My Wednesday started with laughter and didn't stop all day.
I love laughter.
I love the giggles of small children. Most especially when they are being silly or being tickled. I love a great story that makes everyone laugh.
I love to laugh until I can't breath.
Laughter invovles every muscle, every breath and is great for the soul.
I am grateful for laughter today because... I don't know, I guess I have never stopped to think about why I am grateful for it or why I love it. All I know is that laughter really is the best medicine to cure the hurt and pain.
I love to laugh and I am grateful for it.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
#13 A mothers love
To be fair, I can't do a post about Dad without doing a post about Mom.
Meet my Mother.
This last October, marked 9 years since she passed away.
I miss her.
It doesn't matter how old you will be, you will always want your Mommy. She brought me into this world and rasied me. She taught me how to read and write, how to cook and how to be a good homemaker. She taught me what to do and what not to do when it came to family. She was very athletic and a mechanic. I have a lot of good memories of her and a lot of bad memories.
She fought her demons everyday but now she is at peace.
Meet my Mom.
This beautiful woman is my Mom. I couldn't tell you about the first time I met her because I don't remember. Just like Dad, it was like she wasn't there one day and the next she was. She is an incredible hard worker. My last Thanksgiving with my Mother, we had 15 or more people over. Mom couldn't make it because she had to work. She came over after work and I remember her sitting down on the couch exhausted and ready to cry. She had missed out on Thanksgiving.
I remember that so very vividly because that is how I feel on a daily basis. She had gone to work outside her home and had done it for her family. Dad was going to school to become a teacher and Mom became a bread winner. I watched as she came into the house and sat down. Even though she was exhausted and ready to cry, I knew she was happy to be with her family. She was truly grateful to be with them... even if she had missed the turkey.
She has been the example of what I needed to show me that we might miss out on the Turkey but there is always joy in Motherhood. She is never afraid to tell me how it is, even when I don't like what she has to say. Because what she has to say is the truth.
I remember the day that I stopped feeling like an orphan. It was a sunday. I had gone up to spend a long weekend in Seattle with Mom and Dad. Church wasn't until the afternoon and Dad had early morning meetings. I was sleeping on the couch and he stopped to tell me that Mom was in bed and the spot next to her was open.
Now let me explain something... my parents have the most AMAZING bed ever! Now I don't covet but this is something that I am dire need of repenting of. So back to my story....
I got up quickly and ran into the bedroom. I crawled under the covers next to my mom. We spent the next few hours just talking. In that morning, I no longer felt lost. I was no longer an orphan. For the first time in seven years and at the age of 28, I was found a place where I belonged.
Everyone needs an anchor to their soul. Sometimes we need a couple of extra anchors. I have been blessed with more than one anchor and I have Mom and a Dad to be one of those anchors. For that, one cannot measure the gratitude because it is eternal.
Meet my Mother.
This last October, marked 9 years since she passed away.
I miss her.
It doesn't matter how old you will be, you will always want your Mommy. She brought me into this world and rasied me. She taught me how to read and write, how to cook and how to be a good homemaker. She taught me what to do and what not to do when it came to family. She was very athletic and a mechanic. I have a lot of good memories of her and a lot of bad memories.
She fought her demons everyday but now she is at peace.
Meet my Mom.
I remember that so very vividly because that is how I feel on a daily basis. She had gone to work outside her home and had done it for her family. Dad was going to school to become a teacher and Mom became a bread winner. I watched as she came into the house and sat down. Even though she was exhausted and ready to cry, I knew she was happy to be with her family. She was truly grateful to be with them... even if she had missed the turkey.
She has been the example of what I needed to show me that we might miss out on the Turkey but there is always joy in Motherhood. She is never afraid to tell me how it is, even when I don't like what she has to say. Because what she has to say is the truth.
I remember the day that I stopped feeling like an orphan. It was a sunday. I had gone up to spend a long weekend in Seattle with Mom and Dad. Church wasn't until the afternoon and Dad had early morning meetings. I was sleeping on the couch and he stopped to tell me that Mom was in bed and the spot next to her was open.
Now let me explain something... my parents have the most AMAZING bed ever! Now I don't covet but this is something that I am dire need of repenting of. So back to my story....
I got up quickly and ran into the bedroom. I crawled under the covers next to my mom. We spent the next few hours just talking. In that morning, I no longer felt lost. I was no longer an orphan. For the first time in seven years and at the age of 28, I was found a place where I belonged.
Everyone needs an anchor to their soul. Sometimes we need a couple of extra anchors. I have been blessed with more than one anchor and I have Mom and a Dad to be one of those anchors. For that, one cannot measure the gratitude because it is eternal.
#12 And where is the Body?
