Mark is an intelligent, handsome, great kid. He has a heart as big as the moon and a wonderful sense of humor. We have been very close all these years and I don’t know what I or his sister Haley will do when he is not here. I will miss the guitar playing late at night, the arguments about him getting a motorcycle, and the stories he comes home with after spending time with his friends. Outside I see a strong, confident, great looking young man, but I can still see the cute little boy on the inside who loved to play with lizards.

He is interested in Sports Medicine and wants to attend University of South Florida. That is so far away from north Georgia.  He won’t be able to hop in the car and come home anytime he wants.

I think of his future and see great things for him. He is determined to be successful and has everything going for him. I have no doubt he will fulfill his dream of taking care of the players of a pro football team.

His momma is going to miss him dearly!

Turkey Dinner

Finally! My Mother and brother have arrived from the northern part of Michigan. My Mom calls it “God’s Country”. Normally they don’t come until just before Christmas, but I think that they were quite ready to take a break from the cold weather. So, this is the first year we get to spend Thanksgiving together for a long time.

While I am at work, my Mother does the laundry and has a great dinner ready when we all get home and my brother picks my youngest child up from school every day. Yesterday, he even gave the dog a bath. This allows me more time to work on my blog.

When they come, all diets are called off!! My Mom is an excellent baker. She makes homemade cinnamon rolls, banana bread and molasses cookies, just to name a few. I always seem to put on a few extra pounds when she comes.

My family loves to play all sorts of games. We play Phase 10, poker and Rummy. However, Canasta is our favorite. We
have an annual competition to see who can win the most games during her stay. My son Mark usually comes the closest to beating her; she is good!

All my friends love to come over when Mom and Ray are here. We usually get quite loud as we tell stories and
reminisce about the silly things we have done over the years. The stories tend to grow and have more exaggerations
added to them each year.

I look forward to spending Christmas and New Years with my Mom and brother will be here. I expect we will have a lot
of fun and make a lot of memories to pass down to the generations to come.

 Through this journey, I have learned that everyone comes into our lives for a reason.  If we take the time to listen and enjoy conversations with those in our paths, we will find just what they have to offer us and how their lives relate to ours.

Sometimes they offer an encouraging word spoken at just the right time or sometimes they offer an opportunity that allows us to change the situation we are in.  Sometimes they are with us for a short while; some are in it for the long haul.  

We must travel through life with open minds, soaking up all that is around us and allow ourselves to live the life that is before us with excitement and expectation.

 Because I am open to new experiences and had the courage to talk with my friend Erika Rich, a new window has opened up for me in the arena of Internet Marketing. With new outlook and zest for life, I have great expectations for my future!

 And to think, what seemed to be the end of the road, with the right attitude and open-mindedness, has turned into the beginning of a whole new adventure for me.