When Aron and I were first dating, we were not exactly what you would call religious. I was going through this "down with men because they are all going to just hurt you anyway so why even bother building anything meaningful" phase at the ripe old age of 24, and he was ready to settle down at almost 29 years old. I met my match with this guy, that's for sure. He turned my thinking around just by being this awesome person. I truly believe God brought him into my life for a reason and here we are almost 20 years later.
Anyway, maybe a year and a half into our relationship we started going to Catholic church (he was raised Catholic and I was raised ... hmmm, how do I explain this? ... I was raised by two parents who had been raised kinda super-Protestant? My parents did not raise me to be religious but gave me all the major moral stuff they were supposed to ... and for this reason I am able to hang out with all kinds of different people and be okay with them and not think everyone has to be just like me).
Friday, March 6, 2015
Walking Her Age in Miles Every Year the Week Before Her Birthday
Back in the day, in between leaving my abusive first spouse and discovering my amazing husband Mr. Kerrie, I dated a psychologist. We worked together when I was around age 23 and he was around age 46 and we were together about 18 months. A few times we went to stay at his mom’s house in Topeka, Kansas and his mother was a firecracker who used to be a teacher. Here’s the cool thing about Irene Walker:
She was a walker.
Let’s say she was turning 75 that year. She would work her way up to walking 75 miles during the 7 days before her birthday. Each year she would up it a mile.
I think that is super cool and I hope to be like that someday.
I can currently barely walk 3 miles without being in pain the next day so the thought of walking 44 miles during 7 days this coming June would freak me all out.
P.S. My ex's brother had a slew of kids and they homeschooled. I was in love with the idea of that even then. I loved how many kids they had and what a loving family they were. I wanted that for myself someday so badly and knew I was not going to have that with my ex, and he knew it too. Things worked out for the best and we both moved on and are happy and friendly. There are people who come into your life for a reason ... my ex was there for many reasons: to help me out of my abusive marriage, to introduce me to his amazing mother (I walked my first 5K around the Plaza with them and another in Topeka with them and fell in love with the 5K), to introduce me to his fabulous brother and his large family, to let me know that I could have exactly what I wanted someday out of my life if I would just go for it.
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| I'd love to do something like this someday where I could walk a half marathon like Mr. Kerrie and I did in October 2001 when I barely even realized I was pregnant with our first child! |
P.S. My ex's brother had a slew of kids and they homeschooled. I was in love with the idea of that even then. I loved how many kids they had and what a loving family they were. I wanted that for myself someday so badly and knew I was not going to have that with my ex, and he knew it too. Things worked out for the best and we both moved on and are happy and friendly. There are people who come into your life for a reason ... my ex was there for many reasons: to help me out of my abusive marriage, to introduce me to his amazing mother (I walked my first 5K around the Plaza with them and another in Topeka with them and fell in love with the 5K), to introduce me to his fabulous brother and his large family, to let me know that I could have exactly what I wanted someday out of my life if I would just go for it.
Irene died of lung cancer from 30 years of second-hand smoke in 2004. My ex's cousin is preparing for the NY Marathon and is dedicating her run to Irene Walker. I hope to do the same sort of thing someday.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Partner in Crime Position Filled by Mr. Kerrie on July 20, 1995
Almost 20 years later, Mr. Kerrie is still on the job. I don't need anyone else. Position filled! (except his morals are about 99% spot-on and I'm pretty happy about that one!)
Monday, March 2, 2015
One Crazy Week At My House: Funeral, New Van, Sick, Podcast
A fellow writer just wrote me asking when I might have my print version of Make Money to Write About Your Kids in the print version because she would buy it in a second. I wrote her back that a lot has come up and that I would not bore her with the details of my life. I will bore you instead because, dang, I gotta vent!
When you are the middle of chaos, you just keep moving. It's like when you're in the middle of childbirth and you have no choice but to keep going. There is no AROUND THE PAIN, there is only THROUGH the pain. You signed up for this and you gotta deal with this. Yep, that's my life in a nutshell. And most of the time I can laugh at it and stay relatively cool. Sometimes I need my lavender oil to chill and sometimes I need my newly discovered friend MOSCATO. Did I say "need"? No, that's not what I meant! Moving on.
