harlem

my little sister and the love of her life are purchasing a new home and she wanted a place to document their ideas and journey to remodeling it to make it their own... here you go emily and harley! congrats! we love you guys!

funny blessings

my oldest is a bright, 5 year old kindy who made it through the 1/2 of kindergarten just fine. after christmas break and a few different snow weeks...he developed a separation issue. he sort of already had the issue, but it had not reared it's ugly head in quite sometime! his sweet, young, wonderful teacher sat my husband and i down at parent conferences to give us the news. we can be slightly intimidating, you would have almost had to be there to see what i mean...my husband is a big, strong man and i have taught for 10 years. the combo for this young teacher left her figiting in her seat and staring at the floor for a minute. HE NEEDS TO DO THIS KINDY THING AGAIN!!! not at all a shock to us, since we had been bribing him to go for the last month. we were up to one Tums a day to make it out the door so he wouldn't have a belly ache. i winked at the doctor when we were there for an appointment and asked her if the tums was a good solution. she said, 'oh yes, and a glass of milk is fine too'. funny that he didn't appear to be listening until that moment and piped in...'can it be flavored?'
he is doing great now! the whole kindy again thing is fine, yet our district could not guarantee us all day kindergarten. his teacher did state that it would do him no good to do 1/2 day again. he can already read and spell as well as anyone in the class and academically it would be torture for him to sit through 1/2 day again. SO, i called our local christian school for enrollment. his little brother was going to start the 3y.o. program there this year anyway, so hey, why not go the same direction every morning.
one thing led to another and by loud knocking, unchanging grace of God, a persistant prayer chain, and honesty about wants and needs...we are ALL going there next year. i am going to teach 6th grade!!! not a new gig for me...the teaching thing. teaching in a christian school is going to rock! i will no longer have to explain things 'in my opinion' i will be able to talk about the true nature of our scientific world through biblical examples.
thank you Jesus for the opportunity to serve you! thank you for your constant watch over me and my family. thank you for the blessing of being home with my boys in the summer and now, what i feel will be the next best thing to being a stay at home mom! i love my career and am excited for this turn of events!!!!

thirty something

Do you remember that TV show? I used to think these people were old...
I had a birthday yesterday and 32 seems really old right now. I was loving yesterday. My boys went to the sitter/grandma's for a bit. I took my car in to have it serviced. Got to have lunch with all the ladies in my life. That's right mom, sis, sis, sis-in-law...all in one spot!! Went to see one of my bestest friend's new little baby (fought off hormonal rages to have another one based on his little smell). Did a little window shopping alone, picked up some dog food and milk, then went to get the boys.
Last night was probably when my age began to set in. We were invited to 'corporate night' at OktoberFest here in town. I got a designated driver wristband so that I could drink all of the diet beverages I wanted all night. I thought that was a clever idea. I watched, laughed, watched, laughed...and remembered a time that I may have actually looked forward to dancing the chicken on top of those very same tables. It was fun! Safe and fun!
I think my favorite part of the day was coming home with my tipsy husband :) to see my mom so proudly displaying a jack-o-lantern that she and the boys had made. Drying the seeds of course that my oldest had washed one by one. The boys were tucked neatly in...tired and content.
I can't tell you how great it feels to be fulfilled in life. God continues to be good...His mercy is everlasting. He allowed our family to spread it's wings, fly back home to OK, and enjoy our existence...no matter our age.

Mother of the Year

Yes, it is true. School is waaaaayyyy back in swing and I am beginning to fall behind on my duties as a mother. With our oldest now a Kindy, and our youngest a mean 2...life is wild when I get out of school. I can't complain, I have the best schedule in the world.

6:45 drop off kids in their p.j.'s
7:00ish arrive to mold the minds of 135 hormonal 7th graders
8:00 - 12:05 teach 5 classes...it is a fast pace with only 5 minutes between classes, but if I can make it through that marathon I am home free.
12:05 - 12:35 'lunch' which consists of one day of cafeteria duty a week and the other days I get to go to the elementary next door and walk my little man into kindy. Even on duty day! I just leave the cafeteria in the charge of our gym teacher and two other teachers trying to keep 600+ students from throwing food, etc. and I run across campus to go walk in my little scholar. Hey, I should count this as exercise.
12:40 - 1:25 my planning time...a solitary moment of the day when I can do whatever I, yes that was, I want! Sometimes go chat with my sister, also my school's librarian and a brilliant photographer Sometimes I get in my car and drive to hobby lobby and dream about all the cards I want to make, or the blanket I want to sew my brother and his wife who are expecting.
1:30 - 2:20 teach 7th period. Actually it is not quite fair to say 'teach' because I have never met a group of students so hard to teach. They are rude, disrespectful, tired of school by the end of the day...here I am fresh off a heavenly break. They usually drive me to want to find the nearest marjarita bar on the way home...but I would never do that :) I can't drink in the company of my closest friends without spilling something on someone. I always think it is a sign from God.
2:20 - 3:10 Clean up 7th hour's mess and get ready for the next day. Walk back to the elementary and pick up my charming kindy.

