Bay Area Running Boot Camp - Day 7 & 8

 In the "What have I gotten myself into category!" I'm catching up on my posts 2 at a time for running boot camp with Greg Durham. Some days are better than others. It's very challenging to run with all this extra weight. It's coming off but it's a slow progression. It makes lifting my body weight so much harder. The Tae Bo classes are really helping out with my endurance level.

Tuesday: I got this super cool new shirt! I threw it on my hubs for a photo op. lol - He's a good sport. We tried the slow out fast in run today. I thought I did well going out but before we came back we did some lunges and squats! OUCH - then we tried to run back faster. HAH!!!! No matter how much I tried to propel myself and no matter how much I tried to talk myself out of it, I stopped and walked. It was so HOT. The heat just gets to me. See.....

This is my ewwwwwwwww gross face. I was so grossed out and in need of a shower. I had to share this one because as you can see I am sweating my chest off, literally. It looks like I dumped water on myself but I didn't. My hips always have this ache now. I know where it comes from, improper running form. When we do these particular lean, stand straight up and run drills I can feel where the pain comes from. Running is so much more focused than I ever imagined.

Saturday: We did a series of speed drills which I liked. They were really tough. We ran through the trails a bit and before I knew it I was walking again. I had NO focus. My hubs and I switched cars that morning. His car was on empty and my wallet was in the other car. I was worried about getting home. I had a few other things on my mind. I find that I can run a lot better when I'm left alone. I feel a lot less pressure to keep up. I feel bad being the last one all the time. I'm the one they have to loop around. lol - They are all very nice and never say anything negative it's just me. It's all me wishing I could keep up. Some days I just can't make my body do what I want it to do. It's focus. It's the things I tell myself. I also need to invest in a new running music system. I don't want to carry my music. I need one of those arm band things that you wear or find a smaller player that I can clip on my shirt. I'm hoping the next week will be better. I have to find that zone and be in the moment and stop worrying about everything, it just brings me down and wastes my time.

Our YMCA has a flyer about a Friends Helping Friends 5K/10K/Kids K Run/Walk Benefiting Officer Michael Johson. If you are interested just click on the link for more information.

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.





Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Aloha Friday #224 - Hardest Job?

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

In our home my husband and I have the agreement to live off of his paycheck and I stay home with the children. This to me is one of the hardest jobs! Being a parent is hard job period but you don't get paid for it and this got me thinking.

My question for you is...
What do you think is the hardest job that earns a paycheck?



Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Wordless Wednesday - Puss-n-Boots

This is Puss-n-Boots.

This is my son's impression of Puss-n-Boots. 

Yes, it works! We can't help but crack up when he makes this face.

 For more WW participants head to:




To view other Wordful Wednesday blogs head over to:



Photo courtesy of evilkittyempire on myspace.com. Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

More Potty Training Supplies

 I'm pulling out the heavy artillery here! I bought some plastic undies and added some more potty training books to our collection. We have books for boys but since I'm potty training a girl I thought it might be helpful for her to identify with characters that are like her. I'm not really a fan of the plastic undies and I sort of feel sad for her when she walks around or runs rather. She makes this very silly sound that's hard to describe.

She has the entire concept down and she has a routine but she just refuses to let go in the potty. It's going to take time and patience, I know. This is the fourth time to do this and I can't wait to be done. She went for her Daddy the other day and we CELEBRATED but 5 minutes later she had an accident.

No worries! We just clean it up and keep moving on. She has her big girl panties that she likes to wear but it's still going to take time. She's not the only child where we can focus the entire day around her and potty training. No, we have our lives to tend to and places we need to go and people we need to meet. I can't wait until this part is over!


Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

#Mamavation Monday

This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Katy Bowman and her Aligned and Well series.
Weekly Mamavation Goals - 

1.  #fruitnveggie challenge. Get 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 
2. Water challenge. Strive to drink more water. Some moms are striving to drink half their body weight in water. For instance if you weigh 180, strive to drink 90 ounces of water per day.

My Goals -

• The long term goal 50lbs. by the end of the year.
• The short term goal 4 lbs. per month. 
• January - 4 pounds lost = goal met.
• February - 5 pounds lost = goal met.
• March - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• April - 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• May -2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• June 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• July 

My Work Outs - Working Super Hard!
Monday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp
Tuesday - 1HR AM Tae Bo
Wednesday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp, 1/2 HR Run
Thursday - 1 HR AM Tae Bo
Friday - 30min AM Swimming laps, 1 HR PM Boot Camp, 1/2 HR Run
Saturday - 1 HR AM Running Boot Camp
Sunday - REST

Measurements -
I did not measure this morning.

