The End of An Era

Kirsten has completed middle school. She starts high school next year. Truly amazing, where did this year go? Where did the last 14 years go?? Yesterday it seems like she was toddling around, and now here she is starting high school.

This year has been full of surprises. Kirsten started 8th grade in public school at Gentry. Her first year in public school was wonderful. I was so nervous I cried the first week before school everyday wondering if I was doing the right thing. God SO took care of things. I can truthfully say this has been the best year I can remember for her. She really flourished. She surely showed me... I was so scared she'd flounder and be eaten up by the HUGE school and all the kids. God answered every prayer I put in front of Him with her wonderful teachers, great friends, safety and happiness for her, and a comforting hand for me.

Now, don't get me wrong... High school makes me nervous too! lol. But, I'll be nervous for her always. And alot of my nervousness has turned to excitement since she made Stars. She's so happy and excited, it's hard not to catch it! Now, I think of the wonderful things she's going to have in store for her these next four years. Stars will be wonderful, and I hear, like a family... she even gets to go to New York City with them next year... and you can bet that means I get to go too! =) (She's already asked me to go... can I tell you how happy that makes me???) I'm excited to see what this beautiful, amazing young woman does. For the next four years of high school, for the four years after in college, and for the rest of her life. I couldn't be more proud.

Kirsten, you have so much in store for you. I look forward to seeing all the different paths that are put in front of you and which you choose to take. I pray that you stay rooted in God, and that you always look His direction before stepping out into the world... you can never go wrong if you always look to Him. I'm so glad that He chose me to be your mom, and that I have the privelege of raising you. I love you. Mommy.

top 12 Things You Can Do to Freak People Out on an Elevator.

Top 12 Things to You Can Do to Freak People Out on an Elevator

12. Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
11. Whistle the first seven notes of “It’s a Small World” incessantly.
10. If anyone brushes against you, recoil and holler, “BAD TOUCH”!
9. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
8. Start a sing along.
7. Say “DING!” at each floor.
6. Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers “through” it.
5.When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank open the doors, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
4.Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: “Shut UP, Dang it, all of you just shut UP!”
3. Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
2.Crack open your briefcase or pure, and while peering inside ask: “Got enough air in there??”
1. Stand silent and motionless, in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.

People might look at you funny... but it sure is fun!!! (Great stress reliever too!) lol

The Real Lost Recap

Oh my Gravy. Don't worry if you haven't seen the episode yet.. you can read on, because even once you see the episode... you won't know what the "hey-hey" I'm talking about.

Allison Janney, (could there have been a worse casting for this part?) who I kept thinking should be walking into the white house at any moment, played the crazy island lady. She will from now be known as "crazy lady". She meets a pregnant, washed on shore strange woman, who will now be called, "Preggers". "Preggers", goes into labor and "crazy lady" helps her birth her babies, which turn out to be twins. (Ow) As soon as labor is over, "crazy lady" bops "preggers" in the head, and she dies. She then raises the twins as her own. "Bad twin" and "Good twin." She takes the twins to the "lighted cave" and tells them they can never go down there, b/c that would be ... bad, but they have to protect it. Protect what??? Who the heck knows. "Bad twin" finds out what "crazy lady" did and gets mad and goes to be with his "peeps". "Good twin" stays with "crazy lady" but still hangs out with "bad twin". Thirty years later, "bad twin" finds a way off the island. He tells "good twin", who goes and tattletales back to "crazy lady". Crazy lady tells "good twin" he is the one and he must protect the island. (Here drink this... um, I don't think so, but thanks anyway.) "Crazy lady" goes to "bad twin" tries to kill him, ruins his plans and kills all his peeps. This makes "bad twin" mad. He then kills "crazy lady" who says, "thank you". (What the hell????) "Good twin" comes in, gets mad and throws "bad twin" down the lighted cave". Hence, "bad twin" becomes smoke monster.

Oooooooh. I get it now. I love it when everything becomes crystal clear. NOT. After seeing next weeks previews, this is all I have to say. If this turns out to be some bad acid trip... I'm gonna be peeved.

Mom's Birthday/Mother's Day Blog

Delores Ann Evans. She came into this world on March 13, 1946. I can only imagine how she was as a child, as a teen, as a young adult. I look at all the pictures and see the same amazing smile that I've grown up with. I imagine she was a pretty mischevious child... she fell out of an upstairs window when she was 2. She was not even sent to the hospital, although I gave my grandmother a particularly hard time about this, I think she fell on her head so there wasn't much to worry about. (Just kidding mom!!) ;) I wish I could have known her as she was growing up, I bet we would have gotten in a lot of troule together.

