You've Got a Friend in Me

Yes I know I have been silent for the past 8 months. Our family has been slowly working through repatriating back to the United States and coming to Texas. There will be a blog entry soon on how things have gone, but today I want to write about something different -- friendships.

When we learned our family would be coming to Texas Emily begged us to let her stay in Japan and finish her senior year. We obviously shot that idea down and told her she had two options - Spend her senior year counting down the days until high school was through or go and immerse herself in the school and making friends. To our surprise not only did she choose the second option, but she went above and beyond we ever could have imagined.

Emily is graduating from high school in 9 days. I won't even get into that right now as I am out of Kleenex and I can already feel the tears coming on just thinking about it. She has been counting down the days until she is finally done with high school and until she checks into her dorm in Lubbock for months. She has been talking non-stop about how much she can't wait to start the new chapter of her life. Until last night. It finally has dawned on her that life is about to totally change, and the friendships she has worked so hard in making this past year, will change.

Last night as the tears were brimming in Emily's eyes and she declared she was no longer going to graduate, I told my daughter my thoughts on friendships.

First, you have those that are "friendships by location". These are people whom you are friends with because of where you live or maybe an activity in which you or your child may be involved. These are people that you know if your location or activity changes, it was fun while it lasted but you will part ways and not really think twice.

Next, you have friends that you may communicate with on social media or see each other every once in a while, but in a time of need they won't be the person you call or contact. They are more acquaintance friends.

Then you have what I call good friends. These are people that you may communicate with often or do things with when you can. These people may or may not live in the same place as you. These are people that if you need something you know you can call upon them and vice versa. There is an equal amount of effort to maintain this type of friendship.

Finally, you have what I call life-long friends. These are people that you know in a moments notice they will be there. You know you can call them at 2 am sobbing and they wouldn't even blink, even if it has been months since you spoke last. These are people that you may not see or talk with often but you know they will always have your back. Friendship between the two of you comes easy.

I am blessed with amazing friends. Some I have been friends with for over 20 years, while others I have met along the path of my life. As I told Emily, distance doesn't have to stop a friendship. It may and probably will change, but that change isn't always bad. With the technology options today, you can communicate with just about anyone, anywhere, anytime around the globe. The choice is hers.
Walking across that stage in 9 days, doesn't have to be an end-- it can be just the beginning of something great.

There are those who pass like ships in the night, who meet for a moment, then sail out of sight with never a backward glance of regret, folks we know briefly then quickly forget. Then there are friends who sail together, through quiet waters and stormy weather, helping each other though joy and through strife. And they are the kind who give meaning to life. ~ Unknown

A Next Chapter in Life

Sorry I have been MIA the past few days. I have been busy with kindergarten orientation, preschool graduation and farewell picnic, an urgent care visit and, well, umm joining an online David Cook fan club.

Tuesday night we had kindergarten orientation. The first hour was supposed to be a pizza supper and then the next hour was a visit to the classrooms for the kids and a meeting for the parents. Everything was going well for the first 15 minutes until a tornado decided to come our way and we got to spend 20 minutes in the kitchen storage room. Imagine a group of soon to be kindy kids, stuffed into a dark storage room, in a strange school. Ummm yeah. But at the end of the evening all was well as we made our way home with a cool homemade hat, a nifty bag filled with goodies and a Lincoln Heights Elementary school t-shirt.
Sami before we left for orientation posing for the camera. (Why is she so adamant on putting her hands like that in every picture?)
My girls posing together.
All our goodies.

Wednesday night was preschool graduation. I had told myself this was my 3rd child to graduate preschool and come on it was only preschool. But when they put that little cap and gown on Sami my eyes started to water. And when she sang Jesus Loves Me I couldn't hold back the tears. And she even got a cute little diploma.

My graduate!
Sami getting her diploma.

Thursday morning was the farewell preschool picnic. It was so much fun watching Sami spend some last moments with her friends and with her teachers. It was for the whole preschool so the park was packed with little ones playing, jumping in the bounce houses, blowing bubbles and of course eating.

Sami and Miss Becky and Miss Sandi.
Sami on the playground. Isn't she so modest? Now if I could only get her in pants.

Our time at the picnic was cute short because we had to go pick up Chris from school. He just just finished his EOG (end of grade ) test and I had to take him to the urgent care for an x-ray. That morning he had tripped over a lego box in his room that I had many times told him to pick up. He fell into the foot board and broke his fall with his arm. His arm was all swollen and bruised. The Xray didn't show any big break, but the doctor couldn't rule out a hairline fracture. It was sprained and he had a muscle contusion, so we got this nifty sling. He can try using his arm on Monday and see how it feels. (Can I run off to a vegas hotels now?)