Scale Reading -
No loss, no gain.

Stress Level -

By Thursday and Friday I was just tweeting for prayers. One thing after another was happening and I was not reacting very well to any of it. My hubs is back home so our home is balanced again. I'm hoping for a more relaxing week.

The UP side -
That scale is just not my friend. I'm starting to dread every single Monday! But....I now can visibly see changes in my body. My clothes fit differently only not in the places that I want but I see smaller legs and I see a smaller waist. Back to the food journal I go! I've not been logging it for over a month. I need to get back on track and go from there.

I'm looking forward to reading how the rest of my "sistas" did this week.
And this is a little inspiration for all of this week!

I'm always hunting workout music which you will find in my DJ Booth at Blip.fm. You can search the #mamavation hashtag or #workouttunes to see my lists. If you have any music suggestions leave them in the comment section!

From RealAge.com

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:




Track my weight loss.


Watch my waist get smaller.


Track my walking.  

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood".

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com and before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

5 Fingers of Thanks

1.) Thankful that my husband is finally home from his travels. Now I can sleep.
2.) Thankful that we got to enjoy most of Kemah Boardwalk.
3.) Thankful that the kids enjoyed Moody Gardens.
4.) Thankful that my replacement cell phone is on the way.
5.) Thankful that my mother and grandmother are home safely from their travels.

If you would like to share in my Sundays of thanks there is a Mr. Linky.

Below is the code for those five little fingers above or feel free to create your own.

<a href="http://pamelamkramer.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20Fingers%20of%20Thanks" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/PMKU/5fingersofthanks.jpg" /></a>

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Bay Area Running Boot Camp - Day 4, 5 & 6

 In the "What have I gotten myself into category!" I'm a little behind on my updates for running boot camp with Greg Durham. Days three and four where on my own because I didn't have anyone to watch my little people. Greg was nice enough to send me some running intervals to try out on my own. I don't have any icky sweating pics to share this post. You will just have to trust me that I'm working hard.

Day 4: I tried what is called a "slow out, fast in." You have a designated time and you run out slowly until you reach that time. Afterward you run back fast and try to beat your time. I didn't do very well on the day that I tried it because I wasn't running on a track or trail. It was basically an incomplete project.

Day 5: I was suppose to run an interval where you run quickly for several seconds and then you have a few minutes to recover and you alternate. When I tried this I had incomplete instructions so I tried the "slow out, fast in" again. Since I was on a track I was able to complete this run and I was pretty happy with the results.

Day 6: Today Greg took some video footage so we can work on our forms. I don't know what the video looks like and I don't think I want to know. lol - I'm running with other woman who are so much faster. The next time I hear someone talk about being to old to be fit I'm going to have to tell them about the women that I run with here at boot camp. I'm younger but these ladies run circles around me. They are wonderful, encouraging and inspirational! So no excuses!

What would really be cool is a dietary/nutritional work shop. I'm not talking about a lecture but more like a class. Honestly, I have lots of questions. When and what should I be eating before a work out. Is there a difference in what you should be eating depending on what your work out is that day? I'm a huge fan of muscle confusion so some days I'm doing weight and others Tae Bo, spinning, running or swimming. What should I be eating after these kinds of work outs? I'm completely missing the food part of what I'm doing. I'm a work in progress. I'm not a fan of powders and pills. I don't stay consistent with taking any kind of pill at a certain time. I rather just stick with food and figuring out how to make what I'm eating work for me.


Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.





Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Aloha Friday - Memory Tricks

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

I can't find my cell phone. I know the last person I called and she told me what time I called. The problem, my battery is dead so I can't hear it ring oh and I can't remember where I was at the time I made that last phone call.

My question for you is...
Do you have any memory tricks? The older I get the worse my memory gets.



Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Wordless Wednesday - Any Time She Needs A Lift

He spoils his baby sister rotten! I love that about him. He makes it a point to make her smile, to make her laugh and to teach her. I hope they will always remain close.

For more WW participants head to:








To view other Wordful Wednesday blogs head over to:





Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Where's The Panic Button?