After that it is a whirlwind tour of picking up ornery little man, go home and start some laundry, start dinner, yard work, homework (me and kindy) man the phones from soccer parents (yes, my husband coaches the team which makes me mom/coach/organizer of all things good), disgruntled family members going through hard times, catch up on friend phone calls, make a card or two for any birthday or special occasion coming up, play with the children, show my husband love and affection because he is the best!
Although in my mind there is a web of sarcasm woven through the typing of that schedule... it really is the best. I just have to prioritize the wants vs. the needs as far as things to do. I need to focus on the joy in getting some of it done. I have even thought about a housekeeper?? Am I lazy? I certainly was not raised to think that was normal.
On the flip side of positive, I have at least 3/4 of an inch of roots showing which includes gray. I took my youngest for his 2 year 'well' check to find out he had double ear infections. I about died right there in the office. Not to mention when I went to pick him up from the sitter he had wet his entire suit of clothes during nap time. We were digging through the old stash of clothes that she had collected over the years...found a pair of neon green shorts, score! Now if we could just find a shirt...no, we had to dig through the other little sleeping boy's bag and found low and behold a power ranger t-shirt! I don't even let my children watch that show. He wore that and his cute little chuck taylor converse all stars (which are blue). When do you want your child to look better than they do at church???? The Doctor! Don't ask me why?? They strip them down anyway!!
My oldest had lollipop day at school and I have read every memo and still cannot find the one that talks about the day. He had to inform me on the way to the car that he did not get one and everyone else did. I immediately walk to the office and purchase him one. Luckily they were continuing the sale after school. Then I later find out in my neurotic quizzing of the poor child that the teacher didn't let them eat them in class anyway. I was picturing him sad and teary having to watch everyone else enjoy a tasty treat.
Pray for my sanity!

grandpa's hands...grandpa's heart

In a recent, unexpected turn of events, we have acquired a couple of house guests. Hubby's 82 year old grandpa being one of them. It has been a fun 4 days, with an undetermined amount of days still to come. I just could not lose these thoughts, I didn't want them to get away from me as school is powering up tomorrow. Yes, my extended holiday is over...God works in mysterious ways, and all for our good.
You see, grandpa is a very sharp, articulate, and kind 82 year old. He is a veteran, a father, grandfather, great-grandfather. He is a friend to many, never meets a stranger, and likes a good hug. (my grandmother particularly doesn't mind getting one from him) He is a FoxNews fanatic and a conservative Democrat through and through. He is a proud American. He was there when they raised the flag at Iwo Jima. His ship carried troops there and was in the middle of countless air raids a day. Grandpa likes routine, he likes golf, and bluegrass music. He may be one of the only people who ever tell my husband they are proud of him besides me. He is tough, but when my boys talk to him he listens and praises their every move.
Just the other day when we asked them to stay with us, I was selfishly thinking these are my last 3 days with the boys before my school year begins. I was selfish and bummed. I was mad at the cause of the situation, mad at hubby's brother and wife for causing drama of their own in a different state causing hubby to have to lose vacation to fly up and help them out. I was mad that my oldest will be a Kindy in a week and no one is worried about that. I was a jerk.
God has taught me a lot the last few days.
#1, don't get offended when your mother-in-law questions you for not bleaching your clothes the right way...little did she know you don't at all because it breaks everyone out.
#2, don't worry every time grandpa is picking lint out of the carpet and rugs. It is just something he does...regardless if you were to vacuum daily and have 2 small boys and have added a new dog to the mix.
#3, and most importantly...cherish times like this when God throws you a curve ball. Love every moment of it. Be honest with your 5 year old, because he knows everything anyway but has twisted the details in his mind. Reach within to meet your potential as a hostess, wife, daughter, granddaughter. Be yourself, and realize how much more is going on in the world than just in your little corner and you will learn so much from it.
Me and the boys took grandpa to Target today and he got a swimsuit. So excited that it was on sale. Tonight he went to our neighborhood pool with all of us. He finally relaxed for a bit. We heard old stories of skiing at the Lake and losing his top teeth. The boys never laughed so hard. Today was a great day...and right in the middle of it I got this email from a former student's mom. Very appropriate, and she would have had no clue what was going on in my life. Here is just part of it...

