhere, the biggest smile grew on her face and she turned to get ready.  

      Hitting the ball off the T, we cheered as Lauren took off running.  She had a smile on her face as she landed on first base.
     Three batters later and Lauren got to run home for her first score.  Meeting her at the dugout, Adam and I couldn't help but smile at her excitement. 
      "Mommy?  Daddy?"
      "Yes, Lauren." 
      "When do we get to play again?"
      "Soon enough Baby.  Soon enough."  

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     When you have a house with four young kids, there's usually no telling what will happen on a day to day basis.  You can pretty much count on the continual chaos of running, yelling, screaming, laughing, playing, fighting and messes. 
      Ohhhh the messes.  
      I wrote before about walking through a "Parade of Homes" house once while pulling back the tears as I looked at my husband.  Shooting him a, "We could never live in a house like this" expression, he stopped me before I could even say the words.   
      Shaking his head he said, "Honey, put our kids in this house with four spoons and a gallon of chocolate ice cream and give it ten minutes."
      He was right.  It didn't matter how nice or pretty a house might be.  Our kids could destroy it.  They could destroy almost anything.  In no time flat, a clean car could have unidentifiable splatters on the floor and upholstery that would boggle even NASA.  A house, especially a bathroom, could substitute as a petri dish.
      Some of my personal favorites have been when our home had its very own water slide in the kitchen.  You too can do this by simply holding the water lever in on the refrigerator door until it floods the whole floor.  You'll be good to go in minutes flat...no sunscreen necessary.
      For special occasions, you can include a waterfall for added effect by holding up the spray hose from the kitchen sink.  Oooooooooo, Ahhhhhhhh. 
      Our house has had a snow storm on the inside.  Just one whole bag of flour can go a looooong way.  You'd be surprised at the surface area it can cover.  Especially when making snow angels and having snow ball fights.
      Want a REALLY cool glow in the dark room?  Just find a closet or bathroom...anyplace that's dark will do.  Pull the ends off of a bunch of glow sticks and go to town.  Shake those babies until every square inch is covered. 
      One of my personal favorites has been the abstract art that can be found on any given wall or door.  Ahhhh yes.  Van Gogh himself would marvel at the potential these children have.  They're quite brilliant I must say.  The "Summer of '12 Hallway Collection" rendered me speechless. 
      And then there are the kids themselves.  The things they get into, stains on their clothes, drawings on their arms and legs, mud in their feet...we have found more unbelievable things from head to toe on these four kids.  
      Just the other day, our five year old son walked right up to me with a clump of something in his hair.
     "Preston?"
     "Yes."
     "What is that?"
     "I don't know."
     "Buddy, Let me see it.  What do you have in your hair?"
     "I dunno Mommy.  I think it's gum.  Ethan put it in there."
     "ETHAAAAN!!!"
     "Yes?"
     "COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"
     "Yes?"
     "WHAT is in his hair?"
     "Gum.  I didn't want it anymore."

     Like I said.  There's usually no telling what will happen on a day to day basis.  It's always good to remember to keep your wits about you...but it also doesn't hurt to have a few good tricks up your sleeve. 
     Oh, by the way, peanut butter is really good at getting bubble gum out of hair...and carpet, and couch cushions, blankets, cat fur... 

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    In 2002, Adam was in the Air Force and had just gotten home from the Middle East after 9/11.  It was just the two of us, we had no kids, we were Newlyweds...so we went on a three day trip to celebrate his return. 
    While sitting on the beach, he saw something in the sand.  Whatever it was, it reflected the sunlight in a way that caught his attention enough to dig a little deeper. (no pun intended)
    With a handful of sand, he carefully rinsed it through the ocean to discover a tiny ring for a little girl.  It was beautiful and delicate.  
    There were no children in our area of the beach but we asked people around us if it belonged to them to no avail.
    Not knowing if or when we would ever have a little girl, we decided to hold onto it just in case.  If we possibly did have a daughter, we could one day tell her how we found the buried treasure and hoped for her.
    Last month, our little girl turned four years old.  The tiny ring would fit her perfectly.
    Our family was about to take a vacation so we carefully packed the ring that we had kept all these years.  Lauren Elizabeth has never known about the ring, so it would be a complete surprise to her. 
    As we sat on the beach, Adam gave me a look to let me know that he was ready.  Lauren was playing in the ocean with her three big brothers so Adam scooped a little pocket in the sand and put the ring in.  Patting over it, he called for Lauren.
     She ran up as Adam said, "I think there's something buried in here Baby Girl!  Look!"  
     Going beside Adam, she began to dig.  She suddenly felt the ring with her fingers and looked up at him with a smile.  Pulling it out of the white sand, she studied it.  
     Laughing, Adam said, "Lauren, it's a ring!  You found a ring!  It's buried treasure!"
     She screamed and jumped up to look at it.

