Words that are so offensive...

Did you know that saying Happy Holidays could be the last thing you ever say?

No I'm serious!

People are really up in arms about this, this year. There are people willing to pick different businesses or quit going somewhere because of the usage of Happy Holidays.

Did anyone stop to think that maybe we are wishing you well in the this entire holiday season? You know...from Merry Christmas/Eve, Happy New Years, Kwanza, or Hanukkah or WHATEVER may fall from Thanksgiving till January.

Good grief people! Get a grip.

I'm a Christian and celebrate Christmas. But maybe I choose to say Happy Holidays because I'm referring to all of it. Maybe I hope you have a wonderful few weeks and are happy. Maybe when you get up in arms because of my words, you've lost sight of the whole reason I said Happy Holidays in the beginning.

Maybe I picked my "holiday" card because I liked the picture. Maybe I said "Happy Holidays" in passing to someone I don't really know.

Why is it okay to be up in arms over words?

Why in December is it okay to be irate for Jesus?

This makes no sense to me. I have seen far to many FB posts about the Merry - Holidays debate.

GET OVER YOURSELVES!!! AND BE HAPPY!!!!!

There are so many words that we as society give power. We don't need to make these words so strong that during the month of December people feel they have to watch their words or pick the right card.

Maybe they bought a pack and send them to Uncle such-in-so that is Jewish. Maybe they just want you to be happy! Maybe they just hear it so much, that's what they say.

I will say that this past week when I was shopping at the grocery store a young gal bagging my food said "Merry Christmas" as she handed me my bag. The sincerity in her voice is what touched my heart. I believed at that moment she wanted me to have a wonderful Christmas. It really made my day.

So people...relax. Yes, continue to think about the words you use. But more than that....think about the words and what they mean. Use your voice and body language to send your message. Don't give words so much power that a card that says "Happy Holidays" will send you into a tizzy. Just remember to send the message with feeling. Really mean what you say. Don't forget what the words mean.

The next time you say, "Have a good day," try to say it in a way that the person believes you want them to have a good day. Do that every day all year long. Then if you choose to say, "Happy Holidays" next year, maybe the person will hear your intent. Maybe it will warm the heart as the young bagger warmed mine.

Lets all stop trying to fix how everyone does or says things this year. Maybe we need to be sincere and focus on letting everyone know what we are thinking and feeling by expressing ourselves "better".

Okay...off my soap box.

And thanks for listening.

She's a mean one...Mrs. Grinch

I really cannot help it. I don't mean to be a Grinch. I don't know what comes over me...

Okay...

I take that back. I know exactly what comes over me.

The other night the family was watching Duck Dynasty. It's a family favorite around here. We love that this family is down to earth. They aren't afraid to be Christians and pray. They have values and morals with which we agree and they are outdoorsmen. Love it.

Anyhow...one of the brothers, Jase, isn't into Christmas like everyone else. He said something like, "If you want to celebrate electricity, then put lights on a tree." He said he doesn't like celebrating the make up things of Christmas but just the true meaning.

Light Bulb!

It hit me...that's one of the things I hate most about Christmas. I'm glad my kids are done with Santa though I never really pushed it one way or another. There was always something special under the tree from Santa and the stockings were a "Santa" thing. But I'm glad we're done with that. We still do stockings but the kids know it's from us now.

I am married to a Christmas person. He loves everything about Christmas.

Me?

I can barely force myself to get out the decor. It's a huge job. And though I love certain things about it...I'm not sure I would be all that upset if we didn't do any of it.

Okay, okay, okay...before you freak out on me.

I mean the decorating. Outside lights. Inside lights. The lit up village. The tree...oh the tree. We get a real tree. That's the one thing I demand. Then there's the lights on the tree. The ornaments. Oh...and the tinsel. If you don't know it, the Morrison Clan does it up with tinsel (that's the other little thing that's me). One year we had 10 packages of tinsel on the tree.

Then there are Christmas cards...haven't sent any out yet. I've prepared them 5 years in a row...still sitting in a box downstairs.

Christmas cookies. I follow my mom's old recipe and would rather just sit & eat the dough but the kids, they get out all the cutters and decorate them all.

Shopping...yuck. I just don't like shopping and not just Christmas shopping. I just don't like shopping. It's a thorn in my side. Then you have to wrap it all. Can I just tell you if I had the money, I would so pay someone to wrap it all.

Then there are the 10 places we have to go. There are holiday concerts and parties. There are events at people's houses. Then there is Christmas with the family which happens two different days.

Ugh. I'm tired just thinking about it...because well...I'm a Grinch (which of course is just another made up character).

I have a tree in the living room. We'll decorate this Sunday. I'm sure I'll have fun. We'll make hot cocoa and light a fire and the kids will laugh and there will be a lot of reminiscing. We'll talk about the reason of the season. We'll be around each other and love each other.

And...well...

I'll survive another Christmas season.

My perfect Christmas?

We'd go away to a destination. No decorating. No gifts. We would spend the holiday together, around a fire, and make memories. We would remember the reason for the season and if I did any shopping at all, we'd donate it to needy families.

But here's the thing....

It might be perfect for me, but not for anyone else. My whole family loves all the things that I find to just be a lot of work. They have traditions and memories of years past. They want to make new memories. They want to decorate. They want to make cookies. They want to have gifts to open and watch others open gifts.

So Mrs. Grinch over here will just pick herself up and put on her "big girl pants" and just "suck it up buttercup" (to quote Hals). I'll have fun in the end and be glad we did it all. I just have to find that thing that will make my heart grow two sizes too big so I can give my family another great Christmas.

The Like Button

The words are missing.

I don't even know why.

I have things I want to say but the words...they just don't seem right. I write something and the hit delete. Then I write a bit more and...delete. Then I think I have it and...wait for it... d e l e t e!

Why are the words so hard to find today? Why am I trying to write when I don't have the words? What is my purpose? Where did my voice go?

At the end of the day, I find myself writing stories in my head each and every day. I think I've done it my whole life.

Sometimes I dreaming of a world I want. Sometimes I'm dreaming of a world that could be. Sometimes I'm trying to correct things in my life.

Today...I'm just writing. There are no words but I write. My thoughts are jumbled but I write. My fears are growing but I write.

I don't understand why I continue to write. I have a few faithful friends and family that read but mostly, it would be safe to say this is just a journal. It seems to make little to no difference in life.

I'm just another person with a blog. Doesn't everyone have a blog now?

