AM I WHAT????

CRAZY....

That seemed to be the question out of everyone's mouth when I told them for my birthday I would be joining my sister Kelly, two of my friends, Shanen and Trish, along with a minimum of 14 kids at BIG SURF for the day. I guess I am crazy...because we had a blast!!!

Pudgie was terrified of the wave pool but happily sat right next to me, clutching my leg, at the end of the concrete beach waiting for the water to crash onto our toes. All the kids loved riding the waves and going down the slides. Jax was a little scared of the slides and didn't want to admit it in front of his best friend Emma. I was good with that. They got to come and go as they pleased into the pools and slides and I had a great time catching up on life with my sister!

I also got to spend a lot of time with each of my big kids today. Kelly took Pudgie into the kiddie pool, where there was plenty of shade for each of them, and I got to play in the waves with both Binx and Jaxi. It was time together we needed and with summer closing quickly, I know they liked it as well!

Maybe I am a little crazy. Today is not a day I could have gone to get my nails done or had dinner alone with Tommy. Our schedules don't accomodate special days all the time. I guess that is what makes us work so well. If Tommy had been off work... we still would have headed to Big Surf...all of us...because I would not have wanted to be anywhere else!!!! CRAZY works for me and I wouldn't trade that for the world!!!

~37~

Today is my 37th birthday. I had my entire day planned last year, based on the school calendar. My kids were going back to school on my birthday....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

And then someone changed the school calendar.

I have had all summer to come to terms with school starting a week later and not getting the only present I wanted. I nearly fainted when my neighbor told me that school was starting 5 minutes later this year and then, my head nearly exploded when she said that they were starting a week later. That was when I decided to create my own present~

I started thinking about school and life and love and family...and all I have learned in the 37 years I have been here:


Here's what I know so far....

1. Life is what you make of it.

2. I am a half-full glass kinda girl

3. Strong women are sexy and beautiful

4. Weak women don't know any better

5. God will only put on you, what you can handle

6. Sometimes that just sucks

7. Rolling down a grassy hill with your kids can make your whole week

8. Quit making excuses...You need to own it, good or bad

9. Scars are cool

10. Those who judge...well others know more about you than you think

11. Until my kids are grown, my house will never be spotless

12. The truth hurts sometimes, get over it!

13. Money does not buy happiness or time. Use it well or lose it!

14. Look past the flaws. We all have them

15. Everyone is attractive in different ways

16. The rain is sexy

17. Uniforms are sexy

18. I have awesome muscles in my arms, I work my butt off for them

19. My husband is awesome

20. Hard work is worthwhile

21. Soft kisses can fix a lot

22. Tight hugs can usually fix the rest

23. You can not change your parents minds, attitudes, or way of living and thinking so move on from whatever it is that bothers you about them

24. Time spent with your Dad counts, even when you grow up

25. Sometimes it just is not worth it to forgive again and again

26. "Me" time is important or I get mad at the world

27. I am a touchy feely kinda girl. I hug everyone (too much at times)

28. I would not be alive if there were not angels among us, a God above us, and family right next to me

29. I miss my career everyday, but I love my family a million times more

30. I believe in miracles

31. The word CAN'T does not belong in my vocabulary

32. Forgetting, after you forgive....takes a strong heart

33. There has never in my life been a goal I have set, that I did not accomplish

34. Some days I wish for another baby. The next day usually negates that wish

35. Lying to your kids comes back to bite you, twice as hard

36. I'm a gambler, in all aspects of the definition

37. I am me. I am not perfect, I am not the nicest person all the time, I am strong and can hold my own in a fight or professional conversation. I can rock babies to sleep with the best of them and knock out the worst of them. I lift weights to be able to walk and I love this life I live. I still have so much to learn. I have seen things that will haunt me the rest of my life and I have loved like there is no tomorrow. I married the one man that took my breath away and I have three amazing kids that took my sanity. They all support me, no matter what I am doing..... and that is the best present I could ever get! (ALONG WITH MY NEW FOOD SCALE!!)

C*E*L*E*B*R*A*T*E

My family decided to celebrate my birthday with me today. Sometimes, with my family, that becomes hard. Not in a bad way at all. It ruins our way of eating though.....and it tends to make Tommy and I sick.

My mom loves JUNK food. I am not talking a bag of cheetos or some chips here and there. I am talking about an all out hurricane of junk food. Chips, dips, ice cream, cake, candy, pop, pies, donuts, licorice, cookies.....the list can go on and on, like the piles of bags in my kitchen right now..........

Tommy and I have been doing very well with our new way of eating so I knew we would cheat a little today. UUUGHHH........... all it took was an ice cream cone and a cupcake for me and my stomach was already making me regret my choices. (BUT OH MAN, THEY WERE YUMMY!!!)

We had a wonderful day together! Things have been a little stressed for my sister lately. For me, to see her happy and unscathed from life has she has been living it, was the best gift ever.

A lot of Wii (and we take our Wii bowling pretty seriously around here), so much laughter, combined with swimming and chicken with BBQ'D shrimp, naptime, fresh coats of paint for fingers and toes and celebrating with a new friend that wanted to laugh and hang out as part of our family made the day P~E~R~F~E~C~T!!!!!!

Jax, Brinkley and Pudgie had Grammie and Grampie all to themselves today. We still missed our girls though!!! All in all, we had a blast and I loved celebrating today!!!!

Happy Early Birthday weekend to ME!!!!