10 Things of Thankful

It's time to be thankful again!

1. I am thankful that my Mama made chocolate delight for my husband's birthday dessert, because I am enjoying the leftovers right now.  Mmm-mmm, good!

2. I am thankful that my whole family and hubby's whole family got together Friday night to celebrate his birthday.  We had a great time!

3. I am thankful for one friend who is doing something fantastic for my extended family.  I will elaborate on that later.  ;-)

4. I am thankful for HOT showers.  Most days I just jump in and jump out with little thought.  But have you ever had one of those showers that just feels amazing?  The other day, I woke up sore and crampy and crabby.  I was hurting and stiff and had sheet-wrinkles all over me.  I stumbled into a hot shower and came out feeling a million times better.  Thank you, Hot Shower.

5. Thankful for Tums, because my tummy is currently not very happy about my late night snacking as mentioned in #1.

6. I am thankful for modern technology.  I ordered a frame for my dad for Fathers Day; it's a wooden frame that says We <3 Papa and then has my kids' names all over it.  It's really cool.  Anyway, yesterday at Byron's mom's house, I took a picture of my dad with my three kids and then was able to print it right there at his mom's house with her printer (I brought my own photo paper so I was only mooching her ink).  I just LOVE that we are able to do that; I was born in the 1970's so I am old enough that modern technology really amazes me.

7. I am thankful for these sweet boys.  They were very closely watching me eat breakfast.  They don't beg, they just watch.  Very intently.  And Patchy, the one in the back?  He drools.

8. I am thankful that I was able to un-clog our vacuum cleaner with a wire hanger and a lot of hard work.  Because I am Superwoman!  And this Superwoman likes a clean floor.

9. I am thankful for Summer.  It's my favorite.

10. I am thankful that I am co-hosting Medical Mondays in two days!!  Be sure and come back to visit!

Quarter of a Century

Well helloooo, poor neglected blog!  

It's been a busy week, but I'm sliding in just in time to join in with Wordful Wednesday.

This weekend, my whole (local) family got together

 to celebrate my niece Heather's 25th birthday.

So I'm sharing some pictures from the festivities.

Make a wish!

Me & my beautiful youngest daughter, Elayna

Me and my beautiful oldest daughter, Shelbie

Elayna in front of a motorcycle.....

Tim on a motorcycle with Hayleigh.
Yes...my son has a motorcycle now.
That's pretty much all I have to say about that!

the birthday girl's baby girl!
Hayleigh is now 9 months old, crawling, pulling up and 'cruising', and saying words.
Her newest word is "Bye-Bye" accompanied by a backwards wave.
TOO CUTE!!!

Visit these lovely ladies for more Wordful Wednesday posts!!

 

Dating When You're Old As Dirt

Dating in your 30's is very different than dating when you're young.

When you're young, the way to your heart tends to be fancy dinners, flowers, chocolate, or taking you somewhere really cool.

Let me tell you the way to my heart, dating in my 30's.  (hey! I am only 39, I can still say I'm in my 30's thankyouverymuch!)

~~ bring me a cold Diet Dr Pepper because I told him one time it's my favorite and he was actually LISTENING and remembered.
(I'm SO low-maintenance. This was better than diamonds - just because of the thought behind it.)

~~ buying mac & cheese for Elayna because he remembered us talking one time about how it's her FAVORITE thing in the world.

~~ walking by the watermelon in the supermarket and dragging me back to get some for Shelbie because he remembered us talking one time about how it's her FAVORITE thing in the world.

~~ mowing my lawn while I'm at work, without being asked, because it was almost knee-high and I don't have a mower and I'm working and trying to balance everything and hellooo, I'm a girl.

~~ telling my son that he doesn't have to worry about his Mama, because he will take care of me.  Awwwww!

~~ The only thing that makes a hard day better is knowing he'll be there at the end of the day.  He will tell me everything will be okay.  He will be lying, because it won't be okay, not right now - but eventually it will.  And if he could take all that pain away, he would, in a heartbeat.

