laughter....it does a soul good.... my boys and me

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I turned 40 in December. I spent my birthday, layed up on my couch, sick as a dog.

Christmas was wonderful, over to fast but the time spent with loved ones that i cherish deeply...heaven sent.

I did not make any resolutions this year. not that I dont agree with them. I just decided that at the age of 40, I dont need a milestone in my life to make a change.

but seriously folks...

Ahem ahem...no big annoucements here...just...life is going on..as it usually does for everyone. blogging as kinda been put to the back burner...I still love to read other blogs but my writing on my own...just doesnt happen a lot anymore. I still keep my journals....rather it be on a CD...on my computers...and of course...my ol' skool notebooks (I still scribble, I MEAN doodle, like nobodies business...)

but this..right here...

is just not where my heads at right now...NOTICE I SAID HEAD...NOT HEART.....head...

i think I will toodle onto your neck of the woods now...

my great niece Mia-Peahy (not that isnt her name but that is what love to call her...) turned the big -01 on December 12th....a little late but here are some photo's...

blast from the past....they made these years ago...in there first public daycare...THESE are the memories i want to keep for them...the memories that they will pass on and on and on

My decision to do a family picture MYSELF and then use it either as a card or something to put INTO the card did NOT go off with out a hitch...

Something usually has to go wrong. That's just the way it is in my universe.

The weather was so uncooperative....it was so freakishly cold...frigid. And yes... I know it is December but c'mon now... TOO COLD...

I knew what I wanted my crew to wear but my sister and her son had no clue what they wanted to wear so I was bombarded with

'what do i weeeeeeeeeeeeeeear???'

I wanted Saturday....I told everyone Saturday at 3:30pm...so why, at 2:45pm, did I get the call 'I'm just not readyyyyyyyyyyyyy....' and then of course...there are the actual photo's...

yes...I have the huge cheesy fake grin on...the boys look great but there I am...showing all 5000 teeth....

They were actually trying to heft my booty up and over the railing...I got nervous and was trying to bring my booty back down to solid ground but Jalil...unaware of the situation going on is looking away and STILL trying to push me up over the edge...

my niece who is like a daughter....yes...she does have that many teeth...and then i have to ask...'what is Okoye and Quinten looking at???' geez Jalil looks so handsome!!! even though he wasnt suppossed tohave that jean jacket on but it was COLD

one of my older sisters and her son....WHO HAS AN ISSUE KEEPING HER EYES CLOSED DURING PHOTO OP'S.....

after this shot...I called it a day.....

but over all we had a really good family time...and i love that.

we muddle through these relationships...


of being ex's (husbands/wife, sister's/brothers, and mother/fathers)...having steps (step-mother's and step-grandmothers) ...and still mangaging to be a very close knit family...

they can be extremely goofy without even trying...but the love is SO there but in the end...

it all kinda works itself out...

for the good....

Its not the load that brings you done...its the way you carry it

~Lena Horne

* my great niece Mia gives THE BEST HUGS in the world...she will be one year old next month. Her sister Ava, gives great hugs, too but she's a little stingy with them. It takes Ava awhile to warm up and then once she does...she crawls all over me, grabbing tight yelling 'Auuunnnnnnnnt Yackkkkkkky!' Seriously... she screams it at the top of her lungs even when I'm sitting

right beside her

Mia...now, once she catches sight of me she gives me this intense stare...deep soul searching stare, then this huge grin like 'where have you BEEN?!' Once I pick her up, she burrows her head into my neck grabs both of my arms really tight and she sighs...like she's taking all the worries, stress and problems out of me and replacing it with her child like innocent and love...

gotta love it.