Back in September, I went to a Girls Night Out hosted by the hospital I work for. It is fair of sorts that focus's on womens lives and health issues. I had never been and I invited my friend Miss Marie to go with me. Every year our hospital holds a 5k and half marathon to raise money for cancer. We stopped a booth that was promoting that run. We both talked to the man at the booth about the run that will be held in June 2013. Miss Marie signed up to run the race and I thought to myself: "If Miss Marie runs off a cliff, I should totally follow her!"
Not really. She was excited about this half marathon and I got excited too! I have always wanted to run the 5k but I realized that there was nine months until this half marathon and I could get ready for it by then. There was another booth that we also stopped at that had training courses to help prepare for the half marathon.
A 5k is a little over three miles... what's ten more?
I started running in the evening times with my neighbor and got up to 2.5 miles. I am almost to a 5k!!! But then.... my fibromyalgia kicked my ass one day. Then I dealt with whatever sickness that had plagued my Hotstuff. My running in the evenings became a distant memory. What has made it even harder on me is that I have NO ONE to train with. Miss Marie has a full plate and is no longer going to run. Hotstuff says running makes his knees hurt and anyone else thinks I am just crazy for running. I really need someone to pace with me. I can't seem to catch a break.
Last night, as with every Monday, the kids had gymnastics at our local rec center. Hotstuff and I both went to the oppurtunity to go work out while the kids did their gymnastics. I ran 2.5 miles for the first time in almost three months!
So today, I am grateful for that run. I was able to remind myself that I still can move and my body will not be defeat by illness. I felt that wonderful high as my body streamed along the track. My feet carried me along the blue floor. I felt weightless and powerful... even when I began to burn and beg for breath.
To quote the awesome song by Young the Giant: "My body tells me no, but I won't quit 'cause I want more."
Not really. She was excited about this half marathon and I got excited too! I have always wanted to run the 5k but I realized that there was nine months until this half marathon and I could get ready for it by then. There was another booth that we also stopped at that had training courses to help prepare for the half marathon.
A 5k is a little over three miles... what's ten more?
I started running in the evening times with my neighbor and got up to 2.5 miles. I am almost to a 5k!!! But then.... my fibromyalgia kicked my ass one day. Then I dealt with whatever sickness that had plagued my Hotstuff. My running in the evenings became a distant memory. What has made it even harder on me is that I have NO ONE to train with. Miss Marie has a full plate and is no longer going to run. Hotstuff says running makes his knees hurt and anyone else thinks I am just crazy for running. I really need someone to pace with me. I can't seem to catch a break.
Last night, as with every Monday, the kids had gymnastics at our local rec center. Hotstuff and I both went to the oppurtunity to go work out while the kids did their gymnastics. I ran 2.5 miles for the first time in almost three months!
So today, I am grateful for that run. I was able to remind myself that I still can move and my body will not be defeat by illness. I felt that wonderful high as my body streamed along the track. My feet carried me along the blue floor. I felt weightless and powerful... even when I began to burn and beg for breath.
To quote the awesome song by Young the Giant: "My body tells me no, but I won't quit 'cause I want more."
Sunday, November 11, 2012
#11 A father and a Soldier
Today, I am most grateful for this man here:
Meet my Dad.
And yes, he does look really young for having a daughter who is 30. That is because, he is only 42. Doing the math in your head doesn't really work. There really is twelve years between us.
Explanation: I am "adopted".
Many, many years ago, my own biological parents divorced. My father left us and I was raised by my mother. My mother had this incredibly beautiful friend, Granny M that I have known since I was twelve. She and her husband Papa M, took my mother into their hearts and welcomed her with open arms. In many ways, my mother became one of their own. Granny M passed away a few years ago but Papa is still with us.
A couple of years after meeting Granny and Papa, I met Dad. He had just left the military and moved back Oregon with Mom and Lil Brudder. I can't remember the first time I met him or Mom for that matter. It was as if one day they weren't there and the next they were. Everything about our relationships with one another felt very natural, as if we were simply picking up where we had left off. As the years went on, I would not have survived my teenage years without him or Mom.
They took me into their hearts and home, just as his parents did for my mother. I remember when I graduated from high school, as I walked off the stage I heard someone yelling at me. I turned to look and see Mom, Dad and Lil Brudder all cheering me on. When I moved to Utah, he and Mom threw me a last minute going away party (on Fathers day, a sunday and they put it all on the credit card! If that is not love, I don't know what to tell you). When I brought Hotstuff home to meet everyone, the day after he had met Hotstuff for the first time, we went over for dinner. He and mom hadn't returned from the store yet but the moment he walked in the door he told me we needed to talk.
I won't lie, I was nervous. I thought I was in big trouble! But we sat down, just the two of us and had a father-daughter talk that I will never forget. That is a cherished memory of mine and I know, that talk is what I needed to put me on the right path of marrying my Hotstuff. He put his arms around me and told me that I was the daughter he would never have. For that one simple statement has brought completion to my life.
Today is Veterans day and I honor those who have fought for this incredible nation. My dad is one of them. I hope that he knows how much he means to me. It has taken me a very long time to no longer feel like an orphan. When I talk of home, they are apart of the home.
