EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!!!! So excited!

I am beyond excited today because I actually got Rachel W. Teal to do an interview! Its exclusive because she hasn't given an interview before on her book. Thank you Rachel for giving me the opportunity to share this with my Blog Subscribers. She even gives us a 40 percent Discount on her book which I put the coupon at the end! So Amazing!

 

1)  So you have released your first novel, The Gathering Place, recently.  Why did you choose to self-publish over traditionally publishing? 

Self publishing was always an option but I wanted to try to secure agent representation and have my novel sold to a publisher. I assembled my "dream team" of agents, and several responded. The overall feedback I received was regarding my platform: who I have in my network that will buy my book and who I have that will refer my book - fans, if you will. So I decided to self publish to build my platform and an audience so that I can then go back to agents with future projects and have the numbers there to support my dream.  

 

2)  What was the inspiration behind The Gathering Place?  How did you come up with the idea?

 

They say to write what you know, and I know the legal system in Tennessee through my "day job" as a paralegal, and I know the south and Nashville having grown up there. I've always loved murder mysteries and legal thrillers, so I put all those elements together and started writing.  Lucas came to me first, quickly followed by Samantha and the rest was history.  

 

3)  What parts of yourself are hidden inside the pages of your novel?

 

There is so much!  The setting is in Nashville, which I know like the back of my hand, so it was very easy to pull inspiration from my hometown.  Maliha is Cherokee and I have strong Cherokee roots. I love England, so having Lucas come from there was natural for me. Samantha's hometown is where my Dad's family is from, and the house where her father lives is an old farmhouse out in the countryside that I love. There are so many other things but I don't want to bore you!

 

 

4) Tell me a little bit about your writing routine.  Do you have a special place where you write?  How often do you write?  What inspires you? 

 

I tend to write at home. I don't have cable television so it's very easy for me to get lost in my writing at home. I usually write at my kitchen table or my chaise lounge. I also love independent coffee shops - caffeine is a must when holding a day job, having a life and trying to make your dream to be an author come true. It takes discipline. I'm inspired by people - that I see, that I meet, that I overhear. The world is your oyster if you will only listen! 

 

5)  Is the editing process as gruesome as it seems?

 

It can be at times and I was terrified of letting anyone see my work. I had actually shelved The Gathering Place for many years  until my friend convinced me to rework it and polish it up. The nuts and bolts were there, it just needed to be polished.  But it is terrifying at first, like someone telling you that your baby is ugly. And trust me, some people have, or have nit picked about things but over all, it doesn't change my opinion about my novel and rejection didn't hurt as bad as I had imagined.

 

6)  Has writing novels always been one of your dreams? 

 

I think writing in and of itself has always been the way I communicate with the world around me. I've written letters to boyfriends telling them things I couldn't confess in person, letters to the President and Congress...that evolved into writing short stories and poems in high school and college as an outlet, so writing novels, I think, was a natural next step. 

 

7)  Many may not know this, but you are a survivor of a rarely-diagnosed endocrine disorder called Cushing's Disease, one that I am familiar with myself. What is it like trying to accomplish your goals while struggling with a chronic illness?

 

It has its challenges. There's a spoon theory out there that says that an action costs you so many spoons and you only get so many spoons a day. My day job takes most of them but I'm lucky that writing is relaxing and cathartic, and I can take most of my stress and frustration out on the computer and turn it into something that makes me proud. In the end, it replenishes my supply of spoons. There are barriers and bumps on everyone's journey and Cushing's is no different. You just have to push through and climb and surmount a little more, but man do you feel accomplished when you get there! 

 

 

 

8)  So you are working on a literary fiction novel that contains a very important subplot regarding Cushing's Disease.  Is it easy to separate yourself from Tori, the character who fights this disease in the novel? 

 

Yes and no. I didn't want to write a memoir, at least not yet, because in the grand scheme of things, who am I? Plus, I am most comfortable writing fiction and telling my truth through my characters. I think I gifted some aspects of my journey with Cushing's to Tori, which helped me a lot in the end, but I also wanted Tori's journey to be her own, because I've learned that no person's story is the exact same, either with or without Cushing's Disease. So I let her express herself in ways I never would, and let her tell her own story.  

 

9)  When will The Hiding Place be ready?

 

It is outlined and a few chapters are written, but the literary fiction one is taking precedent right now and then I will finish The Hiding Place, which will feature Lila and Jack, though Samantha and Lucas will make a few appearances, too.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I think everyone will enjoy, and they will really start to see why certain things happened the way they did in The Gathering Place. 

