Little Boys Who Play With Fire...

Little boys who play with fire get their fingers burned.

Help me, Jesus, the cutest and sexiest 34 year old is wearing me down! He is relentless on hot pursuit, no holds barred charm and flirting wanting to get together tomorrow and Saturday. 

I turn 49 years old tomorrow. I haven't been with a man in over 2 years and because I have been notoriously generous with myself when it comes to my birthdays, I'm caught between I deserve this and my fingers making a cross, get behind me temptation!!

The thought of him makes me smile.

A Rough Week

A dear friend said to me, "Look at the bright side, bad things happen in 3's." 

1.  Someone tried to break in my apartment last week. After I left for work during the daytime, someone tried to pry my door open. Thankfully, for the dead bolt, access was denied. 

For days I was sensitive to loud noises jumping up wondering if someone was trying to break into the neighbors. My door reinforced, I'm not as paranoid anymore.

2.  In three days is my birthday and I close on my condo. I find out the HOA is in extreme deficit financially and not only are they increasing HOA fee's next month by $95, they are looking at an additional $700K of improvements for 22 condo's = $30K in addition each. The bank won't touch this and with movers lined up, a large deposit on new flooring going in, with renovations in place, I officially lost my condo today.

Logically, I was spared significant financial loss. Emotionally, I was beside myself disappointed. 

But wait! There's a 3rd ...

3.  I go down to the clubhouse in my apartment community to inform the property manager that my condo fell through and I will be staying and going month-to-month. Nope! They have a new tenant ready to move in August 17th.

Yes, there were tears of frustration. 

Find the positive. Instead of moving into my condo oasis, I will be putting my things in storage and moving into my parents home. 

This is definitely going to alter chapter #49 in my life. 

Moving back to the community that I love, still closer to my girls & grand babies, I will be able to stockpile $$$$$ and I know this will jolt me out of my lifestyle of solitude being on the constant run not used to sharing space. It's been a good place to refresh after a decade of being a single momma turned empty nester, I've sat still too long.

While this last week as super sucked, I am resilient. Like a favorite Netflix series, life provides unexpected twists and curve balls. This last year has been a wonderful season of rest, quiet and solitude, but it's time to put on my big girl panties (not to be confused with granny panties! ha ha) and make the most of chapter #49. 

I have a few plans to make things as enjoyable as possible. 

Plus, I now have a cook, a housekeeper, a butler, let's hope they do laundry too! ha ha

That Desperate Run

They were at the ball field for the championship games when the call came, Mariah saying they were down players and they needed for her to sub, can I come watch the babies? 

"Sure, what time do you need me there? I asked. "Right now," she laughed.

I parked at the ball field and as I was walking up to find their team, I heard Mariah say, "Sofia, look there's Grammy!" I see my sweet baby see the direction I was coming in and she broke into a run, running so fast and desperate, I always say a quick prayer she doesn't fall down. 

I am a sucker for Military Homecomings. There is something so powerful in the emotions of love, missing and surprise that create a crescendo where people rejoice in laughter and tears. Me, too, I am a wreck!

That's the way my beautiful and perfect granddaughter responds when she sees me and my heart falls in love over and over and over. That desperate run is the best!

I love these years that I can pick her squishy, chubby body up and she snuggles in to be close. There simply are not enough hugs and kisses that will ever make me feel like there, that is enough. 

This happy little photo is when I stopped by and brought her mint chocolate chip ice cream. Nothing says happiness like climbing on the table and being allowed to just dig in and enjoy!

My handsome little Rowan, I love my snuggle time with him and he is happy as long as he is being snuggled. He doesn't mind in a bit that I kiss his little face constantly, as long as he is being held.

Mariah & Jeremy ended up playing a double-header and won the championship the 2nd year in a row.

I'm excited for Fall Ball, when Sunday afternoons will be at the ball field loving on my babies.

A Kiss

 

A kiss means nothing, until you kiss who deeply love. Then, it means I love you. I really, really, deeply love you in a way that words are not enough.

I kiss them because I love them and I kiss them because they are mine. 

My beautiful and perfect little descendants.  

Rowan is 1 month old already. His eyes icy blue, he looks like his daddy and Sofia. He's such a handsome little boy and it's still surreal I have two grand babies and a grandson with such blue, blue eyes.

Less than a month now, I will be moved into my new condo after a couple of weeks of home renovations before I love in. What a year of transition this has been. Many major life changes: selling our family home, Brooke graduating from high school, a new job, becoming an empty nester, planning Brooke's upcoming wedding, a new grandson, buying a new home and establishing roots again in a community I love. 

My job is thriving and in all things in my wheelhouse with event planning, I just hosted our 1st Annual 5K which was far better than I ever hoped. New and different kinds of events can feel very uncertain and I reflect back decades of being in positions of throwing my hand in the air taking on every opportunity with grand confidence (inside I am like, why on earth do I keep doing this?!), thinking through unknown details, working my butt off and amazed time and time again what I've accomplished. I still do this and I still think "what the heck?!" 

Weddings are my biggest work responsibility. This is a significant day in the lives of those I work with. Yes, I get nice tips, but today's fresh flowers and a handwritten card from Saturday's wedding means so much. 

I have fun conversations with handfuls of brides all the time. Details, details, details. I make it fun, I make it easy and take the stress out of what can be a stressful planning process. 

Life has been so incredibly busy and it's also been showered in blessings. God sprinkles it with the ones the love the most. 

I can say I love you to many people that I genuinely care about, but there is something about a kiss that says, "I love you and you are mine."