I WISH YOU A FRIEND, I WISH YOU A DEEANN

Don’t you love the days you have four posts in your head and only time to post about one.  That’s me today.  I was going a totally different direction, but I am going to save that one for another day. 

Last night we went to a HUGE celebration party for a young man that I have known from birth. They live in a huge home and that house was packed with people, young and old last night. All there to honor  one of those totally awesome kids that when you finished reading about him, you would think I might have embellished it a tad.  He is just that great…and off to Vanderbilt this summer to begin college on a FULL RIDE as a baseball player… I think you just might see him in the pros one day. But I am going to save his story.  Today I want to tell you about his MOM, one of my dearest friends.   Everyone needs a DeeAnn in their lives.

We have been friends for 20 years…I am older than her.  She has teenage kids, I have adult kids.
We are at different places in our everyday lives.  I am keeping “little’s” and she is going to a gazillion ballgames. 
I have been where she is and she will be where I am.  (And she will probably make me realize that I did not have Grammy down as good as I thought)

For more years than I can count we have made an effort to have lunch every month, though its usually every two, many times at the same place, in the same booth, eating the exact same thing
and for two hours plus we share our lives over coffee or wine.

There are few things we have not discussed.  Maybe none.

We have traveled together….we were  together out of town late the night before 9-11.

I remember her dropping me off at home, going to bed, and the world changing all in a matter of hours.
She has given my kids showers in her home, blessed them on every occasion, been a friend to them, walked with me through some hard years and ALWAYS been one of the first emails, text or calls anytime there has been a crisis in my life.

She has also celebrated every good thing. 
She is always there and yet we can go two months and not see each other and pick up on the last sentence. 
I think I am her best friend and I think probably at least 100 other people think they are.
 
She has the gift of friend! (I think I made that gift up)
 
She has two of the best looking boys and the cutest girl ever. I love her kids.
Connor, Carson and Allie-Marie.
 I have watched her raise her kids and somewhere they got polite down to a science. 
        
          
       
She is a great Mom, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend…but what you would notice about her after one meeting is she is just plain old KIND!

Amanda said to me once, “Mom, when Ms. DeeAnn leaves a message on your answering machine, it makes your day!” I do not think you could listen to a message she leaves and not SMILE.

She has made my day more times than she will ever know.

Her picture would be next to the word kind in the dictionary.

She has a quality that is rare today.  When you talk to her, she hears your heart. You have her total attention and she cares.

I have heard her interact with her kids so many times and she speaks to them in the kindest voice.
In turn they speak to others in that voice. A lesson for all Moms.  I asked her daughter recently if she knew she had the sweetest Mom in the world and her answer was “Yes Ma’am, I do”!
She has every reason to be so proud of her kids…
Connor has had an amazing high school baseball career and Carson is coming right behind him. (Can I give you a little trivia here that only my regular blog readers will appreciate…Connor had to have shoulder surgery last year and the same surgeon that operated on Brett, Dr.Andrews, did Connor’s surgery..just file that in your things I could have lived without knowing box)

Back to DeeAnn.. When I tell her she has extraordinary kids, she always humbly says, “They really are good kids” as in her feeling blessed rather than her being the reason. (Arnie, I promise to write about you one day)

So my wish for you today is that everyone of you would have a DeeAnn in your life.  I am so glad that I do. 


Parkers not here tonight…(Jack is) so I will announce the book winners tomorrow.

We had all 4 little's here today and Parker went home to spend the night with Austin and Gray.


NOW FOR A LITTLE FUN NEWS….Amanda and Micah dropped Jack here mid-afternoon to go and play a round of golf…

A couple of hours later a text comes in….MOM….

MICAH hit A HOLE IN ONE ON the 8th HOLE…       
      (Guess who is going to be 12 this week?)

This was his second hole in one in a lifetime of golf…and I think he has a smile on his face tonight, especially since his woman was there to witness it.

                    

VERY RANDOM

As in very very random…..
First my nephew,  Sweet William won the contest! Is he not the cutest?
thanks to all of my blog friends that voted. 
Next I finally (though I have been trying for six weeks to find one) have an IPAD 2

So please send me every tip you have….I have had it a week and have not even opened the box. I am hoping Parker will have time to help me get it set up tomorrow.  Do any of you write posts using it?


Jack went for a check up and everything was perfect and the doctor does not even want to see him until late OCT….that’s almost 6 months from now and will be a year from the stroke.


I am pulling for Scotty on American Idol (as voting on every device I can) and starting to have withdrawals since I know the season is ending.  
This has been a good one…and never dreamed I would like Steven Tyler and J Lo so much.  If you have not seen this video, I loved it….Josh Turner surprising Scotty on his home town visit.
And on DWTS, I am pulling for Kym and Hines.


