Life with Him: 20 Years Later

"Twenty years ago I thought I would do this job forever. I had a dream: work until I was 60 and they threw me out, and then move somewhere else where they have a volunteer department and I could put my experience to good use.

The department offered a 50 percent pension after 20 years, we contribute 9.5 percent of our pay toward the fund, and the city contributes the rest. “That‘s nice,” I thought, never considering that I would actually leave after 20.

Time marches on, and 20 years passed in the blink of an eye. The person I was when I started is long gone; a different, more somber, at times cynical person has taken his place.

People who walked in my shoes fought for the 20-year pension deal, knowing from experience that 20 years in firefighter time is a long, long time. They knew, as only one who lived the life will ever know, that for some, 20 years is enough. They knew that at 45 or 50, starting a new career is not that easy, or starting a business when everybody else had a 20-year head start is challenging, to say the least.

I remember sitting in at a critical incident debriefing a few hours after I held two dead infants in my arms. My latex gloves melted into their skin their bodies were so hot as I tried unsuccessfully to revive them with my new CPR skills. I bagged the 1-year-old — Savannah was her name I found out later — while doing compressions on the other, John. It was rough, but it was what I had signed on for.

The guy who brought the babies from the fire to me was a 20-year veteran firefighter, a tough guy by all accounts. When it was his turn to speak he filled with tears, and couldn‘t. He hung his head and valiantly tried to express his feelings, but couldn‘t. He left the room.

A few months later he was gone. Retired. He told me much later that it wasn‘t necessarily that call that did it; it was all the calls leading up to and including that one that finished him. He simply could not do it again.

I should have learned a lesson that day, but mired in the arrogance of youth I hadn‘t lived enough to sense my own frailty. I was invincible. I thought of him the other day, as I drove home from what I thought was an unremarkable tour.

As I neared my street, I thought of the little girl who claimed to have injured her knee and refused to move from the gymnasium floor. Her mother looked on from a distance, annoyed as I tried to figure out what was wrong. No bleeding or deformity, swelling or anything really. She showed me her other knee as a comparison, and I noticed bruises, weeks old on both legs, and both arms, and a haunted look on her face.

I let it go. We can‘t save everybody, and she probably is just an active kid who bruises easily. Or not.

I turned onto my street, and had to stop the car. Where was the little girl now? Was she home, in her room, reading or watching TV, or was she being punished for being a crybaby, like the kid a few weeks ago whose mother called us because her son “fell” from his bed — fell and had severe head trauma and curling iron burns on his legs.

It took 10 minutes for me to pull myself together before I could walk in my door and not bring 20 years worth of memories with me.

I haven‘t been sleeping well. It‘s been going on for months now. Every night that I‘m home I‘ll go into a fitful slumber around midnight, only to be fully awake at around 2 a.m. I toss and turn for hours, finally getting some relief from my spinning mind at sunrise, only to be back up an hour later. I grab an hour here and there as time permits but have no idea what a full night‘s sleep feels like, unless it is drug-induced, but I try to avoid that.

What runs through my mind is probably similar to every other person my age — are the kids really OK, will the bills get paid, am I truly happy or is this just an illusion, is that spot on my back the cancer that will kill me or just a mole. Then I get the ghosts.

• The baby run over by the 18-wheeler as it turned the corner on North Main and Doyle, dead in the middle of the street, the baby carriage twisted and crushed 100 feet from the body.
• The guy buried alive at sunset on Dorothy, and his lifeless arm that was the first thing we dug up.
• The 20-year-old guy and his 20-year-old friend dead in the front seat of their Mustang at the Atwells Avenue off-ramp.
• The 55-year-old guy who was new at motorcycle riding who tapped a rear view mirror, lost control on 195, flipped over the Jersey barrier and was crushed by a Toyota Camry full of kids. We found his foot later, still in his boot
• The 18-year-old tattoo artist found hanging in his basement by his roommate.
• My friend‘s brother found hanging in his bedroom closet.
• A RISD student found hanging from the wrought iron fence at Prospect Park.
• The kid found hanging off the side of his house on New Year‘s Eve.
• The 55-year-old who told his wife he was going golfing, started his car, didn‘t open the garage door and died next to his clubs.
• The 40-year-old who held up traffic while he considered jumping from the overpass, then did as the crowd that had formed cheered.
• The college kid who fell 80 feet to his death the week before Christmas.
• The baby who rolled himself into his blanket and suffocated, while his dad was napping on the couch.
• My friend Kenny who had a heart attack at his third building fire of the day, and had to be defibrillated, and came back to life but not the job.
• The 17-year-old girl who bled to death in the front seat of a car that had struck a tree while eluding police as her friends picked her pockets of the crack vials they were selling.
• The baby born dead and put into a hefty bag.
• The woman dead in her kitchen with a bullet hole in her forehead and her three children sitting on a couch in the next room.
• The two babies that broke the veteran firefighter.
• The eight-year-old deaf girl who broke my heart when I learned she had been prostituting for her foster parents.
• The 20-year-old dancer dead in her car after taking all of her pills, and the vomit-covered note on her lap.
• The family dead behind the front door as the fire burned out of control behind them.
• Delivering a baby in the back of the rescue and having the mother yell get that thing away from me when I handed it to her.

