Memorial Day weekend......in a nutshell

 I'm sitting out on my deck on Monday night, Memorial Day.  Thank you for all the soldiers who lost their lives in order to give me the freedom that I have on this night.  Our weekend was filled with weddings, trips to TX, coffee with friends, getting dirty with friends and doing home projects.  On Friday night Mike and I were honored to attend Holly's wedding.  Christy babysat our boys for years and Holly was pivotal in their lives.  It was a wonderful wedding and Holly was a beautiful bride.  That being said I have made a commitment which I'm putting in writing...…..I'm am no longer requiring Mike to attend weddings with me.  From here on out he is required to attend Jay and Nick's wedding (duh), Luke and Lauren's and Faith and Curt's.  He's really no fun at weddings.....just saying.

 Saturday morning I met my bestie, Mary for coffee.  Meanwhile Jay and Sarah were on a flight to TX.  Mary tempted me when she said...…….."It's only money, Amy, let's get on a flight and go."  Talk about tempting.

 Nick was a social butterfly this weekend.  On Saturday he fished with his cousin.  On Saturday he went four wheeling with his friend, B. and today he went with his friend, C. to a baseball game.  Right now as I blog, he's fishing with his friend, Mason.  Never a dull moment for Nick.  It's good to see him getting back into what he loves.....fishing and spending time with friends.

 Can you say dirty?  The weather here has been unbelievable.  Rain galore!  It's so bad that farmers haven't been able to plant their crops.  It's really sad.  We need a good 10 days (at least) with no rain.

 On Sunday night I had a birthday dinner for Kim.  This was the only picture I took because it was just classic.  For all of our family gatherings now, the dogs come along.  Last night three (out of the five) of them decided to park themselves on Craig's lap.

 Mike and I have been busy working on our yard and landscaping.  It's only taken us 15 years but better late than never.

 Mike made these planters for me last year.  I planted tall grass and sunflowers in them this year.

 Our next big project.  Mike is doing a stone retaining wall and we will have a concrete patio poured.  I'm pretty sure Mike would not refer to it as a stone retaining wall but honestly I have no idea what he's doing, I just know it will look amazing when he's done.

 Jay went to visit Ausili's this weekend.  As I write this he's on flight headed home and tomorrow he will start his new job.  I am proud of Jay.  My friend, Sarah, went also but Jay went without a parent and did great.  I am anxious to hear about his trip when he gets home.  I miss Ausili's everyday, especially on a holiday weekend but I am thankful they are doing well and I'm thankful for the financial means to be able to see them!  Mike goes in July to visit and all four of us plan on going over Thanksgiving!

My sweet aunt put flowers at my dad's grave today.  Dad is buried in a National Cemetery and they do such a good job at honoring the veterans.  I still think of dad everyday and for some reason today I thought of him up on heaven dancing with his Cubs hat on.  It made me smile.  Happy Memorial Day!

Next Year

Today seniors at our high school graduated!  I told Mike that next year at this time Nick will be graduating from 8th grade and Jay from high school.  I will be busy planning and coordinating Jay's graduation party.  I told Mike tonight that sometimes it feels like yesterday that he and I took our wedding vows.  He agreed but said that is how it works.  When we are kids the time seems to take forever, but as adults, especially as parents, the time flies.  I feel like I'm finally at a point where I have dusted off all the junk from 2018.  I miss my dad everyday but the ache is less, especially knowing he's with Jesus.  My mom is doing well and I've adapted to the changes that occurred in our relationship and her life.  Just this weekend Mom drove out for dinner with us and brought Walker (who Jay refers to as "Nana's high school boyfriend").  I asked mom if there was anything she missed in her "old" life.  She didn't skip a beat and said she is very happy and the only thing she missed was being able to cook and bake.  I figure if that's the only thing she missed, that's saying something.  Mom is well aware how blessed she is.  I think of Mike and Jenny everyday.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about them but our time and our relationship with them is a perfect example of how all things in life change.  I knew it at the time.  I remembered thinking and being acutely aware that it could and would all change and it did.  I know this summer and the following school year will bring more changes but as I age I realize that although I may not love some of the changes, they are a part of life and in every change I must look for the good and in every season there is always good to be found.    

