4 Days

I can feel the emotions gurgling just below the surface.  I haven't cried but I feel like I could if the right commercial came on.

I want to enjoy the moment and appreciate every step.  But, the anxiety is growing and slowing taking me over.

I'm a little afraid of what might be coming.  I'm afraid of the ugly cry.

My Son is Getting Married

Seems like just yesterday I was a young lass of 23, awaiting the arrival of my first-born son.  I hadn't met him but I was already in love.  It was like nothing I had ever felt.  I felt i knew him. I was honored to be his mom.

Fast forward a few years, and you'll find me as a single mom, working to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.  My little man was the joy of my life. He was the light in a dark storm.

Fast forward another decade and being a mom to a teen had it's difficult moments.  I loved him still but life was hard.  Our family had grown through a new marriage and added siblings. We had our fair share of struggle and conflict. He and I managed to remain close.

College came and he moved 900 miles away to live on campus at University.  I am now an older woman, middle-aged.  I love my son and miss him so much.

And now I am about to watch my first-born son marry the love of his life.  She is sweet and precious and I love her.  I am thankful for her.  I prayed for her when my dear son was a babe. Yet still I cry.

Time passes quickly.

Social Media

It just popped up out if no where. I was blind-sided.

I was trying to "lesson plan" for a history class I'm teaching this fall. A little baby wanted to help by banging on the keyboard even after I repeatedly asked him not to. So, I closed my laptop and picked up my iPhone.

When I checked my email, I had an invitation waiting for me from a friend who uses "LinkedIn". This wasn't the first. I've probably had 2 dozen invites but I usually don't have time to respond.

I was sucked in and accepted. I was then asked to see up my own profile. So I spent the next hour trying to articulate proper employment descriptions as well as my current position.

Ugh! I wasted hours of my afternoon. Darn you, social media!!! 

Summer is Here!!!

It kind of creeped up on me as it does every year. One spring day, the kids wake up and say "Can it be summer?" I look around and spontaneously decide, "Yes, let's have summer!!!"

My plan was to do one last week of school after we returned from Nationals. That would have been a miracle. No one wanted to crack open a book after we had been gone all week including the teacher. So, with only one week left, we tossed it up and called it a day :)

Scott, our resident principal, always says, "I'm not sure who enjoys summer more... You or the kids?!" Definitely me!!! It's my time to be "Fun Mommy". I'm not teacher, nag, or anything but Mom!

So, what do we do? Well, this week we have gone on 3 play dates, all of which included swimming. We went to Six Flags in the rain. That was fun. And today I am cleaning out my closet, still wearing my pj's while the kids watch PBS and play with toys.

I LOVE summer!!!!!

Out of Town Tourney

I wasn't sure if we'd even make it since it had only been two weeks since my surgery. I'm so glad we did as it has been a pleasant adventure.

Tuesday we drove up to Tulsa from DFW. By God's mercy it was an amazingly uneventful road trip. Nice weather, clear traffic, one potty break and one diaper break.

That night after a hearty dinner at Cracker Barrel, we went to the indoor pool and the kids had so much fun. By the sounds of giggles and squeals, you'd think we were at the beach.

Wednesday was freezing. It was pouring rain and the temperature did not get higher than 39F. Brrrrr! That day Wyatt had his parliamentary tournament.

Thursday and Friday were the start of the rest of the tournament. What a blessing it was to be there. I got to see these amazing kids in action. They were hard-working, focused, thoughtful, kind and respectful. I was so impressed.

In the end, Tatum ended up winning and award for serving as a Timer. Wyatt walked away with several wins and medals. I was a proud mama!

Of course the award celebration on Saturday evening went late and we left town an hour and a half late. No worries! I just rolled back into our home town at 12:30 AM. Exhausted and ready for bed. But, surely blessed!

Bestest Girlfriend Birthday

I was thirty years old and reading through a fiction series called the Sisterchicks series. A favorite book of mine was about two best friends who celebrate their 40th birthdays by vacationing together in Hawaii. What a genius idea! Glamorous, relaxing, serene.

After reading through the same book (by my recommendation of course), my oldest and dearest friend suggested we do the same. That gave us ten years to plan for this milestone birthday.

Well, things never turn out the way we plan. As the bible says "man plans his steps, but the LORD directs his path."

Fast-forward ten years... My best girlfriend's husband called me to plan to surprise his wife for her 40th birthday by flying out. Would we be meeting in a luxurious lounge in Maui or an expensive hotel on Oahu? Not on your life. We spent most of the weekend in her beautiful, yet homey living room. Chatting over noisy Lego building and a screening of Kung Fu Panda.

What had changed in those ten years that would railroad our original plans? A lot. My sweet friend had an amazing adventure adopting her youngest two kids from Ethiopia, all while raising two amazing teenagers and continuing to homeschool them. I had added three more kids to my family mix. My youngest was recently added on Valentine's day last year. So, my little guy was still nursing.

So, after all our planning for this amazingly glamorous 40th birthday celebration, it culminated in a quiet, cozy all-too-realistic visit that I wouldn't have changed for the world. We stayed up late and spent so much time catching eachother up on every detail of the latest happenings. We went shopping, got pedicures, went to dinner, had a blast.

And, now we are planning Hawaii for our 50th birthdays :) Surely, nothing could keep that from happening, right? :)

Buddy's 5th Birthday

Thursday, November 29, marked the 5th birthday of one Dallas Kapono Yuen. Sweet boy of mine. All boy. Rough and tumble. A lover and a fighter. That kid has a LOVE of life! Everything he does, he does with gusto. And he is so sure of himself. So much confidence exudes from him. He has more confidence in his pinky than most grown people have. He is amazing. I love him.

We took him to take pictures with Santa and play games/make crafts at Santa'a village. Then to a birthday dinner of his choosing: the mall food court :) He wanted Sonic. He opened presents and ate birthday cake.

"This is the best birthday EVER!" he exclaimed.

Then on Saturday, Daddy took Dallas to Lowe's to the "Build and Grow" program where they built a wooden plane from "Rise of the Guardian." Later in the day, we took the little kids to Medieval Times for a birthday dinner. While we missed big brother, Wyatt, since he was on a mission trip, we still had fun.

So blessed to celebrate God's amazing gift to us in our children :)