Life Happens Y'all

It's hot, 97 degrees outside with a heat index of 107 and the humidity is so high, you can almost cut it with a knife. I'm blessed, I'm not one of those people working outdoors in these outrageous conditions, but my husband is. The breadwinner for our family, the big teddy bear to which my kids like to jump and climb on, the guy who does it all for us. He's out there day in and day out in conditions most wouldn't make it an hour in and he never complains. No, not even once. The only time he ever mentions the heat is when I ask him how his day is, in which he always replies, "hot." Some folks are made for it and I know some aren't, I understand that. But, I have tremendous respect for the man who goes to work at 5:30 every morning so he and his crew can beat the heat. Today is Friday, and when he got home, he immediately took a nap. I could tell by the look in his eyes he was exhausted. The heat had about gotten to him today. So, I don't say a w...

Dear police officers of the lip sync challenge, Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop recording yourselves lip synching along to your favorite tunes in your patrol car. Please don’t stop spreading positivity on social media. Please don’t stop putting smiles of laughter on millions of people’s faces each day when they log onto their social media accounts, which would have been 90% negativity on their timelines otherwise. Please don’t stop setting a good example for the world. Over the past few weeks, each day when we wake up, my children and I watch a few lip sync challenge videos. They always pick a few they love to tag their Nana in. Some are sweet, some funny, some sentimental, and some will even bring a tear to your eye, but not a one of them are negative. No sad faces, no tears, no negative media attention. Each and every officer in every single video always seems to be having a good time. Even the ones paying tribute to a fallen coworker, gleam with honor and pride. And those ...

To the teacher moms heading back to work in the next few weeks... You are a teacher. It’s your heart and passion. You can jazz up a classroom and bulletin board like it’s nobody’s business. When you step inside a school, you have a permanent smile on your face & are a hug giving machine. For 200 days (at least) out of the year, you’re working. Constantly thinking of ways to better yourself, your classroom, and your students. But it’s your second most important job. It easily gets knocked down the rank when you get to enjoy the best title of all, being a Mom. It’s nearing the end of summer and each time you enter a store and see a back to school sign, you are immediately over come with emotions. You’re happy to welcome 20 or so new students. Students you will refer to as your “kids” for the rest of your life. Thoughts of new faces, new names, new struggles, and new accomplishments flood your mind. Then you see your own children impatiently waiting in the buggy. Those sweet chil...

No riding toys in the kitchen. A rule we’ve had at our house since Landon was 1.5 and rode his little red motorcycle around everywhere inside the house. It randomly ended up left in the kitchen every time we were cooking. After a few falls, the rule came forth and has stuck since. This morning, my husband decided he was going to ride our son’s Razor Scooter, which we keep it in the house since we live out in the country and have a gravel driveway. He was zooming around the house with our puppy chasing him. She’d chase him, then he’d spin around chase her. It was all fun and games until my husband broke THE rule. The rule he has reminded our kids of millions of times. I was unloading the dishwasher while the kids were on the couch watching sponge bob. As my husband zoomed into the kitchen, before I could say a word, he broke THE rule. As he sped from the living room into the kitchen, he decided to drift around like he was a professional driver of a Nissan GTR in a drift competition...

It ’s still pretty early in summer, so for those of you thinking of taking your family on vacation but you’re not 100% sure, take the trip. You may worry about  money, finances, work days missed, kids behavior, etc, but don’t. Just do it. Take the trip. A few years ago during a funeral visitation, I remember walking up to a casket to a grieving husband, friend, father. He left my husband and I with words we’ll never forget and since then we have lived those words. He told us no matter what, when it’s all said and done, you need memories because sometimes that’s all you have left. You need to take those trips with your kids. Every single one you talk about. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just take the trip. Even if it’s just for a couple of days, take the trip. You can make more money. You may not get the opportunity to make more memories. When your kids are older, that’s what you have left. On our trip we’ve laughed, had fun, slept very little, watched our kids fall...