My mother is amazing. Truly lots of people think so. I think she's amazing but for probably different reasons than most. My mother is a master piano player. She is a great friend, totally reliable, always laughing, generous to a fault, (she'd give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it) and is truly funny. These are the things that people can readily see about my mother. And they are wonderful things, but there is so much more that I am proud of her for.

Life has not always been easy for my mom. I won't speak of other things, but I will speak about me. Mom and I had a rocky relationship as a teen. Lots of moms and teens do. But, you grow up and you become a mom and things become clearer than they once were. You do the best you can with what you are given. (As in me) We both did some things back then we wish we could redo. But the great thing is, our relationship totally flourished from it. Both of our friends probably gasp when they hear that we live only two doors away from each other, but it has truly been a blessing. The best thing I could have ever hoped for. (I'm not just saying that b/c this year she decided to bond with Kirsten by taking her to school each morning) Whoooooo hoooo. But it is a nice perk! lol.

No matter what was going on with my mom and I, I always knew that she loved me and cared about me. As I got older I really relied on my mom. When Kirsten was born, she came and stayed with me for two weeks... I don't know what I would have done without her. When Mark and I were first married, she helped us out with everything, even financially... I don't know where we would have been without her then. When I get sick, like when my appendix had to be taken out, the first person I still want is my mom. (Mark rolls his eyes when I'm in the emergency room telling him to hurry up and call my mommy!!!) There's just no one else who will do. When she had her stroke this last summer, I really thought I was going to lose her. I was lost. Usually I'm so good in a crisis. I was just in shock. If I lost her, I would be lost. I didn't know what to do... so I just prayed, and thanks to the good Lord above, he spared her, good as new.

But, back to my original start... the specific reasons I am so proud of my mother. My mother is stronger than she knows. She's vulnerable, not as thick skinned as people think she is... but this is one tough lady. She has survived lots of not so great things and come out on the other side, beautiful, poised, stronger than she thinks, and with a doo that can not be undone. (I'm talkin' hair here people.) Ask her about her hair in the tornado. She has really come into her own here. I like that. Words cannot express how much I love my mother, nor how much she means to me. But I hope that you know, I will always be here for you. I am so grateful that you are my mother. God knew just what he was doing when he picked you for me.

I love you mom! Thanks for everything you do for me and my family. And more than that, thank you for just being you, and for raising me to be the woman I am. Strong, independent, funny, vulnerable, and willing to give someone the shirt off my back. Just like you.

I love you mom!

8th Grade Dance

Oh my gosh, I'm old. Kirsten went to the 8th grade dance last weekend for Gentry. It was quite the eye opener. First of all, my baby is going into High School. WHAT????? Is this possible? I mean in four years she'll be going off to college, which is scary b/c I still have to curl her hair in the morning... how is she going to go to college if she can't do her own hair????? (I'm getting off subject) ANYWAY, It was so wonderful and yet sad. I hate that.

This is the first time we had the whole boy/girl go by yourself to dinner. The coursages and boutinere (sp) which I have to say, was quite hilarious. I think it took about 9 people to get his boutinere to stay on and I hear when he took off his shirt he had 9 blood stains where everyone had pricked him!! Poor little man!

This is the first time I had not chaperoned the dance, much less planned it. I had to work that night so I couldn't chaperone. But, I still got pictures... and I think she might have been glad that she got to go without me hanging around finally. Just one more thing I have to start letting go of... I did go in to get something she had forgotten afterward.... man, that wasn't like any middle school dance I had gone to. Ours were always at the gym, with punch and maybe some balloons. This was at Especial Events, they had an ICE SCULPTURE, catered food, and knock out decorations. Those ladies did a wonderful job. I was amazed.

Anyway, it was the last big Hurrah of the 8th grade year. Well, except for the class trip and all, but next year will be a whole other ball game. And although I'm sooo excited for her in her upcoming year... I wish I could slow down the years. They just go by too fast.

The important thing was, she had a blast, her friends had a blast, they were all beautiful, and there were a number of afterparties which I was pleasantly suprised to find out about, b/c like me the parents want them to get used to going to their house and not out drinking after these dances.

I think I'm ready for next year.... but it still made me feel old. =P

Jay Boyd

Jay Brady Boyd.

Man, I wish this were a birthday blog…. Jay Brady Boyd~ Sept. 5, 1973-April 23, 1991. Almost 20 years. It’s engraved in my head, and in my heart.

I met Jay in middle school. We ran in the same group of kids and we were friends. In high school, we became closer… but it wasn’t til our Junior year that I talked to him everyday, learned so much about him… that I can’t forget, and began to rely on him as someone I could lean on.

