One More Trip Around the Sun

Another year has come and gone.  The clock went by fast and that pendulum swung like a wrecking ball for a lot of us in life during the year 2019.  Many of us suffered loss this year in one form or another and many of us celebrated some great victories and joys.  Overall, on the very last day of 2019, it is very clear that the one thing keeping almost everyone steady is the sense of togetherness, family and love.

The year 2019 has taught me a lot about family.  Family, what’s in the word family?  You know… those people… your family.  The ones you love, but you hate them sometimes, your family.  You know, your kids; who drink your soda out of the fridge and eat the last nutty bar you were saving for that PMS time when you are trying not to kill them and just want some chocolate. The kids you try not to stab when that happens.  Your family; the ones who remind you constantly how messed up you all are, but perfectly perfect for each other all at the same time.

Your family, like mine, who can’t wait to get together for family dinners with everyone to tell stories about how crazy you were when you were growing up.  (or to see who can fart the loudest at the table… you know it happens, stop lying ya’ll) The same family that gets really pissed off at you when you don’t do something the same way they would, or NEVER answers their phone. Then you scream and cuss at them and don’t speak to them for a week, until one of the kids has something that we all have to get along for.

In 2019 your family had your back even though you didn’t feel like you deserved it, because that was love.  Your family might have said harsh things, threatened to throat punch each other or even rolled their eyes at you, but you might have deserved it just for a second. Then, we all just ate cake (or flan).

In 2019 one thing your family never forgot to do was give you a hug and a smile at every hello or goodbye.  They definitely didn’t forget to include you on those group messages, and you definitely didn’t want to break your phone when you got 19 thousand replies did you… ha, you didn’t!

One big thing we all learned in 2019, was you would never turn your back on your family, no matter what.  Even if they murdered someone, you would probably go to the ends of the earth to defend them on that one.  I tell you what I learned about my family.  My family isn’t perfect, my family isn’t always fun, my family can be honest, ugly and gruesome; but they can be beautiful and are irreplaceable. No matter what we are faced with, I can say that my family is mine.  We are one, we are united and we stick together. 

Shout out to my family in 2019, I have leaned on them immensely this year and boy did they provide the support that I needed, the support my kids needed and the support my husband needed.  I can say that rolling into 2020 with my family, I am confident that I am in the place that I need to be with my family right beside me.

As the lyrics to the best New Year’s Song depicts, A hard one gone, got kicked around.  Get back up and down again.  Life’s a sweet and bitter blend.  Here’s to good times yet to come.  One More trip around the sun.

Happy New Year Everyone.  On to 2020.  From our Family to yours.

Beautiful, Crazy Miss K

Oh my Beautiful, Crazy Miss K.

What an eventful past few days it sure has been for our one of a kind Miss K.  Life sure does hand you a lot of lemons lil Miss, but you make some sweet lemonade out of them.  It seems your story is one that a lot of people do not know a lot about, so in case people want to know the background behind that smiling, never giving up face, mama is here to help tell it again.

Even though you came into the world fast and furious, you made sure that everyone knew you were here to stay.  You had those nurses in the NICU wrapped around your fingers and for those 9 days of your stay and you fought from your first breath to make sure everyone knew your presence was to be known from your first breath forward.  Crawling was hard for you and even though it took you two years to walk, you soon learned how to run.  You sat in the back seat of the car for all of the never ending trips to Shriner's over the years and let the doctors poke you and sat still for MRI's and through the needles and therapy sessions you were really a champ.  You really try the hardest to make all of your goals each time you are given one and that is why you are one of my biggest heroes.

You've grown over the years to run, swim and play with your friends and accomplish bigger and better things like playing softball with some wonderful girls and awesome coaches.  Crossing home plate doesn't happen very often for you, but when it does we make sure we cheer extra loud for you and so does your coach.  We are so proud of you when you do these amazing things.  As you have grown up Miss K, so many people have grown to love you and your spirit and all that you can do for you and so many people like you in the world and in your community.  You have so many friends big and small Miss K.  This is why we love you so very much.

