Proud MaMa Moment

A little over a week ago the local dry cleaner here in town caught fire during the night... it was adjacent to a shopping center that housed other businesses including an empty storefront that was being used as a holding for the donated toys for Toys for Tots.  Over $15,000 in toys and about $6,000 in clothing were lost... as always you can count on the Gaylord community to spring into action and start restocking of those items so that every child can have a Christmas (there was no insurance).  Even I was/am holding a fundraiser and ALL proceeds earned from my Tupperware sales through December 14th will be donated to the Toys for Tots program in Gaylord.  So where does the proud Mama moment come into play?

The first thing out of my baby girl's mouth when she woke up this morning was, Mama we gotta put this money (lefting a handful of change she'd been saving for month) in a baggie so I can take it to school for Toys for Tots!  I wished I'd had a camera handy, her sad little face looking up at me as if to say "if we don't get this money to them there won't be any Christmas"... that's my baby girl.  She really does have my "giving" blood in her.  A moment in time when she wasn't thinking of herself and wouldn't stop until I had the baggie down and filled with change.  I even offered to get some more money for her to take but she didn't want it... this was HER money and SHE was giving it for something she believed to be special and purposeful.  that folks, is my proud mama moment!!

Are You Strong Enough?

Yesterday was a big day here in America... Election Day.  Not just any Election Day, but the one where we decide on who our president will be for the next four years... sometimes a tough decision, sometimes not so much.  There's always a few extra names listed on the ballot of people you've likely never heard of and two you most definitely have... this year, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were our Primary choices.  When it comes to the president and presidential elections things can get heated, arguments begin, friendships end, people laugh, people cry... for some it's a highly emotional time.

I'll make no bones about it, I didn't vote for Obama the first time and I sure as heck didn't vote for him this time.  He didn't win and honestly I'm ok with that... I'm not ok with some of his past choices, and probably won't be with some of his future choices.  It's ok... it's ok because everyone has made some poor choices throughout their lives and I'm sure Romney would have made some poor decisions throughout his presidency had he won.  We all (I'm guilty of it too) seem to hold the president responsible for everything that goes wrong, and for not making positive changes.  The economy is in a hard hard state right now, people are hurting and struggling, fighting to survive and one man can't fix that.  It is unrealistic to think Obama could have made such great changes in the past four years, and it would have been unrealistic to expect Romney to fix the mess that was created over the past eight plus years.  There is only one that can truly heal the hurt, feed the starving and lessen the struggles... He's our Almighty God.  You know the verse, "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" - pull him near, feel his warmth and I promise he'll pull you through whatever your troubles may be.  No president can do that!

So here we are... Obama has another four years to finish what he started, another four years to get it right, to learn from his mistakes and go forward making GOOD decisions to help America turn itself around.  Just keep in mind that ONE man can't do it alone, we all have to be a part of the equation.  We all have to be a part of the solution, be the change you want to see in the world, be the role model the world needs you to be... shake your neighbors hand and let's put this country back together again!

Thankful Thursday...

**only one day late this week**

Yikes, it’s Thankful Thursday already and I wrote nothing in between… boo me.

I’ve been thinking about this Thankful Thursday thing, and I’m thinking I need to think about it sooner than on Thursday’s… I played through so many things that I’m thankful for that I literally got a headache.  Seriously, where do you start when you have so many things to be thankful for?  I’ll tell ya where…  with God.  I know, there was a time when such a statement coming from my mouth would have caused panic but don’t worry… Mercury isn’t in Retrograde or anything like that.  Well maybe it is, I haven’t checked lately so who knows.

Anywho… if ya know me, and I mean really know me and not just think you know me… you know there was a period when me and God didn’t exactly see eye to eye.  I never stopped talking to him, well maybe it was more like yelling at him… but either way, I’ll tell ya flat out he never left my side.  I’ll save you the gory details of my past but there were many a time when, in looking back, He was there catching me every time I fell… except that one time that involved black ice and a concusion, and that other time that involved high heels and ½ dozen shots, but I digress…

It was rough… it still is.  But now I have more faith that everything will be ok.  It was 2010 and after seven years of “bad luck” I’d had enough, I heard his call and followed his lead… the decision was made, me and the kids would be going back to church.  Their father didn’t want any part of it at the time, which was ok cause I was going to need someone to take care of the kids after I burst into flames from stepping foot in a church.  Seriously.  I researched the area churches and decided on Oak Pointe Church in Novi.  The day came, the kids were excited, I was nervous and cautiously approached the building slowly walking in further and further… sigh, phew… no flames.  Would you believe I noticed changes happening right away… and for the better!   For the longest time, while at odds with God, I had that attitude of “just because I don’t go to church doesn’t mean I’m not a Christian, or a good person”… it’s not enough, it really isn’t.   There’s a BIG difference in saying I believe in God and actually believing in him… know what I mean?  You can go around and say, yeah yeah I believe… but do you really?  What do your actions say?  What does your heart say?  Do you feel the belief or is it just  a passive statement??  Do ya get it now?

Anywho… long story short, we only attended that church for about 8 months when God started making big moves in our lives and he took us to Port Huron for a new and wonderful career!  Then a year later we were called to head north… and back to my home church, Gaylord Evangelical Free Church.  The church has grown TREMENDOUSLY since I left the area in 1999 but it still has that small town warmth and love about it… even though the attendance has grown so much, I still see so many faces I recognize and I’m thankful for that.  A little sad when some of the faces are of those that were in elementary school the last time I saw them, or were just graduating high school and now have families of their own… sigh, I feel so old.  :o(

Back to my long story short… I’m thankful for God and his forgiveness.  If you’ve never heard of 2wordstory, I highly recommend you check out their site and program – it’s AWESOME!  I struggled with my own 2 word story and what it should be, there were sooo many words I could use but I settled on the one most fitting.  My story… Forgiven?  Forgiven.  Someday I’ll tell ya about it, but for now this song by Mercy Me describes it pretty well.