I Had Forgotten

I am not sure when I'd been to Saint Augustine last.

My long-time readers may remember how much I love St Augustine.  My ex-husband John and I used to go as often as possible.  For a while, we probably went once a month.

But I think it had been about a year since I'd last been, maybe more.

I had truly forgotten how much I loved it.

Lighthouse
Photo by Elayna

Photo by Elayna

  On our unexpected visit last Thursday, it all came back to me.

Fiddler Crab
Photo by Elayna

When we drove into town, as I looked around at all of the familiar sights, and inhaled the salt air, I broke into the hugest grin, and it never left my face the entire day.


There's something about simply being there that fills my spirit with happiness.

Mommy & Elayna
(This is the big goofy grin to which I referred.)

The company helped, too.

Elayna is a sneaky photographer....

We didn't even really do anything there on Thursday.  We arrived late in the day.  We walked, looked in the shops, toured around the fort, ate ice cream, took pictures, and just enjoyed the sights and each other's company.

Castillo san Marcos
B & Elayna

B & Elayna at the Wishing Well

Elayna & B....only a 3 year age difference,
but B is a tiny thing!

Elayna on St George Street

I just soaked it all in.
I can't wait to go back.....

Visit Unknown Mami for more Sundays in my City posts!

Regardless of the Outcome: Look it Up.

 

 TGIF!

It's always nice to say goodbye to a HORRIBLE week. I work every other weekend, so some weeks Friday is just another work day, but I'm off this weekend so....TGIF!!

It's been an incredibly difficult week, and I will elaborate more on that on another day.

But, as I almost always TRY MY BEST to do, I'm going to focus on the positive & happy things.

~ The girls will be with me this weekend and we may even get to do some FUN stuff.

~ In an effort to bring some happiness into my utterly horrible week, my good friend took me to an amusement park.  I rode roller coasters all day - something I haven't done in literally over 20 years!  We also rode water slides, and all kinds of totally silly fun stuff.

~ Today I was reminded of a quote by a good friend that really helped me put some things in perspective:

~ I was also reminded that I have some pretty great friends.

 ~ Unfortunately another reminder was that some people are so sick and eaten up with insecurity & jealousy that they take GREAT pleasure in other people's unhappiness, even when cause of that unhappiness involves tremendous pain to CHILDREN who this person claims to LOVE. Sick and sad.

 ~ But you may remember this from my post from last week: "Regardless of the outcome, you will not win." (Psst, "Don't Deceive": you may need to look up 'regardless' in the dictionary; I know it's kind of a big word.) "You won't win because you'll always be you, and I'll always be me."

~ Oh and....

....just sayin'.

 Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

Don't forget to visit Mrs 4444's for more Fabulous Fragging Fun. =D

Home Sweet Home

Excuse the quiet 'round here!  It's been a very busy week and weekend.


Among the normal insane busy-ness of my life, I had to fit a move into the middle of it all.
This is a VERY good thing, don't get me wrong!  I am incredibly happy to have found the perfect, little old house (my long-time friends may remember I LOVE old houses).  It's absolutely perfect for my life at this time.  


After a couple of crappy months of taking one step forward and then being shoved two or three steps back....this feels good.  

*Squee!!*  Isn't it adorable??

I can't wait to get it all decorated and personalized.

Home Sweet Home!

We're Going to be Okay

My kids and I.  We're going to be okay.
We're going to be okay because we are strong and we are resilient.
We don't much care what other people think.
What makes us happy goes beyond what people think SHOULD make us happy.
We dance to our own beat.
Even when circumstances are not what most people consider ideal, we are still okay.
Even when circumstances SUCK, we are alright.
We understand what truly matters in life.
We make the best of what we do have.
When life is difficult, we don't give up.  We don't feel sorry for ourselves and mope around.  We may scream or cry or curl up in bed.  But WE GET UP.  And we keep going.  We fight for what we want. And we know that regardless of the outcome, we will be okay.
Because we have each other, and we love each other.  And when you have a love like that, you will be okay.
Nobody can take that away from you.

this pic is a few years old but I just LOVE it!!  =)  

My Little Man

Last week was eventful at the Land of Dysfunction, and I'm going to be blogging all about it this week. So stay tuned.