 

10)  And finally, where can we find The Gathering Place?  (I'll talk about the discount for your blog readers here, and the giveaway of a Nashville prize package). 

 

It is on Amazon, in paperback and Kindle, and also on my e-store that you can access via my website, www.rachelwteal.com, on the novel's page. Also, I am offering a discount for your readers on the paperback version if they buy it through my store. As an added bonus, anyone from your blog who reviews on Amazon will  be entered to win a Nashville-themed goodie bag with some of my favorite things from my hometown. Use discount code GTLU4KCP  to get 40% off! 

Proud of my daughter

I am always proud of my teenagers. There is always something they are doing in school, in sports, at home or at work on the ranch that makes me proud. Today is my daughter’s day though. It was Academic Awards Night and Cassie did VERY well. Hard work in studying really pays off.

 

She got awarded Honors from the Senate, the State legislature and from the school. She also obtained the Biology Award for her class and a Math Award.  Cassie also got Honors for having over a 3.5 (she has a 4.0) for all the semesters. I am really proud of her.

 

I loved hearing her teachers say that she strived for excellence and would even take a test that was a low A over to score higher. I know as the years go by school will get harder but she is constantly working at that. Her goal is Valedictorian of her class in two years. Go Cassie! If you put your mind to it…you can do it!

 

 

Get Ready...Get Set....GO!

With four teenagers nothing is ever really that simple. Going on a Vacation is included in this. We are pretty excited because we are going on our first cruise as a family. All 6 of us are going to have 7 days of glorious sunshine (fingers crossed) on the way to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.

Ryan and I have been on two cruises before. One was our honeymoon and the second was this Christmas when all the kids were at their other parents house. We didn't want to sit at home with no kids on Christmas and be super sad. The one good thing about having a blended family we are finally on the schedule were we have all four of them or we don't have all four of them for Christmas and Thanksgiving. We are lucky they live with us full time but its still hard to not have any of them for Christmas. Anyways...being a mom and having that oh to normal feeling of "Mothers Guilt" I felt so bad they weren't with us that I booked another Cruise for all of them to go this year while we were on our Christmas Cruise. Hey its the only way I could have fun without feeling so guilty.

The cool thing is we are going back to the exact same destination. We love it anyways! The great thing however is going on a cruise with the kids that you have already been on. We already know the destination so it becomes more cost effective. We know the places to go or not go and the excursions to go on or not go on. We are even going to be on the same ship although we did get a free upgrade to a Ocean Balcony Suite for our two rooms which we are SUPER excited about.

The kids don't even realize what fun they will be having yet. Are they excited..yes. Do they really know how excited they will end up being...no. Since we aren't going during Spring Break and are going two weeks later on the cruise we have to do Independent Study for the kids. They will be out a week and so we got all their work to do. The teachers were nice enough to give it to us a couple days early so we can try and get it all done. Its funny though because one of the teachers has all our kids. She told us that we aren't allowed to vacation together anymore because she had to do all the work for all four of them. She said it jokingly of course but it was funny. So after school for two days the kids have come home and sat to do their work for hours. They are complaining a little as they have just gotten out of school but they wont be complaining once they have a week off and not have to worry about it. Plus....we don't want to have to bring all those books onto the ship.

I am very thankful that my Mother in Law is going to watch our animals for us. We invited her of course to go but with her vertigo she decided to stay back to help us out by watching our house and the animals. I love my mother in law because she is always so selfless. We are going to have to take her on a vacation on land sometime soon though for all the hard work she does for us. She will probably need one after watching all the animals anyways.

Tomorrow we are off and on our 11 hour drive to the port. We will spend the night there and get on the ship the next day. I am still packing even though I started a couple days ago. Have to Iron the formal wear and I think I will be done. I loathe ironing! So much so that I got a dryer that has
"dewrinkle" as the kids call it. For formal night though I will become Cinderella and iron. Did I say I LOATHE ironing! :) With 6 people there is a lot to iron. Then there is my husband who packs an hour before we go, always ends up having everything he needs while I am checking down my checklist that the kids and I have everything we need. I tried packing for him but he knows what he wants better than I would.

