Mom Brag Alert

This week is one busy week for our household.  Tonight, we will attend my youngest daughter's 8th Grade Recognition Night.  I'm SO very proud of her, she has maintained a 4.0 throughout her middle school years, very impressive!  She's so sweet and bubbly and so darn adorable!  She's not only beautiful on the outside, but she's beautiful on the inside.  She's so easy going and always cheery.  Always fun being around her, yes, even for a teenager!

My son will be graduating from high school this Saturday...where does the time go?  I'm so proud of the young man he has become.  He's got such a tender heart and a sweet disposition.  He's very easy going too and always willing to do whatever is asked of him.  He even does my grocery shopping when I need him to since he works at a grocery store...now how many boys would do that for their moms?  Not many I'm sure.  And he drives his little sister around when we need him to.  

On Sunday, he was asked to give a short speech regarding his faith and what the church has meant to him for the Senior Recognition brunch.  Seriously?  He agreed to do this?  He has never given a speech in public!  We had him practice in front of us several times.  We wanted him to be prepared and not be nervous.  We gave him pointers and told him to practice again, then come give us the speech again...I'm sure he thought we were going overboard, but he did it anyway.

Sunday morning arrived and we were all seated with both sets of grandparents too.  They were only invited because my son was speaking.  We all ate, then it came time for him to give his speech.  I think both my hubby and I were nervous for him.  But when my son was up and standing in front of everyone with the microphone in hand, I realized what a young man he had grown up to be.  He looked so handsome in his clothes and was calm as can be while he gave his speech.  He later told us he was shaking like a leaf, but you would have never known that.  His voice was steady and he spoke from his heart and spoke of how he had grown in his faith.  It was a very proud moment for our family.  I'm so proud of him agreeing to speak in front of everyone, it's not an easy thing to do!

I'm so proud at this moment, my kids are all growing up in front of me.  My oldest daughter finished up her junior year in college a few weeks ago and she has truly turned into a beautiful, young lady.  She has shown that she is ready to take on the world!  I'm not sure I can take much credit for how my kids have turned out, but I do know that all I did was love them with all my heart and did my best to be the best mom for them.  I don't regret a day that I've been a stay at home mom, that was the best decision I could have ever made.  It wasn't always easy when everyone else was busy with their careers, I felt like I wasn't contributing much, but then I look at my kids and think, 'Wow, these are MY kids, I must have done something right!'

I love you Erika, Taylor, and Kora!  You make me so proud to be your mom!!

A Star is Born!

I'm not talking about the movie, rather my youngest daughter.  She has been in competitive cheerleading for six seasons now and she has finally reached the top team...the STARS!!  What a long wait for this announcement, but was so worth it!  The regular team tryouts were almost the whole month of April, then it came to determining the team for Stars, which continued into May!!  The days seemed to drag on and on and when it came time for the announcement...the posting was soooo late!!  It was dejavu all over again with the first tryouts!

But, the wait was worth it, even tho I was not being very patient...especially since I was out of town, busy with no internet available and texting my daughter every second for the results!  I just wanted to see it in writing, was that asking too much?!!

I'm just glad my daughter was rewarded for all of her years of hard work and dedication.  It will be an interesting year, but it will be an exciting year!!  Bring it!!

Stay Tuned...

A month from now, I will be in traveling to Korea again.  But this trip is like no other trip I have taken before.  I feel so honored to be going on such a trip and so blessed to know I am so trusted by my good friend to go on this trip with her.

Not sure what to expect on this trip and I will not set any expectations, except just 'be there' for my friend and support her in every way I can.  I'm so excited for my friend, what an amazing trip this will be for her and of course, I know this will impact me in ways I never thought it could.

I am forever grateful for everyone I meet in my life and to have made an impact of such trust, I am forever blessed.  My heart is beating fast just thinking of this and my eyes are tearing up...my friend will never know how much she has touched me by asking me to be her support.  I am also tearing up because I am blessed with a wonderful husband that supports me 110%, without him, I wouldn't be able to make such a trip.  I am the luckiest person on earth!!

So stay tuned for my experience on this trip.  This trip is about my friend, so I will be sharing how I feel during this trip, as this is her story to tell.

Super Hero Moms

With Mother's Day approaching, I want to dedicate this post to all of my friends that are also moms.  I've see you with and without your kids and I truly believe that you are all awesome friends and mothers!  Thus, we all have earned the title of 'Super Hero Mom'!

