When mommy is out of town...

To Whom It May Concern

Hello Arizona Department of Tourism people-

I was in your lovely state in mid-January to run a half marathon and the weather was incredible.

76 degrees each day and slightly chilly but oh so perfect nights. Sadly during that time I had to run 13.1 miles and then recover.

Now, nice people, I am giving your state a second chance. I am here on vacation. No races, no schedules, NO WARMTH!

Is it too much to ask for a warmer day so I don't grow hair on my legs while sitting at the pool?

If tomorrow could please top out over 63, unlike today, I would greatly appreciate it.

Your razor burned guest-

Tucson, Here I Come!

Well, actually...Tucson Here I Am!

So......Hello from Tucson, Arizona!

I started this post before I left...but life got in the way.

So here I sit, in my hotel room in Tucson.

I am so lucky to have the chance to be here for my cousin Scott's wedding.

He is marrying a bee-u-tee-ful girl named Adrienne. They are an adorable couple and I'm so glad I get to be here for it!
So I'm warning you now...get ready for all things wedding for the next few days.

Oh, and flowers. Everything is blooming here!!

Zach and Ashley

Sometimes I wonder why God decides to bring people into my life. Some I don't feel I need and others I'm so blessed to have. He's funny that way.

While we were with the Funk's this summer we had the pleasure of meeting Zach and Ashley.

Zach was 18 and Ashley was 15 and they live across the street from my uncle and aunt. Zach and Tyler are good friends and Ashley fits into the Funk family like another daughter. To the complete happiness of Amelia. Over that trip I learned more and more about their family situation from my aunt Carrie.

Their mother had slipped one day while at work as a teacher. She hurt her knee badly enough that she required surgery. During the simple surgery she suffered a stroke and ended up partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound. Not being able to care for herself or her children she now lives in a nursing home where she can have constant care. Zach and Ashley's dad at some point during all of this took off. I don't really know how much contact they have with him now. Zach and Ashley ended up being given to their grandparents.

Last Mother's Day their grandmother died of liver complications leaving them with just their grandfather. There is more family close by but they are in the care of their grandfather.

Can you imagine...I had a pretty crappy upbringing with divorced parents and little money but nothing like this. They have had so much sadness and grief. And yet, they're both amazing kids.

Zach is your typical 18 year old boy...
well, what some people consider typical. Ready to graduate, girl crazy, outgoing, unsure of his future.

Ashley is a beautiful now 16 year old girl who has struggles but always has a smile on her face. Her smile makes you smile, too. My girls love to be around her just as much as everyone else does.I have grown pretty close to both of them through our frequent visits and the wonderful world of text messaging. They both tend to text when there's something wrong or they just want to talk. I so look forward to spending time with them when we visit. Ashley calls me her 'mom' and I just can't stop hugging her. Zach keeps me in stitches with his quick wit and funny outlook on life.

That is the reason we found ourselves headed to Lubbock Wednesday evening of Spring Break. Ashley wanted us at her party. To see the other two-thirds of the Funk's was just the icing on the cake!

Without a woman in the house to cook that chore usually falls to Ashley. When I headed over to see if Zach needed any help being the 'grill master' I found Ashley in the house prepping the rest of the food. I quickly told her to stop and took over. I know how much I hate to cook on my own birthday. I loved getting to spend time with her and see her with her best friend. I had tears rolling and it wasn't just from the onions!
Being a part of their family for the evening, meeting the boyfriend, and seeing their happiness was wonderful.

I feel God has blessed my life by bringing them into it.
I love you guys!

Spring Break Part 2

Our Spring Break plans were pretty up in the air. We had no idea how long Tyler and Amelia were going to stay. We would have loved all 8 days possible but Tyler had already made it pretty clear that he would be going home to spend some quality time vegging there. Funny thing was...the longer he was here, the longer he wanted to stay!

We have ourselves some fun around here when necessary.

But something happened on Wednesday.

I got a text from our friend Ashley who is the neighbor of the Funk's in Lubbock. We have become quite close to her with all of our trips down there since last summer. She was turning 16 on Friday and was bummed that we couldn't be there. The plan had always been that if Tyler couldn't get off work we'd head down there and have the best of both worlds. I started talking to Tyler about it and after a text to Shawn, a Facebook chat with Carrie, and about 5 minutes, we decided to pack up and head down there.

Don't you just love that most of the decision was made without actually 'in person' talking?!

What a world we live in!

A few hours later we were packed and on the road. Since we left at 6 this is what the back of my car looked like by 10:30.Not that I minded. I opened the sunroof, turned the music up loud, and got my groove on. It's much easier to sing loud and dance when no one is awake to mock you.

Since the weather was so beautiful we spent the first day letting the kids play off some of their energy at some local parks. I don't know where they get all that energy...could it be from their nap in the car when I was getting jiggy with it?

The rest of our time was spent playing games...and some good cousin bonding!And just to keep it real...
Look at that extension...that height...kind of reminds me of... No wonder I'm walking with a limp:c)