There are dozens, hundreds more, all waiting for that delicate twilight between sleep and consciousness to come uninvited into my mind. More join the parade every day that I come to work. Just the other week a 23-year-old hit and killed while walking home from a nightclub, a 30-year-old guy shot in the head, back and legs who walked to the rescue and then collapsed.

I am not a machine. I am a simple person who signed on to do a job, and have done it well. If I choose to leave this year, I will do so with my head held high and hope that the pension that didn‘t matter to me 20 years ago, but has become my lifeline, is still there."

By Michael Morse

I don't talk a lot about our relationship because it is one of the most sacred things in life to me and I feel it's not an area of our life for the public. We've seen a LOT of life in our almost 20 years together. And for all that we've seen in our personal life, he's seen even more riding the truck. We've seen relationships around us come and go, other marriages falter and/or fail, we've known temptation, and we know intimately how money has the ability to destroy families. We've been judged, condemned, and we've known what it is to have religion used to control and manipulate. We've been places where we had no other choice but to ask for help. We've lived through the death of his brother and we've seen one of our own children suffer because of all the life we never saw coming. We've survived...barely....the multitude of injustices, evil, and wickedness of others. But 20 years into this we are finally able to see the fruits of our labor and the reward for the many, many years of what we have invested into our marriage, our family, our kids, our time in government service and public safety, and the way we have chosen to commit ourselves to freedom and living true to ourselves. It's taken years to overcome what religion, family conflict, and public safety have done and the toll each have taken on both of us personally as we seek to understand the road we have walked just in the past 8 years alone. It sears the heart and etches scars so deep that each tell a story of all the places we've been and things we've seen. Neither of us are the people we were...doe eyed, fresh, and naive as we stood on that church stage repeating age old vows.

Today I look at where we are, what we are accomplishing despite the cards that were dealt in the heat of the past 8 years and all the life we've seen together in the past 20, and I see a man that has chosen and continues to choose love. I see a daddy that cries when he speaks of the integrity and kindness of his kids, the road they have walked with us, and his devotion to raising them to live in color, full throttle, with eyes to see the beauty of life and people and their unique stories.....to see the person and not the act. A man that has taught them to flee the world of criticism, waiting with baited breath to accuse, determining what the world deems as "socially" or even "spiritually" acceptable. A man that lives the song "Humble and Kind" to his children. I see a man so compassionate that he stops to place highway-crossing turtles safely out of harm's way. 

I see a husband that would die for me and does not take a day that we're together for granted. Years and years of working 24 hrs shifts and taking every overtime shift he could just to make ends meet has taught us to value the nights we're not apart. Though his shift days have ended it's something that has been burned into us....a part of us that is not easily forgotten. I see a man broken by all that he has seen.....a man whose medical diagnosis of "Career Induced PTSD" stems from his love for people and his desire to take care of them.....his brokenness of not being able to fix the world.  A diagnosis shunned and shamed by his profession in a world where you've gotta be tough, men don't cry, and it's cheaper and easier for departments to hide and cover it all than to address it. I see a man that sat in the dr's office with tears streaming down his face as he was told his career has ended and to go back meant a potentially catastrophic end.

It's not that "worst call". It never really is. It's the 20 years that went before. 

I see a man who's skill, integrity, and love for people has carried him through his entire career as a flight medic, an elite tactical paramedic, one of the few that are chosen for these positions, who held a job on one of the most renowned and progressive depts in the nation.

