Month: October 2021

Well, it’s been another year. These days, birthdays are a lot more special. I am more grateful for another turn around the sun because it means my mom gets to see another year! For that, I am grateful! #Humbled&Blessed

This time last year, we did an in-house scavenger hunt and had my brother and his family over for cake. The first COVID Halloween was super low key, and for good reason. This year, I figured we could safely trick-or-treat, and my mom could enjoy the job she loves on her special day…driving the warm car just in case a kid gets too cold or wants some warm apple cider. This is the ritual we all missed out on last year. In 2019, the adults got to partake too…them warm apple ciders were SPIKED!!! #LordBlessMyMomForHerThoughtfulness

I wanted to make it easier on everyone. We would typically go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, but since my brother just moved and they planned to hit up our in-laws and then go back to their neighborhood after, we tagged along. It is much more important that I make things easier on my mom. The last thing I wanted was for her to have to choose which grandkid got the Nana special.

It was quite the eventful day! While the kiddos finished trick-or-treating at my bro’s, I grabbed our Olive Garden dinner. We ate, had good conversation, my mom and niece danced, and then we sang HBD to my mom. The cake this year was a strawberry shortcake. I don’t know that we have ever had it as a birthday cake before, but it was THA BOMB! #NumNumNum

As I reflect on the year, I have much more of an appreciation for the things that truly matter. God saw to it that my mom reach Chapter 63. He blessed us with the gift of her life and more chances to enjoy life alongside her. May Chapter 63 be her best year yet!

Happy Birthday, Mommy! You are loved, admired, and appreciated!

#Chapter63 #Leggo

We have a long history of doing big things, but Halloween…OOOOH WEEEEE! WE DO IT BIG!

Halloween is my mom’s birthday and as the years pass it becomes more and more important to make sure they are special. Most years, we throw a party and find new and creative ways to scare my mom (the possibilities here are endless because she is sooooo easily startled). This year, since the world has changed since the introduction of COVID, I decided to plan a smaller birthday shindig. Here lately, I have been getting my creativity in at Board & Brush. At my last visit, my sister-in-law and I discussed the possibility of having a private party for my mom there. The party sizes are usually 10 folks minimum, but the owner made an exception so that it could be just our families. #ThankYouBoard&Brush

The gathering was amazing! The My Sister’s Lil Donut Shoppe donuts set it off just right too! #ShamelessPlug The hostess and owner were so kind and helpful. They reduced their staff to ensure my mom was around as few people as possible. They also kept their distance as much as possible. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to celebrate my mom than to watch her do something outside of her box and enjoy every bit of it. The kids and the rest of us adults had a great time too! Here are our creations…

I am so blessed to have been in the presence of such phenomenal family! #LoveThem

My company just rebranded from Centro to Basis Technologies. I led that effort, but of course, with a strong team beside me. As part of the rebrand, us employees got swag. Now, the first time I heard swag at work I had no clue what it was. I know the term differently outside of work. But, swag are those company branded items (e.g. pens, t-shirts, bags, etc.). I received my swag yesterday and was super excited to show it off…

When I looked at myself in this picture, I finally saw someone I had not seen in a LONG time…ME!

The ME from yesterday is GONE! I look at myself with a sense of the 4 Ps: Pride, Passion, Power, and Purpose! I am a believer in the impossible, even when it didn’t look good. I am built for what’s next. My story has bubbled up some strength in me that I couldn’t quite find most days…a clarity that I have been searching for, for a long time! #NowICanSee

I … SEE … ME! And for the ME that I SEE, that young woman is about to take the world by storm. She has some stuff in store that even she can’t begin to articulate. She’s got plans…and I can truly say now, I’m ready to be the ME that I was called to be!

#NewBeginnings #WelcomeHome #StayTuned #Pride #Passion #Power #Purpose

Leggo!

One year since I packed up my bags to go stay with my grandmother…
One year since I had to put all of my faith in the Man upstairs because I couldn’t go at it alone…
One year since my heart felt uneasy…
One year since I felt the most uncertainty in life ever…
One year since I feared I’d lose my mother…
One year since I sat in the hallway and in waiting rooms of Rush, anxiously waiting on 3 hours to pass…
One year since I ate most of my meals from a hospital restaurant…
One year since my mom went in for her craniotomy…
One year since my mom woke up from her craniotomy… #PraiseGod
One year since I heard, “it went well”…
One year since I heard, “we got it all”…
One year since I said #ByeArnold…
One year since I heard it looked benign, but we have to send it over to pathology…
One year since God made a way when I didn’t think there was one…
One year since our lives changed forever…

If you had asked me a year ago where I would be today, I wouldn’t have been able to answer you. I couldn’t see past the moment. I was filled with anxiety, worry, fear, and sadness. All of the things the Bible tells you not to be bothered with, but yet, it consumed me. It wasn’t an easy road, and I couldn’t have gotten through it without my support system. #MyRocks #MyVillage #MyLight #MyGod

When you are able to make it to the other side of a traumatic experience, you start to view life differently. The lenses I wear now are those of humbleness and gratefulness. I lead with and give grace to others because He showed me just how far grace can go. He brought me through the storm, and gave me the tools I needed to weather it. He allowed me to place the weight of my world on His shoulders. He carried MY burdens. He shouldered MY cries. He covered ME! He did all of that so that I could give all that I had to my mom during her recovery, and now, while in her treatment. And for that… #Grateful #Humble #Blessed

We celebrated today by ordering delivery from one of my mom’s favorite restaurants, Portillo’s. I had Portillo’s delivered to her house and ours. We had a nice, virtual dinner with my mom to celebrate the year. We topped off the night with a slice of chocolate cake and singing “Happy C-Day to You!” I wanted this day to be a celebration of life, because every day is a blessing and it could have gone differently one year ago. But my God showed up and showed out. He put the armor of God on my mom and she came out of surgery with a warrior stance like no other! We are all grateful she is here to celebrate her 1 Year Craniversary with us! And we look forward to celebrating many more!

#OneYearDown #ManyMoreToGo #Survivor #Warrior