So we are off! To Cabo. I will try and post another blog before we actually leave but then Everydayraerae will be silent for the week. Silent because I am going to be listening to the ocean sounds and relaxing while hearing my kids say "thank you for taking us on the most magical vacation in the whole wide world". Ok I can dream. It will be fantastic though and when I get back you will be overwhelmed with fun pictures! We are going to be snorkeling and swimming with the dolphins. Its going to be the best family vacation! Hope you all have a blessed week. Say a little prayer that these Baby powder looking legs don't get too burnt.

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Teenage Driver

I have four teenagers and that freaks me out when it come to driving! Today though I have my first official Teenage Driver. Jackson got his license after having his permit for a year. He is our oldest and although we have two kids who are of age to drive only one is interested in it. Cassie doesn't even have her permit yet and says she isn't ready. So we are waiting.

I am freaked out thinking about driving! I know in away there is a relief of all the driving I have to do with four teenagers that he will be able to run to the store or take himself to a meeting but I am still freaking out. FREAKING OUT! LOL!!

I remember turning 16 and being so excited to drive. My parents let me drive to the corner store with my sister and I thought I was the coolest person in the world! The ENTIRE WORLD! All we did was go to the corner store, buy a soda and come home. I remember seeing my dad peeking out the window. Ryan and I aren't much different.

We live on this really long road. Its oh about 3 miles and you can see all the way down it before you turn on the main road to go to our town. Its pretty funny because we let Jackson drive to go and get celebratory pizza and there was Ryan and I looking in binoculars to make sure he wasn't speeding past the neighbors house at the end of those 3 miles. Sometimes I do crack me up!

It has been funny day. When Jackson was standing in line to get his license you could see the excitement in his face and the dread of "what if I don't pass" feeling. Then what happens? We left one of the papers at home that we needed. So we had to go all the way back and get it and get back to the DMV. I think that stressed him out more because now he was overthinking everything.

Finally we are back with everything and he gets to get in the car. Ryan and I wish him luck and he starts walking out. We hear the lady say, "Which car is yours?" and hear him reply, "The Ferrari at the end there". Mind you he is actually pointing to my Chevy Equinox. She quickly retorts, "Well put the top down and lets go cruising" LOL! I am glad he had someone who helped him get into a relaxed mood but really took her job seriously.

As Ryan and I waited you could tell we were anxious because we kept looking out the window and talking about how old we were now! Teenage drivers scare me. I think that is why we waited till he was more mature and 17. I knew though when he got back whether he passed or not he would try to say he didn't.

As he walked in and tried to look sad and said he didn't pass. I laughed and then he laughed. He couldn't lie to save his life. He passed!

He finished his paperwork and the lady told us all his provisions since he cant drive between the hours of 11pm to 5am and he cant have friends in the car for the first year or till he is 18 whichever one comes first. She told him that we can take his driving privileges away at anytime. He told her that he knew that because we had been telling him since the day he got his permit. :) We were pretty pleased too because she said he had gotten the top score of the year. Mind you its April too not Jan 3rd or something:)

So I have a teenage driver. I better get used to it because I have 3 more kids to go one after another. We are going to take this slow. I wanted him though to have the memory that I did on the day I got my license of being able to go out. I asked him how it felt and he said it was pretty awesome. I am sure it helped that he saw a friend or two in the store. He got his license. Still funny that he told his friends that he was going to a Dr appointment just in case he didn't pass. Yep...that's my kid. Just happy he is happy and got his license.

A Letter to my Mom

I always want to talk to my mom even though she is in heaven. Thought this would be a good outlet for me personally but I am sharing it with you all. My Mom passed from Cancer over 4 years ago. She went really quick in only a matter of months. She was amazing.

My Mom and I

Dear Mom,
I never know where to start since I feel like I talk to you in my head all the time still. I miss you! I miss you a lot. Its funny how we were always best of friends and at the same time I didn't know what I was going to miss because I would get annoyed when you would call me four times a day. Still I look at my phone sometimes hoping you would call or pick up my phone to call you. I miss you so much. I always find myself looking to ask you questions to make sure that what I am doing in life is right. You have taught me strong values and taught me so much like how to be a good mom. I miss your laugh the most. You always said it sounded like Ogie Dogie lol. Just two days ago I laughed at what Jason was doing and heard your laugh. I tried not to be sad but tried to be happy that I got to hear it even though it came out of my mouth.