Thankful Thursday...

Yes, I know it’s not Thursday but Thursday got away from me so here we are… celebrating Thankful Thursday on Saturday.  Soooo, on the way to work Thursday morning I was listening to 89.3 and callers were calling in to tell what they were thankful for – after all, it was Thankful Thursday.  What an awesome idea right?  The whole way in I thought about the blog and what to write in regards to Thankful Thursday, had a whole line up of things… then as soon as I got to work it all left and my brain turned to squish.

Let me start by going way back to April 30, 2012… I arrived to work and found this hottie sitting on my keyboard, just waiting to make my day special!

Seems strange I know, but it’s the little things that matter most… and my old cell mate knew just how to make me smile.  She’d come across this old poster and for some crazy reason thought of me, wrote up a little caption bubble and perched him on my keyboard for my morning pleasure.  I am soooo thankful for a great number of things but I’m starting this one off with my cell mate and dear friend Mellea… we’re like sisters that were separated at birth.  We’re both twisted, have minimal filters on our mouths and get each other’s off the wall sense of humor.   People were jealous, I know they were… and they were lurking, just waiting in the wings like vultures for when I left, hoping and praying that I’d leave the poster behind so they could have it – not a chance!!  Here he is in his new home at my new office…. And yes, I did put baby in a corner…

So, of all the things I could have mentioned being thankful for in relation to Ms. Mellea why did I mention the Bon Jovi story?  Because of this stellar young man right here….

Yup, he’s one to be thankful for too.  He’s a Foster Care Worker here in Emmet County and I know there are a lot of people thankful for him.  There must be, because he’s being recognized and honored for going above and beyond and is Foster Care Worker of the year!!! 

On a personal note I think he's jealous of my Bon Jovi poster... he's a jokester too and has made a few silly comments about him.  It's ok though, it puts a smile on my face and that's something to be thankful for!  So can you imagine the smile, not to mention flat out laughter that followed when I saw this on my cube wall just hanging there staring at me...

Here, let me zoom in so you can see that it's actually autographed...

Not only am I honored to be one of the select few to receive one, but he spelled my name right too!!  Told you it's the little things that matter most!  And in case you can't read what it says, let me help ya out... "Best Wishes and keep striving for greatness, continue Living on a Prayer" - told you he was jealous.  ;o)

Happy Today

There are many things that make me happy... the warmth from the sun, the beauty of fresh fallen snow on the trees, waking up, being able to walk, and talk, you know the little things like that.

But what makes me the happiest today??  Knowing that my baby girl loves me and isn't afraid to show that love and affection in front of a bus full of kids.  Every day she gives me a hug goodbye and says "I love you mama."  That just makes me puff all up inside and darn near make me wet my pants with joy... cause I know it won't last long. :o(

Be Aware, Very Aware

Well now apparently October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month – and here I thought it was domestic awareness month, or was it breast cancer awareness month?  We have grown to have so many “awareness” causes that we not only have to double up and share month’s now but we’ve worked our way down to giving each day an awareness!!   Did you know Oct 27^th is Cranky Co-workers day – since that’s on a Saturday this year I think I’ll celebrate a day early!  Now don’t everyone go having a stroke about this but, Oct 29^th is World Stroke Day!  Yes, I know having a stroke isn’t funny, it’s very serious – but do we need a day for it?  November 15^th is World Philosophy Day… really?  Cause around here it’s known as Opening Day for Firearm season… To hunt or not to hunt, that is the question… I think, therefore I’m overqualified… no wait, I have more!!  Bwahahaha   Do ya see where I’m coming from here folks?  Do I need to go on?  You want to know why this week is traditionally hell week for me?  Because of all these dumb made up days… Boss’s day is Oct 16^th, Sweetest Day (BLECH) is the 20^th this year but sometimes those two are neck & neck with each other and what falls in between??  Of course you don’t know, that’s why this rant has taken this direction (it seriously has gone in a direction I didn’t intend)… because there’s always so much love being shown to boss’s and sweeties (sniffle sniffle) that I get left behind, forgotten and kicked to the side without even so much as a bottle o’ booze. 

That is all… Carry on people, carry on.

Mama it Fell Out!

For the last couple of weeks all I've heard is, "mama my tooth is really wiggly."  Well ok, that might not be ALL I've heard but I've heard it a LOT, until this morning.  I was getting breakfast ready for baby girl and next thing I know she comes running to the kitchen saying "mama mama it fell out!", I spun around and sure enough there she stood with her hand out holding a little tooth!

It was so cute & funny to hear her talk that I made her repeat herself several times just to hear her talk... luckily she was so excited that she didn't realize what I was doing.  Then I warned her about eating and drinking now because the tooth is missing and things could fall out - she looked at me like I'd gone bonkers. 

As you can see, that tiny little tooth left quite a decent size hole...

I'm not sure what the going rate for teeth is these days but I can sure bet you it won't be as much as the Tooth Fairy's new door that will magically appear tonight....

Yes, I know I'm a dork - so what!  Santa has a chimney, why can't the Tooth Fairy have a door?