Where does the time go?? :-)

It's hard to believe that it's already November! We have been in our new home already 6 months and it feels like its been years!  We are so happy here, I never would have imagined it but it was worth the change!

So much has been going on here I feel like I don't even know where to begin!  The kids are doing great in School.  Jackson turned 8 last Monday.  He has a wonderful "laid" back teacher this year and seems to really enjoy school!  Kudos to Mr. Brown for that! :-) Today he was on TV at his school and won a medal for his photography (takes after his mama ;-) in the Reflections Program at school.  He came in 3rd place for K-2nd Grade.  Very Exciting and Proud Mama for sure today! Max is learning how to write his name and learning all he needs to know before he starts Kindergarden next year!  Wow, I can hardly believe he just turned 5! And little miss Lola, well she just makes me smile from ear to ear!  She really is a gem and I am blessed to have this little girl.  She is the sweetest of sweet and strongest of strong and growing up way to fast for me!! :-)  These last couple of weeks have been crazy busy for me with Weddings, Halloween and the boys birthday parties!  I feel like I can't catch up, but I will in time.  I just have to remember to breath! :-)  I truly have been so blessed with 4 weddings the past month which the extra income has helped so much.  I am so lucky that people love my work and want to work with me! I'm finding it harder and harder to do on my own and as with any business you want it to grow and it is growing!  Now just to find the balance! :-) Pray for me!

The kids had a great Halloween this year.  The weather was great and we got to spend the night with my friend Sherri and her family!  The kids got spoiled and got to ride on a wagon going door to door trick or treating, lucky them! :-)  Then this past weekend we had a birthday party at Snowflex!  These kids had a ball and the weather was BEAUTIFUL!!!!! :-) It was a wonderful day filled with surprises for them and me for that matter! :-) Great day all around!

This next week the kids are spending the Holiday with their dad so I am heading home to MI solo.  I look forward to the 10 hour drive alone to see my family and friends!  It's much needed break this time of year! :-) Just hoping the weather cooperates for me! When I return, the kids will finally get to pick up their new kitten!  This has been a month long process.  We had adopted a beautiful kitten the kids named Blackberry in October and unfortunately the kitten and his litter didn't make it.  So we finally got to see a new litter this past week and we are adopting a sassy little kitten the named "Sugar Cookie".  She's beautiful tan and white and SUPER with the kids.  She just LOVED all the attention she was getting from them.  We are excited to make her part of the family!

All in all things are going pretty well for all of us and I'm still learning everyday how to be a good single parent.  It's the hardest job on earth and I'm thankful that Zach and I are working more and more together everyday to make this as easy as possible for these kids.  It's taken a long time to get to where we are as co-parents but like everything-I see the light at the end of the tunnel! :-) Please continue to pray for me and my journey in this life!  No one ever said it would be easy, but I know it will be worth it.  Words I try to remind myself of daily!

Happiest of Holidays to all of you!  Much Love Always,
Heather :-) xoxo

Life Happens :-)

Well here we are and it's mid July!  So much has been going on since the kids got out of school for the summer.  We have had some crazy weather, including Derecho an inland hurricane last week.  It took out so many trees and power for a week in most of our area.  I happened to have company that weekend from MI and what a weekend it was! Thank god for good friends and a generator I was able to run a fan since it was in the 100's and keep my food in the fridge cold.  The kids happened to be with their dad that weekend and came home to me saying lets go to the beach! Yep, this mama packed up and headed for VA Beach for the week since we had no power at home! Normally we would have been heading to MI for the 4th of July, but since we were just up in April to see my Grandma for the last time I decided to stay close to home.  And what a great time we had, staying at the Wyndham Resort right on the beach.  Our room overlooked the ocean and we spent most of our days playing in the sand and walking the pier at night.  I believe the kids are just like their mama and water calms them.  We had such a great time, but honestly after 3 days we were ready to come home.  This mama was in need of a vacation from her vacation! :-)

This week the kids start Vacation Bible School and we are all excited for this!  This is the first year they all can be there together :-) Jackson has attended in the past and just LOVED it so I'm excited to see how Max and Lola enjoy it!  They are all growing up so fast.  This Fall Jackson will be in 2nd grade, Max will be in a 5 day preschool program and Lola will go 3 days.  As for me. please keep me in your prayers.  I have enrolled in School Full time starting in August and I have also had an opportunity to apply for a position at a Local College to work as an Admin. assistant.  I'm struggling with whether I should just return to work Fulltime or School.  Lots to think about and I'm just praying I make the right decision for our family.  In other good news, my Wedding Photography has really picked up and I have scheduled 3 wedding just this week! WooHoo!!! :-) I love shooting weddings and I am blessed beyond belief to be able to do what I love as a side job!

In a few weeks the kids and I are heading back to the beach before school begins.  This time we are going to Myrtle Beach and Katie is coming with us!!  We are all so excited!  We are staying in a great Condo that has a waterpark on site for the kids and a short walk to the beach.  Pure Heaven for a week.....:-)

Please continue to pray for the kids and I.  Lots of changes are still ahead of us and I'm just hoping they are all good!!! :-)

Love to all of you :-)

Half way there :-)

Today is June 1st already!  Half way through the year already, where does the time go??  I feel I have so much to write about, it's hard to think of where to start!