I see a man who opened our doors to care for and provide for our daughter in love while they establish themselves when the rest of the world would've turned the whole situation, and all that went with it, away. A man willing to open our doors to my mom and care for her too when so many spouses would've laughed and walked away or made it the center of marital conflict. I see a man who has been given an innate gift to see the bigger picture and, because of it, not once has he ever lost the heart of any of his kids. When so many blows and experiences in life could've shattered him and made him cynical and bitter he's chosen love every. single. time. He is a daddy most could only hope for. A husband that most women can only yearn for. His wisdom and discernment to handle tough situations rivals all that I have ever known....his ability to be quiet and forgive when my impulse is to seek justice and want retribution is unprecedented. His intelligence and creativity as he thinks outside of the box and the level of responsibility he possesses to manage all that we have been given...it's unrivaled.

All the days I couldn't even crawl out of bed in our rent house he just loved me. All the tears that have been shed as we have dug our way out of all the hopeless, the screaming and yelling as I have reached the end of myself time and time again through this process and these years of growth....and he just loves. I see his desire to give our children a sustainable income and way of life so they never have to worry about money. Teaching and living by example for our kids that it's in giving that you prosper and thrive in life. It's in helping each other up that we all win and everyone succeeds. Our own little hive. 

This week the past year's worth of non stop work, little sleep, and LONG days revealed our tangible rewards. At the age of almost 45 he defied the odds and started a new business despite the 20 year head start his peers had. Together, we did this. We sign papers on the 13th. Together the two of us...working completely from home, with bad credit, faced with angry, resentful family grown weary of the struggles we have known, one vehicle, no phones, 14 kids....6 of them 5 and under at one point, and all the sacrifice and prioritizing to live the dream and make our vision a reality....have proven that there is hope to change the entire rest of your life and it's possible to live your dream. We have worked tirelessly side by side to build 3 businesses as he works alongside our kids and we all do this together. We are ALL tired but he has earned their respect and love and admiration and has given us the ability as a family to pull together, draw closer, and make it a reality....to keep morale boosted while we grow, overcome, and build something that gives back as much as we have been given. I am in awe of him. He is my world and my entire heart. Never have I known a kinder, more compassionate, honorable, humbled heart than the one I get to sleep with every night. He is a man that truly has the best interest of the people at heart and is raising up a generation different than all the ones that have gone before. The years....they've made him beautiful and all the people he has encountered are better for having known him. 

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it." 

Maya Angelou

The best is yet to bee. 

One of our three businesses. What work looks like these days.

LoneStar WoodWorks

Resource: https://www.firerescue1.com/retired/articles/134950018-Why-20-years-of-firefighting-may-be-enough-for-me/

Where Do We Go From Here

We've moved! To see the newest post please follow us over to our new location at NikkiBettis.com. 

The Birth Story of Grisham

Finally! Click on over to our new location to read his birth story. 

40 Weeks - Due Date Day!

Baby #13's due date is here! Please visit us at our new location to see 40 week pics and read the latest!

Baby Name Poll!

Come participate in helping choose this baby's name! 12 days til due date! Click pic or here to be taken to new site and poll.

Pregnancy Journey of Baby 13 - 36 Weeks!

To see new posts click here or on pic to be rerouted to new site and new posts! I look forward to seeing you over there!

We've Moved!

Our return to blogging has finally come!! Please come join us at our new location.

Click here or on the pic to be redirected. 

Are the Rumors True?

It seems not everyone is involved in the world of social media, and while it's a great way for us to keep up until blogging can return to some regularity, it also leaves many people not on social media waiting for the ever elusive, few and far between posts on here. With those not keeping up with us there it seems word has still made its way around in the blogging world, friends, and family. The most popular question in life right now seems to be.....

...is baby 13 really on the way??? 

In order to curb the intense curiosity I thought it time to let the world of bloggerdom know...

...the rumor is true. 

Baby 13 is indeed growing along at a rapid rate. I waited to announce this news for many reasons...primarily being that it took me quite awhile to wrap my head around the reality of this new one. What has worked for an entire year with very good results suddenly did not work so well one month and we received the shock of a lifetime about 8 wks later when a pregnancy test glowed neon.

You'd think after 12 there's just not much shock factor to be had in this area of life...but indeed this was more of a shock than any other pregnancy, sans receiving news of twins.....twice! And while we knew we eventually wanted to make our crazy crew into a baker's dozen we definitely knew this was not exactly optimal timing, by any means. 

