Introducing fitmom!

One of my best friends, Melissa, has started a blog appropriately named fitmom. She is one sexy, fit mama!

Please take a moment to check it out and give her some feedback. The purpose of her blog is to discuss fitness and nutrition. She's always given me good advice and I trust her.

So, take a minute, check out her blog and welcome her to the blogging world.

Thanks!

Summer Update

April - 18 posts
May - 2 posts
June - 3 posts

What has happened to all my words roaming around in my head? They sure haven't found their way to my blog. I was looking at my posts and I am significantly down since April. Some of it could be that I'm trying to keep the boys busy now that school is out. We finished two weeks of swimming lessons last week. The boys did so well.

We've also been bowling a couple of times. The boys like bowling, but they enjoy the other games more ~ Galaga, Fuse ball, Air Hockey....

We've also done arts/crafts at the Brooks County Library. Jonathan especially has enjoyed that. Joel gets some one-on-one time with Nana at these times if he gets bored. Tomorrow the craft is to make city scape's with construction paper shapes. I think both boys will enjoy it.

This week, I'm helping at New Covenant's VBS in Valdosta. When I took Jonathan to his class, four of his friends were there. To be able to play with his friends was a highlight for him. Joel met new friends in his class. This is an event where I actually asked them to call me Murry because the other Mary is there too and every time we were together today someone would call for Mary and we'd both answer. LOL Most of my friends call me Murry anyway...

Looks like a girls night is going to happen this week! Woo Hoo!

My swimming lessons are scheduled for the week of July 6. I may or may not talk about this summer event. :)

This is the 11th month that my husband has not been employed. Fortunately, we have rental income and I have my own business to help supplement. This has been a hard season for me. I want this blog to be a place of positive words and often I've had trouble staying positive. Hence less posts for sure. But we are doing okay.

So, I'd like to introduce---

Key Administrative Solutions

I have a few clients for which I do monthly work and I've enjoyed it very much. I am still working on my website, but as soon as I have it complete you will be the first to know! Some of the things that I provide for my clients are:

• weekly reports
• budgets
• bookkeeping
• payroll
• accounts payable

If you are interested in contacting me regarding what services I provide, you mail email me at keyadmin.mc@gmail.com.

Happy summer to you and I trust that you are Enjoying Your Life!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

My dad, David Boyd, recently lost his older brother, Jesse. He was too young to die. Thankfully, we know that he is in Heaven with Christ. His death has caused my brother and I to rethink some things. Like how often we see each other or talk. I can't imagine what my cousins are going through, because I still have my dad.

I'm my dad's eldest child. I'm the child of his youth his tells me. I think that makes me special. Daddy and I always enjoyed doing things together; singing, target shooting, volleyball and moving his office at the VSU campus. He's had three offices that I remember. One time that I remember being angry at him was when he decided it was best to move the family from Sumter, SC to Valdosta, GA. Valdosta, GA? Where is Valdosta, GA? No one I knew had ever heard of it. All I could think about was that he was taking us away from our friends at SCS. We had been there for six years. And then, when we got here, he MADE me play volleyball for my new school, LCA. Oh how I dreaded volleyball practice that summer. He was forcing me to interact with people that I did not want to interact with and play a sport. I was a 'cheerleader' not someone who played sports. :)

If you know me very well, you know that I came to love volleyball and basketball and cheerleading and softball. So he DID know what he was doing when he forced me to play. :) When I moved back to Georgia after my divorce, Daddy shared with me that by taking the job at VSC he received a $14,000 increase in pay. Since I had already has my first job at that time, I understood the significance of that pay increase. And I couldn't be angry anymore.

I've learned from my Dad about how to use a gun and gun safety. I've learned the importance of being punctual and always doing my best. I know the importance of education and music. My dad was able to send me to college and to pay the tuition in full. He has done that for all four of his children. Recently, I realized that most kids do not have that. So it is pretty significant for me and my siblings. Thank you, Daddy.

Daddy, I love you and respect you. Thank you for being my dad and for being my friend. I hope that this post conveys to you how important you are to me.

