You Are More.................................reposted from my other blog After the Happily Ever After

As Terry and I sit here and drink our morning coffee on my DAY OFF!! (I may be a little excited by that). I am sad as I read through the posts from young people on facebook. The world we live in today can be cruel. It has always been cruel and mean, but now everything is at the tip of our fingers and we can not control what our kids are exposed too and what they have to face in life like my parents could. I do not like a lot of the things that are going on in this world, quite frankly it scares me. It is our job to raise our children to be confident in a world that is always telling them they are not smart enough, pretty enough, good enough, rich enough. When is enough, enough?

Anyone who has taken the time to really get to know me knows that even though I am a little outspoken, OK very outspoken, it comes from being passionate about the things that are important to me in life. My faith, my family and my job. To that end I know at times that makes me come off as a little bitchy but I am who I am. I purposely don't like to go bat shit crazy about my passions, but hey, it happens and most of you have seen it and for that I am sorry. But seriously, what I want to talk about today is the need to let our kids know that they are worth more than the world is telling them they are and people, it takes a village.

This morning I was brought to tears by a video that one of my son's friends had put on facebook. It was real, it was painful, it was what this child deals with every day and it made me passionate to kick some bully butt (did I tell you on the side I am a crazy super hero? Mighty Mom, my kids love and hate her, just saying). The video also could have been posted by at least three of my children if not all seven. So what are we as parents to do about it? Well, I want you all to know you are not alone. We need to let our kids know how important they are to us every day and this particular child's parents do just that. As adults we need to encourage our children as well as others we see that are hurting. We need to make sure they know they can talk to someone who cares, who isn't going to judge. We need to let them know God loves them too and even if they do not know him that they can and that he is there for them.

So as always, I have got on my soap box and more than likely lost most of your attention by now, it is a big rant for a Monday. If any of you as children or parents are in this situation right now, you are not alone. Others are there, I have been there, if you need someone to vent to call me. I am posting a video that I just love, it is be Tenth Avenue North and it is an awesome song that I think everyone needs to hear. Have a great day and God Bless.

You Are More

Midnights gone............and I'm not

I love music, it is to me what a blanket is to a two year old.  It seems to be able to express my feelings and emotions when I can not find the words to do it myself. Music has pulled me through some bad times and has been there through good as well.  I know as a Christian that God was there too so chill a little mom, your girl is still grounded but this is about me and my love for music.  I am neurotic about it.  I once broke into a guys car at school because while we were out of town he had been to a party at my parents house that our hired farm hand had thrown and this poor soul had stole a cassette tape from me.  He was pissed that I let myself into his car, I pointed out I was pissed he stole my Lover Boy tape, what could he say?  Man, walking down that memory reminds me I may or may not have had an attitude back then.  My graduation present from my parents was a stereo system, you know the old school kind in the wood and glass case on wheels with speakers the size of a modern day mini fridge and a turn table, I still use it, just saying.  I also keep all my music libraries in alphabetical order and the lowest point in my life at the time was when I was 23 and had to sell off my CD collection to buy food for my son ~ that was a defining moment in my life.  Almost all, ok who am I kidding, all the major life events in my life are filed in my memory by the song playing at that moment.

I grew up watching Friday Night videos and pretending to be a rock star while belting out songs into a hair brush in the comfort of my room. Dreaming of the day I was going to leave this one horse town and head out into the great big world.  I still feel sorry for anyone in the house during those days as a singer I am not, couldn't carry a tune to save my soul. The PS3 sing along game my nieces have, they hide it from me, seriously they do.  Not to say that they don't love me, they do but even in elementary school they are smart enough to know that not every person should be given the microphone.  Maybe that is why I appreciate music so much, it is one of the things in life that I have never been able to master.  However, now I have turned to rambling and I need to get back on track, I know me rambling, who would have thought?

This weekend we have been putting the basement back together, we had a flash flood in June that flooded the basement under about a foot of water, it was not pretty, and it happened while Terry was out of town of course.  What a mess.  However, he and the boys put new flooring and walls in this weekend so we are all moved back in and while we were doing that I decided to go through all my CD's that I have been storing for years in the entertainment center and it was like Christmas I tell ya!  Like putting on your favorite blue jeans and t-shirt and running around barefoot (another favorite of mine).  I have every single album/CD that Bon Jovi put out, even his solo ones and to my surprise, several country CD's (a phase I went through trying to impress some silly boy).  Not that I have anything against country, I am a country girl at heart but I have long since traded in my horse for more conventional ways of travel.

Well, I have just been given the look by the boys and hubby that tells me time for blogging ins over and that they want me to make them something to eat.  I should, I guess as this is the only night I will be home this week to make supper.  As I go I will leave you with a few words for Terri Clark's song Mindnights Gone ~ seems to sum up the day:

Everyone I run into
Has known me all my life
There are no secrets you can call your own
Since the age of seventeen
I've faced the morning light
Saying this day is the day I'm gonna go
All I have to do is drive away
But the things that make me crazy
Always make me stay

But I can't pull the trigger on that changing world out there
With all these dreams I can't believe I'm still standing here
It's time to face the fact that I'm not the rebel that I thought
'Cause midnights gone but I'm not

Summer?????........

I know, I know, you don't need to remind me that I am severely falling behind in my blogs, it is what it is and I have been at a loss for words lately.  Seriously, who knew that would ever be a problem but it was.  So for those of you who are behind on the times here is an update.

In January I turned 28 for the 12th year in a row, you do the math and sometimes I can pull it off.  In May I took a position at Hope Haven and I love it, it is truly a very fulfilling job but it is also a change for my family who was used to having me home 24/7.  In all honesty, I do miss getting to stay at home with my kids and I miss all the children that came to my day care but it was time to move on.  May also brought the graduation of Dylan, my oldest son. Time moves so quickly, I can still remember the day I brought him home from the hospital, and it seems just like yesterday.  In June I brought him to the Army national Guard Recruiter as he was being sent to AIT for a year and for that year he will be in San Antonio, Texas.  I cried when I dropped him off and I normally don't break down.  I am proud of him and I wish him success, the success I never had, the world is his oyster and I want him to succeed at everything he dreams of.  The rest of June and July were a blur as I finished classes I had to take and I got used to my new job and hours.

Now, here we are in August.  I can not believe how fast everything goes.  I  am a little older this year than last and I am still working on trying to get in shape ~ didn't happen before Dylan graduated, maybe in time for Taylor's graduation this May.  This time next year I will only have one child at home, Kevin.  Poor boy, he thinks I am neurotic now, just wait until he is the only one home.

It seems like just yesterday I was 21.  I still feel 21 at times, there are other times when it comes all to clear that I am starting another phase of my life.  Where did the time go?  I went from staying out all night with friends to waiting to see if my kids make curfew.  I truly love where I am in life but holy smokes, my youngest baby is 13!

Oh well, I guess the alternative to aging is death as that is the only thing that truly stops the hands of time is death and no one wants that so I am content with where I am right now.