My Very Own Blog!

Wow! My very own blog! I feel........... very 21st Century. Considering we're 7 years in.... I'd say it is about time. This so reminds me of the time I spent writing in my pink diary (with lock and key of course) in the 5th grade. Hopefully, this space will be much more interesting than my musings as a ten year old (mostly about what I ate, how "good" my day was, etc.)

I am a wife to Rob (our 9 year anniversary is tomorrow) and Mom to J.T. (6) and Abby (2 and a very precocious 8 months). I have a University degree in Middle Grades education (what was I thinking?) and currently work as a secretary (only 35 hours a week and no work to take home with me). I am the youngest child in a family of four kids. I was the "surprise" (we wouldn't take a million dollars for you and wouldn't give 2 cents for another just like you) -- Thanks Dad. We live in a small University town in south Georgia, USA. My husband is a technology specialist for the local school system. We live next door to my in-laws (which I actually love, believe it or not) and 20 minutes from my parents. My addictions in life (in addition to my family) are: diet coke, chocolate (especially Hot Fudge Sundaes) and books (I like adventure books and those trashy romances). I truly believe that the diet coke cancels out the chocolate (because - hey, I could have had a regular coke). My big pet peeves in life are: snobby, fake people, boy bands, stupidity and Fox news (can we really call it news).

My faith took a big blow following the death of my brother almost 2 years ago. He had a massive heart attack and died instantly at the age of 41. While I grieve for him, he was almost 11 years older than I, and the most difficult part has been witnessing my mother's pain and grief. My parents are people of deep faith and I just couldn't believe that God would do this to them. It felt almost like a betrayal to me. I have been blessed with a wonderful, patient husband who has stood by me and with me during this and by two children who give me a reason to be.

J.T. is 6 years old and just finished Kindergarten and is relatively excited about beginning first grade in the fall. He is most excited about having 60 days off from school for summer vacation. He is bright, talks like a 40 year old (yesterday he told me he was "exhausted") and loves the typical boy stuff: anything with wheels, action figures and superheroes and video games. He really is like someone much older. We were watching a funniest videos show and a squirrel ran up a man's arm, I laughed and he said: Mom, how would you feel if that happened to you? Which made me laugh harder. He was not amused. He is very bright and that scares me.... he is starting to call my bluff on bogus parent threats. How am I supposed to parent him for the next 12 years if he does this?

Our daughter Abby was a big surprise. I couldn't believe we were pregnant (we were trying to prevent it at the time). Rob's grandmother was dying of cancer and his grandfather was being very difficult. The timing just seemed so wrong. But, Abby really has been a gift to our family. She was 8 days shy of her 1st birthday when my brother died and she gave my mother a reason to keep going.... because Abby "needed" her. I don't think she would have had the strength to face each day without knowing that Abby was waiting for her. And after the loss of her mother, it gave my mother-in-law something to look forward to as well. And I guess that our house needed a rambunctious one to balance out our sage one.

Melinda