I don't have a niche, maybe just a glitch. I'm not clever or funny or witty. I'm not an authority on anything. I don't have a fantastic story to share. I don't have tales from far away places. I just write.

I feel like all I write about right now is that I write.

I think it's because I'm hiding.

I'm hiding from sharing what's really inside.

I'm an insecure person. Yep. I said it. I have lots and lots of fears. Anxiety and I are old friends.

I want to write my book. I want to share on my blog. I want to put it out there but then... maybe no one reads it. Or maybe no one comments. Or no one hits the "like" button.

Then I laid it all out there and well, I proved myself right...no one is there. I'm all alone.

I know it's not true but then little things happen to confirm my fears. I have friend who have never read a word I've written. I have family that didn't know I wrote. I have been blogging for years and no one follows me. I have my steady 30 readers and then something different happens.

I share these feelings and fears with a few close friends. One quotes me. I almost cry. One said, "Wow 30 readers" and then commented that she thinks I might be the only one on earth that would read her blog. Then my blog gets shared on another page and more than 100 people read one post.

It felt really good. I was excited. But the comparison game starts...

I look at a blog that I have seen several of my friends share. This woman writes less than I do and man when she does write, thousand and thousands read what she wrote. They share it and share it and it goes viral every single time.

Then I read another blog. This guy doesn't even know what he's talking about and he has thousands of followers.

I try to tell myself these things don't matter but in the end, I think the "like" button is ruining my life. I wait to see how many hits I get, how many likes, how many comments. I check over and over and over. I look at the stats obsessively.

Then I almost break and I try to talk myself off the ledge. I call some close girlfriends and get reminded of the truths I know. I know I have a way with words. I know I am able, capable and called. I can hear my mother's voice very clearly. She encourages me to keep writing.

I allow my friends to remind me that I like writing. That I'm good at it. That I wasn't out to be the biggest, badest, bestest. I just wanted to write what was on my heart and in my mind.

So I start a blog and I babble a lot. I write about writing. I write to get it out. I have fears and anxiety about writing. I don't ever feel like I'm enough or even have the right words to write.

Today, I won't fret too much. It's really not about the "like" button. I will not let it ruin my life. After all, Facebook could come out with a "dislike" button. Then I certainly would have lots to fret about...like how many "dislikes" would I get?

My hero...a 14 year old?

No really, I'm serious. My 14 year old daughter is my hero. She really is. She's amazing. She's so loving. She's so strong. She's so beautiful.

The other day, we were just sitting around chatting. I told her she was beautiful and she started to tell me why I was wrong. Knee jerk response is the best was to describe it. It was an instant response. I was baffled for a minute. I thought, "Where on earth did she get this behavior?"

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks...me.

Oh no! My worst nightmare!

My daughter has picked up my "bad" habits. She cannot take a compliment. She denies positive words. She negates any affirmation. The worst of this is she learned it from me.

That old lie that we should shove off compliments with a minimizing statement is just wrong, wrong, wrong. You know what I mean. People say things like, "Oh I love your hair." Your response is, "Ugh, I need a hair cut." Not, "Thank you" or "You're so sweet" or "I take really good care of it."You simply explain to people that they are wrong...that you are not beautiful or worth the compliment.

My daughter actually told me she doesn't like to smile because she doesn't like her teeth. I know she needs quite a lot of cosmetic correction. She'll need braces and veneers. She might need more than that but I had those bad teeth too when I was young. I remember not smiling. I remember hating my teeth. I got braces and after they came off, I could not stop smiling.

But there's a problem with this. My mom did the same thing. She didn't smile because her teeth were damaged from years of taking medications for her complications with diabetes. When she did smile, it was closed lipped. Now that she's gone, it makes me want to cry. I have no good pictures of my mom smiling. Every time the camera was out, my moms lips were pierced shut. That wasn't her natural smile, but that's all I have...lots and lots of pictures of her mouth sealed shut hiding her teeth.

As her daughter, I didn't care what the meds had done to her teeth. I loved her smile. Her true smile. I just want to look at a picture of her smiling. I want to remember her smile. Those memories are fading and the pictures do not bring back her true smile to memory.

Now I have a daughter that learned this same behavior...three generations of fake smiles concealed behind closed lips. I found my smile only after having dental correction. But here's the thing...I wish I found my smile even when my teeth laid crooked in my mouth.

I wish I had embraced a true smile in spite of my less than perfect teeth. I wish I allowed myself to be happy with how I looked. I wish. I wish. I wish.

So I told my daughter I loved her smile. I told her I wanted to see her authentic happy smile. I wanted to see the smile that happens after a solid laugh. I want to have pictures of her that look like the happy girl I know and love. I told her it broke my heart that her Nana wouldn't smile for pictures. My daughter was so very close to her Nana (my mom). I saw tears in her eyes when I told her how hard it was for me to not have Nana anymore and not have a single picture of her Nana smiling her natural smile. I told her that Nana spent a lot of time hiding her teeth. I told her the only thing it did was make me sad.

I hugged my girl. I told her she was beautiful and when she tried to dodge the compliment, I told her to listen not talk. I told her I loved her smile. I loved her laugh. I loved her. I told her she was beautiful. I told her that her hair was gorgeous. I told her that her eyes were stunning. I hugged her and affirmed her.

I told her I was to blame for her not being able to take the compliment. I told her it was a lie that we needed to negate compliments. I told her that when we speak poorly of ourselves, that self talk does damage whether we say it out loud or in our head. I told the first act of being authentic was to take a compliment. Believe that the person meant it. Love that someone cares enough to say it. Then tell yourself those words are true.

Here's my beautiful girl performing with the Color Guard at a Marching Band performance at our first football game.

She's smiling...and her teeth are showing.

It's not the biggest smile I've seen, but she's smiling.

She's my hero. She heard me. She listened to the people who love her. She smiled. I know she's going to be okay. She's going to hear the world's compliments and believe them. She's going to smile for pictures. She'll eventually get braces...but until then, she'll smile. Teeth showing. Why? Because she's amazing. That's why she's my hero!

Turning another page...and saying goodbye

It was the last home football game last night. As the color guard coach, that kinda means my job is over for the season. It was our last performance. During the game, they honored the Seniors (football, cheerleaders and band members) I have two girls on color guard that are seniors. The band members got roses from someone they picked. It was sweet and there were lots of hugs.

