Flying Solo on Your Birthday

Poor David.  Today is his birthday and his family is all away on vacation without him.  A year ago we began making plans to take a family vacation.  We’ve NEVER done that before, but figured since our kids are grown, it might be time to get a vacation in.  Well, ten months ago, we secured a hotel room; three months ago I purchased airline tickets; and now we are in DC… without Dave.

It’s no secret that times are tough and it just wasn’t good timing with David’s job to take a vacation.  So, we are here, missing him and wishing him a Happy Birthday.

He turns 47 years young today.

David is a hard worker.  He works a full-time job, then goes to our farm and works the cattle and picks up rocks (there are ALL KINDS of rocks here in the Ozarks) or cuts wood or any number of things that needs to get done on a farm.  Every day at lunch he checks on our precious 90-year old neighbor, Charlsie.  On his way home from the farm, he usually stops at the gym and works out for an hour to an hour and a half.  I don’t know where he gets his energy.

He is an avid outdoorsman.  He has spent most of his time with our boys out in the woods or at the cabin or hunting or doing some kind of manly man thing.  I’ve always said that if things got tough, we’d be okay, because Dave is a survivalist.  (Just don’t get me started on that bad batch of mushrooms he fed the kids once!)

Dave is gifted in dealing with elderly people.  Every Sunday, he helps lead worship at our local nursing home.  He could sit for hours listening to “old folks” share about the “good old days”.

He is a man of great faith and realizes that the things that are truly important in life can’t be bought.

And I’m blessed for being his wife.

Happy Birthday, David!! We love you!

A Double Shocker

Tyler’s girlfriend, Courtney, works at a movie theater, which means she has to work lots of weekends.  She had to work last night, and Tyler and I decided we’d try to go to the movies to see the new “Night at the Museum” movie that just came out.  I haven’t even seen the first one yet, but we thought it would be fun to go.

Somehow, I twisted David’s arm talked David into going with us.  Dave is not a movie person.  He doesn’t watch them at the movies or at the house.  So, both my kids were shocked and amazed that he actually went.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you saw my Tweet about being at the movies.  Can you believe that was the first movie Dave’s gone to with me since “Dying Young”… and that came out in 1991!!

And the other shocker? That my 20 year old son wouldn’t be too embarrassed to go to a Saturday night (7:00 PM) movie with his parents!!! I wouldn’t trade my boys for the world!! Have I mentioned how blessed I am??

The Baby of the Family

Today is my baby sister Kristin’s 34th birthday.  Kris is the baby of the family. Number 11.  She’s not in my header photo because, well, she wasn’t even thought of yet.  There’s only a mere 9 children in that family photo.

Kristin was the cutest little thing growing up and she still looks so much like she did as a little girl.  She had several nicknames, such as “Sister Christian”, “Chickie”, “Dandelion”.  She was just two years old when we moved to Arkansas and lived in the tent.  She was the flower girl at my wedding when she was 8 years old.  She was/is VERY smart.  She taught herself to read when she was like 4 years old and actually skipped (I believe) the fourth grade.

As adults, she and I have a lot in common and we can spend lots of time talking fashion, old homes, and cute hairstyles. She is a great mother and is expecting her second child in a few months.

Since she is so much younger than me, I thought she’d never seem like a grown-up, but she has grown into a beautiful person, both inside and out.

Having sisters just gets better as you get older!

   

She could seriously get those bangs going!!

Happy Birthday, “Chick”.  I love you!

Trustful Expectation

My children are now in their early 20s.  They’re not little boys any more.  My full-time parenting days are pretty much over.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m a bit strong-willed.  So are my boys.  I also have the need to be in control.

Not my best trait.

By middle school, Kale figured out that we had his best interest at heart, and he was pretty submissive even though he didn’t always like our answer.  Tyler, on the other hand, found ways to buck the system and do things his way.

Not HIS best trait. It also didn’t bode well in the high school years.

While Tyler and I have always loved one another, for most of his life we’ve been in a battle of the wills and I’ve been on the losing end more times than I wish to count.  (He’d probably say the same thing.)  But, I’ve never given up or compromised my principals.

Last night at church, Steve talked about HOPE.  He said “Hope is trustful expectation.  Believing that God WILL intervene on your behalf.”

He went on to say that…

“Faith is believing God CAN do something, Hope is believing God WILL do something.”

Ever since my boys were born I’ve prayed for them.  And when the parenting road got rough, I continued to pray… and HOPE.  Believing that everything we taught them and modeled for them over the years would matter and trusting that God would answer my prayers.

Yesterday at lunch, Tyler said something to me that made every hurt, every worry, every fear, every tear seem worth it and it melted this momma’s heart.  I’ll never forget it… his words or the sincerity in them.

