Friends in Low Places

Let's talk about Garth Brooks for a minute. Let's talk about the energy and fire within his music that positively light up our souls. If you're human, and you've heard at least one lyric, you know what I'm talking about. The minute I heard he was coming back to New Orleans, I immediately texted Mom and the aunts "We're going to see Garth!"

It was everything I had hoped it would be. And more.

Our seats were in the last row of our section, way at the top. In fact, when I raised my hand, I could see my shadow from the spotlight directly behind me all the way down on stage. It didn't matter. His songs sounded just like they did on my tapes and CDs from the late 80s and early 90s. He freaking nailed it. For me, listening to Garth was this beautiful, nostalgic experience that only the three people with me could truly understand and appreciate.

It was my favorite parts of my childhood--riding with Mom and the aunts with a horse and trailer behind us hitched to Mom's Ford pick-up truck. It was long hot days sitting in arenas in jeans and boots, and cheering for Aunt Carol as she raced around those barrels with Huey, then Cricket, and probably a few others I can't remember. It was wild-colored, long sleeve shirts that I can still picture hanging from the trailer door, perfectly pressed. It was waiting at Granny and PawPaw's all day to get to go the barn with Mom and Aunt Carol at night. It was my first belt buckle from Mom, the one with the pinkish-purple jewel in it. It was laughing at Aunt Carol for singing all the wrong words to pretty much every country song there ever was. It was learning how to put a saddle on a horse. It was naming all the cats at the barn, feeding the chickens, cleaning the stalls and trying to avoid all the roaches in the tack room. Y'all remember how they'd scatter when we turned the lights on?? It was falling off my horse, and acting like I was fine so that Granny didn't get upset. It was blue and red ribbons hanging on the walls of "my room" at the Bellview house. It was Mom rolling over her own video camera with the trailer and trying not to laugh at her, because she was so mad at herself. It was Tomball Kid. It was having a mom and two older, yet super fun best friends that adored me, and I them.

Garth Brooks, thank you. You managed to bring all of that back last Sunday night. As I swayed from side to side. Singing every single word. Aunt Carol still doesn't get any of the words right, but she remembers. My childhood may have been a little different than the average kid. I didn't have a sister or brother, but I had my own horse, which was pretty awesome. I wasn't at dance lessons, instead I was learning how to ride "Pleasure."

Mom, Carol and Debbie, I hope you know how much fun you made my childhood and that every time I hear a country song, it makes me think of all the fun we had. You are my original "friends in low places." And "if tomorrow never comes" I hope you know how much I love you.

I keep forgetting that it's been 25 years. To me you still look and act like those goofy 40-year-olds I had so much fun with. Seriously, ya'll don't age. You haven't even slowed down a little, other than Carol finally giving up the horses. And how amazing is it that we have a new generation of little people that get to have you in their lives now too? Jasper and Sam adore you. When I ask Jasper who he wants to pray for at night, "Carol and Debbie" are always at the top of his list. God willing, the three of you will be around another 25 years plus, creating new memories with my boys. As for Garth Brooks, even if it takes him another 17 years to come back to NOLA, the tickets will be on me!

Make lemonade every day

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

-Psalm 118:24

Things are good. There is so much to be thankful for in this life. How did I get so lucky? The more time I spend thinking about my life, the more I realize, I better make the most of it, and enjoy and appreciate every minute. People tend to spend too much time looking for more when they should appreciate what God has already given them. Sure, I'd like to make more money and work less, I wish my hips were a bit smaller too, and I wish for more time in the day to get things done; but other than that, life is pretty awesome. If there was one piece of advice that I could give my boys right now (I will have plenty), it would be to appreciate everything that comes to you. Whether it be good or bad, there are always opportunities to be thankful and lessons to be learned. We shouldn't regret. We should move forward and improve, and be thankful to God for the life he has given us. 

Speaking of improving, I've been working on being a better wife and mom. Hopefully, Jeremy has noticed! After all, "Marriage is not 50-50. Marriage is 100-100. It is dividing everything you have, but giving everything you've got." I've been making efforts to cook more (and healthier), clean up more, keep up with laundry better, take out the trash instead of waiting for Jeremy to do it, and keep an extra positive attitude as we create a new normal as a family adjusting to ALS. There are still things I need to work on though. Patience is an on-going struggle for me, especially when it comes to Jasper's slow eating and Sam's moody crying fits. But I'll keep trying. I should read to the boys more. I should stop cursing. I should make more time to craft for myself. I should clean my closet! I'll get there...