After the game, there were lots and lots of pictures. Seniors taking pictures with each other, with directors, with coaches and with family. They were preserving memories in time. They were hugging and laughing and a few tears were shed. I told the band director that I didn't know how she did this every year. She joking said that she hated it and didn't want them to go off and live their lives. Somehow, we both knew it was only partly a joke.

One of my senior girls wrote notes to everyone in the guard including me. She's been amazing to get to know. She's a wonderful young woman and I cannot wait to hear about what she discovers in life and where she goes. She has the whole world ahead of her and made several profound statements last night, one of them being that she never thought this day would come.

Boy do I know what she's saying! I never actually thought I'd ever had a high schooler. I know its three years till I have a senior getting ready to leave my home, but nights like last night remind me it's a lot closer than I thought.

All of the sudden my heart ached for her parents knowing this was the last bunch of holidays that they knew all their girls would be living at home. The last year they knew they would all sit around the table for Thanksgiving. The last year they knew that on Christmas morning they would all wake up in the same house. The last year they knew that they would ring in one last New Year with their family.

It was a picture of a not-to-far-away future for our family. We have so little time with our kids. I know friends who have had adult children come home, but that's not the same. We only have a snap shot in time with our kiddos in our home, under our protection and guidance, living by our rules and being fed physically, emotionally and financially by us.

As I said goodbye to my first color guard, my heart ached. I know I will see these girls again, but this part is over. It was the last performance. For the families of seniors, it's a year full of lasts. The list gets long and as I talked to this one mom, she said it doesn't feel real. She said she didn't think it would set in until her daughter moved out.

It seems like yesterday when I was marking calendars with firsts and now I'm getting ready to celebrate lasts. My kids are growing. My life is forever changing. I guess I never thought about that the milestone would go from the first laugh and the first bite of food to the last performance, the last school dance, the last day of school.

For the last color practice, I had the girls relax a bit before the game. I'm going to miss this a lot.

Last warm up finished with a bang.

By they way they were relaxing...not collapsed because of practice. 

  

Last line up.

Ready for the very last pre-game show.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures.

Date night

So date night means hubby & I are trying to figure out what to do.

We finally get showered & dressed. 

We get into the car. 

We have now successfully shot down every suggestion the other makes. 

We get in the car...still no plan. 

We drive up Academy. 

We make it into one parking lot. 

We go a different direction. 

Hubby gets a text from friends with whom we had back up plans. Their plans canceled. Meet them. 

They are actually only a few blocks away. 

We have a nice dinner with friends. 

We go home & throw on a movie. 

I end up with a cuddle partner. 

It was a great date night. 

Words from a blended family...

The sounds of children talking can be so precious. I love sitting on my bed listening to the chatterings of children on the other side of the door. They don't know I am listening and so they chatter away unfiltered.

I hear them share things I would otherwise never hear. They tell each other things that make a mother's heart smile. They talk as though there are no lines that separate them. They converse like old friends and sisters. They love each other so much and you can hear it in the tenderness of their voices.

But when others listen...

The story changes...

They have to define things like "your dad" said or "your mom" said. They have to respect the lines adults have created. They don't say our parents but rather, your mom & my dad. They don't say my sister but rather use a name as to not offend others that may be listening.

You've heard about parental alienation but what about step-alienation? Not just for the step-mom or step-dad but the step-siblings. They don't want to draw lines. They don't want to call each other step-sisters or step-brothers. We don't use that term in our home but others almost require it of them.

What I mean by that is this...

We have two girls the same age in the same grade. One his. One hers. So being at the same school, people want to know how they are sisters if they aren't twins. Once the word "step" is introduced, it seems everyone has to define that for them. I've heard things like, "Well they're only step-sisters, not real sisters."

I just wanna scream! What do you mean they aren't real sisters? They share a room, sit next to one another at the table, share a bathroom, have some friends in common, have the same chores, do their laundry together and well do just about everything together. In some ways, I think they are more sisters than the girls in our home that actually share some blood.

What makes a "real" sister, I might ask?

As an adoptee, I have heard people ask me who my "real" parents where or wanting to use "adoptive parents" when referring to my mom & dad. I've had to educate people that my mom & dad were my "REAL" parents. They were the only parents I know. They are legally responsible for me and legally connected to me for life. In some ways, as and adopted person, I actually have more legal connection to my parents than birth kids. You can disown a kiddo from a will if you so please. Did you know my parents cannot? They swore before a judge to be legally attached to me for the rest of their lives and unlike divorce, there is no getting out of this one. My parents cannot disown me. They are stuck with me.

But I never thought I would have the same sickening feeling in my stomach when people talked about my kiddos. I hate defining 1/2 siblings and step-siblings. Who cares? No really...I want to know. Who cares? Why do you care if my kids are in the same grade but not twins? Why do you have to define which kid belongs to which parent? Why do you need to know how everyone fits together?

I call it step-family alienation.

Would you think it rude if I asked you if your husband was your kiddo's dad? Would you think it inappropriate if I asked when you got married & how old your kids are? Would you willing provide an explanation of how everyone in your family is related? Do you need to know how long my husband was divorces before we married? Do you need to know when my late husband passed away? Do you need to know how long I waited before I dated?

Guess what? I married an amazing man. We have 5 kids. Done. That's it.

If I don't use these words in my home, why do you (society) force my kids to use them?

My girls told me & hubby at dinner last week that the next time people tried to figure out how they were sisters, they were just going to tell them they were twins...identical twins! I said more power to you.

I mean my girls can talk without even using real words. They translate for each other. They predict each others' next move. They finish each others' sentences. Sounds like twins to me! Just sayin'

The "twins" are the brunettes...if you couldn't tell.

Huge outpouring...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

My readers are amazing! Really you are!

I posted yesterday about having a bad day. All day long my friends and family reached out in every way they could. I got text messages checking on me. Picture mail of my favorite baby to give me a smile. There were Facebook comments and comments on my blog. 

Thanks...just thanks.

Being a step-mom can be really hard sometimes. I think I worry more about my words, actions and responses to my step-kiddos than I do with my flesh in blood. I have lost sleep worrying about how everyone is getting along. I worried about kiddos feeling they have lost their place in our family, life or the world. I worry about making sure I don't say anything that would be considered negative about their mom (even if I'm thinking it). I worry as all moms do but the worry is different for a step-mom.

After a good long cry yesterday, a blog post and a few fun pictures from my best friend of her beautiful baby, I felt much better. 

Blurry baby pic because he was laughing...the best medicine for a bad day ever.