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     The third day on the ship there was a strange noise and somewhat of a vibration.  I looked at Adam.  "What was that?!"
     He looked back with confusion and went to a window to see outside.  "There's a BOAT out there!"
     "A boat?  What do you mean a boat?" 
     Going towards the window, I couldn't understand what he meant.  We had been out to sea for days and were in the middle of nowhere.  What kind of boat could there be?
     "You mean a ship?"
     "NO!  A BOAT!  A little boat...like a raft.  It looks like someone got shipwrecked or lost at sea or something." 
     Reaching the window, I couldn't believe what I saw.

     He was right.  There was a small boat out in the middle of nowhere. 
     "What in the World?!"  Grabbing Adam's hand, we started running up flights of stairs to the outside of the ship.  Reaching the side, we looked over and there it was.  A small boat that definitely had people in it.

      Some employees from the ship began to gather and we asked what would happen.  They told us that our ship had already stopped when they saw the boat.  The US Coast Guard was called and we were waiting for them to arrive to take it from there.
      Standing and watching the boat, we expected the stranded people to try anything to move towards the ship to be rescued but they didn't.  It almost seemed like they were trying to go in the opposite direction.  It was then that I became a little nervous.  The way I figured, if you were lost at sea and had been found...you'd be acting like a crazy person trying to go towards the help.  Why weren't they? 
     Little by little, passengers from the ship began to gather along the sides to see what was happening.  We began to hear murmurs of everything from, "What if they're bad guys?  Why are we stopping...let's go."  to "They must be refugees and they're trying to get away from us so we don't pick them up." 
     Everyone seemed confused with the whole situation. 
Suddenly, the make-shift sail from the boat began to lower.  

     The tension began to rise around us as people whispered, "What are they doing?  Who are these people?" 
     The little boat began to redirect and come towards us.  It looked like the people pulled out what seemed like paddles and began to row.  There was a strange mixture of fear and wonder.  
     Coming closer to us, they began to wave their arms seeming as though they were friendly, or asking for help. 

    A large door on the side of the ship opened and the small boat approached it.  As the people climbed on, we all still wondered who they were and what was happening.  There was no sign of the Coast Guard yet but an announcement came overhead that the ship would keep the people contained and make sure that they were taken care of.  
    As their boat was cleared out and the people were taken in, we looked down to see what they were traveling in.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen. 

     If they really were refugees, where were they coming from and what was so bad where they lived to make them risk their lives at sea under such conditions?  It was hard to believe altogether and a pit grew in my stomach.
     Eventually the Coast Guard arrived as everyone stood and watched.

     The people who were lost at sea were loaded onto the Coast Guard's boat and whisked away.  We still don't know who they were or what their story was.  
     Word spread on the ship that they had been out to sea for three days and were completely out of food and water.  It's hard to think what would have happened to them.  
    It's even harder yet to think about where they came from if in fact they were trying to escape.  I hope they're okay.  It was such a huge reminder of how truly fortunate we are to live in freedom.   

     One fun thing about the Disney Cruise were the Pirates and Princesses. 
     It wouldn't feel right to be out to sea without seeing a swashbuckling Pirate.  On the third night of the trip, there were a plenty to be had. 
      It was "Pirate Night" and it was hard to go a blimey minute without encountering one.  Mateys of all ages were decked out and ready for adventure.  Captain Jack Sparrow was there to ensure the festivities.  

     Plenty of Landlubbers had a Jolly Roger time, but once the Pirates walked the plank, the Princesses came in. 
     After having three little Pirates in a row, we never thought we would get the chance to meet Cinderella...and it was finally time.
     Lauren Elizabeth wondered if she would see Snow White.  She has loved Snow White ever since her friend Lia had a birthday party where Snow White showed up as a surprise.  Lauren Elizabeth wondered if she would ever get to meet her again. 
     We brought her little dress from home, went to the cruise...and hoped for the best.
     When we heard that there would be a Princess gathering, Lauren could hardly stand the wait.  
     Trumpets sounded and as everyone looked above, there they were. 

    Lauren's eyes widened when she saw Snow White.
    The Princesses made their way down the grand staircase and it was hard to keep Lauren from running towards them.
    The Princesses formed a line but as luck would have it, the very last one was Snow White.
    We giggled as Lauren went from Ariel to Belle and was so excited to meet each one. 

     The time finally arrived to meet Snow White.  There was one little girl in front of Lauren Elizabeth and she waited her turn.  Looking at us with the biggest eyes, Lauren seemed like she would burst if she didn't get to talk to Snow White soon.
     As the girl in front of us walked away, Lauren sprinted to Snow White and all but knocked her over with a hug.  Snow White couldn't have been better.  She talked and listened to Lauren Elizabeth about so many different things.  They discussed the most important matters of what it was like to turn four years old and of course, bows and hair styles.   

     It was a magical time all around.  Scurvy Pirates and Princesses alike had a Fairy tale ending to a most fun filled day at sea.