Meet my friend. You're gonna love her.

First of all, thank you all SO MUCH for weighing in on the debate about public vs. private.  I have decided to definitely stay public, and I feel really comfortable with that decision.  I still want to stay open and honest, but I am going to make sure I am careful when I address certain subjects.  The truth is- it's not just this blog that means a lot to me... it's your comments and input that really make it mean the most.  So thank you for that.  Really.  Being a mom can sometimes be a very isolating experience, and for a person like me who thrives on connection and interaction, that isolation can feel like a death sentence.  (okay, so that sounded really dramatic.  but you know what I mean.  ;-)  So thank you for giving all you give- both in your blogs and in your comments.  It all means a lot to me!

Now, for a bit about my life.  In the real world, I, like most of you, wear a lot of hats.  I am not only a mom, but also a:
voice actor
literacy consultant
data website support person
curriculum/assessment writer
home-room mom
school volunteer
Sunday school teacher
Bible study attendee
blogger
friend
wife
woman.

All of those titles can give me life, and also suck the life right out of me.  Sometimes all at the same time.  We all know how important it is to take some time to fill up on the things that really feed us... and this weekend I did just that.

This is my dear friend Becky.  She feeds me.  She is so vivacious and effervescent that it cannot help but spill on to everyone who is lucky enough to be around her.  She lives in Atlanta, so unfortunately for me I don't get to be around her in person very often, but we make a bit effort to get together at least once a year and either go to a spa or to a U2 concert, depending on where Bono is at the time.  ;-)  She came to town this past weekend and I think the photo below pretty much sums up our time together.

We spent a little time at our farm (where I sent Mick with all the children for the weekend so that I could be free of all responsibilities- yeah for Daddies!!!) and Becky rode a 4-wheeler for the first time.  It was fun.  

(Forgive me if I sound less enthusiastic than Becky was- this is something that I have to get to do all. the. time.)

Before Avé even came home Becky knew what she wanted to give to my daughter as a gift.  A little background.  Becky has 4 kids- 1 son and 3 daughters, 2 of which are twins.  On one of our little get-togethers (in Chicago to see U2!) Becky talked me into going to a store that she wanted to visit.  Realize that I only had sons at the time, and that will help you understand a bit about my manic aversion to THE AMERICAN GIRL DOLL STORE.  It was, well... it was a moment.  It was all I could do not to stand by the cash register and tell the women who were buying doll shoes that cost $12 that "there are children in this world w/o shoes- but by all means... buy some more for your daughter's DOLLS!!!"  It was (in retrospect) a riot.  So you won't be at all surprised to hear that I have not and do not intend to buy Avé any of those products, nor will it surprise you to hear that Auntie Becky has decided that she WILL.  So since this was the first time they would meet... Auntie Becky brought Avé a "Bitty Baby" from American Girl.  And, (shocker!) she loved it!  

Avé wearing "farm clothes", but still managing to look adorable.  

LOVE the look on her face here!

Friends for life.

And she loved her Auntie Becky.  But who wouldn't???  I love her, I know that.  She gives me life.  She knows everything (and I mean EVERYTHING!) about me and still adores me.  She makes me more ME. 

But there's more!!!  Becky is a blogger- and you should read her blog because with it she is making a real difference.  You see, over the past 2 years Becky has lost 100 pounds and kept it off for the past 6 months!  Amazing, right???  And on her blog she is giving away all her secrets!!!  But here's the deal... it's not really about weight loss.  It's about (re)discovering who you really are and who you really want to be and finding a way to BE that person and HAVE that life you have always wanted.  Because God created you to be YOU.  You really can't do all the good things you are supposed to do on this Earth if you aren't being who God created you to be.  And Becky got back in touch with that and is helping so many women do the same.  So go check it out.  My friend Becky is a STAR.  I love and adore her and was filled up by her this past weekend.  I'm so thankful she's in my life.  I'm LUCKY.  And grateful.

(I've been trying to embed a video she made, but it's not working.  Here's a link to her "Victory Lap."  It's amazing.)