I think Arnold is a …well I won't say what I think he is…he is a member of the John Edwards “make me sick” club. 


I saw this Flame On on Kelly’s blog.
When you have 30 minutes it is WELL WORTH your time to WATCH.
You have to register and then just hit WATCH.  Once I started I couldn’t stop. 
I had heard the story but watching this was powerful. This has been my greatest fear in life.
One phone call can change everything.

This is a subject that I have wrestled with a lot recently.
I have a dear and young friend, as in very young just diagnosed with breast cancer, a week later a double mastectomy and now decisions. 

Then a friend of almost 40 years whose husband is having cancer surgery this Thursday, and on and on.  I am sure you have your own list. 

Then if you are a news junky like me and listen or read all the do’s and don’ts (that change by the day) to help you stay well….well it is overwhelming and makes you want to just eat whatever.  And if you took every supplement that Dr. Oz recommends (and I like him) you would spend your day taking pills.
Maybe it’s just me.  Does anyone else feel this way? 

NEWS BREAK….Terri and I are back walking.  We have made two days in a row doing almost 4 miles each day.  I so wish I loved exercise…I DON’T!!!

Not sure if I mentioned it but I loved Tyler Perrys new movie Jump the Broom, but then I love anything he does. 


Hopefully starting Thursday I am going to link up and sell the famous card box, except its going to be in a special mailer to cut the cost and it will be listed on Kristen's Creations..It’s the best gift to have on hand and one that everyone can use.  I am working to make it very affordable. 

We won’t be discussing Trump for PRESIDENT…I have to say his speech announcing it, made me laugh..enough said.


Just for a laugh….this is Jack checking out Easter eggs, deciding if they have the kind of candy he wanted…as in he rejected eggs. I have never heard of a three year old that did not want every egg he found. 

Also a special prayer request…Not sure of the date yet, but Austin is having heart surgery in Little Rock in early summer.  It is something they have known about since birth, but still very scary to have your boy having heart surgery.


If you are still with me you are worn out. So to thank you for hanging in there….I am giving away 2 books….another copy of Pioneer Woman…this is a GOOD READ!

     
  and also a copy of this fun book

        

How’s that for a thank you for reading a LOT of RANDOM!
Regardless of how you feel about Oprah, I have to admit I will miss her. (a tad more random)

FOR the last piece of Random, I am feeling like the Mouse is missing me…and want to start planning a trip. 


As always, all you have to do is leave a comment and you are eligible for both books.  I will get Parker to draw Sunday night. 

PERFECT MOTHERS DAY

Blogger had not been very cooperative this week, so I am a little late with my Mother’s Day pictures. I am also posting the CARD BOX winners at the bottom
of this post. 
The picture above takes my breath away…Look at those little lover eyes of Jack.

We had a great day, celebrating with lunch at the Country Club, all of us together and all on time….so all four little's….saw lots of old friends…(The Country Club is owned by our church…and may have the best golf course in town.)
Micah and Amanda took Parker and Austin for an afternoon of golfing while the rest of us went home and took a nap.  It was 92degrees and very high humidity and not my ideal of a great afternoon riding in the cart.  BUT I DID GET PICTURES and I did get some great gifts….a 2 hour massage which I used today, gift cards to places I like to eat, movie gift cards and handwritten cards that reduce me to tears.  Especially this year.  In case you are new this has not been an easy year.

Here's Jack (POP) with Greg and his family

Micah and Amanda (she was treated like royalty too)plus he has her out on the town tonight too after another afternoon of golf.

One of my favorite pictures….Micah and Parker…Best Buddies, Friends, and everything else you would want a stepdad-stepson relationship to be.
And I can only see it getting stronger.  Talk about answered prayer. 

cousins Jack and Austin, with Jack just about to fall asleep. 

Greg and his BOYS….HIS pride and joy and the reason he gets up everyday. 

Just could not resist this one in case you were looking for a new hairstyle….not sure what Micah had in mind.

Me and Austin…..not my best hair day

Drop down to the one below and look at that grin on Grayson's face..priceless
   

Dana and her sweet boys…Dana has been doing PX90 (I think that’s it) and her arms tell the story

And last but not least two little men VERY TIRED and READY to GO.

OK for the two winners of the card boxes….
1, Courtney’s Corner
and the second one goes to
2. ONE WOMAN JUGGLER

And I a special thanks to all of you who voted for my nephew, Sweet William.  He is 300 ahead and the contest ends in the morning….so I think he is the winner….YEAH
I have some new giveaways that will be posted on the holiday blog in the next few days….so be on the alert…