Just put on a little lipstick...

I remember those busy days when my kids were younger and we were constantly shuttling between hockey, gymnastics and music. I had to keep a calendar to know who had to be where and when. Josh and Chassi are at that point now with the girls, and we try to attend as many of their activities as we can. This weekend was unusually busy with events. Thursday/Friday - Anna was in the 3rd and 4th grade production of Annie . Saturday - Morgan had a gymnastics meet and then we were off to the pre-triathlon packet pick up and pep rally. Emri was a great cheerleader for her sisters and cousin, while also making friends with every furry animal at the park. Sunday was the  Nashville Kids Triathlon   day and cousin Michael joined Anna and Morgan to compete. They swam 100 yards, biked 3 miles and ran .5 miles and they all finished strong! What a great accomplishment for 8 and 9 yr olds!

One of the things I've always wanted to do is participate in a Habitat for Humanity Build. I got that opportunity earlier this month and it was very rewarding. My company H2U signed up to help build a home for a nice lady and her daughter. This was a all women build so all the ladies in our company pitched in to paint, spackle, clean and trim the house. Thankfully Habitat has wonderful contractors that oversaw and assisted us with our duties.

Strong women. May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them. ~unknown  

I was blessed with a beautiful and kind mother, and I miss her every day. Mother's day has been bittersweet since we lost her to multiple myleoma. I am so thankful for each and every day that she was here with us on earth, and I still feel her presence. Bryan, Josh and Jenni did a good job at coordinating a Mother's day gathering this year. We had delicious food and the children made gifts with candy, fans and homemade flowers for Linda, Lisa (mommy to be), Dee-Mama and me.   Happy Mother's Day to all my blog friends!

Last week Jenni and I were having a mother/daughter day out and we walked out of Rafferty's and there were lots of people milling around my car. They were giggling and acting a little strange, but since we come from a big, loud, strange family of our own we really didn't think much about it. I then noticed the elderly grandmother of the group motioning for me to roll my window down so I did. She came over to the car and said "My family and I were posing by your tire cover and taking family photos, because we love that saying".

Sometimes you just gotta get away! We took a long weekend trip with friends to Savannah, GA. Savannah has become one of our favorite vacation cities. It's a great city for walking, exploring and of course...eating! While we were there the Savannah College of Art and Design was having their annual sidewalk chalk art festival. We had a great time watching the drawings take shape and picking our favorites.   Never miss an opportunity to make memories with friends!   

It was that time again, time to visit Dr. Whitworth's office for my 6 month check up. It's been almost 5 years since I  heard him say the words  you have breast cancer . In some ways that seems like yesterday, and in others it seems like it has truly been 5 years. I got really good news on this visit. My exam was normal and I am moving to yearly check ups. They reminded me of the things to look for, abnormal bruising, dimpling and lumps. With each year that has passed year I have become a little more comfortable with my new normal . I will always have artificial breasts and numbness, but that is something I have learned to live with. I still have no answers as to why I found my cancer early and others found theirs later. Some say luck, some say fate. All I know is I vow to support others in their journey and to do what I can to stay healthy, embrace each day and never take anything (or anyone) for granted. A big thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, or supported me t

America has always felt like a safe place to me - until now. I worry when I see the age of innocence being ruined by evil. There has always been evil in this world and there always will be. When I was a child the news was on at 5pm and 10pm. My parents made sure we were aware to be cautious of strangers, careful in traffic and explained to us large scale world events to us. They were honest with us, but also protective of us and did not share things that would only worry us and that we would have no control over anyway. At school we had tornado and fire drills. There was no need to have active shooter drills in school. I am concerned because children born in America today will never know of a world without violence because of social media. It breaks my heart to hear Josh's girls worry about going in to tall buildings, events, movies, etc.. and be concerned there will be a shooter or a bomb. Even if we try to protect our kids, the news is everywhere. They hear it from other kids

I got a distressed call from a friend who is recovering from her lumpectomy. She didn't realize that the doctor would take so much tissue and leave her with such an indention in her breast. Cancer is hard enough without feeling like you just didn't have all the details before you had surgery. Lumpectomy, Mastectomy, Bilateral Mastectomy - get all the facts before you make your choice. Ask to see pictures, ask for a plastic surgeon consult BEFORE your surgery. Then make the choice that you feel good about and ask for the results you wish.

Spring Break week for the grand-girls was a busy one. Anna is playing softball and Morgan takes gymnastics so schedules are tight. After a little searching we decided to rent a hotel room and have a slumber party. The new Drury Inn in Franklin was the perfect location. They have an indoor pool, very comfortable rooms and food galore, all included in the room rate. The 5:30 kickback is not 4 star dining, but it was tasty and the girls loved the buffet. They also have popcorn and drinks from 3-10 available in the lobby and that was a bit hit as well. We swam, ate way too much, did crafts, watched movies and had a fabulous time. Chassi joined us for the breakfast buffet and a morning swim. I think we may just make this a yearly girls event!