April 29th, our Beloved Gee Gee went to heaven.  She went quietly and peacefully.  On May 4th her family and friends all gathered to say good-bye to this remarkable woman whom we all love and miss terribly.  Even though this was a sad time for all of us, I believe it was a beautiful tribute to her for all those who came and talked about the love they had for her.  I sure do miss talking with her every week like I use too.

When I returned home from MI, the kids and I moved into our new home.  It was a blessing to have to sell our house and move and we all couldn't be happier.  The house is great, the neighbors have been wonderful and the kids are all loving mommy's new home!  That makes it all worth it!  :-) It has been a busy month getting settled, Max and Lola finishing up Preschool and now Jackson with his last few days of 1st grade!  I can't believe my baby is going to be a 2nd grader!!! WOW!!! :-) He amazes me more and more everyday!

On May 26th, little miss Lola turned 3!  We had a great birthday party for her and her friends at Bounce About, and they had a ball!  Lots of fun for all who helped us celebrate!  That same weekend the kids and I had some family pictures taken by a very talented Photographer named Amanda Farrell.  Her style is alot like mine and I am so excited to see the final pic's!  Here's one for now along with pictures of the house, the kids and Lola's Birthday Party!

Happy Summer! :-)

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile!

It is with so many emotions I write this next blog.  So many wonderful things are happening in life right now, yet there are some terrible too.  I'll start by saying one thing: Love.  Love like there is no tomorrow because we are not promised another day on this earth.  Life is made up of so many wonderful things, if we just allow it to happen.  Life is meant to be enjoyed, don't let it pass you by.

For those who don't know, the kids and I traveled to MI over the Easter holiday.  This trip was planned merely because My Grandma (Aunt Jackie/ Gee Gee to some) and my mom have recently had some major health problems.  While my mom is doing 90 % better after her stroke, My grandma is not.  This week we called in Hospice for her.  She has had chronic conditions that have left her very weak along with signs of Alzheimers.  It is with a heavy heart I write that my last trip to MI, may have been my last with my beautiful Grandmother whom I love so dearly.  Our family has been truly blessed by having this woman in our lives and I ask that you pray for her and my my family at this time.

We Love you a Bushel and a Peck, and a hug around the neck Gee Gee! :-)

Lots of Love and Laughter!

Well what can I say, I am a very blessed Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter, Niece, Sister and Friend!  This past weekend was my Birthday (no longer counting the number!) and all I can say is WOW!  It started off with a ton of beautiful cards from my family and the kids, Girls night Friday, followed by a lazy Saturday then Sunday a great Morning at Church and an evening at Snowflex!  They kids all had a blast!  It was so much fun to watch them tube down the Mountain :-)  I am very lucky to have such wonderful people in my life to share lifes great moments with!

I also want to extend a big thank you to all of you who have been calling and asking about my mom! She is doing remarkable!  She's back to work part time and I think she really sees this as a new lease on life!  If there is one thing that I have been taught in my short time on this Earth is enjoy every moment as if it were your last.  Tell the people you Love, that you Love them, Forgive the ones who have hurt you and remember how precious life is.  :-)

Here are a few pictures from the weekend to Enjoy!  Love to you all! xoxo

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

So here we are and it's already Mid February, where does the time go?  Life seems to go by so fast at times I just want that pause button to relish this very moment in time.  Things have been so crazy these last few years that just when I think everything is getting back to "normal" life throws you a curve ball!  What's the saying, It is what it is! Yep, it sure is!

So this past week I was up visiting MI for my sister Sara's Baby Shower!  They are having a baby girl in April and this little girl is a blessing in itself since they had to do In Vitro to get her here!  She's quite small right now and they are keeping a very close eye on this little one so please keep them in your prayers for a healthy baby girl! The shower was beautiful and I had a wonderful time with my family and friends!  Saturday night was Girls Night Out and I was Celebrating my singlehood again...Divorce was Final this past week.  We had a great time!  Lots of Drinks, Laughs and of course Drama! :-) Never a dull moment with 15 girls :-) Then unfortunately I woke up to a call Sunday Morning from Wayne saying my Mom was having a stroke and he was taking her to ER.  This was not what I wanted to hear since I have to fly home later that day.  We rushed to the Hospital to be with her where we found her with loss of speech and mobility on her left side.  They did an MRI and tests to see if there was a blockage of some kind and sure enough there was, she had suffered a stroke.  She was in the Hospital til Wednesday and has been resting at home and has orders not to return to work for another week.  She is doing much better and her speech is coming back but she will need Speech Therapy.  Please keep her in your prayers as well.  February is always such a tough month for our family already!

So I returned home Sunday night and this past week has been filled with Jackson being star of the week and Valentine Party's!  The kids are growing up so fast, I just love each one of their ages right now!  Lola has been fulling potty trained since September and is such a little girl no longer my baby girl!  She loves to sing and dance and is very loving and affectionate.  Max and Jackson are both growing like weeds!  Both are going to be really tall boys.  They both love School and are doing really well.  Jackson seems to have an issue with talking allot (hmmmm, wonder where he gets that?) and keeping focus at times but all in all is a good student and good friend to others.  Max, well the teachers just LOVE him and how can you not!  He is my little lover, no doubt!  So sweet and always smiling that boy!

We are all returning to MI in April to hopefully see a new baby and visit over the Easter Break.  The kids are looking forward to seeing Grandma Billie , Gee Gee and of course their Aunts and cousins! :-) We will then return again in July to celebrate the 4th which is our new tradition :-) Lots of good stuff to look forward too!

Again, please keep my family in your prayers if you can! :-) Love Always, Heather