Grandpa smiled and related this story to his grandchild:"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have;how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler Icrashed upon the floor.They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my Mother taught me to fold them in prayer.They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war.They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my Parents and Spouse and walked my Daughter down the aisle.Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot.They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life.But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ ."

pirate's cove playroom

Here is our latest creative venture. I cannot take full credit. It pains me to tell you that we splurged and paid a wonderful group of ladies to paint this for us. I have NEVER paid someone to paint something in my life!! I will add that it was totally affordable and worth it. I did learn a lot from watching them and would be willing to share details with anyone who requests such info...


The ship is awesome, and the pirate is so cool. Not Jack Sparrow cool, but little boy pirate room cool. We have one wall that is completely netting with a shabby anchor hanging that i found on eBay for 1.99, plus minimal shipping :) We are still in accessory mode, but it has been a huge hit!!




This map was a pottery barn kids find, and on sale! My mom and grandmother have a wonderful machine that i used to monogram their names at the bottom of the map.We also used the scripture reference of Matthew 6:19-21. My husband and i come from very different backgrounds growing up, and we want our kids to know that Earthly treasure is not what is important. The "Aye! Treasure!" is taken from one of my son's favorite books about a little boy named Jeremy Jacobs who wants to be a pirate, then realizes that no one will read him bedtime stories on the ship and that pirate's teeth are all green.

We then decided to put their names in their room over their beds and it turned out so sharp!! I am sure before too long their will be masking tape down the center the room and lots of 'mine' going on...but for now, they love it!

Well, Supermom (since i have no idea how to link anything!!) here's our latest playroom idea and a some pics of my two little pirates.