It was still a very long, painful day. I couldn't really shake the feelings that had engulfed me earlier in the day. It was a fog hanging over me like Eeyore the donkey.

Then I read this in the few moments I was on Facebook posting my blog and just stopped to think how perfect it felt.

Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you knoe the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? Did you know the one who takes care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the three hardest things to say are, "I love you," "I'm sorry," and "Help me". Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in.

I think I have been strong for a long time. I think I have held my head high and tried to be positive. I think I care for everyone else first.

Then, I realize I'm a mess. I'm glad I'm a writer. I'm glad I blog. I'm glad I have someway to reach out and to express myself. 

It makes me realize there may be a lot of other people out their who don't write or blog. They may not know how to say how they are feeling. They don't know what to say or how to express it. I write in hopes you are reading this. I write so you know you are not alone. I write so I can get it off my chest so you know it's okay to do that. I write. That's what I can do. I don't always do it well and I don't do it often enough at times. I certainly let life get in the way of my writing. I often let way too much time go by without writing one word.

I'm not perfect and I don't try. 

Progress...that is my goal. I write because it helps me become a better woman, mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, aunt and whatever other title I hold.

So once again...thank you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for commenting. Thanks for calling or texting or whatever you did to reach out. Thanks, just thanks.

Really, really bad days...

Did you ever wake up thinking you were going to have a good day and within an hour that wasn't the case? Hmmm, I did...

I'm over the stress and anxiety others bring to my life. I'm over the stress of money. I'm over the stress of kids needing this and that and well, I'm just over it.

Today is a bad day. A really, really bad day...

I live in a world that has nothing to do with me. That's okay, because that's called being a mom...but today, the step-mom stuff hurts.

What really gets to me is how often I have to pay for the actions of others with whom I have no and I mean NO relationship and I never will. I keep trying to teach my kiddos that there are times in life when we all have to pay a consequence for others' actions but right now I just wanna pitch a fit. I don't wanna learn a life lesson. I don't wanna! I DON'T WANNA!

Okay, breath in...and out.

I'm done. I've pitched my fit.

I love being a mom and wife. I love my kids and my husband. I love all the baggage that comes with this crazy, blended family. Somedays, I sit down to dinner and look around my family and I can't see anything but my family. It doesn't matter that they all have a different set of parents. It doesn't matter that they are 1/2 siblings or step siblings. We don't even use that word. In fact the dog is a sister too, really she is.

We're a family. All in one bunch. Crazy, different, and mostly happy family...

I want to close my eyes and pretend there is nothing beyond these walls of my home. I want to live in a world with just my family. I want to worry about the needs of the children who sit at my table and sleep in my home.

But this is not the truth for blended families.

We have people come in and out of our house. We have people who don't spend any time in our house and yet we are still responsible for them. Their needs usually take the priority over everyone else. We don't get a say. We don't have a voice. And really more than that, I don't have a voice.

The whoas of a step-mom are many today. I get to work hard for others to squander and make bad choices. I pick up the pieces that others' have broken. I pay the bills (or rather my husband does) for things I never see. I'm not considered a relevant party in making decisions regarding these kiddos, though I drive kiddos, and sacrifice and, and, and I thought I was like a mom...but oh by the way, the law says I'm not.

Somedays the kids hug me and I wonder what it would have been like to be their mom. I dream of a world where my hubby and I had kiddos together. Where we post pictures of ultrasounds and have a baby shower (and hubby doesn't want to come but does). Where we make lots of first memories together and I get to see the first time they smiled or laughed or rolled over. Were we lay in bed late at night with a toddler kicking us and climbing on us.

Mostly I'm glad I don't have babies or toddlers anymore. I love my mostly grown kiddos. They have been amazing to watch grow and they've matured so much. We have conversations like we're friends sometimes. I love hanging out with their friends and love taking them places to hang out with their friends.

But my hubby and I will never have a child together. We will never experience pregnancy as a couple. We will never get to pick a name together. We will never say, "I think she has my nose and your smile."

More than that, I'll never be mom to his kids.

They call me Renee...

I'm not their mom.

Like I said, it's a really, really bad day...

Okay, time to wipe away the tears. I love them and they love me. That really is enough and what really counts. Time to pick myself up and be mom. Even without the title, I still have to do my job...

For the love of words...

Words of affirmation

This is a love language. A beautiful love language.

There are people that just love to give compliments and say wonderful things to you. The thing with words is they can be over used. 

Think about it...how often in a day do you hear, "Hello, how are you?" Okay some of you may be surrounded by toddlers so maybe not quite so often but if you happen into a store you may hear it or when you pick up your phone. 

Do we even respond to the question anymore? Did you even look at that as a question or rather as a greeting?

How about when you get off the phone with a loved one? Do you say, "Okay, I love you, bye"?

Did you hear love in that? Did you feel loved like the first time you remember that being said to you by a significant other?

These words have power. Actually let me go back...

All words have power. 

When we throw them into the wind like a hello or goodbye we miss out on what they mean. 

Have you ever said, "You too" in response to being told you are loved like it was a common, "Have a good day"?

Stop. 

Think. 

Words have power. 

Let them. 

Think before you throw an "I love you" out there next time. Say it with power. Slow down. Let it sink in. 

You may not be heard the first time you do it, but it will make a difference. 

Words if affirmation are a love language because words have power. 

Me with my love. 

So inspired...

I love music. Love. Love. Love music.

It makes my heart swell.

It makes my days more pleasant and my life full of joy.

I. Love. Music.


So today, I was totally blessed with music ALL. DAY. LONG.

I got to get the Color Guard ready at my house, "Dark & Early" to quote Laura B. We did hair and makeup and had breakfast. We laughed and hung out and had a grand old time. All of this for our big event...Marching Band Competition!

They did great! The looked wonderful. It was so much fun! I would do it again for sure. It was worth all the hard work. It was a blessing to be a part of it.

I loved watching the other bands. I loved hanging with my girls. I loved, loved, loved it.

Okay...that's it for today. Oh and a few pictures of the guard with the Drum Majors. Oh and then the random Drum Line Section Leader in the background...our honorary Color Guard Member (lovin' that the guard discovered he was there in the last pic!)

Okay....we took bunches of pictures. Hopefully one of them passes the test!

Role Model? How did that happen?

Okay, so I remember some influential people in my life throughout the years. There were some that were only a few years older than me. There were some that were teachers. There were some that were my friend's parents.