With all of that said, I think Jeremy and I are doing a pretty good job as parents. I'm seeing some real positives in Jasper. He's not perfect, but he's a good big brother to Sam. He has more sweet moments than sour ones. And aside from being a very finicky eater and tuning us out every now and then, he's a good (and cute) kid. I watch him with Sam, taking his hand on the playset after cabbageball so that the other kids don't trample him, waiting for him on the slide so they can slide down together, bringing him toys to make sure he has enough, helping him up (after "accidentally" pushing him down), sitting next to him on the couch keeping him company and telling him, "Don't cry Sammy, Mommy's getting your bottle," and giving him "fives" as Jeremy walks Sam into daycare every morning. Just last weekend, we stopped at Rouse's to check out their "gluten-free" section and there were grocery carts with toy cars "for two" attached to the front. Not noticing there was a steering wheel missing (there should've been two), we put Sam and Jasper in the broken one. Jasper tried getting out, telling us he wanted to go in the other one. Jeremy and I got flustered because he was trying to get out, and we told him no. That's when I realized, he wanted to get in the other car because that one had two steering wheels, one for him AND one for Sammy. He was again looking out for his little brother. I'm hoping this is a sign that we're doing something right. By the way, they had so much fun in that car. We may have to switch groceries.

More about the boys...

Neither of my kids is a morning person. We pull Jasper out of bed by his feet most mornings. Then he wants to be carried to the kitchen. And if that wasn't enough, he complains when we turn on the lights, saying, "Turn off the lights! It's too bright in here!" So yes, most mornings, he eats pop tarts or dry Lucky Charms (only the marshmallow pieces) in the dark. And then, there's Sammy. He used to be all smiles in the morning, but lately I walk in and he's still curled up, clutching his blanket. When I tell him in my sweet Mommy voice, "Sammy, it's time to wake up," he replies with a big, grouchy, "No!" And he now cries and wines as I change his diaper. It's OK though, all is right with the world once he has his milk. I'm pretty much the same way, just with coffee.

Both boys are doing well at daycare and summer camp. Sam is still in his one-year-old class. Ms. Elaine adores him, telling us every day, "He's such a good boy!" He still gets extra excited when he sees his daddy (he now says dah-dee), and now waves, saying "bye-bye" to the teachers when we pick him up in the evenings. He's talking more, saying more words and pronouncing better--although we don't understand everything. He thinks he can do everything Jasper does. The other day, he plunged face first into the baby pool at Elmwood because he watched Jasper do it. Fortunately, I was sitting right there to pick up my little dare devil. When we tell him no, he waits to see if we're serious, then tries to change the mood with a sly smile. It works too, we generally always break down and laugh. He's a great cuddler. Some days, especially when we get home from work, it seems like no matter what we do to appease him, he just cries. Til I finally stop what I'm doing, sit down with him on my lap and hold him. For some reason, that seems to always work. It's like he knows I need the break too.

Jasper has it great at summer camp, playing with his friends all day, watching movies and going on field trips. His favorite part of every field trip is riding in the school bus because he thinks it's so cool. The grandparents all take turns picking him up from summer camp so that we don't have to pay for after care. Grandpa gets him snoballs after camp on Mondays. Grammie buys him toys from the toy store after camp on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And Granny feeds him ice cream and other yummy junk foods, and let's him play on the swing after camp on Wednesdays and Fridays. Must be nice!! Meanwhile, Jeremy and I are very grateful for the help and money-saving. Speaking of saving money, Jasper is so skinny that we didn't have to buy him any new shorts or pants for the upcoming school year Not to mention, someone from school gave us three polo shirts, so we really only needed to pick up a couple more, which we did last weekend. And yes, he's still an XX-Small. Ahh, my scrawny little pumpkin!

Life is busy, but so good. We work hard to keep them happy and laughing while still disciplining them, teaching them manners and showing them the difference between right and wrong. I think we're doing OK. We're having a lot of fun with them, and our calendar is full with birthday parties, family/coffee time, errands and just keeping up. The most important thing is that when something doesn't go our way, we make the conscious effort to recover from it and move on. In other words, make lemonade. 

So far, my biggest takeaway after learning about Mike's condition and this disease known as ALS, is that each day is a gift from God and we should be grateful for it, and present throughout every part of it. Whatever the day brings, choose to make the best of it.

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."

Happy 4th. Enjoy the long weekend!