You would be so proud of the kids. Man I cant even tell you how crazy it is how much they have grown. In height and in maturity.  Jackson is already 17. He has straight A's this semester . He is going to be a Senior next year and its FREAKING me out. I keep remembering when you dropped me off to College and you cried as I waved and was excited about my opportunities. I have a feeling this is going to happen to me. He is interested in the Coast Guard and really has matured in the last four years. He tries to keep the other kids in line which is funny. He is always the one we have to watch though because he has a mind of his own:)

Cassie, my goodness has grown so much. Her artist part of her is flourishing everyday. Remember how you used to run down the hall with her after stealing her out of the crib so you could spend more time with her. That memory makes me smile. She is 16 already but doesn't really want to drive yet. She wants to explore the world though so I guess driving is going to have to happen at some point or another. You always said I would end up with twins just like me. Well I have that in one child and that's Cassie. She never gets in trouble in anything but can be mouthy at times just like I was. I remember you saying you always hoped I lived to my next birthday ha! Cassie is very intelligent and has held her straight A's for ever. She has always been a hard worker.

Josh...! Mom he is 14 and 6'1!! Remember when you used to tell me what I had to do and had to look up to do it. I have to do that! I give him a hug and I have to lift my arms up! Josh is Josh. He is so funny and always making people laugh. He told me the other day that besides us that you were the one who taught him to be a gentleman. He is going to be my heart breaker or get his heart broken because he falls in love (what he thinks is love) so easy. He is so tender hearted yet so my funny active kid. You know that polar bear you gave him when he was little. He still has it and its one of his prized possessions. All the kids know it and if there was a fire to grab it.

Can you believe my two youngest are 14. Jason isn't as quiet as he used to be. He really is opening up and growing. I swear I cant keep him in pants. We always thought he wouldn't be tall but he is already 5'8'' so I think he will be. He still is the one to always hug us goodnight and say I love you. I love that you always did that to us as children. I still remember how you would wake either Ashley or I up and give us a ice cream  and say how we were the most important girl ever. Then the next day you would do it to the other kid. We didn't know for years! But we always felt like the most important person ever to you. Jason is really starting to grow into his own. He isn't the quiet kid anymore and is always talking which is good. He is really learning how to live in a small town which I think he likes.

I just miss you. I had a dream about you the other day. We were sitting on the beach talking. I was telling you about the Cruise we are going to go on and you were helping me on what to pack. You have always been that Alpha Mom type. You are the only one I know who planned your whole funeral down to outfits for the kids and music. You didn't want us to have to hurt anymore than we would be even though it was you who was the one to go to Heaven. You wanted what was best for us and you always pushed us to do better. I never understood that as a kid but I know as an adult how much you loved us just through those actions. You were an amazing Nana! I am glad Sally is in our life to be that person too. It helps to have that Mom figure even if its my Mother in law. She is like you in many ways. Stern yet loving. She wants what's best but likes to joke with us too. I am lucky to have her in my life as a mother figure the way I was so lucky to have you in my life mom.

That look...Its where I got it from

I have so many memories. I am so thankful for them. I was happy when I woke up from the dream because I was able to SEE you and not just a picture. I miss how you used to call me four times a day and most of the time it wasn't for a reason. It used to bug me so much then but I miss it now. I miss how you would ask me personal questions to really understand me more. I miss how we would laugh together so much. I even miss when we would bicker. It was always me just trying to become my own and you trying to lead me. I miss our mothers teas. That was fun. I miss how every Sunday after church we would always go to a movie. We went to so many movies that things weren't even out yet. I always would laugh because you figured out the ending before anyone else would. I miss your hugs. I miss how you would make me rub your back while we watched tv and then you would rub mine after a long day. I miss how you were such an investigator on things and always trying to figure out details of life. I miss watching you be an amazing advocate for health and for friends. You were such a hard worker. I remember you going in a couple weeks before passing away to sign papers to give someone a raise because it didn't want it slipping through the cracks if you weren't here. That to me says a lot about your character.

:)

Mostly I miss how you and Dad were together. The one thing I always knew growing up is how much you loved each other. Watching you hold hands in Church or at the Movies. You always kissed each other goodbye and hello. I grew up hearing I love you's and I miss you when Dad was deployed. You were always your own person but with Dad you always seemed to be complete. I grew up seeing how dad was a gentleman to you and always treated you with respect. I knew how much you loved him and although you were on his case about this or that its because you wanted the best for your family. You were such a lady. I loved how you were outspoken and had so much leadership in you but were polite at the same time. If I was half the woman you were I would be an amazing Mom and Wife. I feel like Ryan and I have the same relationship you and Dad had. He opens my car door still after years of doing it. I always thought that would go away. I always kiss him goodnight and tell him how much I love him every night. We would well together like you and Dad did. I am the bossy one but Ryan lets me be. If its important to him though he will speak up just as Dad did and I give in.