Swimming Lesson

Last week the boys took swimming lessons. This was the first time that either one has been in a regular size pool. Jonathan is 4 1/2 and Joel is 3. To be honest, the first three days were not fun for me. There were always 6-7 children taking lessons at the same time and Jill would take out one at a time and work with each child at their current level. My kids cried every time it was their turn. Then they'd come sit down on the steps and wait for the next turn, which would result in more crying. But we stuck it out. I am 38 and never learned how to swim and I do not want my children to find themselves in the same position.

By Thursday, the boys were more comfortable and began to play in the shallow area while they waited for their turn with the teacher. And there was no more crying. Goggles seem to help too. They weren't so upset about getting water in their faces. Thursday was also the day that Jill told us that she had two openings for this week if we wanted to bring the boys back. She felt like they'd learn so much more this week now that they trusted her and were comfortable in the water. Thursday was also the day that Joel jumped from the diving board. Jonathan jumped from the diving board on Friday.

Yesterday, Jill told Lee that Jonathan should be swimming under water very well by the end of the week. And that Joel was doing well.

This week the boys look forward to swimming lessons and can't wait to show me today what they've learned. I'm glad that I didn't cave and just bring the boys home last week when all they did was cry. It's hard for me to put my boys through things that they don't like even when I know it's for their own good.

Actually, Jonathan just came up to me while typing this post to tell me again, that he can't wait to show me what he learned yesterday and to show me how he can jump off the diving board.

Last Saturday, we went to hang out with Judy at "Uncle Wade's grandmother's pool" and had a blast! The boys did so well in the pool and were comfortable playing in the water. They did a lot of swimming from me to the steps.

Summer is good. And I'm Enjoying My Life!

Disclaimer: When my parents offered swimming lessons to me when I was a teenager, I refused to take them. My mom is quick to remind me of that. :)

Arts and Crafts at the Library

The Brooks County Library hosts Arts and Crafts on Wednesdays. The theme today was water colors. At first, I wasn't sure how well it would go, but it did. (Thanks Nana for helping) The final results say it best...

Jonathan's Orange Tree

Jonathan's Space Shuttle

Joel's Grapes

I recently said to a friend, "Hope your day is great!"

The reply I received was, "My day will be great because I choose for it to be!"

I have thought of that countless times this week when I found myself having an all but great day. And even though this season of my life has been hard, there are things that make my life great! Two being Jonathan and Joel. I so enjoy listening to them play together as they take Thomas and friends over the train tracks, or fight the fire in the bathroom, or race their cars through the kitchen race track. I want to be that carefree. I want to put the reality of life on hold and just play!

My friends also make my life great. I have good friends. Friends that make me laugh. Friends than encourage me. Friends that cry with me. Friends that love me. And with the help of Facebook, I've reconnected with old friends as far back as elementary school.

My family makes my life great. Mama told us girls recently how she was glad that we all loved her. We have had our share of junk, but in the end we are family. We love each other. We even like each other! :)

All that aside, I cannot expect anyone or anything to make my life great. That is up to me. That is the choice that I must make daily.

My life is GREAT because I choose for it to be GREAT!

My mother is awesome!

My mother, Becky Boyd, is pretty awesome~ She has always loved us unconditionally. I am the oldest of four children and that makes me pretty special. But being the first born of a first born has had its challenges. I remember as a teenager how I criticized her for making me do the dishes. I was a busy girl - in school, sports after school, piano lessons, babysitting, homework and I asked her why did I have to do the dishes? what did she do all day? I know that I hurt her deeply that day. Fortunately, in 1995 we had an opportunity to clear the air with each other, ask forgiveness and move on. She came to NY to stay with my after I had surgery. Then when I got sick with the flu I think, she stayed the whole week. That was one of the best weeks of my life. So when I found myself divorced at 25, I made the decision to move back to GA to be near my mom. I needed her. And she's always there when I need her.

Then in 2001, mama was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As we sat in Dr. Phillips office waiting for the results of the biopsy, I knew in my spirit that it was not her time to leave this world. Not only did she still have 2 children at home, but I had just gotten married again and didn't have children yet. My children were going to know their grandma! I tried to be there when she needed me. December 2008 marked the 7th year since that diagnosis and I am pleased to say that she is cancer free!

I still have my mother with me. To help me navigate my own road of motherhood. To be my friend. To be my confidant. To be my mama.

I love you dearly mama! And this post is a small effort to show the world how much.