Now it seems most of the influential people in my life are my friends. I've some how stepped into being a role model I'm not looking for one anymore. How on earth did that happen? Hubby and I were talking about high school and he's pretty certain the 90's were yesterday. I was the one that had to inform him that it was more like 20 years ago! I think I'm getting a headache thinking about this.

Grrrr! I grew up! Not that I wanted to have "Peter Pan Syndrome" or anything. I just didn't want to grow up necessarily. I was certain my babies would stay babies forever. I never thought I would say, "20 years ago..." and have memories other than stories my parents had told. I certainly did not think I would have children that would look me in the eyes without me squatting down, girls who stole (I mean borrow) my clothes & shoes or have to have a conversation with anyone about colleges!

I've had my friend's kiddos ask me for advice and look up to me. They wanted dating advice or a job reference. But those were my friend's kiddos. Now it's my kiddo's friends! What happened? I have Jr. High & High school kiddos! WHAT!!! Sorry, I don't mean to be screaming so much. I think I'm in shock. I need to sit down. Breathe in...and out. Okay, I'm calm.

Here's the thing...

I love it! I really do. I think high school kiddos are amazing! (There I go shouting again, sorry). I love high schoolers. I really do. I think it's amazing time in life. Okay, let me rephrase that. I think it can be an amazing time in life. I'm not sure I loved it but I remember the people that poured into me during that time. I remember the conversations that adults had with me when they actually treated me like an adult. I remember them telling me they loved hanging out with me and thought I was amazing and in the back of my mind I thought they might be a little crazy. The thing is...they probably were and that's what made me love them.

I didn't have to pretend with them. I didn't have to be "good" for them and try to make them like me (like with friends at that age). I didn't have to be on my best behavior or prove anything. They just liked me. It was a life changing time for me and I know how blessed I am to had these amazing types of people in my life. Hannah Silva, if you're reading this, I'm thinking of your mom right now. Tell her ;) Phylis Huerta you're one too!

Okay, I could actually spend the entire post thanking amazing people for being my role model, but I actually had another point entirely.

I think I'm becoming a better mom because I hang out with my kiddos with their friends. When I'm with their friend, I watch how I talk to all of them. I try to be uplifting and encouraging at all times. We all work as a group to speak positive words. We have fun. We laugh. I do their makeup and take them to dinner before Homecoming. They decide dances are boring and would rather go to dinner and movie (with me by the way).

I talk with them about boys and their silly high school antics. I talk to them about college. I talk with them about classes and homework. We talk about driving and laws. I listen to them complain about the world as it is. I listen to them try to figure out complicated "real life" issues.

I come home and talk to my hubby about high school woes. We laugh and remember thinking out world was so hard and our parents' didn't understand anything. I think I may owe my dad yet another apology because once again, his words are coming back to me...through my own mouth actually. Ugh...when did this all happen.

But in the end, I really do love it. I love having my house full of High School and Jr. High girls. I love listening to them laugh. I love listening to them encourage each other because we all know that during theses years, in just one year they grow and mature so much they can even see it. I listen to the upper classmen encourage the freshmen. I listen to the freshmen encourage the Jr. Highers. I just listen and laugh.

Then I go to bed at night and lay there and wonder...

When did I grow up?

My life is an open book...

So have you ever heard people say their life is an open book? Okay, I'm sure you have. I've been know to say it on occasion as well. I tend to think my life is not only an open book but that I am also very transparent and open.

I think that I'm one to put it all out there. I believe that this is one of the things that makes us accountable in life. If my close friends and family know what's going on with me, they can help me and keep me accountable. This is how we grow. 

But then I have a bad moment. Okay, okay, okay, a bad day, week, whatever. It was not good. Then I get called on the line and held accountable for my attitude, my actions and my words. All of the sudden, I don't wanna be an open book anymore. 

I'd rather be like that book at the bottom of a teenager's locker. You know the ones. They sit at the bottom of the mess and collect all sorts of things. They get spilled on and then the pages start to stick together. When you try to pry them open you tear pages and words are lost or censored. There are stains covering certain parts and it becomes a bit of a mystery as to the details inscribe in the book. 

I want to want to look like that sad book with the binding pulling away so that at any moment a certain page or two could just drop out and disappear from the book. 

But alas, this is not the case. And frankly, as embarrassing as my bad moments (or weeks) are, they are part of me. I am a whole story. Every part is important. Every word is part of the story. Without a page or two, the book or rather my life are just not the same. 

So today, as I sit in my car waiting on a kiddo at an activity, I came to realize just a few things. First, I'm a writer and so I write. I do not plan to make my family blog a beautiful blog full of pictures of my family's activities. I probably will not keep people up to date with this ones activities and that ones interest. I just write. That's who I am. I've come to this conclusion before and now I'm holding myself accountable to write and every day. It may not always be a blog post but I'm gonna write!

Second thing I concluded is that I have found my voice. I don't know who the reader is but I know I have my voice. It's something I thought I'd never find. It's something I thought I would struggle to find my whole life. 

Lastly, I am not in pursuit of fame and riches or millions of followers. I aim to write because that's the person God created me to be. I am true to Him and no one else. I know some days I find it hard to hear Him but today I have clarity. For that I am thankful and so I write. 

Okay, I better stop writing today so I have something to write about tomorrow. Thanks for listening. 

One less reader...

So I feel like writing is just something that just comes naturally. Sometimes I struggle finding the perfect words at first but it doesn't take long for me to find them. I may hit delete a few times and start again, but in the end I usually find the words.

I've heard people talk about writer's block and I've been blessed to not experience that yet. I know many people who cannot seem to put their thoughts into words and into print. For me, that is not a problem.

I have to thank my mom. She seems to be the fire behind my passion. She was a wonderful writer. She had all sorts of talents, though I feel she never really saw them for what they were. I love what she did for me. She edited every piece of written work I wrote for years.

I would like to think she would be so proud of me. I would like to think she would be cheering me on as I write. I would like to think she would be the perfect editor for the book I will write.

But what's really interesting is I had other cheerleaders and I never knew it.

My grandma passed away last month. My dad & I traveled to her funeral. It was so weird. I got to see my cousins, some of whom I hadn't seen in 19 years. I realized I spent almost every Christmas at my Grandma's house with family growing up...and then. Well, we all grew up and had our own families. We stopped coming around at Christmas by the time we were teens.

All of the sudden, I felt really horrible. My grandma had probably been trying to get us all together again for years. We didn't do it until she was gone. My heart hurt.

Why? Why do we wait to get together? Why do we all talk about getting together and then never do?

