Songs About Us and Other Random Thoughts

"We should sail away to some distant place, forget each others names and faces. Fall in love, all over again."- Us and Our Daughters.

I'm loving the EP "Songs About Us". Truth be told, when I'm at home it's been on repeat (if only my MP3 would work in my car, it would be on repeat in my car as well). The thing I love about "Songs About Us" is it's pure honesty. It's the honesty that Phillip and Lia LaRue have put into this EP that makes me appreciate it and relate to it more than I can with any other album in my collection. Like them, Styven and I have had our share of a rough year (or two).
Recently, Styven and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary. We took a trip down memory lane and we found ourselves asking each other "how on earth have we made it this far?" We look around us and so many of our friends are either getting divorced, are divorced, or are separated. As I sit and listen to "Songs About Us", I can't help but do some reflecting and thinking. It's hard enough being married, even harder when everyone else around you is giving up or are too self-centered. If you were to ask Styven "how did you get that far?", he'll more than likely tell you he doesn't even know...all he knows is he loves his bunny (aka: me) and at the end of the day, we can make each other laugh and we balance each other out. If you were to ask me how on earth we even got this far, I'll tell you...I have no idea. It's been a mixture of things, I've spent time praying for my children and Styven, it's been keeping our date nights (and now date days, since the boys are in school), a whole bunch of things. If you were to ask either one of us the moment we fell in love, we'll tell you the exact moment..right down to what we were doing that day. For him, it was when he found out that I'd be moving up to Atlanta and for me, it was when I was babysitting for a neighbor and I observed him with the little girl I was babysitting for. It was the way he entertained her and I thought to myself that he'd make a great dad someday. All we know is we have had our share of loss and our share of things that we wish we could do over again. All we know is that it's taken a lot of work to get where we are now. In the end, it's worth it. I love my rabbit and he loves his bunny. If you want to take a listen to "Songs About Us", than click on either one of the following link Us and Our Daughters.
You can also find Us and Our Daughters on myspace, they've got more songs from the EP up on their myspace page.

On with other random thoughts and updates. Charlie and Danny are getting ready to head into 1st grade. I know, already?!?!?! Both boys have been getting good grades and have been doing really well. Both of them are really looking forward to spending time with my family again this summer. This time, we'll be heading off to Mississippi's Gulf coast for a nice week in the sunshine. If Styven can get four days off in a row, than he'll be joining us. Not too long after our Mississippi adventures, than Styven and I will be heading off to Banff/ Lake Louise, Canada for my oldest brother-in-laws wedding. We'll be leaving the kids with my mom for a few days. We're also looking forward to getting my aunt, my uncle, my cousin and his soon to be wife, my other cousin and her baby moved down to Atlanta. Other than that, nothing new and too exciting has been going on.

