He Did It!

I knew it was coming and there wasn't anything I could do about it. My sixteen year old son had told us last year that he wanted to save up for a car.  He had just started taking his behind the wheel classes and was very serious.  After acing his permit test and driving sessions, he got his licence.

My son is a hard worker.  Very determined and great with saving money.  The exact opposite of the Diva child.  So I knew it wouldn't be long before accomplished his goal.  But was Mom ready?  NO!

Don't get me wrong.  My baby...uh...son, is responsible and an all around great kid. And, a pretty safe driver too.  Very slow.  Almost turtle-like.  But, I'm just not ready.  Ready to let go...I think.  He's growing up and next week he'll be 17 as well as a senior in the Fall.  Yay!  Second child almost out the door!

I just have to trust God a little bit more.  I worry about my kids, that's just what Moms do. I know he'll be fine because he really is a good driver.  And besides, God's got him covered!  So what better hands can he be in?

I'll be alright y'all. Sniff...sniff.

So what about you?  How was it when your teen first got his or her driving license?  Did you panic or trust they would be o.k.?

All Grown Up

Today, my beautiful daughter turns 18 years old. I haven't been dreading this day as some may think. No, I've been looking forward to it. Yes, I know it's time for her to spread her wings and fly solo, and truth is, she's independent and can't wait to do so. No, I'm ready for what wonderful opportunities await her.

Kay has always been talkative and very feisty ( I wonder where she gets that from). She's always been that way, even as a little girl. And she could sell you a piece of lint if you'd let her. I guess you could say she definitely inherited the gift of entrepreneurship and she'll be a excellent business owner someday. This child of mine has purpose and great potential. With focus, she will go far in life.

I now must release her into the hands of God to care for her, watch over her, and give her wisdom for her days ahead. My prayer is that she would head the words of her parents, mentors, and pastors, and reject the naysayers and the pressures of the world around her.

That she'll also be a strong woman of faith, a strong black woman, like her aunts and great grandmother before her.

I trust and know she'll be alright 'cause she's been raised right! And she's a good girl. A sweet child. God's child. My child!

Two Saturdays ago, I had the pleasure of hosting a McDonald's McNugget Shrek House Party. I was thrilled to be a part of this celebration of the movie release, "Shrek The Final Chapter"!

My kids were excited too, even my 18 year old wanted to come!

Just a few days before our party, I won advanced tickets to see the movie! While at the preview screening, I snagged some cute Shrek ears and movie posters to use as prizes at the party.

If you haven't yet seen the movie, be sure to take your kids. Not only is this the last Shrek movie, but it has a great message. Adults will learn to be grateful for what they have, no matter how mundane their life may be. (Wish my husband would have seen it, lol.)

As the children arrived, they all came dressed in green. Not even the cold rain could extinguish their excitement. One girl asked if she was supposed to bring a gift. I told her "No sweetie, this party is just for you! You get the gifts!"

My McDonald's McNuggets And Shrek House Party

We snacked on fries and McNuggets while watching, "Shrek The Third". The kids were so into the flick that I had to pry them away to do the games. We played Freeze Dance game while we jammed to some healthy tunes that promoted eating more fruits and veggies. I gave the Cd to a guest but wished I had kept it for myself! Too cute!

Each child was able to walk away with prizes, McDonald's free food coupons, and Happy Meal toys.

My son was so happy to have been able to invite his friends over to share in the celebration. It clearly was my best House Party event ever!

A Poem To My Baby Girl

This is way over due!

You've made it!

You've grown from a little girl with pigtails, to taking care of your own thick tresses, your make-up just right,

You carry yourself like a real lady.

You're smart and business minded, you'll run one, one day.

You're feisty, mouthy at times, like the many women in your family before you.

You kept good grades and school attendance, while others were out skipping, getting high.

You even stayed strong, through God's grace, when you lost your best friend to gun violence.

You've stood up for your belief's making your science teachers very mad (wink).

You've stayed on the straight and narrow, though you've been sidetracked a few times (don't we all)

You stayed committed to one high school though it was tough and toughed it out

You've done it!