top 10 things i learned while living in CO

1. Purple mountains majesty really does exist. God is huge. No one else could be responsible for such beauty.
2. Legalizing a dangerous substance does not prove to be a good thing. 'Safer than alcohol' my rear. Tell that to the guy on my husband's company softball team whose reflexes were so slowed that he almost got knocked out by hubby at homeplate. Maybe it's because I have never been around anything but drunks beginning in early childhood, but I can't get used to grown adults smoking something they had to sneak buy. Legal, yes, but only with a doctor's note and apparently those come cheap and easy. I've never smelled more of it in my life. Probably walk around in this altitude with a contact high most of the time. And believe it or not, in OK you would just be repulsed to see your child pick up a cigarette butt...try a used joint. (almost happened while waiting to be seated at a nice restaurant)
3. I love my children. They are hilarious, brilliant, strong, special, courageous...all the things their granny tells them. They are boys who are not afraid to tell their mommy and daddy how much they love us all the time. They are never happier than when we show them lots of attention together. If we have learned nothing, we have learned how to be a family again. It doesn't have to be about anyone else - just us 4.
4. My husband is wonderful. I love him for this move. He has not only proven to himself once and for all, but to me that he has our best interest at heart. He is the true spiritual leader of this household, and I can let go of ever feeling in charge. I needed that big time! My joy and goal is to just be fulfilled. We have been through so much and have grown every inch of the way.
5. The stay home mom gripe turned into an entire blog entry. It was a huge part of my stay here, but I fear there are miserable at home moms everywhere. I was not one of them. Yes, there are rough days when nothing goes your way...take a class, join a bible study, love your kids and your time to watch them grow, love your hubby for what he is giving you, and don't forget to release your frustration somehow. You don't have to have a fancy gym membership. Try a walk around the block. Don't be afraid to admit that you like working outside the home. Very wise women find this out all the time.
6. Virtually everyone is a transfer here. We have only met 2 natives. It is a serious melting pot of cultures. And apparently openly breastfeeding with no attempt to cover the breast is a beautiful, natural, earth mother kind of event. I'm all about nature, but hubby about passed out at the zoo.
7. Cost of living is about 20% higher...they say. Not seen or noticed except in housing. Our brand new custom home on 3.2 acres in Oologah, OK sold for 192,500. We rented a home here on a saltine sized lot with an 'enormous' backyard for way toooooo much a month. More than our mortgage in OK. Colorado definition of enormous - just a tad bigger than our dog run for our daschund in OK. The basement gig is awesome! I will miss that. A/C is not required due to the mild temps, but coming from OK I need to sniff some free-on occasionally while being a mile closer to the sun. Asking price for this beauty...close to 300,000. Transplant our OK home & property here...$750,000 is what the realtor told us. Land is not an option in most affordable places here. It is reserved for bears, mountain lions, big horn sheep, buffalo, prarie rattlers, and mule deer. Some of the most beautiful animals. The deer come straight off some Santa movie and make our little white tails look like woosies.
8. If you were stranded in CO what one thing would you need to survive? LOTION!Not just Jergen's cherry almond, but some sort of body butter. Thick and hearty. The fresh mtn. air is wonderful to breath, but rough on the skin.
9. There is nothing like waking up and looking out your upstairs window to see the neighbor dressing right in front of you. NO, joking...to see Pike's Peak. This really is a scenicly wonderful place to live. The foothills of the Rockies, if you're ever lost you have 3 helpful hints. When you see the front range you are headed West. When you see Pike's Peak you are headed South to Colorado Springs, and when you see traffic backed up you are headed straight North into downtown Denver.
10. FITNESS. The altitude about killed us when we first got here. Just climbing up 3 stairs it was like all of the sudden I needed to be inhaler dependant. It only took a few days to conquer the steps, but almost 6 mo. to really get into a habit of working out every day. We decided when we moved that we were going to change our fitness lifestyle. My husband is diabetic and takes a handful of pills daily. His biggest problem is his sugar going high. He has sort of a double whammy of family history bad cholesterol and family history diabetes. He has trimmed down from a 52 to 46 waist since December. We both enjoy the gym. It is almost a craving now. If we could just lose the sweet cravings we would be fine. Yes, just because someone tells you that you can't have sweets doesn't mean you all the sudden don't like them. Darn! We want our kids to know that we think our health is important. We want them to grow up active and making good choices. That came easy here. For one, we really knew nobody to keep us overly busy doing other things. So our goal is to keep moving when we get back HOME! I am going to sign up for a fitness program (free!) that sponsors you with one run/fun run or walk per month. Of course the free t-shirt is encouraging, but I have recently been improving my very slow time of running a mile. I am not a small person and would have never thought I could do this. I don't want to lose my enthusiasm, so I have been setting a few goals for myself along the way. My husband feels good, looks as handsome as ever, and can't wait to work in our new yard in OK.

We will never feel more blessed. My husband and I had fought coming here for about a year and a half before deciding that if we didn't take this chance it may eat away at us the rest of our lives. We have learned so much, but mostly just how big God is. He has provided us basically a round trip ticket to a great job. My husband has always struggled with his career, and he came home one night here and just said that we needed to go back to OK. I about passed out. Our kids were definatly struggling, but I didn't realize how unhappy he was. When he told his boss that I was indeed taking my job back in OK, and that he would fulfill his obligation for his year here it was very hard. We were for some reason not at all concerned. We had feelers out already for jobs in OK, and he felt confident that he would find something by January. The worst part was that he would have to stay through December and we would already be in OK. God is so good! The boss told him that they would work something out because he could not be their competition. Yea hubby!! Finally feeling validated for his hard work and knowing that it is not going unnoticed. Finally believing and trusting in God enough to just be upfront and bold with others. They are transferring him back to OK with the same pay. Hello God! No other way that all could have happened. Also, they have knocked down a wall at their only facility there to make him an office, they have given him a whole week off to move, and he starts there June 5th!!!!!! Praise the Lord! Grace like rain!!!!!!!!!!! Colorado will always have a special place in my heart.

stay at home and love it, please!

I have been wanting to write about my Colorado experience, so that I would never forget everything that the Lord has taught me while I was here. I started out with this top 10 list and number one turned into a soap box, so I will just diverge on that as a whole topic.

I have been clearly disturbed by the actions of some individuals since being here. I was taking on a new career path, and they managed to suck the life right out of it. Yes, I am speaking of stay at home mothers. I must say to begin with that the only thing that kept my sanity was reading the mommy blogs of women who take pride in their job and their children. I am so glad that I started reading, God knew to have my sister keep begging me until I gave in and just joined the blog world. Also, my new good friend Jenny. We have sort of seen both sides of the coin. We both came from the same career path, and we have shared similar frustrations along the way. May God give her the strength to not get too 'crazed'.

