A few Summer Faves

Summer is just FLYING by, as always, and I can hardly believe that July is almost done! I don't want it to end!!!! We are having just a wonderful summer! We have had many days at the beach; which to be honest, we haven't done too often the past few summers. Which is crazy b/c we're so close to fabulous beaches!!! This year is just so much fun b/c Addy can walk and run and is just at that age where she is SO much fun!! Last year, she wasn't walking so it was tough to some things b/c I had to have a stroller or carry her or worry about what she was going to crawl in and now that she's on 2 feet, it's so much easier! Derek and I are really taking a step back and ENJOYING them this summer and I just love it!! Ethan has discovered how much fun it is to have a sibling, to have someone to play with whenever he wants. He really is a GREAT big brother -for the most part, he still has his non-sharing, me, me, me moments though. I just love listening to him talk to her like she understands just what he's saying. He's usually very patient with her and tries to explain or show her just what he wants her to do! And she just thinks he hung the moon. She just loves to be at his side, doing - or trying to do - whatever he's doing. It's too cute!

My little stinker! Full of personality! I love this picture, mostly she's getting such a kick out of touching my camera lens!

Here's Addy right next her big brother on Papa and Grandma Twinkle's boat for the 4th.

Ethan "driving" Papa's boat with Daddy and waving to everyone on the pier!

I Love this pic of Ethan. He is growing up so fast and he's so smart! He's quite a little lover these days too, and that just melts me! He'll tell me he loves me out of the blue or come up and kiss me and I just can't get enough of it!

Confession

So, my last post was titled 'Loving Life' , and while that is very true, I have a confession to make. I am trying NOT to take life for granted, trying to find happiness in all the things that surround me, no matter how trivial they may be because I have recently been reminded of how precious life is, far too many times this year.
A friend of mine from work (who is just a few yrs older then me) was diagnosed with breast cancer around a yr ago and very courageously battled and WON her fight! It was difficult for me to even talk to her w/o crying at first. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to say it. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going through her mind....CANCER...in your 30's with a husband and 2 young kids. It hit home....hard. That could be me, and I know I shouldn't dwell on the "what-if's", but it was hard to fathom. So, she began a blog as an outlet for her and I followed it. Almost always crying as I read her blog. Her thoughts were real, she was inspiring and optimistic, and yet I cried b/c I couldn't see myself having such tremendous strength with the card she was delt. Then, I started following some of the blogs that she was following, (Yes, I'm a bit of a stalker I guess) and found more inspiration, among more sadness. Then, I would stop following for a while b/c I couldn't help breaking down every time I read them. About 1 1/2 months ago, I caught back up on Brian and Kristi's blog (one of my friend's friend) and found out that her cancer had returned with a vengeance and she had chosen to stop chemo and enter Hospice. She was in her late 30's, had an amazing, loving husband, and 3 young children. I followed her blog daily, and it was usually her husband posting b/c she had become to weak to post herself, and was just in awe of him and in awe of THEM. Their strength, their courage, their Faith! I do not know this family at all, but felt like I did and was deeply saddened when Kristi passed.
So, this is my confession, my kids and these AMAZING women are my inspiration. I DO love my life and everything in it, I DO love being a wife and a mom and a nurse! I have to change my petty ways. I want to be a better friend then I am, I want to be a better Christian (I don't even know if I can call myself a Christian anymore. I've gotten so off track). THEY are the reason that I must find happiness in everything around me, no matter how difficult it may be, no matter what the struggle. There. I said it, I mean it and I'm stickin' to it!