Over 30 years of love!

You would love it here. I knew you grew up on a Ranch but then became a Nurse and a world Traveler. You would of loved to have come here and ride the horses. The first horses the kids ever rode was with you. The first horse I ever road was with you at the Fontenots house. You were so much apart of my life Mom that its still hard you aren't here. From every swim meet to every Girl Scout Event. I remember you being my leader and raising so much money we went to London. You were always there with Dad for me and for the kids. I still remember me calling you up when I was going to have Josh and said they want to do a Emergency C Section that day. You literally stopped work, got a flight and flew from California to Kentucky that day. You weren't going to miss one of your Grandbabies being born. So many things made you amazing. So many. It makes me cry tears of joy. I miss you.

Lil Rae-Rae, My Mom and Dad and Sister at a Baptism

I am glad you are in heaven. You always told us you weren't afraid to die because you knew where you would be. I know you look over us all. I feel that. I know you help guide me still and are proud of us. I feel you in me. How could I not....you taught me what you knew. I say the same things to my kids that you did to me. "Family comes before friends", "Its Ryan and I....not me and Ryan", "Say your prayers God is listening even if its not going your way, its his way", "I love you and I always will unconditionally no matter what" and many, many more sayings.

I miss you Mom. I know you were loved by so many. Your memory is here and its going strong. I remember the only time you would cry before passing was the thought of your Grandkids not remembering you. We keep your memory alive. They will always remember you. How could they not. They have a piece of you in them.

Love always your eldest
Rae-Rae

4 Teens Typical Day and a New Baby

The teens have a half day of school today so with the sun shining chores seem to be easier and they are wanting to be outside. This is a good thing for a mom to hear. I want the kids to always be active. Although sometimes I have to beg them for a picture but that's what I do. Bug my kids! ITS MY JOB! I swear it says in the job description of mothers that we have to bug our children. I do that by one...taking way too many pictures and two...I hug them for 20 seconds too long till they are like, "Mom OMG Mom". Yep! My job is done hehe.

3 of the kids coming home. Jason stayed after school.

The first thing they were excited about was all their scuba gear came in! I made them try it on and thankfully they didn't ask to take a bath or something with them. If anyone would ask that it would probably be Josh! He is always doing strange things. This is how he is on the couch right now ha!

Jack

 

Josh

Cassie

Our lambs we bottle fed four times a day. Today I had Cassie drive to the barn which is a couple miles. Although she is 16 she got into a cart accident months ago so she is a little skittish. We are starting all over on the driving. As she is used to driving the CART and now a CAR. She did good. I know when I was 16 I was chomping at the bit to drive. My kids aren't that way which is fine. They have all their lives to drive. Plus all of them drive on the Ranches anyways. Feeding went well as usual.

Driving on the Ranch

Cassie with Stevie the Lamb

Jackson was out looking for squirrels to get. They aren't real squirrels but rather ground animals. These things ruin the land by digging holes everywhere. Our horses, cows or lambs could get hurt by breaking their legs because of this. So Jacks passion is to get them out of that area.

Ryan had to travel to work today so he surprised the kids with Taco Bell. For anyone in the world this is probably not a surprise but when you live 1.5 hours from a Taco Bell it IS a surprise. I personally am not a Taco Bell fan but the kids love it. Even if the taco is a little soggy by the time its back home. YUCK lol! After giving the kids their precious taco bell he went to replace our headlights. Always something to do on the Ranch trucks.

Cassie did dance workouts and we walked some which was nice. She decided to also come with us to Jason's Beef meeting for 4H. Its amazing the stuff you can learn at those meetings. All about cows, how to fed, what parts they have and how to show them at fairs. I love that he is in 4H. Today we got to see an emergency C section to save the Calf. The Mom was not going to make it so it was better to save one.

One minute old

They were very curious

We named her Mini because she is a few weeks early and small. It was such an educational thing for the kids to see. Jason and Cassie had an educational experience with their friends!

