Excuses.....

Lately, I have been having a hard time trying to figure out what to write.  The problem isn't that I have nothing to say, it's that I have too much to say. And I get my best ideas as I'm doing my hair and make-up, or when I'm trying to fall asleep at 2am. This is why I have started the, Meaghan needs a laptop campaign, in my house.  I need to have the ability to put my thoughts down as they come. Because by the time I have a chance to sit down at the desktop computer, my mind is a jumbled mess of profound thoughts with a hint of dirty diapers, and a dash of to do's. 
On top of all that, I am an avid reader.  I absolutely LOVE to read.  It is my escape from reality. So when I finally get a moment of peace, if I am in the process of reading a book (which is pretty much, always) I am torn between that, or sitting down here. 
And my last excuse for leaving my loyal readers hanging, is that I have a two year old that is stuck in destructive mode.  I have been thinking about taking him to the doctor in hopes that she may be able to show me the button, to turn that mode off.  In the meantime, lets just say, there is never a dull moment in my house! 
I hope everyone is having a great summer and staying cool.  Of course, if you're reading this, you are automatically COOL! 


Oh good Lord!  I just looked down to see a diaper by my chair but no baby....he is now somewhere in my house naked. This cannot be good. I gotta go!!!!! 


Until we meet again!
Love, Kindness, Laughter, and Faith!
Meaghan

Outside the Box

Yesterday we spent the day with our very dear friends...We will call them the Browns. The Browns have a very large family which consists of A mama bear, a daddy bear, and 10 baby bears. Yes I said 10. Not to mention all the strays they graciously take into their home when one is in need. The Brown's definitely live outside what society considers " The Norm". And we all know that when one lives outside "The Norm", one is labeled with words such as weird, irresponsible, and strange. I've heard people say things like, Who in their right mind would have so many kids? They are so weird. I would NEVER do that. Have they ever heard of birth control?  And admittedly, I am guilty of some of these thoughts as well, but that was before I got to know them.  


You see, The Brown's, don't care what society thinks of them.  They are a God loving family, with bible based beliefs and values.  The baby bears address all elders as Mr. or Mrs. So and So. They have the type of manners that make parents like me, want to send my children to them for obedience training. And the absolute BEST thing about this family, particularly Mama and Papa Bear, is that they practice what they preach. They do not try to appear one way to the world, and a different way at home, like so many people do. They are The Browns, no matter where they are.  I have seen them in many different social settings, from church, to the grocery store, and they are who they are, and you can take it, or leave it. And that is what I, absolutely respect above all, about them!


You see, I was raised in a family that seemed to ONLY care about what society thought. I watched my parents, my mother especially, struggle to attain an upper class status in life. And I know that a mother only wants whats best for her children, and we got the best of the best when it came to "things", but we didn't seem to get the best of the best of her. Now don't get me wrong, my mother loved us and worked hard for us, but in the 15 years I knew my mom, I really only have sketchy memories of her worrying about getting "more" and "better" stuff. She wanted to keep up with everyone else, to live in the best neighborhoods, drive the nice cars, wear the nice clothes...but the fact of the matter is, we had all of that, but we never really had her. Then, in 1991, she was gone. She died at 41, from ALS. 


So, like the Brown's, I too, live somewhat outside "The Norm". I learned at an early age that life is short. Too short to worry about what people, who you don't know, and who don't care about you, think. I have had many lessons on this subject through out my life but the bottom line is this; God, my children, my husband, and my small group of finely selected friends, know that I love them because I TELL them. I SHOW them. I PRAY for them. They are the ones who matter to me. They are the ones who's opinions I value and who's advice I take. And though I am a respectful woman, I try to be kind to everyone, I care about what happens to all people, I advocate for different humane causes, I don't do any of this to gain a certain status in life. I do it because it is the way I want to live. It is the example I want to set to my children and those I care about.  It is who I am. And society can take it, or leave it. 

Love, Kindness, Laughter, and Faith
Meaghan

Fourth of July

Happy July 4th!  To me though, it's more like, Happy National Blow up your Paycheck Day, boys!  Yes, I am not a huge fan of the fourth of July.  I am a proud to be an American and all that patriotic stuff, but I truly believe that most people have lost sight of what Independence Day actually means.  To me, the Fourth of July has represented a day that I have to comfort whichever small child is out of his mind with terror due to the annoying and obnoxious fireworks. And that would be all of my children at some point.  None of them were ever fans of the "boom booms" when they were small.  And Olivia, is still not. My boys have become fans, but they are boys. Blowing things up and setting things on fire, is definitely a rite of passage for the male species.  Maybe it makes them regress back to their caveman ancestors...I MAN! I MAKE FIRE!!

Whatever your plans are today, BE SAFE! We have enough wild fires to contend with right now and having all ten fingers, comes in handy for most things...

Love, Kindness, Laughter, Faith!!
Meaghan

Here goes nothing!

Okay.  I did it!  I somehow managed to set this blog thing up, all by myself.  I am new to this, and am a complete blonde when it comes to the wonderful world of technology, so I am going to have to learn as I go and everyone will just have to bear with me as I do.  


It took me a while to decide to do this because I kept doing research on "what makes a good blog" and it kind of overwhelmed me.  Different How To sites kept giving all sorts of "tips" and recommendations, such as, have a witty title, pick one subject to focus on, keep it interesting, etc..... So with all that in mind, here it is.  My life is far too interesting/dysfunctional to just keep it to one subject. I have had such an array of experiences in my 30ish years, from losing my mom at an early age, to having a child with Down Syndrome, and A LOT, A LOT, A LOT, more in between! A LOT! So the one subject I can keep my focus on is LIFE.  I promise to keep it real, keep it honest, and hopefully make you laugh at times, too. 

So, a little about me....I am married to my best friend, Brian. No, seriously. We were 15 when we first met, after I moved to Kansas City when my mom was diagnosed with ALS.  He was the only person at that turbulent time in my life, that expected nothing from me and excepted me just the way I was. Which, back then, it is a miracle someone didn't kill me due to my horrible attitude!  After high school, Brian and I went our seperate ways. We both got married, had a few kids, and lost touch with eachother.  About 10 years and a divorce for each of us, Brian found me on a free Internet dating site that we both had only been on for a few days. Romantic stuff, huh?  Now here we are. A total of 6 kids between the two of us.  We have Kyle 17, Olivia 16, Brianne 15, Ian 11, Ruby 10, and our one, chromosomally enhanced, son together, Grant 2. And though we have our issues, we both feel we are finally exactly where we are supposed to be!

Now that the boring basics are out of the way, I hope you enjoy what is to come.  Please feel free to correct any grammar errors that you come across, as it has been a long time since English 101 for me.  Know that I tend to get a little exclamation point happy at times....ok a lot.  It's just my way of expressing myself.  Feel free to agree or disagree with me on my opinions. But remember we all have a right to our opinions and the freedom to express them.   

So, respectful, educated, and mature responses, (whether agreeing or disagreeing) will be the only kind of responses accepted. The rest will be deleted by the boss. Me. Because it's my blog and I can do what I want! So there! (How's that for maturity?)


Love, kindness, laughter, and faith!
Meaghan






*UPDATE*  I just got a call from my FAVORITE UNCLE PAT from Texas.  The word is accepted not excepted. Love to you!