Ever seen a grown man naked?

What I am about to share with you might make you uncomfortable but there is some true logic to the madness with which I live. 

Fact#1 Hotstuff has a machete

   We do not have guns in our house. Instead, Hotstuff has machete that can be found on his side of the bed. This is our only line of defense against bad guys who may break in or... want to date our daughter. 

Fact #2 Hotstuff sleeps naked

   Over the last year, Hotstuff has taken to sleeping naked. Though he has always preferred sleeping naked, this is something that has become the norm for him. 

 I know that this is something that you could have lived without but bear with me, there is a correlation between his nakedness and the machete. Now you know the facts we can proceed. 

Knowing that he is my hero and the man who defeats all scary monsters, I was worried about him sleeping naked. I mentioned to him that maybe he should not be sleeping naked. He simply shrugged his shoulders and asked: "Why not?" 

 

To which I responded: "Well, what if someone breaks into the house? You are not going to have anytime to put on any pants before the robbers kill us in our beds." 

And being the amazing husband that he is, he simply smiled and said, "Tell me something, if you wanted to break into someone's house you wouldn't want to be greeted by a naked man with a machete. Would you?" 

I cannot argue with that. 

An Evening with the Palmers

It's a beautiful spring evening.
The lawn is green and freshly mowed.
It's Friday with a three day weekend.
Dinner time has finally arrived.

So off I send my Hotstuff to the House of Caesars to fetch dinner. He returns home triumphant with to large pies of pizza and Beer made from root. As we all gather in the kitchen for a Moo Cow dinner, Bubba Jones begins grace. Remembering to ask God to keep us all safe... including the blonde Swiss Miss next door.

Translation: It's Friday and I am too damn tired to cook. So Hotstuff goes to Little Caesars  returns with two $5 pizzas and root beer. We all stand around the kitchen, like cows that are grazing, to eat our dinner. Bubba Jones says grace. You with me so far???

Even though we had completely thrown all manners... well most of them anyways, out the door the kids wanted to eat their pizza outside. I don't blame them, it is a nice evening. We, Hotstuff and I, tell them no and  to just eat their dinner here. When they are done they can go outside.

Bubba Jones is not happy about this. He begins to be a serious punk about the whole situation.

"Bubba Jones," my amazing Hotstuff says. "Do you want to be grounded?"

Then the sweet little voice from my beautiful 9 year old Miss May speaks from the corner speaks ever so softly: "Yeah, I'd be okay with that."

Bubba Jones, who doesn't back down from a fight, then threatens to throw his pizza in my face. This earns him and automatic five for fighting- off to time out he goes. With his face, somewhat facing the wall, Bubba Jones begins he ritual time out chant.

"Can I come out now?"
*Pause
"Can I come out now?"
*Pause
"Can I come out now?"
*Pause

"Well," Hotstuff comments. "You should give him credit for his determination.

Running for Ron

He had a heart attack one night that should have killed him.

That was thirty-eight years ago.

A few months ago, I agreed to run my first half marathon, the Canyonlands Half Marathon in Moab, Utah,  with my friend Willis Van Gogh. With a hard winter and bad health, I wasn't able to train as well as I could have. Never the less, the only way out of this half marathon was: if I was bleeding ( I mean hemorrhaging) , broken (bones to be more specific) or I was on fire. Come hell or high water, I was going to do this. I didn't care what time I got, how good or how bad I did; I wanted to start the run and finish it.

Willis Van Gogh and I drove to Moab last night; Moab is a good 250 miles from where I live. As we were trying to get to her friends house where we stayed for the night, my phone rang.

It was the phone call I have expected but didn't expect.

"Dad's in the hospital and he isn't coming home this time," RD explained to me. "I am on my way home."

I have known Ron for 18 years now. He and his family have always been good family friends. RD and I dated in high school. Ron and his wife Pat, have taken care of us and they took care of my mother. Through no fault of theirs, the were given a difficult task... I can't share what but I will cherish that moment that Ron, Pat and I held each other as we cried with one another. They bore my burdens with me. The only way I can describe them is simple: they are angels sent by God, for me.

As RD and I talked last night on the phone, I told him what I was running a half marathon the next day.

His reply: "What in the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I have been asking myself that same question for the last couple of months."

"Well, run it for Dad," he said.

And that is what I did.

I ran it for Ron... one of my angels who showed me that we can overcome; how to truly bear one anothers burdens; how to have a sense of humor and how to laugh. He showed me how one major heart attack, the loss of a leg, being on dialysis for the last 6 years and many doctors trusting facts and numbers telling them that he should be dead, doesn't mean that you cannot live a full and meaningful life. That thirty eight years later... the doctors were wrong.

