Bad Storms Yesterday

(The above pic is outside my front door. I took this pic.)

There were varying degrees of intensity depending on where you were but I heard about tornadoes touching down in various places. I haven't heard of any significant damage. I heard about quarter sized hail.

The local fire department then posted these pics these to their facebook page. It was a little ways outside of town!

A Pep Talk in the Morning

For this post, I am addressing moms. Mothers who have put aside their dreams while they are taking care of the home or the children. Maybe you didn't think you could go back to school and finish that degree or start it. I know for a fact there are many of you NOT doing what you want to do and now you think it's impossible right?

Let me tell you MY story. In 2005 I was going to turn 30. That's right, the big 3-0. (Just a note for those keeping track it was December 29th of that year!) I saw myself raising at the time three little girls and me with no career. I had no paycheck of my own. Yes there is a lot of reward in raising your children but I tell ya, there is a lot to be said about going to school, knowing you can do it and finally SEEING yourself as that smart person you know you are inside. I wanted to do it, just to show myself I could.

I had had HUGE plans of going to college. I was actually always going to go into Radio and Television Broadcasting. That was the big goal for me. I was told by speech teachers I had a strong and clear speaking voice. They all encouraged me to go this way so I had it all set up. Well life took a turn as it usually does and I got married when I was 19. I was young for sure. I was pregnant by the time I was 20 and had my first baby at 21 years of age. From there on, I was 100% mommy. I did nothing else, I thought of nothing else.

Fast forward to 2005. My youngest was three. I put her in preschool and signed up for the local college and took prerequisites to be a dental hygienist. I quickly realized I wanted to be a nurse and changed my goals. I took classes all the way up until the end of the Spring 2007 semester. I hadn't been feeling well. I wasn't breathing very well at all. I was coughing up blood among other things and was diagnosed with cancer. Oh and I was pregnant again on top of that.

So I spent 2007 having chemo treatments every 2 weeks. Then giving birth. Then I took out the year with radiation treatments daily. That went into January. I spent 2008 taking care of my newborn baby girl. I recovered from the harsh treatments and all that they put my body through. Bed rest is very hard on a body.

Then in the early part of 2009 I applied to my dream nursing college. I had a few prerequisites left but I had heard there was a long waiting list. By May of 2009 I got my approval letter. I started summer school in 2009. I picked right back up where I had left off. I went Fall of 2009 then started the January 2010 semester at the Nursing College. I just finished my first semester there and now I am on summer break.

I have done all of this with 4 kids (one just 2 years old) after all that my body has been through and I have to say if I can do it? Anyone can! So do not let anything stop you from achieving your goals. The sky is the limit. Go back to school. Get that degree. You can get a degree and still be a mommy. It may be hard, but it can be done!

Saw the Tombstone Today

Well it's up. I went to see it and they did a great job as far as tombstones go. It is exactly what we wanted for my dad. I am glad it's done though there are a lot of emotions involved with seeing it. It is very final as I mentioned before. I'll be honest, it still doesn't seem like he's gone. I feel I could just see him at any moment walk through my front door.

Last year he complained of stomach pains and we thought it was his medicine for sure. It coincided with the time he started taking it. I looked it up online and TONS of people had the same kind of pain. I was so sure. My dad asked how long the effects could last and I looked that up too. Who knew? I wish I knew just how much pain he was in. I think he covered up so much.

Here's the stone. I'm going to go fishing this summer so the fish out there better not think they are "off the hook" with my dad gone. (lol bad joke) I need to make up where he can't. I will take my kids. I will make sure my nephews and nieces are out there too. My dad would hate to see any big ones get away so I'm going to make sure they don't!!!

The Tombstone is Up

We've been waiting for my dad's tombstone to get up for so long. They promised us it would be there by memorial day. I found out tonight that it is up. I am going to go up and look tomorrow. I'll probably get a few pictures of it. It's almost like losing him again though. I know it's odd, but really it's making it so final. It was the one thing not yet done.

I wish he was here to go fishing. I wish he was sitting on his front porch in his usual chair watching me pull up. I wish he was singing the Spongebob Theme Song with Gabbi. I miss him.