My kids call him Poppy but to me he is my Dad.
Meet my Dad.
And yes, he does look really young for having a daughter who is 30. That is because, he is only 42. Doing the math in your head doesn't really work. There really is twelve years between us.
Explanation: I am "adopted".
Many, many years ago, my own biological parents divorced. My father left us and I was raised by my mother. My mother had this incredibly beautiful friend, Granny M that I have known since I was twelve. She and her husband Papa M, took my mother into their hearts and welcomed her with open arms. In many ways, my mother became one of their own. Granny M passed away a few years ago but Papa is still with us.
A couple of years after meeting Granny and Papa, I met Dad. He had just left the military and moved back Oregon with Mom and Lil Brudder. I can't remember the first time I met him or Mom for that matter. It was as if one day they weren't there and the next they were. Everything about our relationships with one another felt very natural, as if we were simply picking up where we had left off. As the years went on, I would not have survived my teenage years without him or Mom.
They took me into their hearts and home, just as his parents did for my mother. I remember when I graduated from high school, as I walked off the stage I heard someone yelling at me. I turned to look and see Mom, Dad and Lil Brudder all cheering me on. When I moved to Utah, he and Mom threw me a last minute going away party (on Fathers day, a sunday and they put it all on the credit card! If that is not love, I don't know what to tell you). When I brought Hotstuff home to meet everyone, the day after he had met Hotstuff for the first time, we went over for dinner. He and mom hadn't returned from the store yet but the moment he walked in the door he told me we needed to talk.
I won't lie, I was nervous. I thought I was in big trouble! But we sat down, just the two of us and had a father-daughter talk that I will never forget. That is a cherished memory of mine and I know, that talk is what I needed to put me on the right path of marrying my Hotstuff. He put his arms around me and told me that I was the daughter he would never have. For that one simple statement has brought completion to my life.
Today is Veterans day and I honor those who have fought for this incredible nation. My dad is one of them. I hope that he knows how much he means to me. It has taken me a very long time to no longer feel like an orphan. When I talk of home, they are apart of the home.
My kids call him Poppy but to me he is my Dad.
#10 Words, Words, Words
Saturday mornings, everyone pitches in and has assigned chores. While cleaning the front room yesterday, I started straightening the bookshelf and was amazed at all of the books that I had. Many I have read and a few of them I haven't. I have blogged a lot about reading and the books I have read. I just finshed three books this last week and am currently working on my fourth.
I took a moment yesterday and stood before my almost over flowing bookshelf and gave thanks to the beautiful written words that I hold. They are my words, those are my worlds, my laughter, my escape.
I love to read and I love to write.
Without the words on my shelves, I couldn't find inspiration. There is power in words and I am grateful for the power that comes with those words.
#9 Best Friends Forever
I spent the day looking for what I was most grateful for that day. I had almost resigned to just picking something random until I went bowling.
Hotstuff and I have some friends with two small kids. We were neighbors and still attend church together. So Sargent Daddy called us and suggested that our families all go bowling together. We met at the bowling alley and paid for our game. Sargent Mommy sat out while the rest of us got ready.
I was a little concerned that she wasn't playing. Sargent Mommy said that she wasn't feeling good and was really sore. Then she told me that she was pregnant! I am so excited to see there family grow again.
Then she told me something that I wasn't expecting. She told me that she was really wanted to tell me that she was pregnant. She is not too far into her pregnancy and was excited to tell me about her happy news. I feel honored that she wanted to tell me. Late in the evening, I realized how grateful I was to be a friend and to have friends in my life.
I have been blessed with great women in my life to be my friends. They know my deepest secrets, my biggest dreams; they share my tears and laughter. They have watched me grow and learn. They have seen my triumphs, my failures, my awkwardness and my victories.
They know who they are and all I can hope for is that I have been the great friend that they have been to me.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
#8 Trust me... I'm a Doctor
Not that Doctor! (All though he is my favorite Doctor)
Hi, my name is Honey and I am a Diet Coke Addict.
But currently, I have strayed.
I am sorry.
I have been unfaithful.
I have been seeing another soda.
Let me explain.... I have been sick.
Really sick.
When I get sick Sprite and Gatorade is the way to go. But then I have this lingering sickness and though I am not contagious, my stomach doesn't want much of anything. Dr. Pepper is the one thing that doesn't make me nauseous (even when water does). Last year, I had another asthma flare up and I was sick for a month. I could barely eat anything but the one thing that gave me satisfaction was Dr. Pepper and a Granny B's Ginger Molasses's cookies. I could have both of those with causing any pain and I could keep them down.
When I go home to Seattle, I buy a twelve pack of Dr. Pepper and I split it with Lil Brudder.
So today, I am grateful for Dr. Pepper and all of it's fizziness. It makes my tummy feel better and reminds me of going home.
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