Brave Heart, Brave Soul. She who is brave is free.

“Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love you.” It’s hard for me to believe both my boys have grown into men. Wasn’t it just yesterday Johnny and I were bringing them home from the hospital with their tiny feet and little fingers? Oh how I’d love to count them all in a row. It feels like I blinked and suddenly they weren’t babies anymore but full grown men towering over me. I wouldn't dare try counting their fingers and toes now! I look at our youngest today at 6’3 and I’m blown away. He was just my little love bug, crawling up into my lap, hands on my face telling me he loved me. Now he’s 19 and moving out into the world on his own. I won’t lie, I miss those days gone by. I’ve always said we’ve been exceptionally blessed by our boys. The joy God’s given us in them has been an  incredible gift. Still I miss the days of tucking them into bed, reading Winnie the Pooh and pushing them around in a buggy. The days of first steps, first hai...

"You ever stopped and thought wow, I prayed for this. It's here. It's happening." Have you ever thought what if? What if I had been smarter or been prettier? What if I had a bigger house or a better education? What if I had more money or a better job? What if I had a different family and a different name altogether? The question of what if is most certainly a loaded question, is it not? And what makes us really believe these things can truly bring us real happiness? Growing up as an only child with a curious nature I often asked what if a lot. As a little girl I was a free spirited, bubbly, and talkative freckle faced, red head with adventure on the brain. I often wondered out loud to myself  and to anyone else would listen,  what it might be like to have a sister of my own. I wasn't picky, she could be my big sister or little. I didn't care if she had brown hair or red just as long as she was my mine. Truth be told I was a miracle baby, and the odd...

"And she loved a little girl very, very much ---even more than she loved herself." ~ Unknown If you've ever truly spent any real time in the south then you know the apple never falls too far from the tree. Ask any southern woman including myself about her greatest attributes and she'll tell you flat out, "I got it from my Mama!" And nine times out of ten we'll be out spoken enough to let you know once we open our mouths it's our mama coming out too! It's just how it is around here. There's simply a particular way we do things not only in the south, but in Texas I suppose. It's just a given thing here when you drive someone home you wait around until they've not only unlocked but closed the door behind them before driving away. Truth be told we love our sweet tea, probably a little too much actually. We call all soda's coke and absolutely nobody eats 'till you say amen. We wave to strangers, we carry pocketbooks, an...

"See the line, where the sky meets the sea? It calls me and no one knows how far it goes." ~Moana I was born exactly 44 years ago today. I was born the daughter of a southern gentleman, an All American, death from above, 82nd Airborne soldier and a shy, quiet, creative soul, musicaly inclined and exceptionally beautiful vision I call my mom. I was born in the middle of the night placed in the waiting arms of my parents and given my name, Christina Marie. It's meaning was personal. It's interpretation meaning follower of Christ, a child wished for. Indeed I was born an only child, but I bloomed and my roots grew strong because of this. My parents, a couple of dreamers, a pair of survivors and a family of two for years became a family of three with my birth. The life I have inherited from my mom and dad is one of unconditional love, faith and genuine happiness. Some may look at my life, reaching back to my humble beginnings and see a sheltered and protected li...

“Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.” Osho so perfectly reminds us of this. This quote it’s such a perfect way to start today’s post. I talk about living life, being in the moment a lot but it’s also equally as important to celebrate life. To recognize the significance and importance of the time we have here, while we have the time. Celebrating life’s little moments is a pretty important thing isn’t it? So yes, birthdays are extremely special around here. We love to gather and celebrate one another’s big day. It’s a time of joy, merrymaking and laughter. After facing years of loss and difficulties I think as a family, we’ve really grown to appreciate one another more and more. We really value our ability to share each of life’s special moments together. I mean these are milestones yes, but they are also moments we can’t forget.  A celebration, big or small, isn’t an afterthought for us but a well thought out process among our quirky tribe. After all you’re ...

“If you live to a hundred I want to live to a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.” ~ Winnie the Pooh. That’s exactly how I feel about my mama. My mom, she’s a creature of  grace and vast character and qualities, not perfect but beautifully humble. Her natural, unfiltered beauty is breathtaking. Her soul is gentle, full of unconditional love. My mama’s smile, literally lights up a room. She’s pure joy, speaking her mind but never in meanness. She’s sensitive and yet so much stronger than she knows herself. My mom, well she’s not just a special lady, she’s absolutely one of a kind. Loved and adored, she’s one of those people who simply knows no stranger. I couldn’t imagine not being her daughter, not being part of her life in the ways I have been blessed in. I love my mama. I couldn't see my life without her nor would I ever want to. I’ve been told through the years how strong I am, but the reality is I am only a strong woman because a strong woman raised m...

This past weekend we celebrated Micah, Johnny and my youngest child, all his quirks, likes, randomness and amazing abilities. After all it was his birthday weekend, his 16th to be exact. If we do one thing right around here, it's celebrating birthdays. Now don't get me wrong, birthdays don't always entail hoopla, a bunch of hullabaloo or grand parties, but they always include family, good friends and a good time. So when the topic of Micah's big one six came up, we knew we had to keep it low key and at the same time recognize everything that makes Micah unique, rare and beautifully divergent. Believe me I'm as surprised by this as you are that my baby boy could be anything over 10. It's beyond my imagination to think Micah could actually be 16 years old or for that matter how I could be anywhere near old enough to say my son is of driving age. But he is. Micah is a joy, he's sharp, witty, honest, loving, logical and of course debonair and handsome i...

I have spent the last two weeks going through family pictures, looking back through time so to speak and watching my children grow quicker than I ever believed possible. Joshua is turning 13 this week. A milestone in his life and a” take my breath away” moment for Johnny and I! In getting ready for Joshua’s birthday and celebrating his beautiful life I began a trip down memory lane I will never forget. I have sorted through picture after picture looking for just the right ones for his memory book we have been filling with letters from loved ones, friends and teachers who have all played a part in Joshua’s life. What I saw before me took my breath away… There in front of me was Joshua’s life, beautiful, tender, precious, humorous, heartbreaking and inspiring. I felt at times I was walking through time, watching life bloom right in front of me. I was struck by the moments caught on film and how they told a story of love and hope. In his pictures I saw life unfolding as I hit the rewind b...