Today I was being the super cool mom by taking my super cute kiddos to Kemah Boardwalk. We spent money on the all day bands so we could ride all the rides and call it good. To get our moneys worth we went back again after my little girl took her nap and I made dinner. I didn't eat because I had GRAND plans of going straight from the boardwalk to the YMCA to get my run in for running boot camp. I wasn't about to get sick!

We decided to make the Kemah Boardwalk Tower one of our last rides. As we boarded the operator of the ride said, "the air conditioner is out, it's going to be a little hot." I didn't think much of it because we were on it earlier in the day and I didn't feel much a/c before. I'm sitting inside and the door closes and it gets hot. Part of me says BAIL!!! I don't care if the kids want to ride this, but then it was too late. I started to panic and it got hotter and hotter. I started to get really scared. I started to pull at my shirt and wave it back and forth for a breeze but it wasn't helping. We started rotating out of the sun and I thought it would get better but it didn't. I looked to my left at the lady's purse sitting next to me. I asked her, "Do you have a piece of paper in your purse?" I'm thinking fan! She started looking and handed me a folded up piece of paper. I began to fan myself but the sweat kept coming and I felt light headed and sick. I asked her, "Is there a panic button in here? I have to get out of here!" She says to me, "I don't think so but they did warn us about the a/c being out."

"I know, I just under estimated the heat!" I told her. I look to my right and see my three children sitting there sweating. I'm pouring sweat like NEVER before. I've been to boot camps, running boot camps, Tae Bo, Zumba, Spinning class and none of that compared to the sweat that was running off of my body. In my mind, I could see an ambulance coming to my rescue and realized it would be really bad if that happened. That would leave my 9 year old in charge of the other two. I quickly began to calm down and focus on breathing. I looked out the window and saw the shadow of the tower in the water and we were at the top starting to come down. I just tried to stay calm. Then the woman says to me, "At least were burning fat!" Did that seriously just come out of your mouth?   Lucky for me she found another piece of paper and was helping to fan me. Her daughter was next to her texting someone in their family on the other side of the tower to see if there was a panic button inside the ride. She told me, "there's nothing there, there isn't a panic button!" I told her, "it's ok, we are half way down I will be ok." The ride was finally over. There were a few other men getting off the ride breathing hard and fanning themselves. I will NEVER do that again. I put myself in danger and I could have put my children in a scary situation. No ride is worth that no matter how badly they want to go on it.

Needless to say I was disoriented after that and we did leave. While driving I got turned around and lost and was quickly burning up my running time. After talking with my good friend Karen Nelson, she helped me get back on the road home and gave me some really good advice! "Call it a day! Go home and that's exactly what I did. Maybe next time they should just shut the ride down, that might be a safer call.



Photo courtesy of photohome.com. Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

#Mamavation Monday

This week's blogging carnival is sponsored by Chiquita Banana.
Weekly Mamavation Goals - 

1.  #fruitnveggie challenge. Get 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 
2. Water challenge. Strive to drink more water. Some moms are striving to drink half their body weight in water. For instance if you weigh 180, strive to drink 90 ounces of water per day.

My Goals -

• The long term goal 50lbs. by the end of the year.
• The short term goal 4 lbs. per month. 
• January - 4 pounds lost = goal met.
• February - 5 pounds lost = goal met.
• March - +1 gain = goal NOT met.
• April - 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• May -2 pounds lost = goal NOT met.
• June 0 gain/loss = goal NOT met.
• July 

My Work Outs - Working Hard!
Monday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp
Tuesday - 1HR PM Running Boot Camp
Wednesday - 1 HR PM Boot Camp
Thursday - 1 HR PM Tae Bo
Friday - 45min AM Swimming laps
Saturday - 30 min AM Running Boot Camp, 1 HR AM Zumba
Sunday - REST

Measurements -
I did not measure this morning. I had no desire to know today especially after last weeks measurements and today's results on the scale.

Scale Reading -
4 lb. gain If there was ever a day I wanted to give up today would be that day.

Stress Level -

I had a lot on my mind. I've got all three kids while my hubs is away but I have managed. My eldest turned 21 and I had to deal with that as well. There is a lot of strife in our relationship. Unfortunately I'm not the only one and that will continue until some act of God takes place. Very few of you blog about this but I wonder what does your monthly cycle do to your results? I'm not sure myself because I've never tracked it before but I think I will start. I'm wondering if that has anything to do with my massive gain this week. It would certainly have something to do with why I'm so super ticked off right now. rofl....