Because, whenever I look into these eyes…

I still see him…

 

Thank you, Tyler.  You made my day!

Darren #7

I gotta warn you… there are three Goulet birthdays in five days this week.  Today is my brother Darren’s 43rd birthday.  Monday is my birthday, and Wednesday is my baby sister, Kristin’s birthday.

Darren is my next younger sibling.  I was surrounded by boys growing up… Dennis is 2 years older, Darren and Robert are 2 and 3 years younger than me… so I hung out a lot with the guys.  Darren loved baseball and was a pitcher… so I often got to put on the catcher’s gear and catch for him. I loved that!  I guess that’s how I ended up a bit of a tomboy.

Darren was fun to grow up with.  He is quick witted and not easily embarrassed.  When we were older teenagers, he used to do silly stuff like walk up to me in the isle at Wal-Mart and say, loudly (in the middle of the summer), “honey, do you think we should’ve left the kids out in the car?”  (Nobody actually did that back in those days.)

Like my Dad, he is a hard-worker, and has his own seamless guttering business.  He’s a great Dad and is already a grandpa.

Here’s a few photos of “Little Goo”…

(The above photo reminds me SO much of my little sister, Sharon #9.  I never realized that before. Do you agree, Shar?)

 

Happy 43rd birthday, Darren. I love you!

“Another Child to Hold”

There are just no words to express the joy that being a mother has brought and continues to bring to me.  Although, my children are no longer young, and I’m early in the Empty Nest years, the joys of motherhood continue as my adult children make their way in this world.

I’ve also been equally blessed by having a mother who has modeled for me what sacrificial love is all throughout my life. It wasn’t until I became a mother that I really understood the depths of her love.

A couple months ago, I got out a home video that means SO much to me.  Back in 1991, some very good friends of ours called me to their home to “look at something with them” and it turned out to be my Christmas present.  When I got there, they put a VCR tape in the player and this is what I saw:

(It takes a moment to get started)

I was watching “the story of my life” (to that date) play out before my eyes.  It makes me cry every time I watch it… remembering my babies being so young, the reminder of kneeling by Kale’s bedside when he was just 3 years old and giving my heart to the Lord, realizing how time really does go by so fast. 

I love being Kale and Tyler’s mom.  I love feeling their love for me. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it!

This may have been my Christmas present back in 1991, but it is more of a Mother’s Day gift to me.  Thank you David and Tonya – I’ll cherish it FOREVER.

Oh, and Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!!

Valerie #4

Valerie, my next older sister, is celebrating her 48th birthday today.

Val and I had such a rocky childhood together, it’s a wonder we’re as close as we are today.  We used to fight and fight and fight.  She had some serious fingernails that she’d dig into me when I made her mad.

But, after she got married and moved out of the house, we began to get along… really well.  Sisters.

Valerie is #4 of the “Goulet 11”.  She married David’s first cousin, so like me, her maiden name was Goulet and her married name is now Wallace.  We ALWAYS get to see each other at family get-togethers.  Ha!  Her first son, Jeremiah, was born in 1981 and her second child, Hunter, was born in 1999!! She became a grandma and a mother again in the same year. Bless her heart.

Val is a great mother.  She is very involved in school activities and Hunter’s sports.  She’s also a great sister and friend.

Happy Birthday, Val!  I love you!

8 Things…

I was tagged by Kyla over at “Hello Cupcake”.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Grandbabies
2. Vacation
3. Free Days
4. Fridays and Mondays (weird, I know)
5. Going to TJMaxx
6. Kale graduating from college in December
7. My birthday
8. Did I say grandbabies?

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Got up at 8 AM
2. Painted my toenails
3. Fussed with David about putting dirty dishes in with the clean dishes in the dishwasher
4. Went to see “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” with Jodi
5. Elbowed Jodi (at least once) in the movies
6. Went to Lowes and bought a heat vent cover
7. Read 2 Kings 24 through 1 Chronicles 1
8. Rode with Tyler to pick up pizza

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Go back in time to when my kids were young
2. Drive a standard (I can ruin any good clutch)
3. Speak in public
4. Fly without fear (or without the need for Xanax)
5. Be as easy-going as Tyler and as disciplined as Kale
6. Afford a really nice Canon DSLR
7. Understand all of Kale’s Tweets
8. Get as buff as a fitness model

8 Shows I Watch:

1. 24
2. The Biggest Loser
3. American Idol
4. The Amazing Race
5. Survivor
6. What Not to Wear
7. Big Brother
8. House

Those are my 8s.  I tag anyone that wants to play along.  Here are the rules:

1. Mention the name of the person who tagged you
2. Do the lists of 8
3. Tag 8 bloggers of your choice
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.