Random Thoughts For The Week

I know, I'm far behind on uploading videos, pictures, and giving updates. Charlie and Danny started Kindergarten back in August and so far, both are liking it. Danny has a few friends from last year in his class this year, while Charlie only knows one kid (our neighbor's daughter) in his class. Danny has homework every night, except on weekends. Charlie, on the other hand, gets to pick 12 out of 18 assignments to do and all homework is due at the end of each month. I like how Mrs. Morris, Charlie's teacher, has the homework set up. Truth be told, I don't think kindergartners should even have homework, but whatever. The boys and I have been all over the place this summer. We went to FL to see family and to visit a few friends, went to NC for a few days to visit family, and went back to my beloved Indy for a family reunion. Our trip to FL back in June was fun, as we all got to see a water spout out over the Gulf while we were on Marco Island. The boys and I went to Lion Country Safari with my mother-in-law, middle brother-in-law, his girlfriend, and his kids. Danny got a good kick out of an ostrich coming face to face with him at his window and the ostrich pecking at him. Charlie saw some "pinkys" (aka: Flamingos) and went bananas. It was hilarious watching his expression and him professing his love to the "pinkys". That night, the boys became my dates for a dinner with some good friends. All in all it was a great trip. In July, we went to NC to visit Styven's aunt Noella and spend some time with his other brother, his brother's fiancee, his parents, and some other family members. I learned my lesson, I think, when it comes to my death by chocolate brownies: always make more than I need or don't bake them at all. I swear the men scarfed them down in 3 seconds flat. I was lucky enough to even have two small pieces to save for Nathan and Michelle. Our trip to NC was fun. We rented a boat, had a bonfire (actually, it was more like a contained forest fire in a fire pit), and went to Ocoee. Last but certainly not least, we made a trip up to my beloved Indy with my parents for a family reunion. I got to see my cousin Heather (whose expecting her first baby, Makayla) and other family that I hardly ever get to see much of. My uncle Robert came in from Texas, so it was nice to see him and spend time with him too. My dad thought it would be a great idea/joke to play on uncle Marvin, by getting him a birthday cake and surprising him with all kinds of presents for his 80th birthday. Other than that, not too much has been going on. I've been prepping for the boys 6th birthday and getting them ready for their first ever airplane trip to Cleveland with my parents. Actually, it's their first time in Cleveland...ever. Their going up for my aunt and uncle's anniversary. I was given the choice to go with or have a few days to myself with Styven. I decided that I wanted a few days to myself with Styven, since we don't often get a whole weekend to ourselves (it has happened before, but it's not all that often). I've also been planning a surprise party for Styven's birthday this year. Only down side to it is that his birthday is so darn close to Christmas that it's going to be tough picking a weekend to throw his party. I haven't decided where I'm going to have it yet. Speaking of birthday parties, I'm not throwing a big one for the boys this year. It's coming up and I still haven't figured out what I'm doing for their birthday. Styven's been doing pretty good, still keeping busy at Publix. We're both loving the fall weather that finally decided to grace GA with it's presence. Go ahead, laugh..laugh all you want. It's been absolute torture in GA this year. For the longest time it was 90 degrees, when it should've been in the low/mid 80's at the warmest and in the 70's at the coolest. On a random side note, I hope everyone has been doing well. I wish I could upload all the videos and photos I've taken over the last few months, but for some reason my computer refuses to cooperate with me. XOX, Lynes

Walk on the Water....

Use of Time

For those of you who don't know, Styven and I took a much needed break and headed off to Vegas. We had a ton of fun with my cousin and her boyfriend. 311 Day was amazing. I nearly lost it when 311 played Two Drops in the Ocean (you can click here to hear a few of my favorite songs from 311 Day: 311).
Two Drops just so happens to be one of the songs that I had on repeat the day Art died. I almost felt as if Art was saying hi to me and that someday, we'll meet again.
We also got a few of my other favorites that I haven't heard in quite awhile...Use of Time, Always An Excuse, Purpose..
We also saw Blue Man Group, went up in the Stratosphere, went to Madam Tussad's, gambled a bit. We had way too much fun in Vegas and truthfully, we really didn't want to head home. It was nice to have some much needed alone time together and to spend some quality adult time with my cousin and her boyfriend. We're already planning on another spring vacation together for next year...again with no kiddos.

As for Easter, the boys had a heap load of fun this year. The day before, I took the boys to White Oak park for an Easter Egg hunt with my friend Tweela and her daughter Abby. The boys really love playing with Abby and chasing her around. On Easter, mom, dad, and I took the boys to church and after church, Styven went over to my parent's house. I stuffed the eggs this year and helped Styven hide them. It was nice out this year, so we were outdoors pretty much all day. The boys went next door and played with my mom's neighbors kids.

Speaking of the twins, they're going to be heading off to Kindergarten in August. I can't believe they'll be 6 in October. I swear the time has flown by so fast. It's insane how quickly little ones grow. Charlie will be going into a general education class with a co-teacher for math, while Danny will go into a collaborative education with a co-teacher for a few subjects. Other than that, they've made so much progress in such little time that not much longer and they'll be completely done with therapy.

