SCHOOL'S OUT (Almost)

How has an entire gone by this quickly?
This past year has been like a roller coaster ride... fast , furious and very often a "Scream Machine."

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids. The next day is the first day of their summer.

To be quite honest I am surprised it has gone by so quickly and even more surprised that I made it through the ride.

By the grace of God and the love of friends and family...I finally heard the words at the end of the ride... "Watch your knees and exit to your left."

The ride is over...of course we are still shaking from the ride and our stomachs still feel kind of funny but we "Survived the ride" and have lived to tell the story!

Massey just ended her freshman year of high school...Zach made it through another year of battling the (in his mind) corrupt world of teachers and administrators who surprisingly I didn't have to meet with even ONE time this year (my baby boy is growing up...or getting smarter about working the system instead of bucking it) either way it was a relief.

Massey loves school. Zach seems to think it is a plot.

Different strokes for different folks.

All three of my kids are totally different from each other...it leaves me to wonder how many baby swaps can happen to one woman?

The school year started out crappy for me and quickly took a downhill turn. I didn't know a hill could be so long and steep and about halfway down I tripped, stumbled and fell the rest of the way.

I wound up in a heap, bruised battered and ready to give up.

Life is an amazing thing when you are loved. Life is a constant surprise but if you have faith in God...you always survive the ride and one day look back and say "That was pretty scary, but it's over now and I'm okay."

My kids were oblivious through the first part of my ride...by the time I was going up that last steep hill, knowing this was 'the big one' I had my Mom arms instinctively flung across my kid's chests preparing them for the worst part.

We made it down that hill, with my arms holding them securely and many, many helping arms reaching out to do the same.

When we made it safely down THAT hill, my old employer informed me that the ride had just added one more hill and "This one's a doozy."

The "Doozy" almost did me in. That's when I felt arms reaching from every direction across my OWN chest. That's when I felt the biggest outpouring of love and concern I have ever experienced in my half century on this earth.

That is when I realized that love not only conquers all...but feels pretty darn good. That is when I realized who my true friends were and realized that I had friends that I didn't even KNOW who would protect me against the downhill spiral part of the ride and deliver me safely back to the platform..."Watch your knees and exit to your left."
The left has never felt so RIGHT!

I have realized a few important things:
"Karma" is real.
"Friendship" is precious.
"Faith" is essential and powerful.

I survived, my family survived and I have made many new friends who I now consider part of my family...my family of friends that showed me it was just a ride...just a bump in the road...it wasn't the end, just a detour.

I'm not big on detours, I have little patience and an "A" type personality that didn't take being at the bottom of the hill lightly. I have learned humility and I have learned to accept help. I have learned that my years of helping others has paid off...in a HUGE way.

Massey has lacked for nothing this year...even when we were worried about losing our house, friends family and guard moms made sure she enjoyed every experience with the guard just like the other girls did. They made sure we had food to eat in our house and made sure Massey was a part of every event.

This year has flown by...sometimes we were flying against the jet stream and just as quickly we had it at our back.

I have a lot of paying back and paying forward to do...I just feel lucky to be here to start doing it! I've always loved a challenge anyway...just didn't expect one this big.

As you can see from the pictures, Massey hasn't missed out on anything. She had a great year...(yeah, she worried for a while) but all my family and friends and even strangers made it happen for her...therefore making it happen for me.

She went to her first prom, she had a great year in guard and experienced everything her freshman year that she needed to.


She has friends from guard, from chorus and even from other schools that love her and she loves them just as fiercely.

She has grown up from the little girl in the denim dress with Morning Glory's behind her into a young woman with many friends beside her.

She is a lucky young woman and I am just glad to be along for the ride.

You never know when a Mom will be needed to fling her protective arm across her kid's chest...but thanks to many I am still able to do that and grateful for when they all flung their arms protectively across mine.

Enjoy your summer, enjoy your life and stop to thank someone who has helped you...it may be YOU that needs help one day...That is "KARMA" my friend, that is the "Golden Rule" ...All lessons in life, all words to live by, all things I am sincerely grateful for.

Looking forward to a good summer and a better year in 2010.

Thankful for the people that pushed Massey and helped me survive her pushing MY buttons like most 14 year old girls do.

Thankful for the incredible people that have come into my life this past year and thankful for the blessings God has given me.

Thankful that this school year is over..."Stick a fork in me, I'm DONE!!"

Countin' some blessings...COTTON

As always...click on the pictures for a better view!