Well, it was nice to get together. I missed my cousins and even got to spend time with some of my family with whom we never really got to spend time.

And then there were the scrapbooks...

Grandma scrapbooked a lot! She took this to a new level. She started scrapbooking before you could buy supplies at the craft stores, before you could easily copy pictures, before all the cute papers and embellishments.

As I looked through her scrapbook, I realized my Grandma kept track of everything in my life even if I didn't do the best to keep her in the loop. She had pictures of my girls every year. I had sent them, but I guess I never realized they were going into a scrapbook with a section dedicated to my girls. She even had pictures of major events at which she did not attend. My mom must have sent her some photos.

Then as I poured through the books, my cousin told me she read my blog every time. I never knew. I had no idea. She read every word I wrote. She was faithful to keeping in touch even though I did not pick up the phone, even though I did not write, and even though I had stopped visiting for the past few years.

Since she passed away, I haven't really wanted to write this post. It was the realization that I had one less reader. I don't have many reader or followers. I don't have many that keep in touch. I don't care if the world reads what I write. I write because God gives me the words to write. I write because I have a story to tell. I write to process life. I write because I love it and because my mom would have loved it. I write so often in honor of my mom.

Today...

Today I write in honor of my Grandma. I wish I would have know she was reading what I wrote...I would have written more to keep her in the loop. I wish I would have know about her scrapbooks...I would have sent more pictures. I wish I would have known...

I didn't know because I didn't call enough. I didn't know because I stopped visiting the past four years. I didn't know because I never asked.

Somehow, my Grandma ended up being my biggest cheerleader and I never knew. My Grandma was almost 90 when she passed. She had a cell phone. She had Facebook. She read Blogs. My Grandmas was a techie...

She followed me. I wish I would have know.

Broken Hearted...

When my friends hurt, I hurt.

As my mother described me so many years ago...

When I have a friend hurting, crying or grieving, I sit with them.

I feel I may be a magnet for the hurting... but that's okay with me.

I have amazing friends. In the past several months, my group of friends has exploded...which is good because I had so many lost recently.

Okay, Beth, I know I didn't lose you as a friend you just moved to TEXAS...but it seems like it sometimes. Especially when tomorrow I start the routine of dropping kids at school and somehow I feel I'll find myself trying to drive to your house for coffee only, you're not there. Love you lady!

But really, my group of amazingly close friends has grown a lot these past months. Some from entering a new season in life. Some from jobs. Some from family. And some old friends who have popped back around.

Anyways back to broken hearts...

I've had several friends hurting in so many different ways recently. It seems my phone rings often and well it sucks and it doesn't. It sucks my friends are hurting but I'm so glad I can be here for them.

Whether it's a puppy, hospital trip (or many), or broken relationships, I'm here. I listen. I love. And you all know I'm the last to make any judgement.

My heart is full of prayers for all of you. I want you to know (once again) I'm here. I'm praying. I love you. I'm not going anywhere. AND most of all, I feel blessed to have you in my life.

Alright girlfriends...it time to get serious about some girls nights! We need to laugh and love each other and let loose. Call me or text me its time to get out!

Where is the happy ending?

So my dad and I had a little chat yesterday about me writing my book. He had a theory as to why my mom never wrote her book...she was waiting for her happy ending to tie it all up.

Hmmm...if I wait for that, I may never write my book either.

Here's the thing...she did have a happy ending. She just couldn't see it. Well at least that's how I see it. She probably didn't get the happy ending for which she was looking.

Me?

Well, I'm not hoping for that happy ending.

My story has happy parts, and sad ones, and painful ones, and silly ones and ones that tear jerk and ones that you laugh till your sides hurt. That's all I have!

As well as I'm not looking for the ending. I'm not looking for the thing that ties it all up nicely. I'm looking at my mom and I stand back in awe. I'm looking at her life and think, "If I'm half the woman my mom was, I'll be happy and proud."

So I write.

I'm not sure where this journey will take me...but off I go.

I never thought when I started this blog 3 years ago that anyone would ever read it. I never thought anyone would care what I thought or felt enough to read a blog. I thought I'd share some family bliss and maybe if I was lucky a family member might look at the pictures. But this grew into something more that that. I became my way of expressing myself. I started thinking no one would read it and I didn't care and today...I feel the same way.

I write. If you read it...thanks. I write for me. I'll keep writing for me. In the end, the book will be for me. If anyone reads it...great. If not, I'll still write.

I may never find my happy ending either...but I will write.

What words cannot say...

I've been on a journey. I'm not sure where I'm going but I keep moving. I'm not even sure if I'm moving forward. All I know is I'm on a journey.

This past week my family went on a mini vacation. It wasn't the Creede annual vacation that was planned but it was some camping with the family in the mountains.

I enjoyed a wonderful four wheeler trip to a beautiful spot. I discovered something about myself on this trip. I had time to let my head clear and I could understand my thoughts. I rarely am able to see my thoughts clearly.

So many people in my life have commented on my writing and say they love how I am able to express myself. All I can say is it isn't me...not really. I don't know how many things I have struggled to write only to hear from others that it was powerful...and I...

I don't know why.

I write.

It just comes out of me. I'm not an artist that pictures a painting and finds the colors to express the feelings inside. I'm not a musician that hears music and plink and picks notes till it flows out as a beautiful serenade. I'm not a leader that commands people to join the cause and draws passion from within each of us.

I just write.

I don't know from where the words come.

They just live inside me. I hear speeches or dialogs or chapters in my head. It feels so natural. I had no idea others didn't have thoughts flowing through their head like a book that needs to be writen or a speech that needs to be given.

So...a book is inside me.

I have had so many people encourage me on this blog. Many hear my mother's voice in my words. Some see the best parts of me. Others feel things and see things through me.

I don't know anything about anything. I just write.

So today, I'm starting my book. I have the title. I have some thoughts. If it where up to my mom, I'd have an outline...but somehow I think I would never write the book. She wrote many outlines and never wrote. So today, I start my book, "The book my mom never wrote."

Welcome to a new journey. I don't know if I'll ever publish or anyone will ever read it but I'm going to write it.

Thanks to the many who read my blog. Maybe I'll put some parts of my book here. Maybe my book will just be clips of my blog. Whatever the case...today I begin to write.

Birthday Blues...

Today, I'm 28 years old again. I'd tell you what anniversary I'm celebrating but it would defeat the point of saying I'm 28 over and over. For those who know how old I am...forget! That's the best birthday you could give me.