Chris refused to let me take his picture, so this camera phone picture will have to do.

It was such a bittersweet week. You can see more pictures here.

End of the year insanity

When I became a mom 12 years ago I never thought my life would be so busy and chaotic as it is today. Our life is always pretty busy with the kids, work and commitments but the next few weeks is just insane. And guess what! Matt will be gone for just about all of it. (Shocker, I know)

Sunday night we had Awana awards. Sami and Chris (Emily is too old to be in Awanas here) got first year awards and then we had a yummy hot dog roast. The kids loved being in Awanas and will be sure to go back again next year.

Sami had a field trip to the strawberry patch. We had so much fun eating picking strawberries and then having homemade ice cream. I love fresh fruit. And pretty soon it will be peach season. Yum!


Tonight is Sami's kindergarten orientation. ::Sniff sniff:: At least they serve us pizza. Now if only they had a beer or two to drown our tears in. Oh and Chris has ball practice and Em has gymnastics. Ummmm yeah. Not sure how that is working with Matt gone.Tomorrow night is Sami's preschool graduation. Oh and Emily has gymnastics at the same time. Thursday morning I am working the EOG breakfast at Chris's school, then we have the preschool goodbye picnic and then Thursday night both Emily and Chris have ball games. Next week and the week after is just as insane. I feel like I am running around like those on generic Phentermine, just never stopping.

Our weekend is up in the air as a close friend of ours finds out today if she will need surgery this week. If she does, I am going to Ohio to help with their three small girls. But we are keeping our fingers crossed that she doesn't. Shannon is having surgery on Friday and I would like to help out in any way I can with her too. Otherwise Matt will be back Friday from Illinois for a few days before heading to Brazil for two weeks. We may have a cookout for Chris and Sami's birthday since he will be gone for Sami's birthday.

Oh and in the midst of all of this my business is taking off. Totally a God thing. And a great thing. But it will require lots of time. Which right now, is hard to come by. Thank goodness for energy drinks. I think I will be taking stock in them.

A Look to the Past

March 20, 1998 –– Ten years ago –– Matt and I graduated from college. Wow. It just seems so weird to type that number.
Yeah, we were sad looking.

Some days I look back and it seems like only yesterday. Other days it seems so long ago. (Okay this is sounding like a Beatles song. Maybe I am watching too much American Idol) So much has happened to us, good and bad, over the past 10 years.

Ten years ago, I never thought my life would be what it is today.

• We have gotten married.
  
• We have three kids. (Who would have thought... Alexis with three kids)
  
• We have moved three times and lived in three different states.
  
• We have dealt with kids broken bones, stitches, seizures, sleep apnea, specialists and a seriously ill child.
• We have buried Matt's mom, his grandfather, his aunt, my great aunt and our daughter.
• Matt took a job with Caterpillar and has been promoted four times.
• I decided to become a SAHM and started my own freelancing business.
• Matt has traveled all over the world –– Mexico, Canada, much of Europe, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia. Pretty cool for a farm boy from Green, Ohio.
  
• We have watched friends and siblings and siblings-in-laws get married and have kids of their own.
  
• We own a minivan, something I swore I would NEVER do. (Guess it goes with the three kids, huh?)
• We have gotten a cell phone and gone high speed. (Just 15 years ago when I started college I learned what email and a CAT5e even was)
• We definitely look much better (see photo above if you think differently)
  
• And somehow we have managed to stay together, even though the odds were so stacked against us.
  

Time goes by so quickly that I cannot even imagine what the next 10 years hold. After all, in 10 years we will have a 22 year old, an 18 year old and a 14 year old. I am sure that no matter what it will exciting and full of lots of bumps and curves. And maybe, just maybe, if blogging still exists, I can tell you all about it.

My Graduate

I know I keep saying this, but where does time go? I feels like just yesterday a nurse placed this tiny little red baby in my arms, now she is almost 12 and going to middle school.

I know it is only 5th grade, but the school really puts on a nice celebration. We started with a brunch for the parents and students.


After brunch we went to a nearby church for graduation. They even got real "diplomas"! It was a really nice program, complete with student speeches, a slide show and receiving the diploma.

Even though we have only been here one school year, Emily has made some great friends and had an awesome teacher. It was hard for everyone to say goodbye. The kids are going off to 5 or 6 different middle schools so for some they have said goodbye for the last time.

Yikes!! I officially am a parent of a middle schooler. Congrats Emily! We're so proud of you!