Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's day brings back a lot of memories.  My heart goes out to the wannabes.  For many years I wanted to be a Mom.  I was young, married, and being a mom was the next goal in life.  All seemed well.  But it didn't happen.

It was 1984.  We had just moved to Texas from our home state of Mississippi.  I was very homesick for my friends and family.  We had joined a church that had a great young marrieds group.  We became very involved....Sunday School, fellowships, choir, Bible Studies.  They became our second family.  One of my best friends had two little boys that I totally adored.  One by one, I watched my friends become pregnant.  We went from the young marrieds class to the young parents class.  Except us.

Mother's day was torture.  Most churches recognize all mothers with either a rose or make them stand up, etc.  I used to go, but finally began to just skip church on Mother's day.  It was just too sad.  People were either oblivious, or uncomfortable.  They would say "have faith"  or "relax" or give me all sorts of remedies (thermometers, some involving vinegar or yogurt).  It didn't make me feel better.  Just a reminder that I was inadequate.

I became a Mom in 2002.  That's almost 20 Mother's days of church skipping.  :)

My heart goes out to those who desperately want to be a Mom.  I still remember those feelings and every mother's day should be a happy one now.  But I still feel that sadness in my heart for you.


Yes I am very happy to be a Mother!
But keeping it low key is OK.

bluebonnets in texas

The month of March just about did me in.  We were gone every weekend.  One of those weekends Brandt and I volunteered at a camp for kids who have siblings with a chronic medical condition.  The camp is in the Texas Hill Country and with all the nice rain we've had it was beautiful.  On Sunday afternoon we came upon this farm and HAD to pull over to take these pictures.

can you even imagine this being your yard?

I wanted to just run to the middle and lie down...but there was this little fear of rattlesnakes thing.

bye for now...

Work and life are just wearing me down right now.

My creative energy is waining, so blogging is not happening.

I'll keep following my friends when I have time.

Loveya!

happy new year?

This is my Mama-Ann. when I was in 7th grade she moved into the house across the street with her husband, THREE BOYS and a little girl. Now, to a 7th grader, having THREE BOYS move across the street was pretty big news. Especially when they are pretty cute, and close to my age....one was two years older, one my age, and one a year younger...talk about a BUSY mom. Can you imagine THREE BOYS in 4 years? Then came little Sherrell Ann. She was not only the apple of her Daddy's eye, but also to her THREE BOYS. I grew to love this family as much as my own. During my terrible teenage years, Mama-Ann let me take refuge at her house a lot. She fed me a lot. She listened to me a lot. She trusted me, when not many grown-ups would. I loved her a lot.

Then when we were in our early 20s, her husband died. He was always fun and funny. I still picture him standing in the front yard watering the grass every afternoon. And cheating us at cards.

And her son Allen died. He was my age, early 30s. I didn't get to say goodbye. I decided to go to nursing school after his death. He is still in my heart today. Like a brother. He took me to one of my proms when I didn't have a date and we had a blast.

Now Mama-Ann has died after a long bout with lung cancer. I wrote her a goodbye letter. I learned from Allen to always tell people how you feel. I try not to wait until they are dying, but if I have the luxury of knowing someone is most likely going to die soon, I really try to tell them I love and appreciate their presence in my life.

Bye Mama-Ann...you are now reunited with my brother-friend Allen and Mr. A. And I'm sure my Daddy was there to hug you into heaven.

This has been a wierd few days in the new year.

Not only did Mama-Ann die, but also a sweet friend from church died of pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed only a week.

And a very well respected and loved physician at our hospital died yesterday after a tragic cycling accident.

It's not been a happy start to the year.

But life goes on.

And we need to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us every day.

Because life is precious.

But heaven is gonna be SO GOOD.


UPDATE Thursday:  Today I got a text from a friend in Tucson that a former sweet patient of mine passed away today.  4 friends in 3 days is a record for me.  One I really don't care to repeat.  Go hug your kids!

Happy new year!

Happy new year, friends!

I love you all and wish God's greatest blessings on you and your family in 2012...

where does the time go?

Well, dang it's December 1. I haven't blogged since November 1. I'm still wondering where September went???

As you can see we celebrated Halloween at our house by attending the Fall Festival at the Benbrook Community Park. And, yes I was a smurf...Barber Smurf to be exact.

Our clinic all dressed up as smurfs, changed the clinic into SmurfVille and we paraded through the atrium/lobby of the hospital singing the famous Smurf song...

you know the one...La-la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la.

We won the costume contest.

Well since October November flew by, I guess I better say "Merry Christmas!"

Hope your Christmas shopping is going well!

See you in another month...or less if I find something to say.

Now I bet you're singing the smurf song too.