Tales of the Ordinary Days

Life is always a fun adventure. And then you blink and it's 30 years later. Or 10, or 20... Life in 1985 was certainly different than life in 2018. Today was a reminder of this. I thought deeply on this reflection as I soaked in my backyard hot tub reminiscing on my years past and the friendships that have filled these many years in between. Hot tub time machine... <apologies if you don't understand this meaning...I suggest you Google> Today was a normal day for me in comparison to my days of late. I worked with an ongoing client on building something great.  I made sure son #3 continues to survive his senior year rather than moving on to his long-awaited days of independence. And I spent time with my husband, who now lives in the same city as me (I suggest you read previous blog posts if this statement makes no sense to you). We now have the a blissful daily routine that centers around living together. These are simple life pleasures that are immea...

The final picture...filter applied Tonight I am finally getting together with my friend, Angelique. It's been way too long. With a close friendship and our birthdays just short of a month apart, we find ourselves celebrating many of life's milestones together. Although we have know each other since our youngest children were in kindergarten, the closeness of our friendship began shortly after our 40th celebrations. Like our birthdays, our divorces coincided in time as well. Now with 48 years under our belts, about eight of those years as single parents, we have experienced many highs and lows of life together. Our memories are full of our adjusting to single-motherhood. Together. Stories from our joint family vacations are reminisced by our young adult children with great laughter. Mother's Days have included family golf outings and brunch. Our kids have a close kinship with each other, just like their moms. I have no doubt that collectively we will always have ...

A fun night with long-time friends, grown-up nieces, and a sweet baby girl. Blissful and relaxing. That pretty much sums up my night. Sometimes the best things in life are often the ones that come by surprise. The last minute invitation. An unexpected open night. Laughs from memories of years back and days just past. Life has been hectic. I often forget the day of the week. Although I deem this year a 'bye year' with no graduations or major life changes for my kids, the pace of my own life makes up for it. My salvation is the mission of my work that drives me and those around me. My sanity is gained from my entertaining boys and date nights with my husband. Throw in a good girls night out and I am dreamy. Torpedoes? Not a chance. I'm golden. Ben came home from college. My initial feeling was joy. And then that excitement died down when reality sunk in. The horrors of the summer after the freshman year in college. A big torpedo. New found independence. Late nigh...

Garrett thinks it's funny that I close my eyes when I kiss him. I never thought this was odd. But then again, with eyes closed, how would one know the normal technique? Now that we're married, I will try it his way. Eyes wide opened in married life. Yep, we are married. Tied the knot. Husband and wife. The ceremony has been performed and the cake eaten. Guests were warmly welcomed and the reception hall filled with wedding cheer until close. Garrett and I found ourselves home at the end of the night, reflecting as a married couple. Our marriage ceremony and celebration really were heartfelt and beautiful. We couldn't have asked for more. That being said, it really has been a whirlwind the last fifteen days as I quickly planned a wedding. The goal was family, friends, and simplicity. Mission accomplished. It all started with a surprise engagement ring from Garrett in early December. We discussed getting married in a quiet ceremony on the Vail mountains sometime afte...

Stunning view of Beaver Creek Lake As October began, our hiking fun ended. All good things must come to an end. And this two day retreat in the spectacular Rockies did just that. But not without a fun-filled day. Cindy and I did all the wonderful "girl" things. Starting the day with coffee and ending with wine (and a little wine in the middle), we filled our day with a fabulous hike, great food, and shopping in BC village. Everything was a walk from our rented condo in the village. The crowds were small and mild. I was told by a fellow Omahan that this is "shoulder season" in the mountains. I was previously unfamiliar with this term, but understood better after our two day invasion of Beaver Creek. We had to be sure to check ahead on whether shops and restaurants were even open. Shoulder season is definitely nice and quiet. With "Restaurant Week" on the mountain, we were able to try out some great food at reasonable prices. The highlight of the...

1990 was a carefree time for us. In our early twenties, we were young and ready to conquer the world. I was fresh out of college and newly married. Robbie and Russ were married with children. But even with the added responsibility, we were still kids at heart; laughing and loving life as young adults. Robbie was my best friend. It started the first day of college when I recognized handsome Russ from summer orientation. When I enthusiastically went over to say Hi, he introduced me to his girlfriend. What started with a glare turned into a life-long friendship.  Russ and Robbie took a non-traditional road through their college years. They got married, had Russell, and then joined the Army. With a move to Germany, Brynn came next.  All while I took the traditional route of graduating and then getting married. Post our college graduation, Scott and I moved to Omaha. With Russ stationed overseas, Robbie and the kids moved back so Robbie could continue school. Gr...

Life is busy. Sometimes too busy to stop and smell the roses. Tonight some of my favorite girlfriends planned a pool party. I would have every excuse not to attend...too busy...kid commitments...work obligations. But my instinct told me otherwise. I wanted some down time with girlfriends. And the decision paid dividends. A good choice. We sat around the pool. In the water, out of the water, by the pool...good times with good friends. Margaritas were a plenty and chips and salsa within hands reach. The humid Nebraska summer night showed its face again. Perfect for a pool party. We shared life. We caught up. We laughed and we smiled. I observed something with this group of women. Positivity. No negative comments. No gossip. We lift each other up. The way it should be. Life is stressful enough. We don't need drama. Encouragement is welcome. Sisterhood and acceptance...<3. A friend once told me that we all need balcony friends; those who cheer you on from the balcony and pu...