Today I'm going to talk about my son's birthday.
My son turned 19 on Friday.
I was 19 when I gave birth to him.
So, it's kind of a big one.
March 30th, 1993 changed my life forever. I became a mother. There's really nothing bigger in life than that, at least for me.
For 2 years and 9 months, Tim was my one and only. He will always be my only boy, my little man. Right now he is the main man in my life. He's the one I call when I need something. Sure I still have my dad, and friends. But he's my Main Man.
When he was a baby & toddler, his dad worked a lot and drove a race car on the weekends. So much of the time, it was just the two of us. He was my whole world, my life revolved around him. It created a bond that will never be broken.
I'm very glad that he is not becoming a father at 19 (thus far, crossing fingers, lol). He may not be exactly where he wants to be in life right now, but he'll get there.
He drives me crazy, but I love him deeply.
He used to say "Mommy, I love you all your heart", which he derived from me saying "I love you with all my heart". How cute is that? 19 or not, he will always be my baby.

Can someone please tell me how I have a 19 year old child????

Friday Fragments - Finding My New Normal

You know you look rough when a random guy looks at you and offers to buy you a coffee "or three or four"....lol. It's been an exhausting week! But now I get to take a load off of my mind with Friday Fragments.

* Today is day one of a three day weekend for me. YAYY!!!

* I was thinking about something the other day. I got married the first time when I was 18 years old. We were married for over 12 years, separated for the last year of that time. I met John just after the divorce was final, married him a year later, and we were married for seven years.
My point here is that I've only been single for about a year of my life, and I dated during that time. But single and living on my own, only for that one year.

I am not a fan of it. Just being honest here. I'm not scared to be alone, it's just freaking weird. And now I get why - I've hardly ever done it before! Out of my almost 39 years of life, I've only been single for one year.

I'm not complaining - life is good, and I'm very happy. But now I understand why, on the weekends that the kids are with their dad, I often find myself staying over at a friend's house. Being in a completely empty house is so foreign to me.

* Wanna know something else I'm NOT accustomed to? NOT cooking for a crowd. I'm used to cooking for at least six people, often more. That number has been cut in half. Only....I still cook a pile of food! Tonight I made Shepherd's Pie, then texted Tim and told him to come eat with us. (which he gladly did!) I also frequently load him up with leftovers. He and his friends do not mind this at all!

P.S. Want to come over for dinner?

Have a great weekend!!

-2011-

When 2011 began, I definitely had no idea it would end this way. Had you told me last New Year's Day how the year would end, I would not have believed it.

But here I am. Here we are. Feeling strong, confident, and most of all, happy. My kids are happy and that makes me happy.

My in-laws are happy, they got exactly what they've been wanting. And that makes me want to egg their house.

Just kidding.

(Sort of.)

It was a big year in many ways. My baby girl turned 10. My son graduated from high school. And my middle daughter turned 16. I am so proud of my kids.

I got my job which I love and plan to do forever.

My parents celebrated their 50th Anniversary. My niece got married and pregnant.

I'm excited about 2012. I'm finding my happiness and taking care of ME. There are some things I know 2012 will bring; my divorce, my niece's baby girl, my baby girl graduating 5th Grade.....and of course, the year will be full of surprises.

I'll be celebrating the New Year with old friends and new friends. It's going to be interesting, just like the new year. I can't wait to see what both of them bring!

I hope your New Year is full of wonderful things.

Ramblings

I really am sorry for my lack of blogging lately. I know that there are some of you who truly care and don't just visit for the return comments! ;-)

I am fine, I promise. Just so busy! My friend recently moved to an apartment just down the road from me, so I spend a lot of time at her house. Between that and work, and then Christmas and birthdays....it's madness! I feel like I'm never home.

