If you wanna feel better about your family, just read about ours...

Starring: a dad, a mom, a son & daughter-in-law, a daughter & son-in-law, another daughter & son-in-law, 1 teen, 1 grandson, 3 granddaughters, 4 dogs, and a whole lot of love.






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Wednesday, August 5, 2015

I'm Sassy and I know it

Right around Mother's Day, Caymen came home from school and said, "We talked about moms today and my teacher said you wear lots of hats. I think she meant daddy because you don't wear any hats." Out of the mouths of babes.

Sadly, I think there was a time when I would've agreed with her.  As a stay at home mom in my 20's, I'm not sure I credited myself with the many hats that job requires. But I proudly wore the titles of wife, mommy, and homemaker, made lots of mistakes, but did the very best job I knew how to do.  So a quick heartfelt shout out to all you mommas out there who wear whichever hat that your husband and/or kiddos need you to wear at any given moment of every single day.  Wear those wrinkled, spit up, peed on hats proud, ladies.  Your children are noticing.  And you'll reap priceless rewards for your sacrifice.

I spent my 30's focusing on my massage therapy career while our 3 children at the time were in school.  But things got a tad complicated when I was 35 and Caymen came along and I suddenly had a baby beside my massage table...or occasionally strapped to my back.  Thankfully she adapted well to spending an hour at a time in a candlelit room listening to soft music, but I was extremely grateful for patient clients who understood that sometimes babies crap their pants at inopportune times.  I was wife, mommy, and massage therapist, made lots of mistakes, but did the very best job I knew how to do.  So a quick heartfelt shout out to all you mommas out there who wear whichever hat required to get through the day juggling life both inside and outside of the home.  Your children are noticing.  And you'll reap priceless rewards for your sacrifice.

I mistakenly assumed hats decreased with age. But I'm almost 44 and accumulating  more hats than I know how to handle. Wife, mommy, writer, massage therapist, zumba instructor, self-doubt-er, suck-er at multi-task-er, easily flustered and full fledged panic attack-er whenever I forget that back in 2012, I made a promise to God.  "Lord, if you open a door, I'll walk through, not because I think I can do it, but because I trust you to equip me to."  I argue with Him a lot and have failed Him countless times, but He has yet to ever fail me. He's kinda super patient like that.

Last November, I got a new hat...Sassy...when Zac's wife gave birth to a 9lb 10oz baby boy who rolled into the world and stole my heart .  This summer I found out I'm going to be Sassy again when Aubrey and her husband have their baby girl in January. By far, of all the hats I've ever worn or wear today, being a Sassy to my children's children is the best of the best. Playing, spoiling, hugging, kissing, reading, rocking, singing...it's all the love you have for your own kids multiplied by infinity. I have no doubt I'll make lots of mistakes, but I'm committed to doing the very best job I know how for the rest of my life.

So a quick heartfelt shout out to all you grandma's...or nanny's, or gi gi's or sassy's...out there. You who unconditionally love, whole heartedly support and happily lay aside all other hats of responsibility you carry at a moment's notice to embrace and fulfill this most valuable privilege as grandparent.

Your children are noticing...and this is your reward.