The UP side -
I'm beyond frustrated today and I didn't even want to write this post. I'm so sick of the yo yo! I work out every single week! I'm not a slacker I've built a routine. I spent 6 months creating a routine and I spent another 6 months increasing the intensity of that routine. Now, I'm just looking at the same numbers. I'm watching what I eat and I thought I did really well with eating and my water intake this week! I'm trying to find some sort of positive note here, really I am. The only thing I have come up with is that I now have a new Tae Bo class to add to my routine. That is my upside. Oh and I'm sticking to my bedtime schedule to make sure I'm getting more sleep. That's it. I'm blocked on inspiration.

I'm looking forward to reading how the rest of my "sistas" did this week.
And this is a little inspiration for all of this week!
It's random but I still need to know I'm not alone.

I'm always hunting workout music which you will find in my DJ Booth at Blip.fm. You can search the #mamavation hashtag or #workouttunes to see my lists. If you have any music suggestions leave them in the comment section!

From RealAge.com

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:






Track my weight loss.


Watch my waist get smaller.


Track my walking.  

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood".

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com and before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

5 Fingers of Thanks

1.) Thankful to Keith and Liz for introducing me some Tae Bo action this week.
2.) Thankful that my kids and I got to meet up with friends for fun in the water park at the Perry YMCA.
3.) Thankful that my husband is coming home this week. I'm so OVER doing this parent thing alone.
4.) Thankful that I got to have dinner with my mother, grandmother and nephew this week.
5.) Thankful that my son made it home safely from church camp.

If you would like to share in my Sundays of thanks there is a Mr. Linky.

Below is the code for those five little fingers above or feel free to create your own.

<a href="http://pamelamkramer.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20Fingers%20of%20Thanks" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee193/PMKU/5fingersofthanks.jpg" /></a>

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Eel to Sting Ray - Happy Graduation

We love the swim lessons at our YMCA! Our "tornado" here was enrolled in the pike class but after the first day I knew he was in the wrong class. He is NOT afraid of the water. He wasn't afraid to stick his head under the water and his arms and legs were going crazy. We moved him into the eel class and it was a perfect fit for him. He didn't pass the class after the two weeks and I registered him for another class. It's great that they have instructors that really assess their abilities rather than just passing them on. I was pleased that his swim instructor made that call. I really like the way they make the classes so much fun and they keep the class size small.

He had a new instructor and this time it was guy so he was really trying to impress him. He graduated with flying colors! Now he can move on to become a sting ray. He's super excited.

I feel so much better now when he is in the pool. Now I just have to figure out what to do with our baby girl. She doesn't have any fear either. Summer is coming to a close so I may wait but they are coming for sure.

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.





Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Aloha Friday #223 - Telemarketers

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

It never fails! They call during nap time, they call during dinner, they call when I'm trying to get the kids in bed!!! This got me to thinking...

My question for you is...
Have you EVER bought anything from a telemarketer?



Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Blog Bash - Nice To Meet You!

Brittany is throwing a party! I haven't been to a party in a long time. As summer has hit I'm sort of on the road all the time now being a taxi. My kids are involved in a lot of different things. Currently I'm in the throws of potty training my last child. I use to own an online baby apparel brand called Happy Panda. I had to close down my business due to cpsia regulations. That is a bit depressing but it's been a nice break too. I always seem to have a lot of balls in the air, that's just me. I pray for a boring day! lol

1.) Why do you blog?

I blog to educate, share ideas and products and to vent!

2.) What do you blog about?

I blog about my children, products that we try, books that we read, movies that we watch, fitness and basically a mixed bag of whatever comes up that day or week.

3.) What do you find to be the biggest reward you get from blogging?

Finding that other people might be in the same boat as I am. Who doesn't love comments? Also I get to vent which is really important to me.

4.) How long have you been blogging?

I've been blogging since September 2007.

5.) Let's hear the story behind your blog title! :)

A Renaissance Woman is a woman with many talents! That's me. I'm not good at just one thing. I always seem to pick up lots of different skills. I've had a lot of different titles in my life and they seem to keep adding up.

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Wordless Wednesday - Able To Fit In Small Places

For more WW participants head to:




To view other Wordful Wednesday blogs head over to:



Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

Bay Area Running Boot Camp - Day 3

 In the "What have I gotten myself into category!" Today is the beginning of my second week at running boot camp with Greg Durham. There was a LOT less walking for me today. What happened? Well for one I didn't have a boot camp before this evenings class. Two, I didn't eat dinner before I ran. Three, I didn't wear a t-shirt so I was able to stay slightly cooler. I get to log 3 miles in 49 minutes. There was so much to focus on for me! Chest up, kick the heels up, squeeze in the shoulder blades, land correctly, oh and breath. It was hot and the mosquitoes were out in full force. I'm going to miss two classes because I have no one to watch my peeps. Greg is nice enough to email me some routines that I can work on at the YMCA so I have child watch. I can do the routine on their track.

