Life in the Middle Age Lane

Happy Anniversary to me!  Today marks my two years as a blogger.  I started this journey trying to find the answer to many questions.  However, I think now after two years of blogging I may have been asking the wrong questions. Writing feels good to me and I enjoy getting my thoughts out there. But also with that comes the awareness that I actually have someone knowing my thoughts and feelings, most relate but there is always that fear of rejection.  At times, I share probably way too much and many times I don't share enough thus making me feel like a fake. I have always had a hard time of going full throttle on anything, the minute I start getting good at something I stop.  I'm scared of failure so it's easier to sometimes just not try.  The fact that my blog has not attracted hundreds of readers is a comfort to me.  But I know that for the few readers I do have, I owe them honesty, frailty, humility and most of all sincerity. I promise that I...

While I was looking through our albums I came across my first wedding album.  Looking at the picture I hardly recognized myself.  And I certainly forgot who my bridesmaid were.  It has been over 28 years! All such beautiful ladies.  Rachel my maid of honor and I have unfortunately grown apart. She will always have a special part in my heart. A year older than me, I always wished I could have her life.  Top of her class, the love and closeness of her siblings, and amazing parents.  I spent a lot of time at her home during her senior year.  She went of to college and became an attorney and I became a wife. “Though the road's been rocky it sure feels good to me.”  ―  Bob Marley

1987 It is said that cats have nine lives.  I think we may have just as many.  I married a year after graduating high school at the tender age of 19.  During this time my younger brother who is  three years younger than me was dating Tabitha.  She spent a lot of time at our home during this time as I was planning my wedding and getting ready to move out.  It really does feel like another lifetime ago. Tabitha and Raul ended up having two beautiful children together.  My very first niece and nephew, Andrea and Raul, Jr. I write this because sweet young Tabitha passed away last Sunday, January 12th. 1989 I have a few regrets in my life as I imagine many people do. One of them was that I did not continue my friendship with Tabby.  That I could not be there for her on her hour of need when it came to my niece and nephew, as babies.  Our children are 1 year apart, starting with Andrea, Junior, and then Emilio.  I always thought o...

Mother and Daughter Luncheon Annalise, Wendy, Molly, and Kailey My children had the privilege of attending a small christian school for many many years.  We met some very amazing families and enjoyed time with them. This school really felt like family. One of our favorite families were the Masseys. The Massey's had two girls who were in the same grades as my children. On top of that,  Wendy was Shelby's 2nd grade teacher and such a wonderful role model for our daughter.  Shelby just loved her teacher.  Our girls did soccer together, field trips, girl scouts, mother and daughter lunches, etc. Our husbands would make up cheers at the soccer games where they would both kick their shoes off at the end of the cheer.  It really did distract the players but both John and Terry were having a great time. How we first met Molly and Terry (Wendy's husband) was through an apology.  At the time of this apology we didn't ever think that it would become one of t...

Senior Presentation Class of 2014 Photo by Cecilia Sheeren This fairy tale started six years ago......back when Shelby had braces, was finishing up the 6th grade and lived a life full of sleep overs, girl scout camp outs and the love and security of a two parent home. A pretty good and "normal" life by any standards.  A real suburban dream, however, there is not much growth in a bubble and as we all know our circumstances are not shared by all. This is were  National Charity League, Inc.  comes into play.  I wanted to make sure that my children knew how fortunate they were and to appreciate what they have.  I always think of the Spiderman movie where the uncle tells Peter Parker, "With great power, comes great responsibility".  Our power is to be able to love without worry, to be compassionate to others. 7th grade, the start of NCL Shelby and I have ... babysat special needs children at Keep Pace delivered meals on wheels collected scho...