So my grandfather died. My mom's dad. It was a visitation and a funeral on a 10-degree day. It was my husband putting off a business trip to be a pallbearer. It was my 13-year-old son being a pallbearer as well. It was surreal. I feel guilty that I am excited for my grandma and mentally challenged aunt to move to my town instead of 1.5 hours away. I will miss their country home. I will miss my grandpa. (update: my grandmother died in a nursing home before she was ever able to come to the city with my aunt, supposedly because of holdups with Medicare … for several years … shrug)
The very next day we bought a van. A MAJOR purchase. A 12-passenger van. Yes, I dream of a Mustang someday but for the last year I have been dreaming of THIS beauty! This also meant a weird kind of stress called Trying to Fit the Van Into the Garage and Learning How to Back it Out Without Causing Damage. (this is where I put in the plug for Olathe Ford Lincoln in Kansas City ... John Kennedy rocks and Matt the finance guy was super cool)
Saturday was the end-of-month rush in my businesses (Younique and Jamberry). It's nice to have those to fall back on when I have a large van payment coming up!
During all this, I was sick with a cold. It sure did not keep me in bed, though.
Today my podcast interview about my ebook (see above and click the link to the left if you are dying to hear my voice) went live and my dad heard it and told me he was proud of me. I told my daughter how, even at the age of 43, that makes me so happy to hear when my parents are proud of me. So wonderful.
My husband is now traveling for work and I am here dealing with a zillion kid-related and work-related things and missing my daily hugs and snuggles and kisses from Mr. Kerrie. The coming week is almost just as insane, and I thank you for taking the time to read my little vent. It's not griping when I'm happy to be busy, happy to be living in chaos, happy to be living the life my husband and I always wanted to live. We are having so much fun with this life and I am so grateful for everyone and everything in it.
Catch you on the next post!
When you are the middle of chaos, you just keep moving. It's like when you're in the middle of childbirth and you have no choice but to keep going. There is no AROUND THE PAIN, there is only THROUGH the pain. You signed up for this and you gotta deal with this. Yep, that's my life in a nutshell. And most of the time I can laugh at it and stay relatively cool. Sometimes I need my lavender oil to chill and sometimes I need my newly discovered friend MOSCATO. Did I say "need"? No, that's not what I meant! Moving on.
So my grandfather died. My mom's dad. It was a visitation and a funeral on a 10-degree day. It was my husband putting off a business trip to be a pallbearer. It was my 13-year-old son being a pallbearer as well. It was surreal. I feel guilty that I am excited for my grandma and mentally challenged aunt to move to my town instead of 1.5 hours away. I will miss their country home. I will miss my grandpa. (update: my grandmother died in a nursing home before she was ever able to come to the city with my aunt, supposedly because of holdups with Medicare … for several years … shrug)
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| this is where i inappropriately (can i do things any other way?) put in a plug for teefey's flowers in kansas city |
The very next day we bought a van. A MAJOR purchase. A 12-passenger van. Yes, I dream of a Mustang someday but for the last year I have been dreaming of THIS beauty! This also meant a weird kind of stress called Trying to Fit the Van Into the Garage and Learning How to Back it Out Without Causing Damage. (this is where I put in the plug for Olathe Ford Lincoln in Kansas City ... John Kennedy rocks and Matt the finance guy was super cool)
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| someday ... a car to run errands in and only 3 kids can fit |
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| the big rig |
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| the kids were angels at the dealership for hours |
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| and they love the space! |
During all this, I was sick with a cold. It sure did not keep me in bed, though.
Today my podcast interview about my ebook (see above and click the link to the left if you are dying to hear my voice) went live and my dad heard it and told me he was proud of me. I told my daughter how, even at the age of 43, that makes me so happy to hear when my parents are proud of me. So wonderful.
My husband is now traveling for work and I am here dealing with a zillion kid-related and work-related things and missing my daily hugs and snuggles and kisses from Mr. Kerrie. The coming week is almost just as insane, and I thank you for taking the time to read my little vent. It's not griping when I'm happy to be busy, happy to be living in chaos, happy to be living the life my husband and I always wanted to live. We are having so much fun with this life and I am so grateful for everyone and everything in it.