Our Christmas was very nice. It was just me and the kids for Christmas Eve, and we drove around looking at Christmas lights. On Sunday, we went to my parents' house for Christmas Dinner. We all had a good time. Then the kids all went to their dad's on Sunday evening to spend time with that side of the family. The girls will be gone all week; Tim may be home some due to his work schedule but so far he's still at his dad's.

My life is full. I'm very content with the way things are right now. I'm at peace, and I'm excited about the future. I never imagined my late 30's being this awesome!

And that's the news from here. I'm probably going to be working on New Year's weekend, so now wild parties for me! I hope y'all had a great Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!

Oh, MY, What HAVE I Done??

Last week, I listed 22 things I have NEVER done.
This week, it's time to spin it around and list 22 things I HAVE done.

This should, theoretically, be easier; however, I'm going to try to keep it clean & family friendly, so maybe notsomuch. Heh.

1. I have gotten three tattoos. I love all three of them and want more.

2. I have gotten 3 piercings besides my ears (nose, belly button, and labret). They have all closed up but I'm ready for more (nose again, and I'm thinking about a Monroe).

3. I have cruised to the Bahamas.

4. I have learned what true love was, when my firstborn child was placed in my arms.

5. I have met Tim Tebow. And got his autograph, pics, and shook his hand. HE TOUCHED ME, people. *Swoon* I heart him.

{I tried SO hard to find a pic of him wearing a shirt, but I just couldn't do it. I got...distracted.}

6. I've flown on an airplane, ridden a train, a charter bus, sailed on a ship....guess I should ride in a helicopter next.

7. I have had surgeries....several of them. Appendectomy, three cesareans, gastric bypass......

8. I have sang karaoke, but it took me until I was 38 years old and had a few drinks to do it. And ya know what? I pretty much rocked it. Booyah!

9. I have gotten a divorce.

10. I have helped to prepare deceased people for the morgue (placing toe tags, putting them in body bags, etc.).

11. I have seen a woman react to the sudden death of her child. It was the most heartbreaking, epic meltdown I have ever seen. Her husband had to carry her out of the Pediatric ICU, cradled in his arms like a baby. I will never forget watching that.

12. I have received a terrifying phone call: "the results of your son's MRI are in, and the pediatrician would like to speak to you in person". (followed by: your son has

Chiari Malformation and needs brain surgery.)

13. I have received the most fanastically wonderful phone call of all time: when the nurse called me immediately after my son's brain surgery to let me know all was well, and then PUT MY SON ON THE PHONE. Incredible.

13. I have met bloggy friends, which was so much fun and I hope to do a lot more of that.

14. I have fallen in love.

15. I have fallen out of love.

16. I have learned that I am so much stronger than I ever realized.

17. I have traveled to the hospital via ambulance after a serious injury.

18. I have learned my strengths, my weaknesses, my passions.

19. I have swam in the ocean, river, springs, lakes, creeks, just about every body of water you can think of.

20. I have owned a cow, goats, and chickens, as well as many other pet animals. I bottle-fed the cow; he'd been abandoned by his mama.

21. I have been in the crowd during an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition filming, watching the building & the big reveal, and met several of the celebs on the show.

22. I have started a blog and maintained it for over 4 years; in fact, my 4th bloggiversary blew right by me in September. I love blogging and hope to keep it up for a long time to come.

Linking up with Mama Kat!

DysFUNctional MOMents II - One Child Left Behind

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It's Tuesday and time to confess this week's #momfail moments!
And of course, I have one ready and waiting.

Sunday was a busy day for us. At least, that's the defense I'm using. The girls went to a church picnic with my sister, niece, & niece's husband. Tim was at a friend's house, & Andrew was at MIL's house. John & I had errands to run, and that's also the day we adopted our new kitty.

Once we got the cat, we took her straight home, arriving just after my sister & her family brought the girls home. Tim was home also, along with two of his friends. We came inside and showed the cat to everyone, and chatted with my sister & family, Tim, and his friends. We were laughing and having a good ol' time.

