Things I Want My Kids To Remember

• Numeric palindromes
• TTMAB
• TIAB
• Manners
• That a lot of times tears are simply joy overflowing.
• good mom's embarrass you AND make you do things that you don't want to.
• sometimes I'm not a "good" mom.
• (Jhinel) the night that you found out that you had been accepted to FSU!!!
• ".........shhhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell your sister"
• visit your grandparents and call your momma.
• say "I love you" as often as you can.
• Hugs and kisses are awesome!
• Be careful of what you put out there on the WWW.
• (Jhinel, Angela, Jennifer)  You are so beautiful. And true beauty shines from within!
• You can't get by on cute forever, so just stop it right now.
• I lied. TALK to strangers!  It's good for you to stretch your social skills, and how else are you ever going to meet new people and make new friends??
• Always remember "the buddy system",  it's not just for kids!
• I love you.
• Jesus loves you far more than I can even imagine.
• "Someday you'll be best friends"
• If God had asked me to make a list of what I wanted in children......It wouldn't have even come close to the ones that He gave me. That's why I think I'm His "favorite."
• Praise God in ALL things, even the ones that break our hearts.  I believe this!  He never promised us that living for Him would guarantee wealth or a life without sorrows.  In fact, In the Word we are told that because of our faith, we will suffer.  God doesn't cause bad things to happen, but sometimes He does allow them.  It is not our place to know why, it is only our place to trust Him.  (read Job).  God's ways are bigger than ours.  Praise Him, even when it hurts. 
• God will never, ever leave you or abandon you.  
• Faith is not a feeling and feelings don't define our faithfulness.
• Worship is about honoring God, it's not about making YOU feel good.
• Some of these you may not "get" yet.  (print it out and tuck it away for later)
• I still think that it's a good idea to write out a "wish list" of what you desire in a mate at least once a year.  Jhinel, New Year's might not be such a good time anymore, maybe St. Valentine's Day?  It's only necessary to include the "must have's" and the "deal breakers".
• Never, ever drink and drive. Not even "just this once" or after "just one."  Never, ever ride in a vehicle with someone who has been drinking.  Not even "just this once" or after "just one."  If you need a ride.  Call me, I'll be there!
• better yet, never drink????  (Hey, I'm your momma, what do you expect?)
• Don't kiss a man before the wedding ceremony.  (Unless it's your grandpa Krupa)
• It's really expensive to get tattoos removed.
• "Yes, when you turn 18 and I no longer legally have that authority over your life"  is a really creative way to say, "NO" to your children!
• Go to college!
• Find your passion!
• If you work where your passion/love/heart is, you'll never "work" a day in your life.
• Don't use "plastic."
• Cars and houses are the only things you should ever put on credit.  Try to pay cash for those if you can too. 
• Take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class.
• Now you are beginning to CREATE your very own family. (friends are part of your family.)
• Change your windshield wipers every six months.
• Make your bed every day, even if the rest of your room is a mess, it STILL looks good!
• If you're "not sure", ask yourself what you would tell your own daughter to do if she were in the same situation.
• If you SMOKE I will come back and kick your a**!!!!!! 
• "Hatching" baby chicks

• more will come.

Frog Legs Anyone???

Tonight it was a night "on the town" in beautiful Fellsmere, FL.  Angela volunteered at the annual Frog Leg Festival as did many from the tennis team.

My fair food of choice is Italian sausage sandwich with fried onions and peppers and NOT fried frogs legs.  Unfortunately, my tasters have been "off" for  many months (meds perhaps?) and once again eating was difficult. 

Without a doubt, the most entertaining part of the evening was not the "performer from Nashville"  but Angela's adventure with the frog.  She is terrified of them.  In one photo I couldn't decide if she was posing to kiss it or to take a bite!!!  It was worth the $20.00 to watch her overcome her fear/phobia.

I took the cane and not the walker and although I was slow, I was there for almost two hours!  (HUGE!)
(pain pills were involved.)

The Day that Uncle Chad Found "Papers" in Angela's Make-Up Bag...

And what was he doing in her make-up bag anyways???!!!


(just in case you're wondering, they are Sephora brand blotting papers and her make up bag is exactly where they should be!)

Fifteen....

is beautiful!

Spring Break 2010

This is a single mom's version of a "VACATION" day:
take Jhinel to dentist; while she is getting her cleaning/check-up, Starbucks run - cause I know this one's gonna be "a doozy"; fill up car and check air in the tires; pick up girl from dentist; auto parts store for new windshield wiper blades; Walgreens for passport photos; Dad's for a kiss; county government office so Nel can submit her passport application. THEN wash car; lunch; Jhinel to doctor; post office; me to oncologist; county animal care and control for cat licenses; home to pick up Angela and Alana; Dad and Nancy's for dinner; grocery store so that Nel and Alana can bake a pink cake before Jhinel heads back to college. I can ONLY take so many of these "days off" - LOL!!!


Hoping that you see the blessings in THIS day!

AVKD

Ang and I had the most interesting discussion about the literature of William Shakespeare and evolution of the English language.  Actually she did most of the talking.  The conversation was wonderful.  The fact that it was with MY baaaaaaaabeeeeeeeeeeeee is kinda freaky!

God is Good. 

Smile. Smile. Smile!

It's 10:30 p.m. on my coast. In my living room are four college girls, a kid sister and a wii. They are all in PJ's, I hear their laughter. I am whelmed over with joy, peace, happy.

