Well, you made to FRIDAY!

Another week in my book.

More pages flipped over.  Some pages you might want to fold the corner, because they were epic.

Some you just want to rip out and toss in the trash.  But they need to be there, because they are you.

For some reason I have been tossing and turning at night this week.

I'm learning to pray.  Breathe in, breathe out, and pray.  Pray girl, pray.

Stress is here, there, and everywhere-- life is here to live.  It's easy for us to say "Live for Today"-

But when you sit in the driver seat at work, you become easily pushed down.

Responsibility and accountability are words that are hard to swallow.  Trust me.  But I do. Day in and day out.

What about on Tuesday when the gloom laid so thick over our city that moving to and from anywhere.... was a fete in its own.

A few times this week I looked at myself in my living room mirror.  Staring at me.  Almost smirking.  "You can do this Lisa"  You CAN-  Out the door I go, counting each blessing.  Exhaling every shitty thought.  You can Leese, you can.

Phone calls and texts' rolled in from a couple of these girls.  Maria, and Shell- You two will always make me smile.  Especially Shell's "Lisa you have to put YOUR oxygen mask on first, just like the flight attendant says" Makes me laugh each time.  As much as I want to go out and sip wine, and laugh the night away, I don't. I stay in and I stay focused.  At least for now.  Count down to LBYC days.  Wine Wednesdays, holla. Sunshiny long summery days, double holla-watch out world, watch out-

Getting this dude 100%, is what I aim dreaming of.   He's very close.  At least it feels like it.

Havasu moments are what we look out the window for.  It's our drive, and our push. It's the shiny light at the end of our "responsibility tunnel"-

This could not be more true.  It's even on the hard days.  Getting up.  Getting dressed. And making YOU feel worth it.  Because even if your job is to take care of a home. Or an animal. Or whatever it is- Do it, and don't give up.  Something I have learned, is even on the days I don't want to crawl out of bed.  Or even go anywhere for that matter, I still shower, put on my makeup, fart around with my mop, and get out. 

Have a great weekend.  Put on your favorite sandals, and your favorite clothes- fancy or cozy and just be YOU- Be safe, and be true- Whatever you do, remember to get out in some sunshine.
Smile at a stranger, and always always be kind to animals.


BUT BEFORE YOU GO:

Happy Friday!

 

"Don't blink"

Go live this life.



Cheers!  "Clink"

This Mama Lisa

ps.  I tried Yoga last night for the first time evvvaaah.  And let me just say....oh.my.
It was truly amazing.  Thank you sister for going with me, as she knew I struggled with the public side of
a class, and learning something new.  Namaste-

In a small nut shell.

Or maybe a big nut shell---Either way, I miss chatting with you folks.  But...work, and life in front.  Most important, life in front. And work---all of it. 

Quick life update:

Spent last weekend on the down low again.  I have a whole post on Bill, and his health.  The crucial part of the word "health" as in he had a severe reaction to the Flu Shot from November. 
It's long, it's winded, and it's real.  And it has been more enlightening and scary than I could ever imagined.

Let me add that on some days he couldn't use his left arm, and most certainly could barely walk.  The flu shot is a real asshole. 
Toss that in while Gaylord was in the hospital, and then getting home...-  It has been rough. 
You all remember how I said we've spent more time on the couch at home than ever.  Like ever?  Ya, it's been real. And shitty. And scary.  And real.  I have one huge post all about it.  So stay tuned.
Let me just point out-- Our family is now following homeopathic maintenance by several means.
Organic and pure has always been my vice, and here's another reason why.  The flu shot? Big Fat F U.
You picked a fight with the wrong family, that's for sure- 

Anysshhwwwaaayyyyyy------

So weekend after weekend, we've held down that big brown couch pretty well.
We made it to Supercross, as we try to every year.

Only this time, our son made all the arrangements-Thank you Kris!
We dined together as a family of six.  And so that was a highlight of my month. Bill's highlight was playing a scratcher lotto ticket in there (Glory Days in Seal Beach), and winning Two Fifty BABY!  Happy Birthday Bill--

 

And....
I drove back out with Kali on Friday to prep for her next semester at CSUSM-
A place she likes to call jail. jk.

Right before I got the "Mom, stop. Like seriously"-

View from her corridor---

A place she will be pushing mountains with strong shoes on for the next few months.
We unpacked those bags she brought home.  Only this time instead of SIX bags, we narrowed it down to FOUR.  And in those FOUR, some of the clothes we share, along with bracelets, necklaces, boots..etc get shoved in there. Which meant finding some of my shoes under her bed I have been missing.  funny stuff.

On Sunday I shopped for her dorm. All things natural, organic and healthy.  I prepped her favorite pasta salad for the week.  I washed her new linens making sure to add that extra scent she loved.  I filled our living room corner again....with everything Kali related.