And then the phone rang. It was John's mom. The infamous MIL.

What could she possibly want?

Oh, she was wondering where we were. Because it was 6:35pm. And we were supposed to meet her at 6pm to pick up Andrew.

We totally forgot about our kid.

Um....oops?

Now it's your turn! Link up a DysFUNctional MOMent, so I don't feel like such a douche.

Please link directly to your DysFUNctional MOMents post,

and leave a comment after linking up!

DysFUNctional MOMents Tuesday!

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I started this blog almost four years ago (in fact, next month is my blogiversary!). I named it "Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional", and became known as DysFUNctional Mom. So, it's no secret that I have my DysFUNctional MOMents, and I am pretty sure that YOU do too.

(yes, I'm looking at YOU!)

And now, the time has come for you to share them. Whether they're just funny, or a big oops, or even something that you really screwed up....we want to hear about them. And then, we want you to link up here! And it doesn't always have to be a parenting moment. We have dysfunctional moments of all types!

My favorite DysFUNctional MOMent of the past week is when I posted this as my Facebook status:

Cyndy: Is it too late to decide I dont want any children?

August 16 at 7:02pm via mobile · Privacy: · ·

• Sara, Alyssa, Nancy and 11 others like this.

My kids were driving me NUTS that day! And fortunately, most of my Facebook friends get my sense of humor. Especially since I posted this the next day:

Cyndy: "A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never let her down. He will comfort her after a bad day. He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do. He will enable her to express her deepest emotions. He will enable her to be confident, sexy, seductive and invincible ...No, wait. Sorry. I'm thinking of wine. It's wine that does all that. Never mind." - April Pierce

See? I have "wife" DysFUNctional MOMents, too! (I totally couldn't resist that one.)

And in keeping with the Facebook post theme, I'm sharing yet another one. I've had a raging toothache all weekend, and went to the dentist today. I need a root canal & I'm on meds for now. So this exchange occurred tonight between my niece and I:

Heather: Piiizzzzza for dinnah... big surprise?! Ehh, not so much!

4 hours ago via mobile · ·

• You and 2 others like this.
• • 

    Cyndy send some over here. lol my kids are making their own ramen noodles while i sit here in a vicodin-induced fog. lol #momfail

OK, don't leave me hanging, I know I'm not the only one with DysFUNctional MOMents.

So, join in and link up.

Like all the other link-ups out there, please link directly to your "DysFUNctional MOMents" post, and please add my adorable "DysFUNctional MOMents" button to your post!

Sweet Memories

You may remember that last month, my niece got married.

She got married in my little city, at the historic Women's Club, and it was so pretty.

I really would love to share ALL of the wedding pictures with you. They are just so beautiful.

But instead I just chose a few of my favorites.

This is my whole family, except for my dad who had wandered off somewhere.

Front Row: Tim, Shelbie, Elayna, Andrew, my sister Angie, the bride Heather, groom DJ, my brother, his wife, and their son. Back Row: John, Me, my Mama.

The byooooteeful cake.

Just pronounced husband & wife.

I love this picture. The girls are all watching Heather walk down the aisle, and their happiness and love just shines in their eyes. <3

(that's my daughters, and Heather's two best friends.

The one on the far right, Crystal, is also the groom's sister.)

My oldest son Tim and youngest daughter, Elayna

.

The beautiful bride. LOVE this shot.

Heather & my baby girl, Elayna.

Elayna helping Heather with her shoes.

Elayna right after getting her hair done.

Shelbie getting her hair done.

Shelbie & Heather

another shot of my oldest & youngest walking together. Love it!

(I'm willing to bet he's aggravating her in this picture! It's one of his favorite activities.)

Every time I look at the pictures I tear up. I never cried at weddings before, she ruined me! It was just so beautiful, and I was there when Heather was born. I was fourteen years old, so we grew up together. We've always been very close. Then, seeing my beautiful babies all dressed up too....it was emotional over load!! It was such a special day. I look forward to my children's wedding days although I hope they are a loooooong ways away!!