We don't have super powers, per se...but we do have the ability to do some quite amazing stuff!  

• Our spit cleans our kids' faces, flattens down unruly hair, loosens things that get stuck, removes sticky messes from kids and/or surfaces.  
• We have the ability to make boos boos feel better with just a kiss.  
• We can make a child feel secure with just a hug.  
• We can make a child feel loved like no other with a hug.  
• We can wipe away tears with a hug.  
• We can let a child know he/she is in trouble just with 'the look'.  
• We can make a child smile with saying, 'I'm so proud of you'.  
• We can make the day of a child by saying, 'I love you'.  
• We can become the characters in a book by changing our voices while reading to them.
• We create the magic at Christmas, Easter, and when he/she loses a tooth.
• We make them feel loved with just a home cooked meal.
• We can make them feel like they are Picasso by displaying their artwork.
• We can make them feel like they are flying by spinning them around.
• Our kids understand our language even when we speak in a baby voice and in a high voice.
• We can put a child to sleep just by rocking them in our arms.
• We become the best singers in the world when we sing lullabies.
• We can make our children feel special just by spending time/playing with them.
• We can make our children feel like they are grown up just by letting them dress up in our clothes.
• We can show them the true meaning of unconditional love.
• We can show them what love is all about by loving their daddies.

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and to my Mom!  Rock on Super Hero Moms!!

45

It's not just a number, it's my age as of today.  I'm actually very proud of my age and I don't have a problem telling people how old I am.  I find it funny tho that I still don't know my true birthdate.  It's still a mystery.  I could be a year or so older or even a year younger!  No matter what, I'm still proud to be the age I am.  

So much has happened in my 45 years, some bad, but most of it has been great!  I have a lot of hopes and dreams for my future and I know that I will be able to pursue them because I have such a wonderful family!  

I don't have anything special planned for today, hubby flew to L.A. this morning, he did NOT want to go, especially since he traveled prior to our anniversary...think he's tired of business getting in the way of our celebration days!  But, he is the one bringing home the bacon so he needs to grab that pig by the tail and take on the day no matter what the calendar says!

Be Real

I need to be honest and real.  I always say I am a patient person, but seriously, when it comes to my kids trying out for something or going after something they want, I am not a patient person!!  I am a wreck!  After my youngest daughter tried out for her freshmen cheerleading squad and made it, I was so happy that was over!  Then came the month of April for tryouts for the competitive club cheerleading.  This year came the new format for tryouts and rather than one day of tryouts, they would be the whole month of April...okay, maybe not the entire month, just felt like it.

The night came for the posting of teams and the results were posted two hours late...talk about stress and going crazy waiting!  At least we got a hint that they would be posted and to be patient...I was trying to be patient!  We knew what team my daughter would be listed under, but it was the fact that we wanted to see it in writing and the fact that she could be listed as a candidate for the top team.  Two hours later and there it was, her name listed as we knew it would and highlighted in red stating she was, indeed, a candidate for the top team...for three spots only...ugh!!

So when would we know about the top team?  Sunday, evening of course, and after practice...please, my patience is running thin already and I have to wait AGAIN!  I have every confidence my daughter deserves to be on the top team, she's a very dedicated athlete, loves the sport, always looks forward to practicing and has a great attendance record and not to mention, we are the ideal parents, we don't complain, we don't interfere, we pay on time, support the entire club...ideal for any coach to deal with.  Heck, we've been with this club for eight years!!  I just hope the coaches will see things the way we do.  This.  Wait.  Is.  Killing.  Me.

Korea x's Two

It's official, I will be traveling to Korea two times in June with only one week home in between. I'm excited for both opportunities because they will be two different experiences.  My first trip will be one week with a wonderful friend and we will be staying at Ilsan with pretty much an open schedule to explore.

My second trip will be with the Holt Heritage Tour as the assistant to the tour leader, FINALLY!  I've been wanting to be the assistant for this tour for a very long time.  I'm looking forward to meeting the tour participants and sharing in this wonderful trip.  I remember going on this tour with my own family in 2009.  What a wonderful two weeks and filled with such great memories.  I've made life long friends from my many trips to Korea, I look forward to making many more friends on this one!

I am hoping my body will cooperate with me during the one week home and I will have caught up on my sleep.  Some people think I'm crazy for doing these two trips so close together, mainly my hubby, but I am ready and SO excited!!