The Beef 4H kids and Cassie

What could be better than that. Ryan and I got to help also. It was pretty neat. This little gals gonna make it and we were excited to see her come out alive. I seriously am amazed at all that Ranchers have to do and know. The ones we know do everything so kindly and so animals don't suffer. Here are a couple pics of the new baby! If she isn't able to be grafted onto another animal...we will be bottle feeding her. She had her first colostrum today.

I love her!!!!

Feeding Colostrum

It was a pretty normal day after homework and chores were done. I love the sun and the fact that things are blooming! My Rosemary and Oregano is back up and I think that calls for some Rosemary Chicken tomorrow! Yum! Planting my Garden will be just around the corner!

Hope you enjoy our family antics. Thank you for subscribing to this blog. If you like any of them please share! Today is the last day of our drawing. On March 31st I will draw 7 times out of all the names of those who have commented in that last 7 posts. You get a 7 chances if you comment on all of them. So go back 6 posts and comment. You still have time! Have a Blessed Day!

Mini Basketball...What exactly is that?

I really do love our school but what exactly is Mini Basketball I asked when my son called and said he wanted to coach it. His exact words were "I want to Coach Mini Basketball and you cant say no". I laughed. He told me what it entailed and I thought it was great. Of course I said yes.

So our school as some of you know is small. From K-12 (even though there is an Elementary school and a separate High school they are right next to each other) there is roughly 200 students total. These 200 students come from 4 towns that we call Big Valley. We have a JV team when we have enough players in High School and we have a Varsity Team always. After Basketball Season is over for the High schoolers they have a Mini Basketball Season for 3rd-6th graders. Its a week long after school. They start on a Monday and have a tournament on Friday.

4 amazing teams and all their helpers!

Its so cool seeing how many kids come out to do this. I don't have kids in elementary school anymore but if I did they would totally do this. How exciting for the kids to play and the parents to watch. Why is this special to me personally? The teenagers get to coach. So my oldest son Jackson (17) stayed after school to get to know the kids and coach them for the tournament.

Kellen on left, Jackson on Right and the Wolves!

The tournament is four teams and they get to play two games each. The Big Valley Lions Club sponsors it which is amazing. They supply the kids with all their T-shirts and all the stuff they need. We are very lucky to have them sponsor us. Its so gracious of them. Also, my good friend Becky also works really hard getting it together. She would die if she knew I even wrote about her. She is one of those people who never wants to be thanked and hides if she thinks someone is going to. Thank you though Becky!!

With a small town you always have a lot of helpers. We had the Basketball Coaches from high school helping, parents, Ms. Silva and lots of teens too helping with being a Ref or Announcer.

So Jackson had a hard first day or two when he went. He really wanted to be able to do more with the kids. We had a family discussion about how they look up to him and he needs to keep on keeping on. By Wednesday Jackson got his team which made him feel more like a Coach. At dinner he was talking all about each child and how excited he was. Heck his excitement made us excited. We were excited about him and the kids in his team.

Jackson became Coach Jack to them.

Friday came fast. It was a half day at school. Jackson stayed after school along with great volunteers to help his kids decorate their shirts. His team was now known as the Wolves. There were also three other great teams that they would be going against. Its funny to see siblings on different teams or bests friends. Its all in fun and each child got to play and play a lot. Go Wolves!

As a parent I was excited at the game watching my son be excited while he coached. I thought he did a stellar job always pumping them up, high fives and good jobs everywhere, and a big smile on his face. When one of his girls made a basket (she is really shy) he jumped up and down screaming. It made my heart swell! At that moment I wished it wasn't just a week. He had a plan on how to have every kid play a lot. They did too! I am smiling just thinking about this event yesterday.

Go Team!

They won both their games but even if they didn't they were all winners. The kids had so much fun. It was great seeing all the teenagers coaching. I loved being in the stands watching. It was a lot of fun. Really shows the lil guys how much fun Basketball can be and gives them someone to look up to also. Whoever started this event years ago was ingenious.

I was a proud mom. I was proud of my son and how he behaved with the kids. I love how he got a technical and talked to the Ref in a good manner. I love how he pushed his kids to do well and to lead them into doing well. I love how those kids became his friends and how he said on Monday he is going to keep it going by telling them how awesome they are. I love that he gave Gatorade to all his team. It was funny to hear the kids tell their moms they didn't need water because "My Coach bought me Gatorade!". So funny.

I never thought I would be the "sports" mom but I have been for awhile. Yesterday Jackson told me I was now the "Coaches" Mom. I really hope he does this again next year too. Its an amazing event. Couldn't be more proud of my kid and his team!

