Alexa

Day 84 / Family Reunion

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I learned the importance of family very early in life and more so later on – Our time with our family might be very limited, so every precious moment together counts. My family is a gift – my parents, my grandparents, my siblings, my husband, my in-laws, my aunts, uncles, cousins, my nieces and nephews, and my children. I have family spread throughout this county and this world and I thank God for all of them. Every. Day.

We spent the weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas for Donovon’s family reunion. It had been almost 20 years since Donovon and I went to the last reunion for the “May” side of the family. It was a weekend of catching up, sharing memories, lots of laughter and love. The venue was Knollwood Cabins on Hamilton Lake where the descendants of the May family occupied almost every cabin.

Today, the children splashed around in the lake while adults talked lakeside and looked through old photos. It was picturesque. It was a great time. It was family.

I’m thankful for being a part of the 2014 May Family Reunion, and for sharing memories as well as creating new ones.

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Day 78 / Eminem @ ACL

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It was in the year 2000 when I first heard Eminem.  We were living in Dallas at the time.  As I was driving into work one morning, I flipped through radio stations and stopped when I heard “The Real Slim Shady”.  I was cracking up at the lyrics and thought to myself, This guy’s hysterical.  Who the hell is he??  And thus began my infatuation/obsession with Slim Shady/Marshall Mathers/Eminem.

Yes, some of his lyrics, especially in earlier tracks, are disturbing, offensive, and unsettling; but I think that like any artist, he’s expressing himself.  I find him brilliant, ridiculously funny, and remarkably intense.  It’s quite a ride listening to his music, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.  So, when I first learned he was going to perform at ACL this year, I almost jumped out of my skin.

Last night, my friend Rose, her daughter Katy, Alexa, and I finally got to see Eminem live.  As ACL is an outdoor completely open venue, we were on a mission to get as close to the front of the stage as possible.  In an effort to do so, we stood amongst a sea of people for 3 hours, and then nearly suffocated as the crowd pushed, shoved, and squeezed its way toward the front at the end of the set before his.  I thought I was going to pass out at one point, but my resolve kicked in and the crowd settled down and we made it pretty damn close – just five people back from front stage.

I can’t even begin to describe my hysteria throughout his entire set.  I was entranced.  He put on a very entertaining show mixing both old and new songs.  It was so much fun and the best part was being there with Rose, Katy, and Alexa.  Today, my feet hurt and my voice is completely gone, but it was all so incredibly worth it, and I’m so very grateful for the whole experience.

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Day 69 / Photos

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Donovon found some old digital photos that I thought might be lost forever. I’m not only thankful that he found them, but I’m grateful for photos in general. They capture memories of days long gone – of us and our children as we’ve grown, of family members and friends both still with us and passed on, of celebrations, of holidays. Photos make up the picture book of our life.

As I looked through all the photos that I was so glad were found, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh at all the memories. It made my night.

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Day 67 / Alexa’s Tribute

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As a mother, I want so much for my girls. I want them to grow up as independent, strong, self-reliant, resourceful, and compassionate individuals. I want them the appreciate all they have and give back to those less fortunate. I do my best to instill these values and teach them lessons based on my experiences, and hope that they will carry them into adulthood.

Alexa is well on her way to becoming a woman of such character and so much more. However, never did I imagine that she would acknowledge what I’ve attempted to teach her, much less appreciate it.

Today she shared with me an essay she wrote for her English Composition class. The essay was about her superhero, her mother. She wrote about the strength and motivation I have given her to pursue her dreams. Needless to say, I sobbed when I read it. I am honored and humbled by Alexa’s tribute…and so very thankful for it.

Day 25 / My Teen Driver

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I can’t tell you how much it helps to have a teen driver in the household. Alexa can run an errand for me, take her sister to get ice cream or pick her up from day care if Donovon and I want to grab a drink after work. It’s a godsend.

Today, I forgot something at the store when I went grocery shopping. It was so helpful to be able to text Alexa to pick it up on her way home. I’m so thankful for my teen driver!

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Day 14 / Lunch with My Girls

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These days, with Alexa having graduated and both interning and working, it’s rare that I get to take both my girls to lunch. Today was one of those rare treats. I love spending time with just us girls. It takes a little juggling because Alexa and I can get into some intense conversations and Ava will vie for attention through some sort of antics. They both need my attention in such different ways, and I love giving it to them. They’re my babies. And I’m grateful to spend these precious moments with them.

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Day 3 / My Beautiful Girl

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For those of you who know my first-born daughter, Alexa, you know that when I describe her as “beautiful”, I am referring to her inner beauty more than her stunning outer beauty. For it is Alexa’s huge compassionate heart that makes an impression on anyone who knows or meets her.Ill-prepared, yet over-joyed when we had her, I was only 21 and my husband 24. We were kids having a kid, so we basically all grew up together. Because of that, I cherish our relationship that much more.

Alexa arrived almost 2 years after my husband’s “Little Brother” – what he affectionately called his younger step-brother – died in a tragic car accident. Her arrival brought rays of light to a very dark time for my husband’s family. I can’t help but think that God blessed us with her at a time when we all needed her most.

Now, I’m proud of My Beautiful Girl for many reasons – She’s strong, responsible, passionate, caring, independent, funny, joyful, empathetic, hard-working, determined, and creative. But even beyond all these attributes, she amazes me in that she’s gorgeous and doesn’t know it. She’s a leader and doesn’t realize that she leads. She’s a giver and doesn’t think twice about giving.

These past several weeks Alexa has been at my side almost every minute holding my hand, hugging me, letting me cry on her all why going through her own pain of losing her grandfather. I derive so much strength from her, and could not be more grateful for My Beautiful Girl.

 

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