Random quote/thought for the day:
" But the trying again, makes me think it's all gonna end. Confusing use of time. But every time I turn the volume down, all I hear is the deafening sound of your hearts pound." -311


The above pictures are a mixture of 311, other Vegas photos, and Easter. Below, is a video I took of Danny with Styven and Cujo on Easter.
Enjoy!
XOX

Two Drops in the Ocean (and other random thoughts)

We all know how much I love 311 and yes, I'm at it again with a particular song that has struck a chord with me lately.
I'm in love with "Two Drops in the Ocean". I have been finding myself spending a lot of time reflecting on a million and one things lately. I've been thinking a lot lately about my late grandparents (my mom's mom and dad), my uncle Randy, and my step-grandfather. Each of them have all meant something very special to me. So, in a way..."Two Drops in the Ocean" reminds me of them. I especially relate to the line "You're something of a different kind. The rest evaporate, but you stay in my mind" when I think of my grandparents, step-grandfather, and my uncle Randy. Maybe it's because I miss my grandfather's stories, his laughter, his smile, and everything in between. Maybe it's because I miss my grandmother's hugs, her advice whenever I really needed it, and just well...her in general. Maybe it's because my uncle Randy was seriously one of the best uncles ever (aside from my uncle Robert and uncle Ron). I can still hear Pink Floyd's The Wall playing while Randy worked on cars. So now every time I hear Pink Floyd, I immediately go "how's it going Randy!!!"...it's kinda hysterical, actually. I'm sure Styven's thought at some point that I've really gone insane. I see golf carts (or anything golf related) and I start remembering how my grandparents dragged me along during the summers to go golfing. At the time when I was a child, I never understood the whole point of being toted along, now I just smile and laugh at how lucky I was to even just have that time with them...even if I'm not a huge golf fanatic. I know that whenever I see anything golf related or whenever I see boats, fishing, or anything that has to do with the ocean, I'll think of my step-grandfather. Though he's not my biological grandfather, my step-grandfather has always treated me, my cousins, my mom and her siblings, my kids, and my husband like we were his very own. Though he's still with us, I miss him so very much.
I have also been thinking about how we live, we learn, we grow, and we move on. So much easier said than done...but there is truth to that. I have come to the realization that life is an ongoing learning process and that everything happens for a reason. Some things come easily, others do not. I think it's how we grow and what we learn from it. I just have to say that I absolutely love my pastor's wife! She always hits the nail on the head and always says what I need to hear, the moment I'm needing to hear it. She said something the other day on negativity, so it got me to the current thought process I've been having lately. Negativity is really not good for the soul and it's not good to harbor things and let them eat at you. They say that resolutions are rarely kept for more than a month or two. I wonder if it's because we fail to set up goals that are truly attainable and easy to keep. Don't get me wrong, I think that it's great to challenge others and yourself, however, I think it's all in starting small and not over-doing it. With that being said, my resolution was to try not to take certain people or certain things so seriously/personally and to learn to let go. Both things have been insanely hard for me to do, but it's a work in progress (holy snappers, that's like 13 years in the making ::looks away and smirks::). I have heard it said that the art of letting go is a difficult process, but in the end letting go is a beautiful thing.
Now on with some random updates.
Styven and I are getting more and more excited for Vegas as the days go by. This is going to be Styven's first time ever in an airplane. I already told him that I'm very OCD and have to have the window seat, otherwise I'll panic and go insane for the entire flight. He laughed and made some silly, random comment. What can I say, we never have a dull moment together.
Charlie was home sick all day today with strep and with the stomach virus. Danny went to school all by himself today. Both boys are making great progress at school. It's hard to believe that they're 5 and speaking in complete sentences. They even know their alphabet and they're learning to write their letters. I think they're currently working on the letters L and M.
I hope that everyone had a great holiday (Christmas or Hanukkah, whichever you celebrate) and a lovely New Year.
XOX

Birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, Oh My!