Now, to the outside world, it sure looks like you are one spoiled kid doesn't it?  Does having a disability make you spoiled?  Does your legs hurting if you walk a long ways make you spoiled?  How about not being able to write all of your assignments with the rest of your class and needing to use special tools so the kids look at you funny.  Does that make you spoiled?  I know... it has to be the special, custom made bike that Mom and Daddy made for your birthday so that you could ride a bike just like all of your friends.  That surely must be what makes you spoiled.  Well let me tell you what lil Miss K.  If anyone ever tells you that you are spoiled, you just ask them if they like to be running and playing like a normal kid and then tell them that THEY are spoiled.  What you do every day  battling your Cerebral Palsy is harder than what most kids do every day and we are super proud of you for that.  You are my beautiful, crazy Miss K and nobody else does it better.

Tomorrow, you get to go back to the Dr after your horrible awful week in the hospital.  You were such an amazing patient in the hospital this last week.  You didn't cry when they poked you, you listened to mama and listened to Dr. P when he told you how to take your meds and what you needed to do to go back to school.  You really were the best of the best and you let those nurses know who was boss.  You made jokes about when it was time to take your meds and you even named your IV Pole "Buddy"!  Who else can be the best 9 year old in the hospital at your age?  My beautiful, crazy Miss K, that's who. Through life Miss K you are going to have ups and downs and I know that this next year, you are gonna tell life who's boss and make the most of everything you do.  Everything else can just say, adios... see ya next time because Miss K, you're takin' the highway to the good life.  Nothing can stop you now.

Was that a Puddle or an Ocean?

Well, what a trip across this big puddle it's been over the last 18 months, but I think we just might have stayed afloat and we didn't drown. 

Over the past 18 months our family has endured some pretty major life changes.  Kherington and I both have had significant health issues that really affected our daily way of life. Leon and I both faced the unexpected loss of our jobs and all income.  I jumped full force into a brand new career which had me never home, working constantly every evening on the computer and on the phone booking this and that and networking.  I didn't get paid for every minute of work, but I did meet some amazing people, experienced some beautiful moments and breathtaking music and learned more than I would ever learn in any classroom. 

Saving Abel - My First Rock Concert as a Promoter

Sold Out Crowd attending Saving Abel

IC Promo has given me the chance to connect and make friends with musicians, agents and clients across this entire country and for that, I am forever grateful.  I am still learning everyday.  The rewards are endless and out of everything, my newfound friendships are definitely the most valuable assets that I have gained.

Local Band "All We Seem"

LA Based DJ 'Perfetto' Performing at Shots Bar and Grill

All of this combined makes for a busy life.  During that time decisions were made quickly and in haste.  Some of these decisions were wonderful and some of them were awful.  Time was definitely our enemy. 

A Night with The Broncos Shriners Fundraiser

Extended family took a back seat.  Baseball, School and work became #1 in our life.  If we were at other functions or events I found myself still working or figuring budgets.  Bills were forgotten - often - everything and everyone else was forgotten - and ignored.  We did some great things as our Fab 4.  We even got to go all the way to Lincoln to watch my son play Football in Memorial Stadium.  Talk about every mother's dream come true.  That proud mama moment was wonderful.

Lawrence's Uniform in the
Locker Room at Memorial Stadium

Over the last 18 months our family had sadness and loss of family members and friends who were very close to all of us.  We were also blessed with new friendships who are now like family to us.  During these times, we have taken wrong turns with people who we have thought were friends and learned life lessons coming to realizations that these friendships were not right for our family and as in life, we usually get taught lessons the hard way because God wants us to remember them.  Some people swam through the rivers, lakes and oceans with us and some left us to drown.  For those who stayed, we thank you for understanding the true meaning of family and friendship.

Thank you for being the listening ears, the shoulders for us to cry on and for being there when we needed a step up.  Every single boost, smile, hug, phone call, text or message kept us going.  Know that we recognize who you all are, regardless if we haven't said 'Hello' for a while, or if we look like we sped by at the grocery store and ignored you.  Our minds these last few months have literally been on overload. 

We are making our way back- we will be better than ever.  Our lives didn't take that "downward crashing spiral" that you predicted.  Our kids "lives weren't destroyed, like we have destroyed ours"... yes people are that cruel.  If anything, these last 18 months have made us a stronger, healthier family.  Our Fab 4 is closer now than ever before. 

  

Thank you for showing us where the Raindrops in the Puddles of our life landed and for helping us to skip, jump, leap or swim through the puddles that were created. I was introduced to a song today and some lyrics hit me just right...

There's a road out in front of me
Nobody can see
I'm paving it as I go
Gonna take it wherever it leads