Oh, What a Summer!

This Summer has been one for the books! It's one that I want to remember forever. Although we did A LOT of fun stuff, it was the first Summer since the boys were little that they got along more like friends than brothers. Did they have their moments? Of course. But, 95% of the time they got along and it was absolutely GLORIOUS! 

The icing on the cake was all of the things we did. We started the Summer by fishing the MS River and taking my brother in law's new-to-him boat out to go tubing. The week that followed was busy because we cheered on our school's baseball team when they made school history by advancing to the state championship series. P and I left the game to drive to Alabama to meet up with one of my closest college friends and her sweet parents for dinner. Then Rob and I escaped for a few days to the beach, just the two of us, before the boys joined us. The following weekend was bittersweet because it was Keigan's funeral and then a fishing tournament that we put together to help Keigan's and Lou's families with medical expenses incurred from their ATV accident. Father's Day weekend was the only weekend we really laid low and that's because it stormed all weekend. Rob worked crazy long hours, but we did get to celebrate him on Father's Day. One of my favorite things of the Summer was the following weekend when we went to Uncle Fred's farm. I have grown to enjoy fishing, but it's not my most favorite thing in the world to do. However, that weekend was, hands down, the most fun I've ever had fishing. E, Rob and I got up early to go out on the lake. And, boy, was it worth it! Every time E or I casted our lines we were catching bass. We were laughing so hard because I refuse to touch the fish, but he was struggling to deal with all the fish he and I were bringing in. Within a couple hours, we had caught about 40 bass! Needless to say, we had a fish fry while we were at the farm. A few days after getting back from the farm, the boys and I made a day trip to Denham. We spent time with friends that we hadn't seen in almost a year and P got to go to Youth Group, which he loved. The last weekend of the month was spent celebrating P's bday with a "surprise" trip to watch the Atlanta Braves play. I had tried so hard to keep it a secret but the boys looked through my phone the day before the game and saw the tickets. Despite it not being much of a surprise, we still had a lot of fun watching Warren Zeiders before the game and then watching the Braves dominate the game with several home runs. 

July was pretty much spent in Cali, visiting family and friends. We did spend the first Saturday of the month tubing, grilling on the boat and watching fireworks. We also celebrated P's birthday by fishing and going to his favorite restaurant for dinner. After that we flew to Cali, where we fished some more (Are you seeing a theme for this Summer?). We also got to spend time with my brother and his family at Great Wolf Lodge. And I LOVED spending a day at my favorite place....the mountains! But, hands down, my favorite part of our time there was surprising my parents with a belated 50th anniversary dinner with family and a few close friends. Last Fall I had planned on surprising my parents by flying to SD to help them celebrate their special anniversary. But, due to unforeseen circumstance, they had to cancel their trip as did we. So, my brother, SIL and I planned an intimate dinner at my parents' favorite restaurant. It was so much fun to, not only see them surprised, but see people lovingly celebrate them.

We got back home a few days ago and now reality is setting in. I am fast and furiously trying to finish up some big house projects that have taken longer than anticipated. Have you ever peeled wallpaper? Oh the joys! (It makes me rethink the newest fad of adding wallpaper to rooms to add flair.) I have also been working in my classroom, getting ready for the new school year, while trying to catch up on things at the house and squeeze in a last few fun times with the boys. I can't remember the last time a Summer flew by as fast as this one did! I am looking forward to the slower pace that Fall can bring, but I'm not quite ready to end this awesome Summer. Like I said, it was one of the best!

Almost 14!

 To Our Oldest Son,

Tomorrow you will turn 14. Next year's birthday will bring your driving permit and the following year your driver's license. 4 birthdays from now you'll be off to school to become a game warden OR to fish the Elite Series, on your way to becoming a professional angler. But, it seems like just yesterday that I was holding you in the hospital, in awe of your little newborn fingers and toes.

They say you don't truly know what love is until you have kids and I believe that to be true. We've had an undeniable bond ever since you were born and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. Your birth was so easy, but when you got so sick as a newborn, I quickly learned how strong and resilient you were.

I see that same strength and resilience today. Sometimes I feel that you take backseat to your brother's athletic talent and quick wit. You get the brunt of things sometimes. Yet you grin and bear it and move on, while I overcompensate. I do that because I don't want you to ever see yourself as less than anybody else. You have SO much going for you!

You absolutely amaze me with your wealth of information. Whether it be sports stats, fishing lure action or historical war facts, you have a memory that I am incredibly envious of! I tell you all the time that you could be a sports commentator and I mean it. You know more than most adults do about almost every sport.

God blessed you with a beautiful singing voice and musical ability (and ability to remember the correct lyrics...unlike your mom and little brother). I love sitting next to you in church and listening to you sing the worship songs/hymns. But when you pull out your guitar to play and sing...be still my heart! You could easily make it in the music industry (although I pray that that isn't something you do because it can be an ugly world).

Your ability to fish the way you do has me in awe. From what I've heard, it's hard to go to new fishing spots and catch fish, yet you make it look easy. You spend all your extra money on lures and rods/reels. But the way you research them and then use them to catch fish is so cool to me. Yes, I do get tired of hearing about them or watching lure "action" but it's because that's not my thing. It'd be like me talking to you about the romance novels I read. You would be bored. But that doesn't mean I don't find the way you use all this information to follow your passion extremely interesting because I do.

You're at a quirky age. I get it. At times I see the little boy in you come out in your silly ways. At other times I see you working toward adulthood when you'd rather surround yourself with older people instead of people your own age. You're starting to find your way in this big world. You're talking more about your future goals and adulthood. You're starting to mature in the way you handle difficult situations. While all of this makes me incredibly happy, a part of me is sad because it means you're growing up.

I have loved all stages on your life, watching you grow and learn. But I really like this current stage. I love watching you become a gentleman (Buying me flowers with your own money the other day at Kroger is something I hope I remember forever because it meant the world to me!), learning to put others first. I love your sarcastic sense of humor that I so easily relate to because I have the same off-kilter humor. I love how passionate you are about so many things. I love how protective you are of your dogs, checking on them every night before you go to bed to make sure they're both ok. I love that you are such an awesome big brother, teaching E things and watching out for him. I love that you still enjoy cuddling with me and that you talk to me more than the average teenage boy talks to his mom about so many different things. I don't take for granted how open you are with me.

Kid, you're going to make it in this world! You'll have bumps and bruises along the way, but you have everything it takes to make it. I pray daily that you'll live a life that is pleasing to God and that you will grow closer to Him even when the circumstances aren't ideal for growth. You do that and you'll go far in life!

I am so very proud of you, the kid that you were and the man you are becoming. I love you with every ounce of my being and hope I show that to you every day (even though you're the one who is so quick with "I love you Mama".) You are so, so incredibly special and one of a kind. God hit it out of the park when He created you and please know that you have blessed so many people with your 14 years here on Earth. You are loved beyond measure! Thank you for giving me my most important job title in life...Mom. I love you more than you'll ever know.

Love,

Mom (aka Mama, Bruh)