Mind. BLOWN!

Sorry for those loyal readers... I've been trying to decide on a day of the week that I could devote to blogging regularly, but haven't had the time yet.  Today's post isn't really going to be about me though... it's going to be about a man.  A TRUE MAN!

See, my whole life has been littered with "men" who come and go and leave pieces of my life scattered among the debris.  There are a few exceptions... my brother, granpa, and my brother-in-law.   I know many people don't know the story of my life... but there has been a spattering of my own dad, step-dad's and my own husbands (yes plural) that have just left my life in shambles.  I have clung to that father figure... craving something, some sort of approval from a man I looked up to - for my whole life.  My granpa has been a father to me my whole life... he was always there, but there's something about having a dad... a real dad or a husband/boyfriend who I can be my best for... show all the things my mom taught me.

My mom is an amazing lady... growing up she worked for her parents and herself to make the kind of income she needed to support a family of 4 with no support coming from any of the dads that helped to make those children.   She worked hard.  Harder than I ever knew humans had the capacity for.  She was up every morning helping us kids get ready for school and dropped each one of us off at our day care or school.  My sister is 6 years older than me and my brother is 4.5 years younger than me... so yeah, we all had different places to go while my mom worked.  But she was always home at 530 to make a good dinner for us (and when I say good dinner, I mean, GOOD dinner... nothing ever touched a microwave in my house... everything was homemade and from scratch.), take us to our sports or whatever activity we needed to go to that evening, or just relax for a few minutes after dinner and before putting us to bed.  She would spend her hard earned money on clothes for us instead of getting anything new for herself.  She was a selfless wonder to be in awe of.  I'd never seen anyone quite like her... I thought my mom was an anomaly amongst the masses... a unicorn of sorts.

Until I met Boedy.  Single dad extraordinaire!

Boedy continually blows me away.  He's the man version of my mom.  He is a full time father of two... he has full custody of his two beautiful children and he works so hard to provide for them and be at their beck and call.  He reminds me of my mom.  Last night, I watched him get off of work, pick up his kids before they went to go to their mom's for the night, mow - not only my yard, but my neighbors yard, go drop the kids off at their mom's, go and help his brother coach little girls softball, come back to my house, finish mowing, iron clothes for his business trip to Tulsa, shower, and go to bed (not before he told me he was going to bed and gave me a kiss!  I gladly followed him so I could cuddle!).   He's a machine.  But he doesn't see how amazing all of that is to me.  It makes me appreciate my mom even more than I did before.  I knew she sacrificed, but she never let us kids know the depths of it.  Watching Boedy and spending time with him, I know what she went through.  And it takes a person with GOD given strength to keep going like they do.

Boedy is honest, trustworthy, selfless, caring, generous, and loving... all things I see in my mom.  You know they say girls always marry someone like their dad... well I made that mistake - TWICE.  So now, I've decided to be with someone like my mom... (that's not supposed to sound awkward) but it's true.  Boedy has the same qualities I've always admired about my mom.  Every time I look at him, I'm in complete awe of how he keeps going and doesn't ever complain.  He even conquers those daily things of his own life and then puts up with me and my bad days or moods.  I feel selfish after I realize that this man has already given his 300% but I'm whining about my 110%.  He's a lot like my granpa too... the unconditional love he shows me day in and day out... the countless hours he devotes to everything... the effort he puts into getting things done around my house without hesitation.  and I never ask for it.  He just jumps right in.

This post is for you babe!  The MAN, the father, the best friend, the loving boyfriend, the coach, the date to his daughter at the dance... the one who melts my heart!  I love you honey!!

{lou}

March already? Where has the time gone? And can I have it back?

Wow.. March.  March 7th to be exact.  Seems like a few days ago it was the beginning of February.  WHAT HAPPENED?  Well, a lot in my world... Keeping up with Boedy, the kids, Mandi, my brother, the soon to be birth of my pseudo nephew Kellen, and my family has kept me busy in ways I hadn't expected.

Boedy, Bronx, and Brooke - Good morning Message!

Brooke and I! (disregard how terrible I look)

 My Brother... We have matching tattoos.... yeah, we are close!

 Me, my brother and my momma... when Jeremiah graduated basic training for the Air Force!

 Jeremiah when we came home for Christmas to surprise the family!

But the busyness has also kept me from blogging, working out (like I want to), and church... I know a lot of people aren't big into Church because at some point, they've been burnt.  Makes sense.  But my question is, so if one church burnt you, there's only a BJILLION more in our area to try.  I promise they aren't all the same.  I had been to at least one church of every denomination known to our area... burnt by all.  Until one day, about 5 years ago, I found CLC (Christian Life Cathedral)  now known as Catalyst.  WOW.  What an amazing church.  I feel so at home there.  No judgment for where my life has taken me... (2 marriages, 2 divorces of my own... amongst other things in my life.)  I walked in the door my first time ever there and the door greeter gave me a hug and said, we are glad you are here.  REALLY?  ME!  Are you sure?  I had never been to a place where strangers were glad I was there... It just has a feeling of Jesus all over it.  I love going there.  The people are sincere... they don't care what has happened in your life... they care that you are there and if you want the help, they want to be there to lift you up so you can get back on your feet and start heading in a direction you probably didn't know existed.  WOW.  What an incredible feeling!


So, another thing that has been going on keeping me from blogging... well, life.  Life in general.  I love playing with Boedy's kids... date nights... hanging with the peeps... and just relaxing away from a computer screen from time to time, since my job has me at one all day!  But most recently, I've been pretty consumed with those things, plus my 89 year old granpa.  I love my granpa... He's the only "dad" I've ever had.  He held my hand when I had to get stitches two of the three times... he would hold me and let me cry when I needed to... he taught me how to use a hammer and nails... he showed me how love should be by loving my gramma unconditionally... but now he's got dementia... it's the early steps of Alzheimer's... such a horrible disease.  I think that honestly, anything else would be better to lose him to.  Because, sometimes, I forget that it's our memories of him at this point instead of his of us.   My poor gramma is losing her mind trying to help him find his again.   This is the man that could do anything.  My own version of "superman".  He could do no wrong... I mean, I love the man so much that I got his handwriting tattooed on my wrist.

(It's my nickname from him)

 I mean, he's a hero to our whole family...  My brother Jeremiah has granpa's army unit patch tattooed on his arm.  WE LOVE THIS MAN, is putting it mildly.  He is why my momma is so amazing... well, him and my gramma.  I have an amazing family.  Our love is outrageous.  Most people dream of the family I have.  And let me tell you, I'd share with anyone who wanted it.  So, anyway, Granpa, he fell... his dementia meds really do a number on him.  He fell on the coffee table, broke several ribs, punctured his lung, and got pneumonia.... so, I've been up late praying for his recovery and worrying about him.  They live about an hour and a half away from me... so getting there sometimes, can be a challenge.

So there's just a few things that have made February fly by and those are definitely more important than blogging or working out.

Well, I'm signing off for now... but remember, cherish every moment you have with people you love... and always make room for new things... and come see us at Catalyst Church.  Boedy, Mandi, and I will save you a seat!

{lou}