Mother's Day

From my last post you can see what happened in my world on Mother's Day. Elliot had travelled with another family for the tournament that weekend so it was just me and Coleen at home. We both had a terrible cold so Quinn and the babies did not dare come over. Ian was the last to get it the next week. I did however get some beautiful flowers from Leeny & Otters.

The flowers were quite lovely but as can be seen from the photo several of them were wilted upon arrival. Ian had used an online service to order the flowers. He was very upset at the quality of flower that was delivered. He had on a couple of occassions in the past used online ordering services and had never had a problem. The company was very gracious to replace the flowers with another item. I chose a spa basket that was full of scrumptious smelling soaps and candles.

Mother's day is a very difficult time of year for me because I no longer have my mother with me. We have the "relay", her birthday, and Mother's day all in one week so I can get a little moody the first week of May. I decided this year that I have allowed that self pity for the last time. I was miserable on Mother's day because I was sick, but otherwise I tried to think of all the great and wonderful things I shared with my mom in the past. We have laughed, cried, cooked, and eaten our way thru a lifetime of mother's days and I want some day to look back and see that my children have the same memories.

So I hope that like my flowers, being a little wilted is gone and is being replaced with a new and wonderful thing!

Tuscaloosa Arsenal 96

Alabama Div II U-13 Champions

May 10-11 2009

Elliot's soccer team coached by Kevin Freels gave their mom's the best gift ever this Mother's Day. They won by a score of 2-1 (undefeated in the tournament) the state Govenor's Cup in Alabama. They are invited to attend the Div II Regional tournament in Greer South Carolina in June. I am very proud of Elliot, his entire team, and all of the coaching staff! Way to go TUSCALOOSA ARSENAL 96!!!!

Destin Florida

Emeral Coast Cup. Destin Florida. April 24 & 25. Sun. Beach. FUN!!!!! Here are a couple of pictures of the beach and the fun. Lost my camera and didn't get any pictures of the games. OOPS!

We left Friday afternoon heading down I-59 towards Brookhaven, Ms. This time of year can be really difficult for me. The relay was a driving ambition in my mom's life before she was ever sick or diagnosed with cancer. A couple of years before she was sick, she started a bake sale as a fundraiser for our team. The last year she was able to participate fully she baked over 40 cakes in 2 days and sold every one of them. My sisters, Andrea and Beth, and I helped her ice them but she mostly did it herself. It is hard work and leaves you exhausted but it is possible to do. I have (the year following her death) managed to meet her challenge once. Our bake sale is looked forward to every year, ha ha......... Seriously though, it is the best home-made cakes you can by in the county!

We arrived a couple of hours after the relay had begun. Addy and Isaiah were a little intimidated by the noise and the crowds. It was so good to see my family. I haven't been home since Thanksgiving for a real visit. Coleen was able to see her best friend Sophie and visit with her cousin Lee. Anthony and Karen played with the babies. We watched excitedly each time the team drew "draw-down" numbers for a $500 winner. All in all the night was as usual bitter-sweet and wonderful!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. Last year I was unable to attend the relay in Brookhaven. I walked with Elliot's school team from CRMS. It was very sad to be walking among strangers but even then I saw a kindred spirit with most there. Cancer is the equalizer as my mom used to say. It doesn't care what color, condition, or ability. It strikes all. We formed our team name based on that alone. One family united. That is what we are. If you have had a mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, father, child, or friend battle cancer you are part of the family. There is discussion among my family of not having a team next year. Part of me agrees because I saw a lot of stress in my aunts as they sat around or walked. It seems that they have lost their way among the cause. Perhaps a break is needed. I am not sure. Tonya and I are the two that have lost parents to cancer. She lost both her mom and dad. Admittedly Uncle Joe is most likely the reason we began our team. My mom became the standard bearer though. I think honestly that it is time for the next generation to take over. My aunts may have begun it but they are in need of a rest. It is time for Deedee, Tonya, Regina, Pam, me, Blake, Jonathon, Andrea, Allison, and Beth to start planning and doing. I live in Tuscaloosa. Beth is in Lake. Andrea is in Baytown. And Allison lives in Byram. Maybe Andrea can be excused. The rest of us are close enough to help organize and decide. It is time we became the adults and take over. I have tried to teach my children the importance of the relay. It isn't about having a team. It isn't about a t-shirt. It is about fighting cancer financially and symbolically. We can forget about the tent, the t-shirt, and the food. WE cannot forget about the fundraising or the fight.

So enjoy my pictures. I hope they can show just a little of why I walk................................................

TCHS Women's Choir

Women's Choir of Tuscaloosa County High School. Coleen is in there somewhere in the middle of the second row.
She has totally shocked me by wanting to be in the choir. Like reading, as she gets older she is more and more my child. I love to sing and as a young adult and an older one, I have always tried to remain involved in a choir.
This is the entire Women's Choir and director Ginnie White
There is my Leeny! Sing girl sing!

Quick blog to let you see how I spend my weekends.....

Yes that is a soccer field. This one was in Birmingham. Well a suburb of Birmingham. We rode with the May's Elliot is the blond in the background Thomas May is kicking the ball and Jorge is thinking about running. They were warming up. Unfortunately this field was a little different. The "stands" were a good distance from the actual field so this is about as close of a shot as I could get. Shucks. I will try my best to get better pictures from the State Cup Mother's Day weekend.

So yes I watch boys running around a field chasing a ball for about three hours every weekend. Well every weekend until after Mother's day weekend. Then it will be September or October before we chase the balls again! :(

Elliot's birthday

I am not good at keeping this blog thing current. There are too many things going on in my life not to mention that I had an inner ear infection that sidelined me for a few days. So much happened from the weekend of the picnic until Elliot's birthday. Things of note: My aunt Terry was in the hospital. She was sick and the doctors are still not sure of what was wrong. They do know what it was not. It was not her heart, her brain, or a tumor, or an infection. She was unconscious for a while. I understand that Renae broke down her door to get to her. Then there was spring break. Coleen went to Hattiesburg and Picayune. She had a blast with her Uncle Paul fishing. I am glad she was able to go. Hopefully this summer she and Elliot will be able to go back. So while Coleen was whiling away the hours cruising the Jordan River catching a fish or two showing up her uncle Paul, Elliot and I celebrated his birthday. We went to the Kobe Steak House in Midtown. It was very nice. They sang happy birthday to him in Japanese while banging on a huge drum. The entire restaurant knew that someone had a birthday. For his treat they gave him a set of chop sticks in a pretty wooden box. It was very special. You do notice there are no pictures right????????

So lets skip straight to April 15, the day he was supposed to have been born. Ian, Quinn, Stephen, Addy, Isaiah, Elliot and I went to eat supper again. It was equally nice because we were almost complete. Anthony of course was still out and Karen was in Hattiesburg. And of course Coleen was still being a river rat in Picayune! Here is a picture..........

We all had a great time. The chef was fascinating to young and old alike as you should be able to tell from the following picture........ So then the staff banged on yet another drum and sang happy birthday to Elliot again. We called it Happy Birthday Part Deux. Addy was so impressed with the chopsticks. She wasn't completely sure of what you used them for.

All in all I believe Elliot had a wonderful birthday. Part one and part two!