So, despite our best efforts, 2 different forms of birth control, and a year's worth of everything going along according to plan, this baby's time to come into existence is now. 

But I have lived long enough to know that there is always indeed a greater plan of which I do not always immediately see the bigger picture. So, after many weeks of struggling with the reality of my seemingly perfectly laid out plan going "awry"....we have settled into a place of peace and balance knowing this baby has been perfectly planned since the beginning of time. I continue through school and we have reached a place of quiet contentedness as we anticipate sweet baby's arrival.

We did not discover our little surprise until I was already 2 months along. In the ultrasound room we expected to see a 5-6 wk fetus only to find a thriving, jumping, moving, entirely healthy, BIG 9-10 wk baby. Although we were shocked to find I was almost out of the first trimester I was also diagnosed with severe hyperemesis...a first for me...for which I was the recipient of about 4 liters of fluid. At 14 wks, with second trimester in full effect, the reprieve finally came and catching up with schoolwork began. 

Of course, there is always negativity that can surround such news. Some family continue to believe that irresponsible behavior and utter calamity has stricken again while others embrace the news with enthusiasm. How GRATEFUL we are for the friends and family and the expanding world of blog readers that surround, encourage, support, know our children well, and express their EXCITEMENT for our family. 

The good news is that ultrasounds continue to show a thriving healthy baby right on target for a much earlier due date than expected.

We have decided that this is definitely going to be a SURPRISE baby!! So....if you wanna know gender you're gonna have to hang around until May!

AND I suppose with little 13 now on the way it's about time I tell Lillye's birth story. With a wild and crazy labor, the rupturing of water at the most inopportune place, and a hurried drive to the birth center...I kinda never got around to writing out her story. So yeah...I should do that.

In the meantime....the picture journey of Baby 13. Due in May. 

  20 weeks! 

The half way milestone! And yes...it is just 1. Confirmed 3 times over now. :) Only 10 lbs gained so far! 

The old faithful trusty jeans stashed away for comparison pics of every pregnancy. They've only been around for 11 yrs. 

And here's lots more pics just for fun.

Football lovin' kids.

Thanksgiving day lunch!!! So maybe we cheated a little this year, celebrated and went out for the annual feast. Because none of us could imagine cooking a feast on this order of magnitude in the crazy confines of our tiny kitchen....and honestly....we all just needed a day off. So.....we took one!

The seasonal decorators. Thankful for a crew who goes into excited action, collaborates as a team, and gets the job done. With oldest two gone for the day this crew did pretty well....and were crazy proud of it....despite the bad attitude that hairbow girl has going on at the moment.

The annual making of the ornaments! L for Lillye-bug. She's just a little bit loved.

Before heading out on the town. The dog cracks me up. She wasn't technically supposed to be in the pic. But she saw everyone taking their place so she took a seat as well. 

Her first year to be super excited over the tree. Squeals, laughs, tons of new words, and a lot of little girl happy.

All the uses for dollar store paper lanterns. Who knew.  

Consumed in their own artistic wonderland. 

Easy enough for the 11 yr old to mix and be in charge! Recipe to follow in a separate blog post.

Because It's Been Too Long

"All those posts about fortitude and endurance....perseverance...shine brightly in my mind..."

I miss writing. I miss the therapeutic aspect that just comes from sitting down with nothing but quiet, thoughts, and space. I miss the humor and irony that words seem to expose about life. For us, this season in life is deeply intense...excavation of heart, mind and soul. All those posts about fortitude and endurance....perseverance...shine brightly in my mind as the weight of school, wife, mom, kids...and business building...and web designing...and on and on...all press in at the same time. I've never considered myself good at time management....however, when we emerge from this season I'm just pretty sure I can write entire BOOKS on the subject. To go from now to the vision that lies so deeply within is not to be taken lightly, nor is it a laughing matter.