Monday morning, she came out of her room with that look. The look of "mom, I don't want to do this, but I know I have to, and I can, but this is so hard to leave"-

We hugged hard and quick, and both reached to grab whatever was in front of us to stop the tears.
But that didn't help. I still cry. She still cries.

This is life.  She has a tougher load this time around.  She's strong, she's able, and she's a fighter.

She can drive home if she wants, she can figure things out in this adult life-
It's just right now she misses us Gianni. She misses home, and all that mom's provide.
Right now it feels like eleventy years until this is done.

A promise she made herself, was she would give this all she has. 
I left her a letter and some Valentine heart candies in her car, and she sent me this--

And it read "I LOVE YOU"-

I am Momm.  And I am proud.  Especially to be their Momm---(that has been over wearing hats lately because I really am over my hair and want/need a change-shh just don't tell Bill) 

Pray for her little soul as she makes her own meals, walks to and from her dorm, and studies like it's no body's business.  Gotta kinda chuckle with making her own meals.  sorry.  She definitely doesn't suffer from second child abuse. ha!

Happy Tuesday kids.

Careful on that flu shot.  Just take Vitamin D.  And wash your flippin hands!  And NEVER ever put your hands near your face until they are CLEAN.  Pretty easy kids, pretty easy.

Big love,

This Mama Lisa  or Momm, or Mama, or Hun, or Bucksie's Grammie-
Whatever I am, I am proud to be Mama Bird. 

xo

On really closing chapters.

You know last weekend and specifically this week, a few things dawned on me.

While cleaning out my closet, I noticed a bin half way full of High School Soccer stuff.  All things related to representing those beautiful girls.  My folders.  Shirts too large. Some socks that were never disbursed. Her personal soccer bag. Along with a few t-shirts left behind.  Sized way too big for us, and a couple of long sleeves of the prints I didn't care for, but never the less, they stayed behind.  In my bin. In my room.

My trunk still adorns a few blankets that I used for those soccer fields.

Day after day I receive email alerts of field changes or closures.  What team is gleaming and beaming.
Beach Soccer held some pretty crazy memories for us.  As I am quite sure the same rings true for many of my friends.  United Soccer carries the same stories.  Some so good they can leave a smile on your face.  Others, well, we just buried em in the sand.  Although I did love our managers and coaches. Even when we played in 100 degree weather with exactly 12 girls.  I loved the game.

The funny thing is: It's so hard to purge it all. 

It's hard to type the words UNSUBSCRIBE-

It's hard to just "donate" un-used items. I still have her cleats by the front door.  FREAK, I know.

You know we are walking into her second semester of college, and I still.....still, have a hard time letting all of this go.

Call me crazy, I already know.

When your little's are little, and you are packing the car the night before, and filling your fridge with all healthy snacks, and laying out your little ice chest for the early morning departure that would soon roll around faster than you really wanted at 6am on a cozy Saturday or Sunday morning.....remember one thing.

You WILL miss it.

You WILL miss your buddies.

You WILL miss that grass beneath your feet.  Wet or dry.  You will.

You WILL miss opening up your chair with a nervous belly because you just want to kick the opponents ass.

You WILL miss those butterflies when they put your daughter in, and she's so worked up, and nervous.

You WILL miss the freezing nights that you sat on the bleachers.  Next to your friends, shoved close to eachother for warmth.

You WILL miss the in between games sitting under a tree eating lunch.  Forced to stay away from work. Stress.  Things.

You WILL miss the smile on their faces when they win. Not realizing that loss makes them better and stronger.  Mentally, not always physically.

You WILL miss pacing the field minutes before it ends with a clinching win or loss.


As fast as these chapters are flying, there are a few that I'd like to step back in and re-read.
If I could grab just a couple of them, and do them again.  For just a day.

Or even just a day to hear their little toddler voices again. Just to hold their hands.

Kiss those chubby little cheeks.

Happy Wednesday Mama's and Papa's.
Embrace. Embrace. Embrace.
For one day you will look back on these days and miss them.

I know I certainly am.

How about you parents that I was lucky enough to sit with during those days....?

Cheers-

This mama lisa

Don't forget to leave your love notes.  xo   There IS an incredible value in sharing love.  Especially notes.
Trust me. Tuck one in your kids lunches tomorrow.  Or hey, you can get alllll crazy and maybe write something a little snazzy to your lover.  I'm quite sure they need it.  xo  Water the seed, baby. Water the seed.

When you celebrate life.

With the six pack.

It was a simple day.  Maybe a tad more simple than he hoped for. Or maybe not. Maybe the day rolled out just the way it was supposed to.