The long jump

 Nick did the long jump for track this season.  His season ended last Saturday (May 11).  He went to Sectionals but missed state by about 2 feet.  He wasn't surprised but still disappointed.  He is bound and determined to go to state next year.  He set up a "make shift long jump" at the beach in order to practice.

I'm proud of Nick.  He did well in track even though he didn't meet the goals he had set for himself (he is his own worst critic).  One of Nick's greatest attributes is how he encourages others.  He desperately wanted to go to state this Friday to cheer his teammates on but I have to work and so does Mike.  Once I found out it would be an excused absence if he missed school to go to state I asked his grandpa to take him and he agreed.  Thank you, John!

My 45th Birthday party

 My birthday festivities started a few days before my actual birthday.  I went out to dinner with my girls, Mary and Sarah.  They spoiled me!  It was a great way to start my birthday.

 Alert - picture overload.  My mom got me this cake.  Cake is my weakness.  Mike and the boys can have ice cream and a bunch of other crap in the house and it never speaks to me, but cake!  Cake is entirely a different story.  Luckily this cake was polished off at my party so I didn't have to bring any home with me.

 Kim was so sweet to throw me my party!  She went to a ton of work and it was incredibly thoughtful.

 Speaking of thoughtful.  I was so humbled by all my friends who took the time out of their busy schedules to come to my party.  The weather was terrible which didn't help but all my friends made it out.  I was really touched.

 Mom's friends, Pam and Marcia were spending the weekend with mom (which she loved) so they made an appearance too!

 It's always a good time when Aunt Karen is involved!  I sure love my aunt!

 My favorite girls; Sarah, Shannon and Mary!  Cracks me up they are all in black and I'm in my bright orange.

 Late in the evening John made an appearance!  Kim had to show him her appreciation....wink, wink!

Kim - thank you for my party.  It was so fun and so thoughtful.  You are one in a million!

This is 45

Today is my 45th birthday.  I am officially middle aged.  The chances of me living another 45 years are probably pretty slim.  I promise the uplifting part of this blog is coming.  Stay with me.  At 45 my relationship with my weight has become a thorn in my side.  Let's just say the scale and I are not friends.  I can fast, work out, watch my carbs, cut out alcohol (I find this most challenging) for days and maybe lose 1/2 pound, but if I dare enjoy myself for one evening, watch out, hell hath no fury!  I end up gaining back the 1/2 pound I lost plus 3 more additional pounds.
At 45 my oldest son is 8 months away from being a legal adult and only one year away from graduating high school (gulp).  My younger son who always been in my corner in my testosterone household of men recently turned on me like a viper.  The teenage years have officially started with Nick.   This is my first birthday without Jenny close by.  Instead she is several states away.  I'm spending way more money on my hair products and make up at 45.  I use to easily be able to go 8 to 10 weeks for my hair color.  My 45 year old hair can only make it about six weeks before I start to look like B. Arthur from the Golden Girls.  I enjoy a good cocktail way more at 45 than I did at 35.  The verdict is still out whether that is a good or bad thing.  Personally I think it's a great thing, just sayin.  But here's the thing about Amy Siebert at 45.  I am comfortable in my own skin, even though that skin has expanded significantly.  I am comfortable in who I am as a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend.  And for a few of the things that make me a wee bit sad on my 45th birthday, there are just as many things that make me very happy on my birthday.  I had dinner this week with my dear girlfriends, Mary and Sarah.  I am closer to my sister than I have been in years.  My mom is still here on this earth so I get to celebrate another birthday with her and Mother's Day.  I am FINALLY after 15 years seeing the vision Mike and I had for our house come to fruition.  Reading a book on my finished deck makes me very happy! At 45 I have been married for 21 years.  On our anniversary I got up and said to Mike, "Well another year down and we made it longer than my parents."  We fist bumped each other.  Mike and I laugh more together now than we ever have.  We don't take things too seriously.   As Jay and Nick's mom I am acutely aware of how time flies.  Picture a large hour glass in your home.  Each and everyday I see the sand running through that little hole, leaving me with very little sand left, representing the time I have with them.  I laugh more now with my boys than I have in the past, especially Jay.  Jay makes me laugh more than ever before, and Nick continues to school me on things I know nothing about (fishing!).  It's bittersweet to see your kids grow but the older they get the more I get to enjoy my life and my life with them.  Forty five is kind of nice!