"There MUST be a creative outlet some where, at some point"

But I have passion, I have a vision, and I have a longing to help others. I know what it is to seemingly lose my identity in the chaos of life and kids and people. I know intimately that feeling of only existing for everyone except me.  I find myself lost in the selflessness that is continually demanded and begin to think that ANYTHING seemingly self indulgent is wrong. But I know now that self care is absolutely mandatory. There MUST be a creative outlet some where, at some point. Otherwise my brain would explode. I am learning what it is to be the girl who lived before all the world TOLD her who to be. Because when you feel good...truly good on every level - about yourself, your overall quality of life, your time management, your personal vision, your own purpose, your physical body, your overall sense of self....you do good. You become a better wife, a better mom. You're so much more inclined to go out and TRULY do good for others. In giving up a lifestyle of self-imposed martyrdom that seems to run rampant throughout everything I was ever taught, I have found life and freedom and laughter....purpose, passion, vision...that live together on the other side...where all the people dance.

"I'm learning to live..."

By uncovering and overcoming fear...fear of unkept promises to self, failure, falling short, rejection, and all the things that hinder moving forward in unbridled confidence...I'm learning to live entirely independently, and pursue EVERYTHING I've set out to learn and do before I leave this earth. There is still lots, and lots...and LOTS...of deep work still left to be done within me. That's to say nothing of the sheer physical aspect of carrying a school load (3 different courses of online study) along with the rest of life. Intense is about the only word that comes to mind.

"My home lies buried in the rural recesses of the West..."

It never fails, however, during this holiday season, that my heart grows homesick. As much as I love Autumn in the East, the bottom line is that I was born and bred in Texas and a Texan I will forever be (If you're not from Texas this will be a difficult concept to grasp). My home lies buried in the rural recesses of the West; not in the over populated, claustrophobic regions of the East. While we have our own little slice of land and space here...it's just not home...nor will it ever be home. My brother waits for us in Austin. My mom still sheds tears over our absence. My dad waits eagerly for the day we return. And my heart....my heart just longs for wide open spaces, west Texas storms, huge Texas moons, lone Texas highways, Milky Way woven like silk ribbon through huge night sky, hatted cowboys, booted ranchers, big diesel trucks filling up the feed store parking lot, tiny Texas towns, kind hearted people, slower pace of life, and space. So, while we are here in this place now we also know it is not something that will last forever. That sentiment, however, does nothing to comfort my homesick heart. It still just wants to go home.

"Back to the freedom of wide open west Texas prairies"

So, as we pursue so much more...things that were birthed in our head and heart years ago...we know that one day this road will lead us home.  Back to the freedom of wide open west Texas prairies. A place where homesteading is hard, rain is scarce, gardens struggle, and sun drenched lands are forever scorched.

"I can say with absolute certainty that we would not be the people we are now, nor have accomplished all that we have, had we not ventured down the eastern path." 

For now, though, I've found North Carolina to be a place of magnificent beauty...trees and leaves, hills and valleys, rain and growth, canopies of green, whispering pines, and leaves that dance earthward in seemingly mystical ways come Fall. It is something for which I am entirely grateful during this season. I try to soak it in on every level because I know this time in life shall pass. I appreciate this state, our small circle that has become family, and the beauty of it all.....all the growth that has occurred as a result of our move east. I can say with absolute certainty that we would not be the people we are now, nor have accomplished all that we have, had we not ventured down the eastern path. But my heart is ready to go home.

"Life and love and laughter."

There is still much left untold....3 months of quiet leaves lots of catching up to do. And this is not even close to all the pictures that have been taken over the course of late summer to present. But it is still a bit of a sampling of all we have done while we have seemed to disappear from the blogging world. An entire season of football, beach trip, school, travel, and more. Happiness, contentedness, busyness. Life and love and laughter.


If you would like to keep up with us more regularly than what blogging provides right now we can be found here on Facebook. Changes are slow...but they are coming! Progress is a beautiful thing.

Life with the crew of them. Because nothing will make you smile like hearing them all come to life, talk and laugh. This was uploaded to facebook but due to technical difficulties encountered was shortly removed. So....trying again here. 

Because...really...who can resist? For all the gawkers, starers, and those who I KNOW never make it to 12 before the light turns green....we saved them the trouble. And yes....Cageside and Toro stickers will be moved to top left and top right to even out the whole thing a bit. 

When the highly anticipated event of the day finally takes place. Watching the new arrival unload.

Playing around while big brother works. Much to his credit, truck that has sat silent for two entire years was running by the end of the day. Not bad for a 16 yr old kid that is self taught and has become a YouTube and Google expert. Schooling for the real world. 

Singing her heart out. She's a little uninhibited. 

Laying it out for the spring planting.

Richmond road trip with everybody. Lots more pics of this to be uploaded at a later date.

Hanging out while siblings roll.