As for the birthday blues...

It has been an upside down, inside out year for the Morrison Clan. Some of you know the trails we have been through and well...it sucks. The summer has been rough and we thought my in-law lost their home. Even though they didn't, they still lost a lot and have been working around the clock to get their life back in order.

Then we found out another complex of fires has now cancelled our annual vacation. This would have been the 40th year this family and friends have been enjoying this vacation. So this week has been full of friends and family trying to scramble to find something different. Thank you to all of you who got online and on the phone finding alternatives to include those who don't even go on vacation with us.

But last night my heart was broken. I was looking forward to this. This was keeping me going and now...

This one wants this and that one wants that. No one can get what they want because what we all want is not an option.

So...how I woke up on my birthday...first my hubby whispers happy birthday then we cancelled our alternative plans for vacation.

Ryan and I will still be taking time off and doing things with our family but our week long vacation in the mountains is gone.

NOW...I'm looking forward to tonight. I have amazing friends and they are all jumping to celebrate my birthday tonight. Dinner and drink! Just what the doctor ordered. Want to join us? Message me through FB for details or text me.

Thank you all for caring for my heart and life in so many ways. Those are the precious things to me. My phone has been beeping with FB messages and texts this morning wishing me happy birthday. Thanks!

So...off to work I go. Yes, I work on my birthday...but maybe that means I'll get some bonus tips. It is my birthday and my regular customers are amazing to me.

Today I'm trying not think on the "lost" vacation but rather the gift of life I celebrate each year on this day. I can't wait to see all my friends tonight and feel so blessed that my loved ones are jumping to celebrate. I have some of the most amazing friends in the world and tonight they join me from all areas of my life: long time friends, business friends, work friends and brand new friends.

This is an amazing year. I will not accept defeat. We joked with the kids last night that this would be the year that they looked back at as the year their grandparents lived together for a time. This will not be the year of fires and loss but of new experiences, new friends and hope.

Join with me today and find your hope. As a special gift to me, consider donating to the Black Forest wildfire relief funds. I will soon be joining an amazing group to raise funds to help the families who have lost so much. Be looking for a new blog for that organization. I can't wait to join the team and give back to the area I love so much. I hope to live in Black Forest someday soon with my family and can't wait to help rebuild it.

So though my morning started a little blue...I will not let it take me down. Birthday...here I come!

What else?

So in the end, my in-laws house is standing. It started on the green list, went to the red list and then in the end went back to the green list.

Of course, they had already started the total loss process with friends from the forest once we found out it was on the green list. It was horrible and we all were grieving. They were looking into rentals that would take 2 horses, 5 dogs, a cat & 3 people. Things were not looking great.

But then the miracle happened...the house stands. We heard the news but didn't know if we could believe it. Then we got through to friends of friends and police got to the property, took a picture & sent it to us. It was verified the house is standing.

Thank you all for the prayers. There is still so much loss for them though the house stands. All the out building on the property are gone. Some things were not covered by insurance. The goat did pass away. There is a lot of clean up and the house and it's contents are smoke damaged. My mother-in-law has asthma and the clean up process has caused her a great deal of breathing problems.

My heart aches as we stood on the property and saw the houses all around gone. There are burnt black trees everywhere. The house was saved and yet my heart aches. It looks like a nuclear bomb went off down their street. There are so many that just have nothing now.

This is a rural area. Many people owned the land and may have a trailer on the property...uninsured. More than 500 homes are gone. All this pain...

But of course we have our vacation coming up next week. We were looking forward to relaxing in rustic cabins, camping for a week with no electricity, no cell service, no running water, and no distractions. We were getting away for a bit. This would be the 40th year Ryan's family had been doing this. I've loved this tradition and found myself able to deal with everything knowing I was going to get away for just a bit.

And then today we find out another fire in Colorado has evacuated the Ranch we stay at every year. No vacation...

We'll probably do something or just camp for a few days, but no cabins. No fishing. No letting the girls ride their bikes between the cabins. No dogs chasing horses (that would be Lola of course). No dogs eating freshly caught fish before they could be cleaned (not Lola this time). No four wheelers on trails. No 40th year celebration at the ranch.

Pray for our family. This was the thing we were all needing. A break from reality and struggle. A break from fire. A break...we need a break.

Pray that another alternative that fits our needs and our large group will become available by Sunday. Pray that we are able to enjoy whatever we chose to do as we will not be going to the Continental Ranch. Pray that it will fit our financial constraints. Pray we will be able to "get away" and relax for a week.

At first I felt foolish for asking for prayer for a vacation but then I remembered that my heavenly father cares about it all. He cares that we need a break. He cares that we want to spend time together after such strife. He cares that we wanted to slow down for a bit...in that slowing down we know we hear Him better. This was going to be a time to rejoice for the answered prayer regarding the house. This was going to be a time to remember the important things. We need this time to be together. Thank you so much for listening and I covet your prayers! Your steadfast prayers were answered with a house that stands. Join me in praying for a break for the Morrison Clan, friends and family.

Oh and not to forget the most important thing to pray for...the fires and the fire fighters. Please pray as there are 3 fires in this area at are out of control, no containment. Pray for the 1st responders and their safety. Pray for the area because as of right now, no structures are lost. Colorado needs some rain and cool air and no wind. Pray for our state as fire is devastating it right now.

What we left behind...

My mother-in-law loves me right now but I think she always has...

No one was really worried on Tuesday but I called my best girlfriend and she was watching the fire live. Thank you El for making me realize how serious it was and encouraging me to defy my MIL and go to the forest.

The first list of homes was listed Wednesday afternoon and just as the news was releasing the info, my MIL had just shouted, "Oh, my recipes, I forgot my recipes!" I yelled, "Shhh, they are releasing the list" and her reply was, "What list?"

Frazzled brains, I tell you.

That was the first list and the house was listed safe that day. One of their friends came by moments later and she already knew hers was lost. So what did we do...we fed her. What else can you do?

Then that night, though they really didn't believe their house was safe, they rattled off the list of things they didn't get. My father-in-law, the 3rd most amazing man on earth (behind my husband and my dad) was the most amazing dad & husband. He didn't grab one thing of his for evacuation...not his guns, his motorcycle...I'm not even sure he had extra clothes. He made sure that my MIL and my SIL had what they needed and wanted.

Now to be clear, my in-laws were just pulling out to go camping so they have a week's worth of everything with them...and that's it.