This is me, sharing my sweat with you! Gross isn't it? I know. My Mom was a bit grossed out too. lol - It just shows how hard I'm working out there. Now let me just say this about posting photos of myself, which I NEVER do, this might help you. I don't like pictures of myself. Why? Because I don't really care for the way I look which is why I work out like a crazy person. It's almost like I'm hiding from myself but here is the thing. This is the way people see me every single day!!! rofl..... It took me a while to catch on. I won't post pictures but this is the way my family, friends, people I work out with, people at church and all those strangers in between see me. The only one who doesn't know that I look like this is me. That is sort of what happens when you become over weight. It's a gradual process that doesn't seem to show up in the mirror that you look in every day. It shows up in pictures! I keep having to remind myself! You are back to your pre-baby weight/after you just had another baby. Give yourself a break! You aren't having any more children and your body will no longer yo yo back and forth. No one is harder on me, than me. My little guy is the one that catches photos of me.

I can't deny him. :)

Could you?

Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

RoboLab and Battlebots

"Join a "Brain Team" as you and your teammates work together to build and program robots using our LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT™ Robotics Engineering system.  Then, discover how remote controls work, and design your own radio remote controlled Battlebot.  Race your creation, master obstacle courses, and battle your “Bot” on the robot battlefield." - Houston Museum of Natural Science

 Oh yes! My son was very proud of the car he built. He spent 4 days at the RoboLab and Battlebots camp building this car. On the last day they had a tournament. He told us that his team won. It was all about the forks! He had such a great time. I'm sure if we had the money and he had the time he would take a lot more camps there.


Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.

So You're 21 Today

Oh my lovely! Today is such a milestone in a young adult's life. It really is the age where you are free to do anything you want. There is so much possibility in your future and you may not see it but any Mother or Father can. It's that wisdom that we gained by making our own mistakes as we have gotten older. It was hard having you at such a young age. At times it was just a matter of making sure you ate, were clothed and had a roof over your head. The times that I should have had time with you were spent finding someone to watch you so that I could go to work. I did my best with what I knew at the time but I always knew I could do better and I went back to school.

Surely if I went to school then I could become a better parent and honestly I did. It opened up a world of all new possibilities to both of us and so did he.

He supported my dreams for both of us. He loved you and I couldn't ask for a better man to be a role model for you. We did our best to be good role models. We did our best to guide you, to teach you, to provide you with a safe place to fall. Oh the things he endured!

But I was there too cheering you on as you were figuring out what to do with your future. You had so many questions about faith, boys, grades, colleges, what to pursue, where to live...the questions were endless. We helped you come up with a plan. I was prepared, at least I thought I was. After graduation you were going to be well on your way to conquering the world!

But then I learned the hard way, that in fact these were not your plans. It was time for you to go your own way and do your own thing. Everything I was trying to shield you from you ran to and breaking away from your family is at times, inevitable. Now we don't get any of your time. It's split between your job and the person you love.

So today you are 21 working at your job instead of already graduated as I had planned. Today you will be going back to your apartment after work with your love instead of hopping on a plane with us.

You see when I turned 21 my Mother did something for me that I will never forget, she took me to Las Vegas. The entire family ended up going and we had a great time. I always wanted to carry on that tradition with my own daughter. I've been telling her I would take her for years. We are suppose to be on a plane right now. We are suppose to have flight tickets to Las Vegas in our hands. She isn't suppose to be worrying about a job yet, or if she has vacation time! Today is suppose to be the day, my very last plan. But once again.....these were my plans, not hers. It's just one of those things that I have to respect. I have to say "oh well." I have to get over it because the clock is ticking and it waits for no one. So you're 21 today...you're so far away from your family, so enclosed in your own bubble, but I pray for you every day. I pray that you will be guided in the directions that your suppose to go. It's the best I can do because after all your 21, a full fledged adult. Happy Birthday - xxxooo


Before you go, don't forget to link up! I'm sure we are in some of the same circles. Have a look around the side bars and don't forget to check the "Add Me" tab.