Sweet downtime at home. We are on the move so much these days that moments like this are just pretty sweet. This girl's story is pretty amazing and one that will be told soon. An inspiration, a role model, and a half marathoner.

Daddy's refusal to change a diaper. Even after 12...he still dons the SCBA mask to take on this task....and still gags. Every. Single. Time. Makes me laugh.

Lots and lots of our many hours spent at football practice.

Boys day out with mama and daddy, waitin' around for the big guys to finish.

Absolutely saddened and mesmerized by the slaying of our beloved forest. Naked babies escaped from bathtub to see what all the noise was about. Nice.

The before. The enchanted forest that lied beyond our house. 

Exact same spot. The after...and still going. You can see the remnant that remains of the trail. 

The sad, sad wasteland now lying behind our house. At this point they still weren't done. All the trees, pictured came down too. To own as much land as you need to in this state to preserve the land is almost impossible. There are no such things as 20,000 acre ranches here. You own...or rent...your 5 acres and are at the mercy of whatever neighbor you have for what surrounds you. Oh well. We met the owner out of the deal, he seemed to really like kids, we gathered enough firewood for the stove to last 20 winters, and the kids now play on the downed barren trees. 

I think the man has an addiction.

Everybody needs a dog.

More football.

Between football and US Grappling I think it's safe to say we've broken in every playground on the southeastern half of the east coast.

Lots and lots of road trippin'. 

You'd think they never get out in public. 

Nothin' like muddin', diggin' up worms, lizards, frogs, and livin' the good life while you work. 

Her first ponytail! Finally enough hair! A day to celebrate.

When it's your turn to drive.

We have an entire 5 acres and they all gather on about 1/4 acre of it. Gives a new meaning to family unity. Football, chase, mowing, amazing weather, autumn days,...and a naked kid (always with the naked kid...SMH). Life is good.

When all the world goes ablaze in the east.

There is a certain element of euphoria that takes places when your pasture is finally mowed.

Since I never really see it from the outside looking in I never fully understood the amount of stares and the curiosity that takes place when we're seen on the road. However....once husband and I saw this...it just made us laugh. Is it a school? Is it a church group? Is it a daycare???? WHAT is it???? Insanity....that's what.

About the only time she is ever still enough to get a pic that is actually NOT blurry.

Why an 8 y/o boy is never.....ever.....never ever....allowed to dress himself and be released from the house by his father. Needless to say, we went straight to the clothing section and he got some new jeans and a few new shirts out of the deal....along with some new camo boots.....cause, you know....he just really LOVES camo. He is now being schooled in fashion by his loving sisters. And yes, he also got a haircut in the deal too. Kinda like a mini kid makeover! Maybe your mom is a little tied up and has a lot on her plate when it gets to these lengths. Poor kid. I maintain that there is hope for him yet! :)

The reality of an efficiency apartment sized kitchen and meal prep work taking place.

Oh look, a cute baby contest winner.

Ole Blue. The sight of it arriving.

No cavities...and a whole lot of dentist office absolutely in love with her.

The freak show in action. It is still surreal and the novelty just never wears off that after two entire years of the complete inability to go anywhere as a family.....this is now our reality. Sam's trips, stopping by to see on shift daddy, road trips, and grocery shopping together once more.

Dentist day with these 5. Second 5 went the following day.

So maybe red headed wild man didn't warm up to the dentist so well last time around. Not even as much as eye contact. His twin didn't seem to mind much at all, in fact, looked as though he was rather enjoying this luxurious experience. 

6 months later....success! Brave little man even sporting a smile about it. Peaceful parenting gently reaps entire benefits that a heavy hand will never achieve. And if results are achieved under a heavy hand was it really worth the tears, the heartache, the fight, and the loss of their heart in the deal....not to mention an absolute horror instilled to ever revisit the place???? All the many things learned along the way of parenting a crazy amount of kids. Some of the stuff I read, some of the stuff I see taking place...just makes a heart sad. A little bit of love, a little bit of compassion, seeing the world through their eyes, a little bit of patience, and a WHOLE lot of learning to pick my battles. He walked away with a goodie bag of his own toothbrush and floss, a bouncy ball, and a very excited, VERY proud phone call to daddy.

Lunch date.

When the 5 yr old is singled out to show the entire class correct form for push ups.

Go Ivye!