As we began to clear the house, my MIL said she was thinking the whole time (till the last 20 minutes or so), that this was a waste of time. We were going to have to unpack it all later.

Well it wasn't...

All we got was a few family heirlooms.
Somethings that belonged to her mother.
A few photo albums.
Important papers file.

What we didn't get?
Recipes...in her mother's handwriting.
Some valuables.
The address & phone number book. (They have not reached the age of putting all in a cell phone).
Everything else...is just stuff.

Then came Thursday's list and well...the house is gone. I was in a meeting looking at someone else's phone. I had to run to the hallway and just cried. I called my dad. My in-laws are at their house. He was choked up talking to me.

I know it just stuff...but

We have our memories...but

The people are safe...but

The dogs, cat & horses are safe...but

My rehearsal dinner was there. Every Christmas since I was apart of the family was there (and before me was there). My kids learned to sew there and baked cookies there. We ate around that dinning room table for Father's Day, Mother's Day, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and because is was Tuesday.

They haven't made any decisions. We don't know much right now. They went to the victims's relief center yesterday. They feel better and equipped. They know what to do next...not everything but they have things to do.

BTW...shout out to the victim's relief center & the Waldo Canyon fire people who helped and are helping. You mean a lot to our family right now.

It is all STUFF and really not what it important. But if you are pre-evacuating or on voluntary evacuation, slow down and think for a minute. We only had two hours and that wasn't enough. Get a few of those things that cannot be replaced. The china may be old. The picture may be valuable. But Grandma's handwritten recipes are irreplaceable.

Personal Prayer Please

So many have you have already heard but my in-laws home is a total loss in the Black Forest Fire. Our family hasn't processed anything yet or made any decisions but right now I personally need some prayer.

I have an intestinal disorder that has because very aggravated by the recent stress. I'm in quite a bit of pain and its making it even harder to focus on anything. I have to work this weekend and it will be difficult to do with this going on. Please pray for relief.

Secondly, my phone has been having issues for a while now. I got the phone replaced and it still is having issues. I'm not sure why and that's not really the point. The point is I cannot receive calls or texts or voicemails most of the time. My family has had a really hard time getting a hold of me and it is EXTREMELY important that I can be reached. I'm not looking for tech support, I asking you pray over my phone. I've done everything I can through the manufacturer as well as my cell company. I just need my phone "healed".

These things seem so little in the midst of everything but this would help so much as we deal with everything we are facing.

Thanks so much for listening and I hope to update everyone as soon as my family has time to make decisions.

Continue to pray over my in-laws. This will be a long road.

Black Forest Love

As of this summer I have lived half of my life in Colorado Springs. It is most definitely home.

My city is once again on fire but this one is much closer to home emotionally & physically. Please know we are very safe and far away from the mandatory evacuation zone as well as the pre-evacuation zone.

But here's my thoughts...

When we moved here, I graduated from Liberty High School. It was rough being a senior in a new school and new state. Things were very different but it was one of the best years of my life. I made lots of friends that are friends today. At that time, my school district only had 3 high schools and Liberty HS was where all the Black Forests kids went...to include my husband.

Ryan and I met in high school at Liberty. His family lives in Black Forest as well as many of our friend's families. Today, my FB feed is full of my high school friends doing the same thing I did yesterday...evacuate their parents.

I had flashes of homes come through my mind as I drove to Black Forest yesterday. Homes I hung out in high school. Homes...beautiful homes. I could name so many but a few came to mind right away. Homes of friend's parents that I knew still lived there.

Because of the day and age of FB, I have heard that most everyone I know still live there...got out! Most got their valuables. Most got their animals...some only got the people but got out.

Please pray.

This is the fire crossing Black Forest Road when we made the decision to stop packing and go with what we had.

-Pray for my in-law as we evacuated them last night and this is the home they built with their own two hands.
-Pray for the goat that had to be left behind.
-Pray for my hubby & his sisters as this was the home they helped build...full of memories.
-Pray for our kids as this is the home so many holidays are spent and so many memories have been made.
-Pray for my sister-in-law who is out of state and feels so helpless.
-Pray for my other sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, my daughter and me as we all have asthma and the smoke is so brutal for us.
-Pray for blessing on my parents as their home is full of dogs and people.

Thank God for:
-My hubby's uncle who will be taking two dogs & a cat today.
-Our friends the Wills who will be taking another dog.
-My parents who jumped to help evacuate and watch kids and then put up my in-laws.
-Friends who took the two horses.
-Our friends the Wilkes who encouraged me to go & evacuated them (not a moment to soon) and then desperately tried to get to us to help us.

Its a New Day...

Its a New Day Cafe!

Because of life's recent circumstances, after 7 years of being a stay at home mom, I have reentered the working world. I'm a server at New Day Cafe located in Rockrimmon on Delmonico next to the Mateo's Salon & Spa.

I love it for many reasons. First, I have the flexibility to be a mom & take kids to appointments on days off. Second the hours are 7 am - 3 pm, 7 days a week...so pretty much when my kiddos are at school, although we are heading into summer but I'll still have afternoons to take kiddos to the pool and I do have a couple week days off a week to do summer fun stuff. Lastly, I have enjoyed meeting so many people. The customers have expressed the need for a wonderful little cafe like this in the area. There is nothing like it in our area.

So...we have breakfast & lunch. I generally work Thursday thru Monday. Come in and see me. Support a locally owned business and have great food.

We want this business to grow. We believe this is a great addition to our town. The owners have two other New Day Cafe restaurants in Las Vegas. He is from there and she is from here. Now that they have a little one, they decided to come back to the Springs to raise their family. We feel blessed to have them here.

Want to have a coffee date? We serve lattes & have amazing coffee!

Need WiFi...we got it!

Want a quick bite on a work lunch break? You can be in and out quick!

On the go...To Go orders are fast. Call ahead or stop on in...we get food out fast!

Like a flare of something different? We have some amazing Mexican Breakfast dishes.

Come see me and spread the word. Our family is trying to make it and we need your help. Tell your friends, family and the strangers at the gas station. The food is good. The atmosphere is pleasant and the servers are friendly!

Check out the menu at http://www.newdaycafe.com/

Like us on Facebook to get the word out here.

Please continue to pray for our family as we journey through this time. We know God provided this job to help our cause and feel so blessed. We know many have prayed for this provision and know this job is an answer to prayer.

Thank you all for your continued support. Our family feels loved and blessed by so many.

And as always...Thanks for listening.