For some reason throughout the afternoon, I kept getting a lump in my throat.  Each and every year since we've been together, we would embrace Shirley birthday request first, and join her somewhere (which usually and most always rolled out with "whatever you guys want...don't worry about me").  I stopped on the way home at our favorite flower shop...Devynn's Garden in Seal, asking for a bouquet.  What I really wanted was flowers to honor her.  And so here you can see her favorite pink roses...or maybe you can't see them.  What you CAN see is the Cazadores Tequila which was a favorite of hers. Anyway, you get the picture right...?  Thank you Turks and Thank you Reynolds. You guys know how to throw it down, that's for sure.

And not the picture that we are indeed full blown drunks, but more honorary type of people right? No, seriously....right?  Thanks. 

What we needed most that evening was to be surrounded by friends.  Friends that have watched a whole bunch of life unfold.  With us.  Don't get me wrong, we have many many friends that walk this path with us. But these crazy kids, well....they just rally when the rally is due.

I present to you two pictures.  Because we were in The Quiet Woman in Newport, and if you've never been, well....go.  But put Vaseline all over your body so you can squeeze through the bar, and continue to shuffle as servers, patrons, managers, and more servers try to squeeze by.  Ya- that kind of place. Another example of..."the older I get, the less I am tolerable"-  BUT, the wine was good.  so there's that.  And people watching, with faces frozen in face lift time was incredible...so there was also that.

I could have done a better job inviting everyone over, and offering up another party.  But ya know...this year was just a little off.
I say that now, then my birthday comes and I start getting excited 5 days before.  But just as usual, it becomes just another day. Another year.  Another simple night in. 
Love becomes real, and friends become real when text messages, and notes start flooding in.
I'm sure he felt the love.  

For starters I began to plan this little partayyy down the way at our local pub, but after realizing that Bill still wasn't up to par in the health department, I opted for a favorite restaurant of ours.

Bandera's. Corona Del Mar, CA.

I'm happy to report our night went off without a hitch.  We managed to sit in this little corner booth stuffing our faces and sipping our sips.

We've come a long way from throwing down shots, and bar hopping all the way home. 

Or, wait.

We did stop at one on the way home.  Thanks Jodee, yes that WAS the best Cheeseburger I've ever tasted.

Singing Shaggy's  "It wasn't me" was a highlight for me.  As our heads swayed down PCH while our DD laughed and drove.....

"It wasn't me"-  

Happy Birthday Bill.

I hope all your wishes come true. xo

Happy Tuesday-

And CONGRATS to Trevor and Jazmine on their engagement!  So excited for you two love birdies. xo

This mama lisa

And just like that.

This guy turns 45.

This guy, that holds my hand, and walks my walk.  Sometimes we may not want to hold hands, and walk that walk.  But we do.  When he walks like this, I tend to stay back.  With this walk usually, and most likely you will hear some "woop wooooops"-  Some of those woop's need a little reminder that we need inside voices.  Only sometimes, though....especially when Sean Ireland is around. Ha!

Fun times we have, now don't we Bill.....

The guy that can bbq like a master chef.

The guy that whips up Sunday coffee better than ANY Starbucks Barista.  boom.

The guy that totes me around the lake, always filling my coolie with a blue mountain brew.  Sometimes he breaks out these blue tall plastic cups we have. And sometimes he even tries to get real sneaky and rinse out those cups in the lake.  Silly dude. 

I've always been in love with this dude.  From day one.  It seems we fit eachother.   Seriously we do.
With the exception of the shark week pre-qualifying days.  Well, those days don't count.  Because he can barely do anything right.  But I try.  We both try.

I've always been in love with his looks. His heart.  And most of all his ears.  He has the cutest ears you'll ever see on a guy. 

He's tender, and he's true.  He a thinker.  And most days does almost everything with that process.  Never a rusher.  From opening bottles, to closing down a boat for the winter.  It's all a process. So sexy to me.

Dayummm, he's also easy on the eyes when he washes windows.  As I sat there sipping margarita's iced-tea.

He skippers around our kids, and their friends like no body's biz. He never drinks and drives with them.  Here I present to you, the safest boater, with the lives of all the little's. 

 Each summer he tries and tries to persuade me to take a long trip up the lake on The Bomba's.  But only once did I feel safe on them. And that wasn't when I was shot gun with him, and he rode right through those tall reeds with me on the back.  Laughing all the way.  And another time we either ran out of gas, or it was "running sluggish.." dab smack in the middle of the gawd damn lake.  The moment I had to go potty. Scared as shit. 

He's a true loyal friend.  He really is. 

He can drain a sunken ship in no time.  I mean, he goes hard. 

We can sit and chat for hours.  We can laugh about all things silly to us.  "Slickery right honey"

I wish you many many more birthdays here on this Earth baby.  You will always keep my lips facing you.
As I have said for many many years, I love the way you love me.

I have not for one day taken for granted the day you walked into my life as three.