Happy 13th Birthday, Nick

 In a blink of an eye thirteen years have flown by.  I saw a picture on Facebook this morning of a friend of mine who was holding her baby.  He fit perfectly on her hip and was smiling up at her.  Clearly this little guy was captivated by his mother.  I wanted to comment and tell her to enjoy it while it lasts but then realized that made me sound negative.  Ha!  In truth I enjoy watching my children grow and mature.  I would just prefer it happens a little more slowly.  Nick at thirteen is funny, athletic, good in school, has a large friend group and still loves fishing (hence his birthday gift on his back in this picture).  He's adorable with his blond hair and big blue eyes.  On the flip side, I have found 7th grade to be particularly challenging with Nick.  Nothing we say or do is met with positivity.  There is a lot of negative vibes going on.  Last night I asked him if he wanted donuts for his birthday breakfast.  I was told donuts were stupid and why waste the money.  Al-righty then.  I think Nick's negativity has a lot to do with how he handles stress. I'm praying that with time and maturity that improves because as we all know, stress is just a part of life.

 This weekend I had family over to celebrate Nick's birthday.  We had burgers and Nick opted for a sundae bar instead of cake.  The sundae bar was a huge hit!

 Nick and his buddy, M.  Nick and M have inseparable lately.  I'm really glad because M lives across the street and we really like him.  They do things boy should be doing, working on their four wheelers together, riding them and making trails and of course fishing.

A boys life

 This Easter weekend Jay and his buddies (Parker, Kaden, Aaron and Ayden) came up with this idea (above).  They made a picnic table float!  I love it.  I thought it was genius.  Those boys worked all day on Saturday and late in the afternoon on Easter Sunday they took it out for its maiden voyage and it was successful!  Mike and I always joke that these boys are idiots (we say that with love b/c they are all 17) but man they are a good group of boys!  They are blessed to have each other.

 We did not have school today so Nick started his day doing what he does best - fishing!  Today was his first day out and in the 5 hours he fished, he caught 23 fish.  Nick is kind of a grouch these days.  I'm just saying.  I don't know if it's a preview of what the teenage years are going to be like with him (kind of reminds me of age 3 with him, not fun!), but Mike and I are preparing for the worst -hoping for the best.
Anyway, I would not let him take his phone with him to bed last night which meant I had to wake him up this morning.  I woke him up at 5:30 a.m, as requested, and apparently I didn't do a good job of waking him up because he fell back to sleep.  At 6:30 he got out of bed and was like a grumpy old man.  He was mad at me then he turned his rage at the weather.  He claimed it was too windy to go fishing!  Mike got after him before he left for work and I heard them arguing in the driveway.  I was almost jealous that Mike got to do physical labor today as it meant he got to leave the house.  Finally at 7:00 Nick decided he would make a go of it.  It turned out to be a great fishing day for him.  I reminded him of that when he got home.  It should be an "interesting" summer!  Ugh! Once again it's another example of how I have to stay one step ahead of my boys and some days are better than others.

Nick and our neighbor, Mason, are thick as thieves these days.  They are doing everything together.  They fish together, four wheel together and play ball together.  This picture is of Mason, Nick and Mason's friend.  Mason is in 8th grade and in reality Nick and M. are 18 months apart.  I really like Mason and his friendship with Nick this season has been a blessing!