These are the issues at hand. It is alright to have money and be a stay at home mom if...

* You don't use the leisure pool at the local rec. center to show off your tummy tuck scar while showing off your thong and chasing your 18 mo. old.

*Don't complain about spending time with your children! They are YOUR precious beings. If your trade off at home mommy can't complete the babysitting swap on your usual daily basis for you to go tan...you will likely survive and I am guessing no one will even notice.

*D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E-! Please don't depend on all the planets and stars being in alignment for your child to behave properly. Beat them into submission (joking, but all you who do discipline will back me on that one).

*If your nanny, or whomever generally combs your child's hair, is off that day...worry with someone else's looks other than your own. The kids deserve to match, have their shoes on the right feet all day. You know, not just sneak past you with them pointing outward, wrenching their little, big toe? I'm pretty sure if left in that position there would be long term damage.

*Your husband...Yes, when I first started this quest of not 'working' (hee, hee) I began to realize something. Not all hubbies are cut out to be hubbies with a wife that doesn't 'work'. It can be a thankless, red-eyed, no-money-making task. I was so blessed to have had this opportunity. Although, the women I have had the pleasure of meeting at various places along the way are miserable. Granted, some of this is due to the relationship with their hubbies, but I have never heard so much complaining in my life. Your husband should not have to watch the kids/KID (sad but true, several do not have multiple children) the second he walks in the door because you have been MADE to HANDLE them all day. What do these people thing Laura's mom on Little House thought when Pa came home from the fields? Excuse me while I go pamper myself Pa...I don't think so sister! Do they not realize that there are women who would pay good money to go through the agony of childbirth just to hold that baby until it was in college? I was around happier women and their much happier children when I 'worked' all day, every day!

You make life what you want it to be. You learn from mistakes, you love whole-heartedly or you won't ever know what it feels like coming back to you. You really do have to put yourself aside, but don't be afraid to remember that you are still there. I can't help but want to scream because there are deserving women all over the world who need the chance to have a child of their own, and other women waste away every day with their little blessings. To all you at home mom's out there (I'm not sure why I just said that, there are like two people who read this :) sounded good) you really do have the most blessed opportunity, the best 'job' (next to teaching that is) ever!! Don't take it for granted. There are women everywhere who will never have that joy. As I go back to teaching next year, I will be helping my oldest across the way to start his Kindy journey and will be praying daily for my little 2 year old. May he have all the fun in the world and take a big, long afternoon nap so that I don't miss too much.

balletone

yes, that was the name of the class that almost killed me. In the class description at the rec. center it clearly stated that you didn't have the have any prior dance experience. Well, this I do have...not ballet, but I was actually in a recital at age 27. If you know me you may be thinking that had to have been a dare, but it was merely a wonderful way to make new friends and spend time with my sister and sister-in-law. We still can't believe we did it, but it rocked!!

Needless to say, I thought I could handle this ballet/toning class. I handled it alright...I just barely lived to tell about it. For one, I am built a bit more like an ultimate fighter/kickboxer than a ballerina. I walked in head held high, looked around to see what the norm was and proceeded to take off my shoes and socks. I found an inconspicuous place to stand, not too close, but not back row either like the baptist I was raised to be. I begin to stretch out a little. I am starting to see a pattern with the women who are walking in. They all appear to be at least 6 feet tall. My husband laughs at me when I say I am 5'4". He swears I can't be more than 5'2".

As we begin, the teacher immediately spots a new victim. She looks my way and makes sure I have a visual on myself in the mirror, for it is especially important to be able to see yourself. I want to shout out that I don't particularly enjoy having a 'visual' of my total body in these distorted mirrors or any mirror for that matter, but I refrain for fear of drawing even more attention to my short self.

She goes through a few basics for my benefit, and just standing in first position I am feeling good. I am at least flexible enough to do this part. Sure, I can make it. She proceeds through a routine of poses and moves, then reminds me to keep myself in clear sight at all times (obviously my technique was catching her eye and needed to be catching mine). She says we will go through the routine 4 or 5 times up to tempo (fast) before going to the floor to tone. I am still thinking I can handle it. I quit thinking that the third time through the 'routine' at the same time I look up at the clock and realize only about 15 minutes had passed. I was ready to leave. The arches of my feet were on fire, as were my inner thighs. Apparently kickboxers use their quads to do most of the work, and my inner thighs were not conditioned to stay in this 'first position' for very long.