You've graduated from high school, and I'm very proud!



A Tornado Hit Us


It's a gloomy rainy day here in Minneapolis. The constant buzz of chain saws and wood chippers grinding up trees have become all too familiar. I haven't really gotten much sleep. They had to remove a tree blocking power lines in the alley across the street and started sawing at 1:00am. I never knew that you could legally make that much noise in the wee hours of the night. I guess it was necessary for someone else's need. That's all for now. Here's a few pics for you.

Oh yeah, that's my car!

Tornado update

Yesterday was a really difficult day for me, so I didn't write. But here are a few more pictures of the freak tornado that hit our neighborhood.

The Red Cross Truck outside our home.

Cleanup has begun.

Another storm brewing the next day.


*Just a quick note. Our wonderful president didn't declare this area a federal disaster so no aide will be given to help the families that desperately need it. :( That's why I have to trust God and not man!

Life has pretty much returned back to normal for my family and I. Work has started on our house, the trees have been removed, cut and mulched, and the kids are back in school. It's hard to even guess that a Tornado even swept through the neighborhood and that's a good thing.

New trees will be planted in the spring to replace the lost ones. That's the sad part of this storm. So many streets are now without these wonderful shade producing giants. and we'll truly have to get used to the extra sun.

I'm sure some of you may be wondering what happened to our minivan? I must say that God blessed us, no doubt! We were able to replace our van with another one of the same year. And get this, it has power everything lol! So it looks like everything did turn out for our good, just like the word says. So why was I trippin'!

Tornado- 1 Year Anniversary

It's officially been 1 year. On this day last year, a tornado rocked my world.

I used to, and I stress used to think that a green sky and ominous looking clouds were kinda cool. I know, I know, it's crazy. I would be the lady standing outside of my house looking at the sky with amazement.

I've always felt like when I look up into the heavens, I look into the face of God. The outdoors just does that to me. So thunderstorm weather was just another display of His handiwork.

But now? Humph! I high tale it to the basement! I'm not playing around anymore!

What's mind blowing is that this fluke whirlwind came out of no where. Local meteorologists had no idea whether or not it was even a tornado. It was just a rainy day like any other. Grey clouds, and steady, light rain. No cause for alarm.

My minivan had stopped working that day and a neighbor offered me a ride. So we waited for the rain to stop. I remember it all like it was yesterday.

I was on the phone at the time, looking out the window. Suddenly, a large burst of swirling wind started whipping power lines and street lights. "What in the world is this?", I thought. Then, one tree fell, and then another. I yelled, "I gotta go", and slammed the phone down!

My sons were in the basement playing and they had heard what sounded like a loud train at the time. One joking said to the other, "Ooh it's a tornado!" Little did he know!

He ran upstairs to see what all the commotion was, just as I hung up the phone. "We've go to go downstairs NOW!", I said. We forgot about the dog and quickly called him down, then hid in the bathroom. We waited for the noise to stop and headed out when it was all clear.

As I opened my front door, I was in complete shock! Trees were everywhere including on top of my minivan! All of my neighbors had begun to come outside looking with disbelief. I yelled, "WHAT THE HECK! Someone asked if I we were O.K. but my response was still,"WHAT THE HECK"! She yelled again, "Are you O.K.?" I snapped back to reality. "Yes, yes were O.K.".

Then, what's that we hear? Sirens! We scattered back into our homes. But it was too late, the tornado had already hit.

I called my husband. "Did you see that! What was that"! Now he was 2 miles a way and had heard sirens but saw nothing. "You need to come home, it's really bad!" He thought I was exaggerating (as I often do).

The National Weather Service determined that it was indeed an EF0 tornado that hit my inner city neighborhood. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Looking back is interesting though. Yes I have a new found respect for the elements. Who wouldn't? But now I see (for the most part) newly remodeled houses with fresh paint, new siding, and new roofs. A lots of new baby trees.

One neighbor described it as a blessing in disguise. "People who could not otherwise afford it, were able to get their homes fixed up".

And my husband said he wanted a new roof. Be careful what you ask for!