School's Out ~ School's Out

Today is the last day of school!   Brooks will end his junior year and head into his senior year!  Happy? Sad? ~ Unsure
 
I think I am ready for this high school stuff to be over with but then again, am I really?  What will a total empty nest be like?

Live in the present and enjoy each chapter!!  ~ maybe if I keep saying this I will begin to live it!

Balcony/Basement People

I was talking to a friend today about a hard situation she is going through right now.  She said that she thought she would like to "edit" the people in her life.  That got me to thinking about a book I read years ago called Balcony People.

The basic theme of the book is that there are different people in your life.  Some that pull you down to the basement and those that help pull you up to the balcony. 

This book had always resonated with me.

Take the time to identify the Balcony people and Basement people in your life. Spend most of your time with the Balcony people and try to limit the time with Basement people; if possible. Balcony people pull you up, cheer you on, encourage you and take care of you when you most need it. Basement people pull you down, criticize and find fault in what you do. Balcony people and Basement people; we all have them in our lives. It is our choice of who we allow to be part of  our lives. I choose my Balcony people. I also hope to be more of a Balcony person to those around me.



My Girl

I said NO cliff jumping!

Brady was in town this week.  For the first time in a while it was a week of pure enjoyment.  No arguing and lots of laughs.  Maybe we are growing up!  It was such a joy to come home from work and find that she had cleaned the kitchen and straightened up the house.  She enjoyed a couple of nights out with us and even cook for us and her Grammy and Papa one night.  The girl can make a mean baked ziti!  She even spent one day helping Grammy clean her house.  (Loved her comment: Grammy's a slave driver!) She headed back to Lubbock today and I will miss her, but in only one month we will be together again at our favorite place in the whole, wide world ~ the BEACH!

Eenie ~ Meenie ~ Minie ~ Moe

       Why do I sometimes have a hard time saying no to my children?  Have I spent my time giving them too much?  Bob and I are in a much better financial position than our parents were in when we were growing up.   Because of that, we are able to provide them more.   Now sometimes "more" is good.  For instance, I was able to spend "more" time with them while they were growing up because I got to be a stay home mom.  I got to be their  room mom, team mom, PTA mom .......  Bob and I have always been there for our children!
    "More" also means a car, trips, gas money, spending money and on and on!  How much is too much?  When do I say no?  I seem to want them to have more than I had, to have more experiences.   I look back on my childhood fondly even though we didn't have "more". Is having"more" better?   I am beginning to feel that maybe "More is Less".  I need to do some soul searching on this one!!

Dirty Dishes ~ Grateful Attitude

I saw this sign on Pinterest last night and

  it really got me thinking about being grateful in different situations.  We all need to take a moment to look at mundane, boring, unwanted chores and see the blessings in them.  Here's an example:  When Brady was a freshman in high school she got moved up to the JV Volleyball team.  This was great but what it meant was all the girls we car-pooled with were now practicing at different times and we no longer had a car pool to "Pool" with.  I complained to my mom about my seemingly endless trip to the high school to pick her up or drop her off.  Mom, in all her wisdom, told me,

 "Kim, try looking at this as a gift.  You will get uninterrupted time with your daughter, time you will never get back.  She will be driving in a few years and you will wish for this time back!" 

I immediately changed my attitude and looked differently at our car time together.  Now everyday was not pleasant.  There were days when we would talk, days when she was too tired to talk, and days when I was the last person she wanted to talk to.(LOL)   Looking back though, this car time was a "gift" I will forever be grateful for! 

Brady is now having college roommates trouble.  This trouble usually revolves around dirty dishes and who's turn it is to clean up.  I think I will purchase this sign and have her hang it up. 

Maybe some attitudes will change!

Two Wheeling!!

I rode in my first, and I hope not last, bike rally this weekend.  I biked in the 20 mile rally.  It turned out to be 22 miles + the unexpected 5 additional miles because of a routing error.  I rode for 1 hour and 49 minutes without stopping.  I must say I am proud of myself.  I hit the finish line right before a major down-pour which was an added victory.  Pushing 50, I'm sure I looked kinda out of place, but who cares, I had a blast!!!!  On to the 40 mile rally next time!!

Mother's Day 2012

Today is Mother's Day!  What an honor and privilege it is to be called MOM!  (or as my kids say ~ "Momma")  It can be tough and even though I sometimes  question (kiddingly of course)  why I had kids, I wouldn't change it for the world!  I thank God for this privilege and I melt every time I hear the word ~ Momma!

My Two precious Gifts

PROM ~ 2012

Two very proud parents!

Brooks & Stephanie

Just part of the group

Our baby boy went to prom this weekend.  He is a junior but was asked by a senior girl.  He was soooo handsome.  The evening started at 4:00 with pictures at the Matula's house.  Their home was a great setting for some awesome pictures. There were over 60 kids plus their parents at the pre- prom party.  Bob was the official photographer.  Three buses full of kids departed for the prom at 6:00.  Our biggest dilemma was whether he could stay out all night or not.  After a long talk we agreed.  The only problem was that he had a basketball game the next morning at 11:30.  He made it home and didn't play to badly on only 2 hours sleep.  He went to sleep at 2:00  Sunday afternoon and slept until his alarm went off at 6:30 Monday morning.  He was one tired boy!  So I guess this was his "practice prom" with his real one next year when he is a senior!

The "Hunter Cove" boys ~ Friends and
 Neighbors for over 15 Years!
Brooks, Parker Bowlin & Eric Traylor

Rowdy Mitchell, Cole McNeil
& Brooks

Pinterest DIY ~ Recipes

Recipes from the Past

I had two incredible grandmas ~ Lula Pearl King Stolley and Verna Eleanor Brady Powers. Because of them and my mom, Sandra Lee Powers Stolley, I have a large library of family recipes.  Food can bring back so many memories.  My birthday is in the hot month of August, so every year for my birthday I would request a refrigerated jello cake. I can still picture the family birthday dinner topped off by this cake!  On the recipe card you can see she has written in pencil -"Kim's birthday cake."  We would visit my Grandma Powers usually once a week.  Nine times out of ten, she would have her Lemon cake ready and waiting.  (It's my daughter Brady's favorite!)  The smell of lemon always makes me think of her.  Another one of her famous treats was her Pineapple cookies.  Grandma Stolley had a tiny, tiny kitchen and ten kids.  This did not stop her from churning out some good grub.   She was famous for her baking powder biscuits and her "City Chicken Legs".  I have taken three of their recipes and framed them for my kitchen.  Looking at them daily helps me to remember the three great ladies that helped shape my life.