Rambling Thoughts on Life...

So this past weekend I was coming home from the store when I passed my school districts High School Graduation. Everyone was just arriving. Outside the place where it was being held there were mother's, father's, brother and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends....and the "almost" graduates, donning their caps and gowns. I thought about this the whole ride home and then countless hours afterwards. There those parents were, taking their now grown children to their graduation. And there were the 18 years old students...most oblivious to the fact that their parents were probably pondering how their child could grow up so quickly and how they were now entering the world of adulthood...their entire futures laid out in front of them...a clean slate. And then I thought of myself, how on my graduation I was so young, so full of dreams, and how so many of the "small" things in life seemed like HUGE deals to me at the time. It's crazy when I look back at it. I know now how sad my parents were that day. How do I know? Because I am now a parent. I thought about how proud they were of me, of how they had encouraged me, but how they were sad to let me "fly." How for 18 years I have been solely their daughter, and now I was finding my own path to walk down.

I had so many big dreams. I have always been a HUGE dreamer and one who sets massive goals and fully expects to make them happen. I am a go-getter, that's just who I am. What was I thinking that day? I was thinking first of all how glad I was to be DONE with high school. I wasn't really going to miss it, and I never did. I was also making plans. I had plans. I wanted to go to school to get my degree to become a teacher. That I knew for sure. I also knew I wanted to find Mr. Right ASAP and get married and start a family. After that, who knew...I knew though that in the next few years those things were going to be accomplished. So did I do it? Because it's been ten years for me this year. Ten years since I threw that cap in the air and declared my goals.

Is life what I thought? I would have to answer that as 90% yes. While I have still not graduated, but will next Spring, I did get to marry the man of my dreams and I do have the family I always wanted. Adoption sure wasn't in my plans but sometimes a change of plans can result in the best thing ever! I never dreamed I would be the wife of a police officer! Are you kidding me? No...never would have thought that although I do get out of every ticket:-) I didn't think I would be living in Canton, I always thought I would grow up in my hometown of Lexington...but God had "amendments" to my plans. And they were the right ones for my life!

So now that my family is complete and my graduation is around the corner, what are my goals and dreams for the next 10 years? I am not sure right now...although I do have some ideas because like I said....I AM a dreamer.

Life is what we make of it. Sometimes the journey is not what you think, sometimes it turns out just like you think it will. But at the end of the day, life is only what YOU make of it. We each have the power to shape our futures, to make goals, to live and make our dreams a reality. No regrets...only lessons learned...and, well, here's to the next ten years!

So here is one HUGE mix and match assortment of pictures that I took over the past week. Things have been CRAZY around here this week. Alec has had Vacation Bible School all week long in the evenings, and he started Safety School up at the elementary this morning. He graduates from Friday from Safety School, his last night of Vacation Bible School is tomorrow, and he has a game both Thursday and Friday too. On Friday Kris and I have the annual Police K-9 Association Banquet to attend (mom is coming up to watch the kids) and then on Saturday we head to Joe and Gina's because CHRISTIAN just turned TWO yesterday and it's his party:-)
Hopefully Mikayla will be feeling all better. On Monday, in the middle of Alec's game she was just "grumpy" and had been grumpy for several days. She was acting and playing like normal, she was just a little "off." So I took her to Statcare and low and behold she has another double ear infection. The doctor said THIS one is so bad that her eardrum was nearly perforated. Lovely. The fun life of living with a child that has SID. She has a HUGE tolerance to any and all types of pain and doesn't respond to most pain at all. Therefore she gets these ear infections and we don't know she has them! So she is on the mend with the whole lovely snot thing going on too. OK...long post...here are the pictures!

So the post wouldn't be complete without a graduation picture of me! Right!?
All Cheese Smiles Today!
Is that the camera? If so I am NOT smiling mom.
She plays with this old Valentine's Day Balloon all the time and yes, sadly this is my messy living room compliments of Miss. Diva
The world just stopped...Elmo came on!
So she went and got her Elmo book that PaPa got for her....

And then her Big Bird that Aunt Chris got for her....
Yes, I told Alec to stand on the coffee table so I could get a good picture of him in his Safety School shirt and yes, that is Mikayla happily following her brother's lead!
Is this boy not adorable? He is all tan now!
Sweet...they are kissing each other. They love each other soooo much! This was the PERFECT age difference.
COWBOY ALEC. The Vacation Bible School theme is Western so he comes home with bandanna's and cowboy hats nightly. This was tonight when he got home.

This was yesterday...they tell them to dress Western. Well I don't "do" western so this was as close as it could get around here. ROFL. Kris provided the Sheriff's Badge for him.
After Church...yes..with the LOVEY in the yard
Daddy had to "bring" her in and she was NOT happy!
So she ran off again
This was the day I took her to Statcare! Does she look in pain?

Going for the ball!
A little bored out there I think...

FAILED BIRTHDAY PHOTO SHOOT.

I was trying to get a good picture of her in her birthday dress for her invitations. Nope. Didn't happen. Used an old picture instead. LOL.

This one should be above with the pictures at the T-ball Game.
Mad she couldn't have cake. I LOVE this picture. I was sooooo sick so the cake I made wasn't very pretty but it sure was good!

Kris was SOOO sick on his birthday...that's why I didn't take pictures. But...I did manage to convince him to let me take just this one!