I can not imagine walking through this life without you.  Ever. 


Happy Birthday Bill. I love you more than I can type.  And even though you aren't turning 45, we aren't counting numbers anymore...right?

Cheers to 2015.  May health lead the way, and prosperity ease your sexy soul.

Your lover, and soul mate.

Leese aka Mama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Remembrance of Shirley.  Today is her birthday too.  

Happy Birthday Shirley--- We miss you.  Way more than we all could  have imagined. 
I hope they are serving you the best ice cream---

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their moments in time.

Getting away from it all.

Escaping the reality of school. Work. Social Media. Friends. Chores.

                                                                    Gianni + Kali

They headed here.  Catalina Island.  Tucked away at The Catalina Island Inn.  Cutest little hotel by the way, if you remember our stays there....

And while there, a friend of ours hooked them up with all fun things. A true form of  "it's who you know"  Jeep Tours, Casino tours, zip-lining...just all good things...

They visited more parts of the island than we ever have.  The history inside the casino over there is astounding.  Glad I got to hear all about it. 

Happy Third Anniversary you two-

"You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination"

Happy Thursday kids. 

xo

Pray for these two as they tread through distance, school, and life. 

Big LOVE,

This Mama Lisa

In case you are wondering.

In case you are wondering what I've been up to, after I bolted from here to there....

Most importantly, now. 

Spending time decompressing from the holidays. It seems to grow a little more stressful for me each year.

So much so, that I threw away every single bit of wrap I had left.  Just because. LOL

I've spent time with Kali, sipping coffee and indulging in very very deep conversations.

I've witnessed a very sick Gaylord make it home, and paddle his way through healing.  Tis' NOT an easy road. God Bless his kids. 

I've taken down two houses worth of decorations. 

We've packed away a house at the lake for happy snow birds.

I shipped my parents Christmas presents 4 days after Christmas so there's a winner daughter there. 

I've tended to things on my desk, some urgent, some not so. 

I've cleaned boxes, and rearranged "junk" which ='s trashola to the curb for this girl. Don't tell Kali. 

We've heard news of our friend committing suicide on NYE.  Rest Easy Scotty. 

I've found myself day dreaming while thinking of him preparing that horrible task.  Poor dude. Just to think if one phone call, or one visit would have stopped him.  I sure will miss his big smile, and his always interesting surfer style necklaces. 

I've sent emails to loved ones, and written a couple of letters too. 

I've baked some yummy breads, and up'd my anty with hearty meals. 

I've tried my new face creams only to find that 2 of the 3 are eye creams, so I hope you all see a difference, because that shit has made it's way from nose to ear, ear to chin, and chin to neck. boom.

Pure. Glory.

I've learned that Kali is still battling being away at school. 

I've enjoyed many cute picture holiday cards, that I still catch myself staring at. LOVE. 

I've dressed for work, freezing, and scrambling for clothes I like. 

We celebrated NYE in Seal, with dinner at Walts, and home by 11.

We've stayed in more than we have in a very long time. 

Using the term staying in as, actually sitting on the couch watching tv.  

The year of 2014 was one of our hardest as of yet. 

Some of the proudest moments, and yet some of our hardest, came from that year we said good-bye to. 

I'm savoring each morning I can with Kali before she heads back to take down the next semester. 

I've learned that she can rock a dirty room like no other. 

I've learned that we both have oodles of hair that does not do well in my white shower, and bathroom.

I've learned that washing/drying warm blankets for my cats to cuddle up on is really good karma. 

I've learned that receiving texts' from friends I haven't seen in weeks still melts my heart. 

Receiving pictures from my parents as they opened their gifts I sent, pushed me over the tear drop mountain. 

(blurry shot, but some of our family in that heart- tucked up in a nice big black frame) - Pinterest winner-

(That is a personalized floor mat for their kitchen floor...came out pretty cute, huh)

I've learned that I can listen to Norah Jones on Pandora all damn day, and keep calm. 

I've learned that bullshit is still served on a stick, it's just up to us to take possession, or toss it. 

I've learned that being an almost 45 year old is becoming harder and harder to fucking see. Which reminds me why I think eye cream is just face cream.  

Bill and I exchange ornaments each year, and while admiring the one he bought me and the cute picture tucked inside, it reads "Just Married" on the bottom.  He about shit his pants- So, tell me who can't see now? big ol LOL-

I've learned that hot coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon a'top is still the best. 

I've learned that both of my kids keep me proud.  Pretty sure I did a little something kind of right. 

I've learned that this year will be as good to me, as I make it. 

I wish you all a good week, a good month and a kick ass year. 

Hope you are killing it with your resolutions- Mine will stay the same, trying to find the goodness in the simplest.

You know, less stuff = more meaning.  Think about that.


xo

Happy Humpday.

Peace to you all....

Lisa Lynn