The last time that they were all together was their high school graduation and "little krupa" was considered a nuisance. In just a matter of weeks, she's grown taller than two and has physically matured in a way that none of the others were prepared for (yet). Tonight she is invited to be part of their group. I am glad to have them home, even though the visits are brief these days.

THIS is the bucket list.

Why God Created Aunts!

Thanks for Letting Me Go

Tonight a surprise visit from Jhinel and Emilio.
"aren't you supposed to be in Tallahassee?!"
Pizza.  "catching up"
"I'm glad you let me go, mom"
She was a momma's girl, overprotected perhaps and overprotective definitely!  She remembers things her kid sister doesn't; she helped to raise an infant niece for a time, she worried as she saw her older sister make dangerous choices.  My interferon treatments and Cancer made her too responsible, these things are compounded when your mom is a single.

I knew that she needed to go away to college, I wanted her to have the opportunity to "act her age" and learn life on her own terms.  As I hear these words, "I'm glad you let me go"  I remind her that I MADE her go away to college.

that's not what she meant. 
and then I'm glad too.  It's hard letting go of one whom  you love so very much.  I won't alway's approve of her choices in life, sometimes I'll know better ways.  I think the best that I do now is to trust her to make her own choices and to let her know that she is loved - no matter what. 

And to pray mother prayers.

First Weekend Home

(finally) this week is done.


after a thirteen hour day today, and a much too busy and long week, tonight I came home and crashed..........

on the couch,

in my jammies....



a very aggressive and persistent knock on the door...WHAT??!!!



I open it to find my Nel!

she decided to surprise us
a seven hour trip on a bus for her first weekend home from college.

I am truly blessed. Thank you, Father.

Blonde's Really Do Have Fun...

A minor crisis if you will, she thought that her "car floss" would last to infinity. It didn't.

JHINEL IS FUNNY

ALL of the photo's from Tallahassee are of Campbell Doak Stadium. Funny girl.

She IM'd me!!!!

(lol)

Nel just IMed me from Tallahassee. Silly girl.
Go practice being a college kid!!!

A friend suggested that I hook up skype when she leaves.
I will. I will also be mindful that this is a new season of letting her grow.

She's (a bit) Off!!

Jhinel left today for Tallahassee. She'll experience campus life for a few days. And although they, "can't stand each other", she and Angii sat next to each other in church this morning and were quite affectionate in that "teenaged sister, sibling rivalry" sorta way.

It feels like a trial run to me but I didn't cry.

A Resounding "Yes!" to This One...

I was awakened by some "stirrings" at 1:00 a.m.
Saw my girl coming down the hall, and told her to get to bed Puh-leeeeezzzzzzzz

She replied, "I got in"

My girl is a Seminole!
A neldream realized.

Yay!

Sometimes God Says, "Wait"

I remember as a new mom, the excitement and joy at sharing the wonders of the world with this new precious and beloved lil person.

I remember feeling at times, that it was like a "do over" of my own childhood moments and yet even better because I was sharing it with my own child. It was as if we had "new eyes" to experience God's creation.

These days, she is anxiously awaiting so much. Colleges, scholarships, summer jobs. Fervent prayers envelop all of our graduating youth.

Last night an Email came. The dreamed of summer job. WAITLISTED. I see that wrinkled forehead look, the one that is disappointment, why wouldn't God want this for her?

I say it although she has heard it a million times, I say it even though she already knows it. I say it with tears in my heart for her. As the words come out, I wonder if it sounds rote, insensitive. "If it is God's will for you to be there this summer, you will be there. If it is not his will, then he has other plans for your life for this time. You can trust him". I'm not sure that it's enough. But it is all I have. It is who I am.

I have learned that God's will is better. He is faithful in all things. His grace is sufficient.

Sometimes we ask for things and His answer is yes.
Sometimes we ask for things and His answer is no.
Sometimes we ask for things and He says, wait.

I think the "wait" one is the hardest.
Ask, Seek, Knock.



we smiled together when a peer messaged the same response as I had conveyed (she has beautiful friends too). Sometimes you can hear it better when it's not your own mom.

Graffiti in My BATHROOM!!!!!!!

Yeah, funny things happen at my house.
Blogs get "hacked" into and embarrassing video's appear for all the world to see.

This morning I'm taking a shower, washing my hair. I look up to see graffiti all over the tile!!!

Someone (obviously) "borrowed" the granddaughters soap crayons, "Have A Great Day".
I smile
I laugh
I almost cry

The people I live with are such a blessing.

Bumper Sticker Philosophy

it's a wooHoo day. again.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please disregard the black sock which is hanging on the side of my purse (hmmmmmmmm which child is wearing only one sock today???) And yes, it is "sock weather" in South Florida today.

An AT& T Day - for REAL!!

I was picking up another prescription for a kid. And really annoyed at how much money had been spent in the past few months for medical stuff...............in the past month, well over a month's income. savings depleted again. bills coming in. one step forward, two steps back in the finance arena that is..........

That's when it happened. Standing at the counter. a horrible, terrible, snarky IMPULSE buy. Dave Ramsey would have words for me, fer sure! The girls were confused. not typical mom behavior, not a typical mom activity. "Mom, we've never been to the SF Fair, are you okay?" "NO, but were going anyway". And a Monday off from work as well.

The teens of course, arranged to meet up with friends, So I asked her Dad if Alana could come. It may have been the best eighty-nine dollars I ever spent.

OH MY GAWSH!

MOM YOU'VE BEEN HACKED BY YOUR FAVORITE DAUGHTER!! ENJOY!!

(video deleted by mom)