After another reminder to get a visual on myself, I almost told Six Foot Six Suzie to get a visual on my rear as it was leaving the room. I managed to send her a smile in the mirror and keep on truckin'. We made it to floor exercises and I thought I was home free. I was experiencing paralysis in certain parts of my legs and neck, but figured I had made it this far so I would continue.

Have you ever sat in a mitzi (you know the old cheerleading jump?) and did leg lifts with your back leg? Try it and see how it works out for you. Ever done a ballet sit-up? Well, let's just say I know why ballerina's stomachs look like they do, and that leftover baby weight from two kids sort of gets in the way of this exercise.

I am not bitter. I am not mad at my genetic make-up. I am just simply warning anyone out there who thinks they may be up for balletone. I will stick to my old ways. I will realize I am 31, not 21. I will set limits on my workouts and know when to quit...and maybe someday I will be able to climb stairs again and have a full range of motion in my neck.

taterisms

My son, oldest of two sons, is a 4 year old comedian. His granny calls him 'brilliant and special' and I just love that because he already believes it. In this world, self-esteem can be everything. I am so greatful that as an adult I realize this and want a healthy dose of encouragement given to my kids (not to mention the obvious healthy dose of discipline!). Here are a few things he has recently said that I have been making note of that I don't ever want to forget...

Hey mom, I know all about that sin bear. If you feed him too often you may not go to Heaven.

Hey brother, I only know two people in heaven...God and C.C's mom (would have been his Great Great Grandmother).

Yes, we did talk about Easter in my class at church...The stone is rolled away, HE IS RISEN! HAL-E-LU-A! HAL-E-LU-A!

Mom, can you do the robot? It goes something like this...he then demos the robot with 80's perfection. Not sure where that came from!

I can now spin spaghetti on my fork...I'm really getting used to being a man!

Mom, if there is an emergency or fire or something I know what a one looks like, but maybe you could push the 9.

I love Mr. Incredible, but how come Jesus is the greatest super?

I can move this chair to the table because I am using my inner strength.

Ok, I could go on all day and marvel at his cuteness! Yes, some of these took some explaining on our parts after they were said, but great conversation starters none the less. I am so grateful for a place to manage my thoughts other than post-it noting all of them to his scrapbook that still has nothing in it!!!!! Oh well, maybe by graduation...from med. school...:)

i am from...

I am from red 90 three wheeler (now illegal) carefully purchased by my father from his favorite periodical...the Bargain Post. I am from Chinese roach detouring chalk after all else failed, because I am from rental properties, cozy, loving, yet not all the rage.

I am from the golf course weeping willow's protection, the jonquil so refreshing, and the earthworm. I am from the pine needles, cone bird feeders, and most of all I am from pumpkins perfectly picked and placed. I am from the lake with the Yancy's to give mom a break. I am from soccer fields and cheerleading practice. I am from rides home with Aunt SuAnny.

I am from from Eddie...from Coetta. From high school romance and promises of everlasting love.

I am from the not minding my own business kind of closeness and not knowing when to stop drinking, from proud hard work and disfunction.
From "i am only spanking you because i love you" and "how's your car runnin'?"
I am from the Bible belt, no women shall take the offering, no shorts in the gym. Heaven/Hell revival, "Just as I am". I am from you might go to hell for clapping in the church building and you'd have never heard "Grace Like Rain" that now makes my son's tummy tickle with raised hands.

I'm from Oklahoma, chicken and dumplings and popcorn (with m&m's if it was payday).

From the gar shooting, beer drinking uncles. From the country club other side. From the 'don't talk about religion, politics, or other family members' voice of non-reason PaPa. From Grandma Great who once ate 13 desserts resulting in 'must be blastin' somewhere'. From trips to Uncle J's, dreaming that every day would be that fun. From my dad walking me down the aisle to meet my true love.

I am from retro photo albums yellowed and worn, shoeboxes, rusty lock boxes, cedar chests and the barn. I am from film on reels of mom's childhood vacations, quilt filled trailers with smoky framed photos given each Christmas, and refrigerators exploding with friend's kids. From embarrassing stockings with 4th grade pictures attached and ornaments wrapped gently and placed in the attic by CC and only CC. From proud phone calls and news clippings about us kids sent across state lines to dad from ma. I am from lots of tears and lots of love.