I'm way overdue for updates, I know. Styven and I took the boys to Burt's Farm to pick out our very first pumpkin. The boys had so much fun and truthfully...so did Styven and I. The pumpkins at Burt's Farm are huge (and believe me, if you've been there before, you know that that in and of itself is a HUGE understatement). We finally found our perfect pumpkin and after a nice little lunch, we took it home and the kids and I began drawing up what we wanted the pumpkin to look like. Of course, those of you who know us well, will tell you that nothing in this family happens without some form of amusement. We had the pumpkin all carved and we brought the kids in and left Cujo outside. Styven didn't think Cujo would be dumb enough to eat the pumpkin, let alone attack it. Lo and behold, what happens? Cujo indeed ate a chunk of the pumpkin. Styven had to make make some minor changes to the pumpkin..all in all "Jack" turned out OK.
A little later on after that eventful day, Charlie and Danny turned 5. Seriously, though I still find it hard to believe that the boys are getting bigger and bigger. As everyone always says (and please don't utter this to me...it gets under my skin so bad, it's not even funny and I swear I'll scream if I hear it one more time) "soon they'll be bigger than you!" or the equally as annoying "they're as big as you". Mom, Dad, Styven, and I took Charlie and Danny to Chuck E Cheese's again this year. This is the first year in like 2 years that Styven was able to join us for the boys birthday celebration. Charlie and Danny had way too much fun. They played Mario Kart and all kinds of fun games. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep that night.
This year for Halloween, the boys got invited to have a sleepover and go trick or treating with their friends Bryson and Blake. The boys had too much fun! It was their first sleepover and first time trick or treating with friends. I think next year, I shall have to return the favor. I had my fun too. I stayed up late with Shaun and Tracy and got to catch up with them. Needless to say, it was nice to have a little fun with some good friends.

This past November, the boys and I followed tradition and went over to Mom's the day before Thanksgiving. The boys helped Mom decorate the tree, while I helped Mom clean and helped do some baking. Thanksgiving wasn't the same this year. Normally my aunts, uncles, and cousins come in the day before, but this year it was just Mom, Dad, Styven, Charlie, Danny, and I. There really aren't any side splitting stories to tell this year, oh well...there's always next year.


As far as Styven and I go, we're getting ready to head out to Vegas in March for a combination of celebrating our birthdays (his is in a few weeks and mine is the day before our anniversary), 7 years of marriage, and 311 Day. My cousin Nicole and her boyfriend are going to be heading out to Vegas with us,so I'm super excited.
Other than all that, the 4 of us have been doing rather well.
XOX

The Space Between

I LOVE Dave Matthews Band. They're one of my favorites (next to 311, Red Hot Chili Peppers, & Foo Fighters). My favorite song of theirs is "The Space Between". I came across the video earlier and thought I'd share it. I can relate to this song more so than others. Dave Matthews is known to write songs based on love and the tangled, and often complicating emotions that come along with truly loving someone. I had this song on repeat quite a bit when the twins were first diagnosed with Autism. If you listen to the song carefully, you can easily see how I can relate to the song. Though Charlie and Danny have made so much progress in the past year and a half, Autism still takes it's toll on me emotionally from time to time. This is how I often felt in the very beginning and still feel every once and awhile. Anyhow, I thought I'd share the video. To view the video, click on the following link "The Space Between".

Here are the lyrics to "The Space Between".

You cannot quit me so quickly
There's no hope in you for me
No corner you could squeeze me
But I got all the time for you love

The space between
The tears we cry...
Is the laughter that keeps us coming back for more
The space between...
The wicked lies we tell and hope to keep safe from the pain

But will I hold you again

These fickle fuddled words confuse me
Like will it rain today
We waste the hours with talking, talking
These twisted games we’re playing

We’re strange allies
With warring hearts
What a wild eyed beast you be

The space between
The wicked lies we tell and hope to keep safe from the pain

But will I hold you again
Will I hold

Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster
You know you went off like the devil in the church
In the middle of a crowded room
All we can do my love
Is hope we don’t take this ship down

The space between
Where you smile and hide
Is where you’ll find me if I get to go

The space between
The bullets in our fire fight
Is where I’ll be hiding waiting for you
The rain that falls
Splashed in your heart
Ran like sadness down the window into your room

The space between
our wicked lies is
Where we hope to keep safe from pain

Take my hand
Cause we’re walking out of here
Right out of here
Love is all we need dear

The space between
What’s wrong and right
Is where you’ll find me hiding
Waiting for you

The space between
In your heart and mine
Is the space we’ll fill with time

The space between