I ran it for me... I ran this half marathon to overcome. I have a laundry list of health issues (fibromyalgia, asthma, etc) and I just ran 13.1 miles! (My time was 3:12:38) No matter what obstacles I have, I can overcome them. And I can have a wonderful life. I could not have run this without a great running partner and friend by my side; and I could not have made it through some of the darkest times of my life without Ron and Pat by my side.

As I got ready for my run, I wrote on my leg: For RON

Today I ran for Ron.

  Today I ran for me.

    Today I ran for life.

Hearing Her Heart Beat

This Bright and beautiful face will be turning 9 this week!

It is hard to imagine that 9 years ago, this beautiful, wonderful, smart and sassy little girl came into my life. 

I always imagined that I would be thrilled when that special day came when I found out I was pregnant. Due to some "Lady Issues", I wasn't sure if I would have children. When I did get pregnant with Miss May, well.... I wasn't excited. In fact, I was angry. Ironic, I know! I had suffered a miscarriage a few months before and I was still dealing it. It took me a while to let go of the anger but I made peace with my God and myself. 

As many of you know, my own sweet Mother passed away in my 27th week of pregnancy with Miss May. Just three days later, my biological father assaulted me. I was slammed into a plate glass window with ten grown men on top of me. I was taken by ambulance to the Hospital and admitted to the ER, then immediately Labor and Delivery Triage. I was with my sister and my Uncle (my mothers twin). My mothers viewing was that night and I forced my sister to go because that is where she needed to be. My Uncle never left my side. 

Finally, Hotstuff arrived and stayed with me. Due to the trauma, I needed to monitored. I had the belly straps on and Miss Mays heart beat swished away for all to hear.  

Then something unexpected happened.... 

Her heart beat was gone. 

It was no where to be found. 

I don't remembered if I prayed. 

All I felt was faith and peace. 

I don't know how much time passed.... seconds... minutes... 

Then the most beautiful sound filled the room. 

It was her Heart. 

It was beating and it was stronger than ever. 

It was the most cherished sound I had ever witnessed. I can still hear it today. 

Then 21 minutes after midnight, on Super Bowl Sunday, Miss May was born into this great big world! She gave me purpose and rescued me from my grief. 

Nine years later, she still gives me purpose and with each passing day, her Heart gets stronger. 

Good Brothers and Mean Sisters

When the Sunday occasion calls for it, I will run down to the local convenient store and get myself a very large soda to get me through the rest of my weekend. Today after church, Bubba Jones was having a very hard time. Since Hotstuff and I went to Vegas this weekend, we had spent very little time with the kids.  I decided to take Bubba Jones and go get a soda together.

On the way to the store, I talked with Bubba Jones and got thing sorted out between us. He was feeling a lot better. We got to the store, got out of the car and Bubba Jones gave me a big hug. We went in and as usual I went for the soda machine. Bubba Jones didn't follow but instead went to the cooler. I found him getting a juice from the cooler but he had two of them in his hand.

"Mom, I am getting this one for me and this one for sister," he told me.

"You don't need to get her one. This is a special treat just for you," I said.

"I know but I don't want her to be sad that I got a something and she didn't," he replied. I gave in and let him get her a juice too.

"That is really nice of you to get something for your sister," I told him.

"Well, I am trying to be proactive. She is a mean sister but I am good brother,"  he said.

All I could think was: Yes, yes you are a good brother. Even when faced with a mean sister, you can still be a good brother.

Mawwwrige is what brings us togetha today!

My awesome Hotstuff and I will be celebrating 11 years of marriage this year. I am in awe. I am speechless. I am humbled.

Most marriages don't last as long as they are supposed to anymore. People just give up and don't try. They destroy what is great and joyful. Everyone deserves to be happy and every marriage deserves happiness.

Don't get me wrong there are some marriages that need to end. I have encountered a few of those along the way in my life. Those are the marriages that are destructive to (more than just) the husband and wife.

This week, Hotstuff and I had the opportunity to attend the wedding of Mr and Mrs Orgn Crushr; Hotstuffs younger brother. This was not the first marriage for either of them. In getting to know Mrs. Crushr I have learned a lot about her and things she has learned from her first marriage.

Watching this happy couple over the last month and even this weekend;  I discovered that there is so much more I could learn from my Hotstuff. I remembered the good there is in my marriage and the many things that are right about it. Just because we have been married for "a long time" doesn't mean we have reached a point where we have nothing else to learn, give or receive from one another. It means that we are just starting out in our journey of our lives. There are still conversations to be had, dates to still go on, discussions needed to be resolved and lots of cuddling to be done. Eleven years later, we are still newlyweds.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

From our Family to yours:

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Years

 

We hope that 2012 has been a great year and that 2013 will be even better!

Love,
Honey   Hotstuff   Miss May   Bubba Jones