Thank you to BV Lions and all the Volunteers from Jackson

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39.....a weird comical birthday.

This Birthday was so not a typical birthday to me. Usually its full of fun and lots of activities etc. I just turned 39. That means I am almost 40....FORTY! Actually to be honest I am not someone who cares about how old they are getting. I figure having four teenagers is either keeping me young or I am so old the number really doesn't matter ha! I think probably old but maybe it will make me young eventually right ha!

My birthday was Monday. The weekend before we went to a memorial for Ryan's Grandma. It was a bittersweet moment where we got to pay our respects...grieve...share stories. She is going to missed so much! My husband, my MIL and my husbands siblings are still grieving a lot so I am being respectful and not posting about it. It was really good to see all his family and have all the cousins together.

Driving home....

On the way home however after two days there we decided to stop at Cattlemen's Steakhouse for dinner. This was going to be my family birthday dinner since on my birthday we had a lot to do like sports awards for two of the kids. We don't normally do this but this time we told the kids they can order whatever they wanted. Happy birthday to me.....not happy bday to our bank account:) Its good to really treat everyone every once in awhile. Josh and Jack decided that they were going to have a whole rack of ribs. I asked if they would actually be able to eat it because I didn't think they would be able too. Jason and I had steak and shrimp scampi. Cassie had shrimp and Ryan got a big ol steak. All I have to say is the strawberry lemonade there is to die for!!! I am literally drooling thinking about it. Hold on...be right back. Need to clean off my keyboard.

Josh and Jack....one rack each

yummy

Jason and I had shrimp scampi and Steak

Its my strawberry lemonade.....it was the BEST

Josh couldn't finish

Jack swore his stomach got bigger

We had a good dinner and I was really happy we did that even though we ended up getting home at midnight from our weekend trip to his grandmas memorial. I had to hurry and sleep because I would be getting up on my birthday at 445am to leave by 515 to drive two hours to a doctors appointment. I really should of taken a different day but I wanted to get it done with.

As most of you know I am in remission from Cushing's Disease. I had a tumor removed from my brain (in my pituitary). It messes with your immune system. Messes with a lot of things. 11 hormones to be exact. So you gain a lot of weight, have low immune system, bruise, stretch marks, insomnia, brain fog etc....  lets just say its no fun! If you want to know more about it check out www.cushingstories.com. Its a site that my friend Rachel and I co-founded to help others.

Anyways...I had to go to a pulmonologist to get my airways checked. I have been having problems breathing. It wasn't the best way to start the day but it needed to be done. I would of driven 2 hours anyways because I was able to get Starbucks! Do you hear the heavens opening and angels singing? I do when I think of my iced coffee drink! ahhhhhhhhhhh....*angelic singing*

Breathing tests

I hate plugging my nose but it was still thumbs up

Once I got home I found out that my favorite lamb passed away:( I was so sad. I always love my underdog animals. Then for all of  you guys who think you have had a crappy day (no pun intended) I walked outside barefoot to grab something out of the car and stepped in some doo-doo. YEP you hear me! I screamed! I jumped up and down screaming ehw ehw ehw! I hopped all the way back in and didn't care about what it was I was going to retrieve from the car. I hopped to the shower and that was that! Then my mind kept going to how was that even in the yard...the dogs cant even get there. EHW! I am grossing myself out again ~! Strawberry lemonade.....just think about strawberry lemonade.....ahhh. Ok now I am better!

So the day wasn't going as planned but I still had a good day! We went to Josh and Jacksons sports awards. They did a really good job and won different awards for Basketball! Very proud of those two. Josh is in JV and Jackson is in Varsity. It was a good ending my night.

So proud of my boys

I had tons of phone calls and birthday wishes from friends, family etc. I opened up some fabulous presents. I did chuckle to myself because my dad, my sister and mother in law know me well. They got me exactly what I asked for...more kitchen stuff. I am going to bake and cook everything! Ryan got me some snazzy stuff too and also some dresses I have been wanting from Ross. Hey I shop at Lane Bryant and Torrid but Ross is definitely my go to store. Why pay full price if I don't have too!

I obsessed with Green and Live Love Laugh things

My friends and family got me great gifts also and I really felt loved. It was a good ending to the day.....

39! Its going to be a good year! Watch out world! Rae-Rae is getting older! I never said more mature....just older!:)

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