Happy Birthday Brandy!

This is about 2 weeks late, but I want to do it anyway. My darling little girl, just turned 8. This has been a big year for her. She truly became the middle child. She now has 1 big brother and 1 little brother and 1 big sister and 1 little sister. The best of both worlds, right? I have to try really hard to make sure she doesn't get overlooked. As my mom says it, she is flying under the radar.

This is my letter to her.

Dear Brandy,

I love you! You have been the best gift! It has been truly amazing to watch you grow up. To watch your creativity start to flow in your unique drawings. To watch you be a wonderful big sister and playmate and teacher to the younger ones. To watch you develop your quick wit and sense of humor to stand up to the older ones.

You are charming, and smart, and talented, and creative, and funny, and caring, and beautiful. Your family, friends, and teachers all just adore you!

I hope you enjoy the adventure of being 8. Of being you!

We love you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Me....Who am I?

Remembering back, I had all kinds of plans of who I was and who I wanted to be. Maybe they were dreams? Were they goals?

Let's take a trip back down memory lane for a second here.

I met my husband Mark when I was a sophomore in high school. He was a senior. On one of our very 1st dates, I asked him what he wanted to do after high school. His answer was "a Paramedic". My answer to the same question was "a pediatric orthopedic surgeon".
3 years later he graduated with his AAS and his Paramedic license. At one point in the many years we have been together, I was talking to his mom about this. She said him being a paramedic surprised her, because he had always talked about being a firefighter. 4 years after we were married, his childhood dream
came true.
To quote Lightning McQueen "Yep, you're living the dream, Mater boy".

OK, now back to me. See, obviously, Mark made his dreams and goals become a reality. But what about me? 20 years later, I no longer have the desire to be a doctor. Had I persued it then, maybe my feelings would be different, but I just don't think I could juggle that demanding of a career and still be the mommy that I try to be.

A few months ago I was telling Mark that I lost myself somewhere. I truly love being Mark's wife and Eric's mom, Ashleigh's mom, Brandy's mom, Johnny's mom, and Tori's mom. But what am I without them. If I get a few minutes alone, what do I do with my time? You're going to love this -I shop for them, or look up things online for them that would interest them. I no longer even know what style of clothes I like or how I want to wear my hair.

I am looking for me. What am I? What do I want to do? What are my new goals for the future? Dreams?

My interests (outside of my children):
winemaking
cooking/baking
reading
gardening
beading
paper craft

This is the start of yet another blog for me. My goal is to find me again. This will be a compliation of my ramblings of married life, motherhood, cooking, and my other interests. This is not set out to be a blog about one particular thing or another, just a way for me to connect to Michelle again.
So if you see Michelle lurking around out there anywere, send her this way. I am looking forward to getting to know her again!!!