My friend Jay, was smart, quick, and wickedly funny. He was very dark, always had been, but could brighten your day with a smile, a roll of his eyes, or a facial expression. When he was in a bad mood, everyone knew, you better run. He could slide from happy, to sad, to mad in no time at all. There were so many sides to him that people weren’t always privy to. He had a heart of gold, and would literally give you the shirt off his back if he trusted you. I was going through a hard time, and he would drive back and forth with me to Baytown to go see my boyfriend for a couple of hours and then go back with me. Taking up his time, so I wouldn’t be driving alone. Those trips he always kept me in stitches or near tears, whatever the mood may have been… but he definitely struck a cord with me. I began to really know Jay, and I was letting him know me. I remember driving home from the movies one night and going under the bridge from the AMC… he saw a homeless person and a child under the bridge. He stopped the car and gave them $100 bill. He also told me there was a gun in his glove compartment and that I was to use it if he got in trouble. I was alarmed and I did ask him why he had a gun, he gave me that “don’t be stupid” look and said it was for protection. I totally believed him. There was no reason not to.

I would sit with Jay, a lot of nights, on top of my car, or in his car with the top down, radio on, talking and talking and talking. We were both going through problems. But as “depressed” as he was…I would have called it being a teenager. We were all having problems. He was so sarcastic, witty, and funny. He had so much going for him. I don’t say that lightly… he was a genius with music. He wrote music, he played music, he made drum major. He was incredibly smart- National Honor Society smart. He would have gotten into almost any college, more than likely with a scholarship. People looked up to him… I have no doubt at all that he would have been something special…b/c he already was special.

So what happened April 23, 1991???? How many times have I asked myself this question?? What could I have done? What happened? Who did this to him? What happened? Why???? What happened? Why didn’t we know? What happened?? It doesn’t matter anymore. It just is. I go back and forth being sad and being mad. I was so mad I burned all his pictures one year, and I was so sad I cried and cried and cried til I had no tears left. It took me awhile to feel anything. I went numb. But man, when they caught up… it wasn’t fun.

I think what bothers me the most now… was just thinking about him being alone. How alone he must have felt. BUT….he didn’t have to be alone. He could have called a dozen people. There were a lot of people who loved him. Everyone has problems. Everyone wants to give up sometimes… but they don’t. I have no doubt that he would be very successful now, have someone to call his own, be with his family, have lots of friends, and be in some major city like New York, Miami, San Francisco, or Los Angeles doing what he loved best… music.

Suicide is never the answer. It’s selfish, stupid, harmful to all those around you that you love, and really solves nothing. In fact, for so many of us that are left to pick up the pieces of ourselves, it makes more problems. And to be honest… if he hadn’t done what he did, in five years time all the problems that he thought were so awful… wouldn’t have been problems any more. Man, I wish I could have imparted some of that wisdom on him. But when you’re in pain… words of wisdom don’t really help… especially when you’re a teenager.

Jay~ I miss you, I love you, and I wish you were still here. There’s not many days that for some reason or other you don’t float thru my mind. I’m mad as hell at you, and I wish I could hug your neck and make cracks about where we were and where we are now. I hope you have peace. I hope you got what you were looking for. I know I’ll see you again. I know it.

Christi

The MS150

Over the weekend, Mark did the MS150. This is his sixth year to ride and so we all make the trek down there every year to support him and to take pictures and sitesee.

Well, this weekend did not go QUITE like I had planned. My camera card broke, so all I had was a small camera. THEN, the bottom dropped out and we basically swam up to Austin. (Obviously, no pictures) I got stopped by a policeman on the way up, and this time, I had set my cruise control for 65 so I wouldn't be speeding, but we must have gone thru a smaller town and the speed limit was 55. UUUUUUGGGGGHHHH! (I would have noticed this, but I was asleep at the wheel, I was so tired.) Of course, it could have been worse, I could have been arrested for evading arrest, b/c who knows how long he had been behind me. I get to Austin, and I JUST miss Mark going across the finish line. So for the first time, I didn't see Mark cross. (He was devastated! lol) I spent loads of money at the Co-op, which WAS the highlight. Took ONE picture of Kirsten and Joey, and got back in the car and turned around and went back home. On the way home, Mark took the LONG way home, went about 25 miles per hour and I slept in the front seat all the way home.

So, for a re-cap... no pictures, no finish line, got fined, slept on a bumpy seat and drove for 7 hours with two teenagers! lol

Mark had a blast though, and that's what this weekend was about! Way to go Mark! Next year I'll be there for sure!! (Cause I'm spending the night!!!)