I've been missing my blog buddies!

For those of you who don't know, I'm in summer school. I've been in school for what seems like forever now. A couple of years ago I decided it was important for me to return to school and complete my degree. As I watched my oldest son get closer and closer to high school I realized that it was going to be very important to me that I was able to say to him, "whatever you decide to do, do it well. Don't give up because it seems difficult, or boring, or even when it seems like its something you don't really think you'll want to do in the future." It never hurts to have additional skills or knowledge, so........I re-enrolled in college.

Just to give you a little background info., I attended NC Central Univ. straight out of high school on a full academic scholarship. I almost went kicking and screaming. I wanted to be out of the house but I didn't want to go to college. I wanted to go to cosmetology school. Well to make a long story short, I did nothing in school, made some decisions that made school more difficult and dropped out. I eventually went to cosmetology and loved it. I enjoyed a successful career in cosmetology for about 10 years and then it happened. In one phone call, the plans I had for my career and life changed completely. After having months of back pain, chiropractor visits, and physical therapy, I visited a neurosurgeon. After one visit and a few test he called me back the next day to inform me that I needed surgery immediately to fix the worst disc herniation that he has ever seen. I was at risk for having permanent nerve damage. I can still remember that day. Now that I think back I realize that everything was set up perfectly. It just so happened that on this busy day in my salon, my mom was catching a nap under the dryer. I imagine I would have lost it emotionally had she not been there to keep me grounded. Its not everyday you get a call from the Dr. saying, "You need surgery now. I'm going to postpone my vacation to perform the surgery tomorrow, and if you happen to lose function of your bladder or bowels before tomorrow, come immediately to the ER. You are at risk for having permanent nerve damage of your legs." He promised that I would return to work 4-6 weeks after surgery. Here I am 1 1/2 years later. I was never able to return and now I wish I had finished school when it was so much easier. In the mist of all of that I am thankful that God has given me the opportunities to stay home with my little ones. There was so much about them that I was missing. Yes, there are days when I feel that they are sharing more than I really want to know, but at the end of most days, I'm lovin' be a stay at home mom. Its amazing how a devastating situation that seems to be one that you will never recover from can actually be an unbelievable opportunity waiting in the wings. For example, writing is something that I've always loved but would have never taken to the time to do, but here I am sitting up at the crack of dawn happily tapping away at my computer. I now find myself dreaming about what I'll write about, not only in my blog, but I've found the time and inspiration to actually write a few children's stories. My little ones are enjoying the characters in my stories that I have developed based on their personlity quirks. I say all of this to simply say, I've been busy with school and homework and mothering, and I haven't had the time I would usually have to blog, and I'm finding that I miss it dearly. But I guess its one of the many sacrifices I'm willing to make in order to set an example for my children and family. The great thing is the summer session will be over in another 3 weeks and I don't plan to take two writing intensive classes at the same time during the fall session.

Oh, I can't end this post without saying I have an awesome hubby. He has been wonderful at supporting and encouraging me. By the time I finish school, I think he will know enough about criminal justice to earn a degree also. He has been great at helping with cooking and laundry and all the other little things I've had to put on the back burner to focus on school. Thanks baby!