I am the lucky one

I really can't say what exactly spurred my thoughts tonight but I know I am the lucky one...

12 years ago I thought I had everything figured out, I thought, I had my life perfectly planned and knew exactly were I was going and what I wanted. I know now I was soooo young and just lucky.

I was lucky to marry a amazing man who, as we have grown and learned and faced life together, has become more apart of me than I could have ever imagined. He loves me and accepts me for who I am and what I want to be... He knows my flaws and loves me just the same. He loves our children and tells them so everyday. He protects me, even if sometimes it's from myself. He isn't perfect but he is perfect for me.

I have four beautiful children., each of which I am so grateful for. Julia who is a constant reminder to keep an eternal prospective. Even though I miss her, I feel her near me often, and think of her everyday. Tim who is kind and thoughtful and so much like his dad. Melissa, my sweet little girl, she never misses a thing. Isaac, my baby, every day I hold him and remind myself that he will never again be as little as he is right now, he seems to grow right before my eyes.

To someone on the outside looking in, I may not seem to have much. I don't drive a fancy car and I don't live in a big house. I doubt I will win the lottery and my odds in Vegas are not very good, but when it comes to what really matters, I know, I am the lucky one.

I could not be more proud !!! Even living land-locked for most of their lives my kids must have some of their mom in them.

Melissa's first wipe out and taste of salt water--- This ain't the YMCA pool

Have you ever seen a cuter kid in a wet suit?

Kayaking was so much fun, we paddled around the bay for a while then across to the spit where we hiked over to the beach side and picked up shells and played on the beach. We could not have had more perfect weather. Timmy actually got the hang of paddling pretty quickly and was a huge help I think next time he will be ready to go it on his own.

Road Trip

I know this is no excuse but I have been really busy... really.

I just got back this week from a trip to California. I really miss home, I am not a world traveler (yet) but I have my doubts that anywhere could measure up to the central coast of CA. I was very lucky to grow up in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I enjoyed a lovely 70+ degree week in Morro Bay completely missing the ice storms and freezing temps of Nashville.

I need to back up and fill in the gaps as to how how our little impromptu vacation came about. My Dad came for a visit right after Melissa's birthday and I decided it might be fun to hitch a ride back with him saving us half of the airfare. I quickly got online and snapped up some awesome deals on one way tickets for me and the kids. Everything was falling into place when it started to sink in that I was going to drive cross-country with my dad and 3 kids. A little daunting when you consider how my dad travels-- no hotels, no restaurants, no stopping! no stopping! no stopping! He had the car packed and running when Timmy & Missy got off the bus Friday afternoon and left with barely enough time for the kids to change their clothes and use the bathroom. Thank goodness we said goodbye to Jack before he left for work.

On the road...

We left Nashville at about 4pm and drove straight through (only stopping for Missy to use the bathroom once or twice) to Oklahoma City where we stopped for a couple of hours and slept at a truck stop-- slept is not really the right term, that implies that I went to sleep--my dad slept while I took kids the bathroom. I actually got a chance to drive and did so (as fast as a mini van can travel without waking up any of its passengers- another note about how my dad travels 55 MPH !!!!! set via cruise control for optimum gas mileage) My dad took the wheel again somewhere between Oklahoma and Texas. I think I ran out of Dr. pepper about then because everything else is a blur. I know we stopped in Albuquerque around 1pm and let the kids run around for a few hours while dad took a nap and I stumbled around a Target store. We made it to Flagstaff by early evening and this time I found a mall with a play area. Back on the road again until we stopped sometime early Sunday morning at a rest area outside of Barstow where I think I finally passed out for about an hour or so. Dad let me drive again and my plan was to make it to the coast in record time--until Tim got car sick near Tehachapi and I had to stop to clean him up and let him out of the car for a few minutes, when we got back in the van, dad was in the driver seat. We got to Jeannie's about 6 or 7 am, I swear I was shaking due to lack of sleep and the general terror of riding with a 75 year old man who has the reaction time of a... I don't know, I can't think of anything slower at the moment.

Anyway we miraculously made it in one piece, and had a great visit with friends and family in Morro Bay. We spent a day kayaking and an awesome day at the beach. Jack flew in on Friday night and we spent the weekend with his parents in Lompoc. Sunday night we drove down to L.A. to visit with Jack's Brother and his family then spent Monday at Legoland before we flew home on Tuesday.