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| yay for the new camera for v-day from mr. kerrie! he knows what i like! |
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Guest Blogger: Stop Judging Big Families, Please
Today I have a guest blogger. Okay, so she didn't set out to be that, but she ALWAYS says the best stuff on Facebook but doesn't have a lot of interest or time to mess with making her own blog. I simply MUST get some of her stories out there for the world, though! I'm about to compile all her best Book of Faces posts and make them into some sort of rockin' ebook as a gift for her and the world!
Anyway, here is what I found today and it's sad how people can be sometimes but awesome how she has an attitude of loving her life anyway. I remember people saying things to my own mother sometimes about how she only had one kid and when was she having another and she had no plans to do so. Why do we think this is our business?
We preach REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM from the hilltops, we feminists, and yet we can't stay out of each other's child-making -- or lack of -- business! You could be saying something VERY hurtful to a woman with "only" one child. Maybe she just had a miscarriage yesterday. Maybe she had her fifth miscarriage yesterday. Stop judging such things and worry about something more important, please! If I ask you for money or help, THEN you can judge me and castigate me. Until then, please zip it!
P.S. Be careful about what you say around a mother when her children are near. They can hear you. If you act like a big family is a crappy thing, these kids are taking that in and it's confusing to them because they probably LOVE their life and don't understand where such ignorance is coming from!
Here is Elizabeth Hammond, my dear and lovely friend:
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Next time you pass a mamma with children, whether ONE or TEN, do NOT judge, do NOT pity, DO NOT feel empathy for her because she has 'mighty arrows'. She's is doing the MOST important job that could ever exist in this life. The days are long and tireless, some are very unrewarding. She doesn't take a salary and she certainly doesn't look like a celebrity.
This job is special, not for everyone.
It's mine, I was called.
Anyway, here is what I found today and it's sad how people can be sometimes but awesome how she has an attitude of loving her life anyway. I remember people saying things to my own mother sometimes about how she only had one kid and when was she having another and she had no plans to do so. Why do we think this is our business?
We preach REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM from the hilltops, we feminists, and yet we can't stay out of each other's child-making -- or lack of -- business! You could be saying something VERY hurtful to a woman with "only" one child. Maybe she just had a miscarriage yesterday. Maybe she had her fifth miscarriage yesterday. Stop judging such things and worry about something more important, please! If I ask you for money or help, THEN you can judge me and castigate me. Until then, please zip it!
P.S. Be careful about what you say around a mother when her children are near. They can hear you. If you act like a big family is a crappy thing, these kids are taking that in and it's confusing to them because they probably LOVE their life and don't understand where such ignorance is coming from!
Here is Elizabeth Hammond, my dear and lovely friend:
Funny thing this society is.
Seriously, what has happened to America?
Someone that delivered me sandwiches in a beat-up Ford just told me she was 'so sorry' when she saw my 6 kids standing at the door.
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'So sorry?' I said.
'They are SO expensive!!' she said while scratching her head.
'Perspective, honey,' I said. 'You are delivering sandwiches. I am raising human beings that thrill me, love me, hug me, laugh with me, comfort me.'
Can I just be brutally honest with you, Facebook?
Next time you pass a mamma with children, whether ONE or TEN, do NOT judge, do NOT pity, DO NOT feel empathy for her because she has 'mighty arrows'. She's is doing the MOST important job that could ever exist in this life. The days are long and tireless, some are very unrewarding. She doesn't take a salary and she certainly doesn't look like a celebrity.
This job is special, not for everyone.
It's mine, I was called.
Now go deliver your sandwiches so I can play LEGOS, nurse a baby, wipe a bottom, cuddle in my tiny double bed with my six kids while we watch Magic School Bus, and eat kettle corn. I'll go then unload the dishes for the third time, change the laundry over for the 6th time, wipe peepee off the floor in the bathroom and change out of my jammies into yoga pants by 4pm. Perspective, baby.
WORD.
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