Time Has Passed & It's Almost Time Again.. (Picture-filled post!)

Now you are probably sitting here, reading that title and wondering, "what in the world is this chick talking about with this wacky riddle?!".

On November 18th, my oldest of the three kids had turned twelve years old. Yes, she is one more year closer to the dreaded tag known as "teenager". All in all though, with her maturity level (both mentally, as well as physically) she is more like a fourteen year old.

I'm thirty-five. She is twelve. I am 100 pounds on the nose. She last weighed in at 98. I am five feet tall. She is too. I don't have a set of "boobage". She does.

Basically, if you were to ask her thoughts about all this "you're as tall as your Mama" talk, that may just be what she would do to me after snickering. Like she did in the doctor's office when he asked how old I was, when discussing reading glasses.

As for the second part of the answer to my awesome riddle-title...

The youngest of the three "angels" of mine will be turning seven years old on Monday. Hard to believe. Already, seven years have just up and flown past like a speeding NASCAR racer doing 250 on the inside stretch.

In many ways she is taking after her big sister. She looks up to her (especially being that Big Sissy is about a foot and a half or so taller than her lol) and severely misses her when my oldest has to go on bi-weekly visits with her biological father.

Both of my girls have shown me (albeit the hard way) just what all it had taken my parents to raise me. Raging hormones, attitudes, "Princess-tude".

And thank God, the oldest (who now wears makeup), puts it on and still looks natural, but accentuates her features. Especially those beautiful blue eyes of her's.

At the end of the day, no matter how old they get, and no matter how tall they grow, they will ALWAYS be the apple of their Daddy's eye. My husband may not be my oldest's biological father with not a shred of DNA shared between them, but she is HIS, and he will tell you that to your face.

The little one is so wrapped around her Dad's finger, it's not funny. Okay. It is. But geez! And I thought that I got away with "murder" as a kid. Wrong. I kind of wish I could do that "Freaky Friday" thing and trade places with her for about 24 hours and enjoy some of the (tons of) freedom that she gets.

This past Summer's trip to Richmond has been one of the best I think that we have enjoyed as a family. And now, with all three of my kids growing up, and inching ever so much closer to being teens and "big kids", I find myself reflecting more on the Summers past, when the kids were so innocent, that it never seemed like we as parents would have to deal with more than scraped knees and the occasional "she/he took my toy".

To those of you with "young" (as in under the age of eight years old), take my advice and heed it well. Cherish EVERY single moment with your child(ren). Relish in each hug and kiss (yes, even the open-mouthed baby ones!). Enjoy the fanciness of every tea party and doll playtime.

The young years fly by faster than a Santa Ana wind.

300th Post Celebration..Though I Know No One Really Cares. (Link-Up Provided!)

Seeing as of late, my posts are a bit of a dud. Even ones that I let people USE me to link up and hope to gain more readers themselves. I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess.

It's been a ride thus far, to say the least. And with the 300th post I think I am going to post some links to my personal all-time favorite posts, maybe add a couple of videos, and place up a few pictures.

Thanks to all of you that have been loyal readers during all 300 pieces, that date back to November of 2009 here on Blogger. And welcome to all my new friends/readers.

And just because I am feeling ultra-generous, I think I'll let you all LINK UP with this post (below) as a way to show my appreciation.

Let's see, I think I will list a few of my all-time fave posts first. Sound like a plan? And feel free (especially my new friends) to click on them and read them. Don't be shy!

The One That Started It All

A Poem To A Baby Never Held

For Me, April Is More That Just About Easter

Followers, Carnivals And My Being Myself

100 Posts Ago

A Big Loss

Did you have fun reading all these? I hope so.

Now, on to the Video portion of the party. Here's a few songs that I just LOVE and love to sing or dance to. In no particular "love it!" order..













Now that you are all pumped up and raring to go, feel like seeing a few pictures? Yeah, I'm gonna be random. And the first three should tell you the kind of guys I like to see on the boob-tube. (=

Well, that's it (for now). Thanks for coming on over and celebrating with me. I hope you had fun reading, watching, looking and listening. Come on by my pace anytime. I love having friends over.

Now, just scroll a bit further down here and ADD YOUR BLOG link to my post here and let's see if I can get ya hooked up. Consider it my "Thank You!" present from me to you, for your generosity and support. Have a great day!

My favorite tunes from 2010...And the 1st decade of the new century in review.

The following has happened in and around my home, within my life in the last decade (2000 to 2010)....

1) I'd had two more children (2001 & 2004) since having my first in 1999.
2) In 2009 I required an emergency Corneal transplant.
3) Found out that my son indeed has ADHD (along with a host of other mental problems).
4) Sent my youngest off for her very first day of school in 2009.
5) Got married a second time to my soul-mate in 2002 after he proposed to me in a WalMart parking lot in early 2001.
6) Had my divorce papers come in the mail, finalizing my divorce from my first husband (and father of my oldest) on my birthday in December of 2000.
7) Had lost my grandmother that helped raise me after the loss of my mom. She passed in August of 2002.
8) Have now taken three separate trips back home to Nevada. One as a family while Nana was still alive. Another alone when she was passing away. The last for an extended, three-week visit in 2007 (also on my own).

There's much more that has happened. Including the loss of a baby in 2003 and another loss within my husband's family. And of course many good and happy things as well. But these all stand out above the rest.

As you can see, the first decade of this (still) new century has been both good and bad to me and my family. But I'm looking ahead and hoping for the best where the next decade is concerned. I try hard to keep looking forward, instead of where I have been.

Now, here's a few (but not nearly all) of my favorite songs from the 2000 to 2010 years.

**DISCLAIMER!...There is no copyright infringement intended with the following videos. Nor does this blog's author endorse any singer/band in this post, nor is getting monetary gain for doing so.**

200 Posts!?.. And A "We Need To Talk" Moment.

Now that the blog series is over, I can move on to other topics. Aren't you just ecstatic?

One thing that has happened since starting the "25 Days Of Christmas" posts is that I have reached (and gone beyond at this point) writing 200 posts!!





Exciting, isn't it? I've so far posted about all kinds of things from my son who has many mental disorders, to my life as a Stay-At-Home Mom and Wife, and all kinds of other things in between.

Today though, I am once again going to touch upon a very sensitive topic. One that never takes a break and is a battle for millions around the world, not just in the United States every single day. It doesn't care if it's Christmas time or Summer time.

Abuse.

Not just one kind, but all forms of abuse. Child abuse. Domestic Violence. Sexual abuse. Verbal, emotional and mental abuse.

If you wish to read about my personal, first hand experience with being in an abusive relationship, then I urge you to READ HERE.

As of today, over on FaceBook, I have "re-started" a page that I had running under a different name. Seeing as the site's new format no longer allows for name changes, I had to start fresh and delete the old page.

It is called Bring REAL Awareness To Abuse.

You can either click on the page's title above, or click on the page's "Like" box above at the top of this blog's page.

There, you will find tips, facts, statistics and information for how to get help. It's still just starting out. And I am also relying on the page's members to be active and participate as well.

Abuse in any form is not a laughing matter. It never rests. So, bringing forth awareness and information in how to watch for signs of abuse and how to find help shouldn't take a back seat, either.

But also please note (within the page)..

*Some pictures that might be posted could very well be GRAPHIC in nature as to "drive home" the realities of what REALLY happens when a child is abused.

*These pictures could either be posted by the page owner or via the page's members.

*VIEWER DISCRETION OF PHOTOS IS ADVISED! And admittance of MINORS below a certain age (13 years) will NOT be allowed.


Dedicated to all of those that "died young" at the hands of an abuser...