Family appearance for October's fire prevention/awareness event.
Do you have a rehearsed plan of escape?
Are all of your smoke alarms in working order?
Are all of your escape windows in working order?
If you have a multiple level house are there emergency escape ladders from each room to get down, such as these available in 2 and 3 story lengths?
Do your children know how to hook and use the ladder appropriately?
Do you conduct rehearsed fire drills with your family?

A simple once a month fire drill with your kids, acquainting them with the sound of your smoke alarm, implementing a family plan, and teaching them to carry it out can absolutely be the difference between life and death for one or all of your children. "It'll never be me" can very much indeed happen to you.

Missing one that was in Greensboro to see best friend compete in dance competition. Junebug baby can't seem to figure out where she is in the birth order line up...not to mention standing STILL...for even a second.

When they've grown up at a fire station this might be where you find your kids while the rest of the world stands and admires, the big trucks, big lights, big ladders, and a ton of different apparatus.

Some big brother love going on. She loves her Grayson.

Best of friends. 

Ponytail!

Buddy love.

The view while I study. Pretty sure he's the offspring of Tarzan. 

When you have a twin you just have a built in buddy all the time. 

More road trippin'.

When he's just not so little anymore. 

Maybe you need a new on-the-go oil bag when your on-the-go oils exceed zipper capacity. Ginger currently sitting in cup holder of van. You might have an addiction or be a bit of a fanatic when you apply AromaTouch and Deep Blue to gas station dude's back....yep, I really did that.....and oil up the crying, inconsolable baby with the embarrassed, exasperated mom at the dentist. But hey....it worked!

Learning early.

And FINALLY.....what has been worked on and taken place behind the scenes as we have gone quiet on here for awhile....a portion of the new website to come is FINALLY launched. All blogging will continue to remain here on this original site until new main website is launched. But, for now, a small taste of all that is to come! Be sure to check out the uses and oil tabs. Still a work in progress as I work more on it...but....it is up and running! There is a little bit for everybody from green cleaning, to family health, boosting immunity, infant care, those in an office space, and even sports and fitness. Eventually there will be information pertaining specifically to jiu jitsu, pregnancy, birth and beyond, and topics very near and dear to our heart as a family.


Also, be sure and check out the fun and quick EmoVite survey to determine which oil you would benefit from for emotional balance and wellbeing. As we have eliminated the daily toxic load in chemical laden products along with taking our EO use and knowledge to greater heights over the period of the past year I have discovered we rarely  are ever sick anymore....and that is coming after two entire years spent in Urgent care and at the family dr where our kids were known by name. Our uses for EO's have turned to maintaining health but also much more focused on the solutions they provide emotionally. My story will someday be told is its entirety. Until then....be sure and take the survey/quiz and see how you can also benefit from oils on an emotional level as well. Their uses and reach far extend that of just physical health and are highly effective in addressing emotional wellbeing also. Click any of the pics to check out the new site! Eventually there will be EO101 classes available to view at your convenience concerning topics of family wellness, pregnancy, birth and beyond, weight management, animal care, cooking with EO's, and diffusing. Video tutorials and kids teaching kids how to manage their health, learning early that we are not victims of a broken health system, etc.


Concerning the site...within the past year I have now had the honor and ability to of helping others address issues as major as fibromyalgia, PCOS, endometriosis, infertility, Celiac, Crohn's, thyroid imbalance, psoriasis, severe eczema, weight management, anxiety, and other health concerns by implementing dietary changes, whole nutrition, gentle fitness, supplements, and EO's. If you have suffered with these or have people close to you that are, my new site is a wealth of info about EO's in general. Upcoming site will include more of the other side of it all including health coaching services, nutrition, and whole lifestyle wellness that is absolutely integral in seeing results, feeling better, and beginning the cycle of positive change both mentally and physically. Click any pic below to be redirected to new site!


For an even deeper look into specific health concerns, I highly recommend checking out the Everything Essential site. Most area of specific concern and EO protocols can be found by clicking the "Health Concern" tab and scrolling through alphabetically. I will stress that I am not a dr or licensed care practitioner. Eo's alone cannot cure or heal. It takes a whole health lifestyle approach to achieve success in these areas. However, essential oils can be an amazing and powerful tool in helping address each area of concern. I can be contacted easily by email or Facebook private message to discuss any of this in further detail or help you begin to implement positive change within your own life.
Email: medicinemansgrl@yahoo.com