{and I love you for giving me your eyes, now stay back and watch me shine}

So I never did a Mother's Day post.

Although I wasn't able to spend the actual day with my mother, I was at least privileged enough to talk with her from 6 hours away.

I can't listen to this song without tearing up thinking about my Mother. It defines my mother to the core.

My mother is my hero. She's held me on the floor as I've bawled my eyes out- emotionally, mentally and physically raw after being hurt deeper than I've ever been hurt before.

She's loves me regardless of the times I've emotionally smacked her in the face. She's loved me after I've rejected her advice. She encouraged me every morning for months when I wanted nothing less than to just stay in bed and sleep away any emotions. She gave me her strength when she had none herself. She's sacrificed. She's love unconditionally. She's put my needs above her own...

And that's just for one of her three children.

I am so proud of my mother. Now, at 47 years old, she's pursuing a dream she's had since we were kids. She's pursuing a completely new career, teaching herself the "ins and outs" of running a business and polishing her photography skills. How many of you can say that your Mom has taught herself a new career at 47? I have never been more proud of her! Think I'm lying? Check her out for yourself.

Thank you Mom, for teaching me the importance of family, faith and unconditional love. I would be lost without you. You are my rock.

Tell me something about your Mom. Because after all, who needs just a day to celebrate your mother?

{blessed}

I'd like to take some time to tell you about two of the most important girls in my life and how blessed I am to be so close to them.

Pictured is my beautiful sister and mother. The three of us went out on a photoshoot not too long ago and since then, there have been a few times that I've reflected on this morning that we spent together.

Although many times I forget how blessed I am and have been the past 24 years of my life, I am very thankful to be part of such a close family.

My mother- the beautiful lady standing the the front in all her sass {completely rocking out being on the other side of the camera- she's a photographer!} is more or less my rock. She has been there for me at my darkest times- standing there as I cried for hours and asked "why" a thousand times over again. She has awakened with me while I've spent nights sick in the bathroom, holding my hair back and giving me a warm cloth. In a matter of 15 minutes after receiving a phone call, she dropped what she was doing and was on the road headed for VA to be with her girl during a time of devastating uncertainty. She does all this selflessly for her children. In addition to all of this though- and perhaps most importantly- my mom prays for me and her other two children on a daily basis. How many other people can say that? I have never, ever met someone more dedicated in their spiritual life than my mother. I am eternally grateful for her dedication to us, and for never giving up on any of her children {no matter how hard we bite the bullet and push away}.

And my baby sister? Basically my best friend ever. We have stayed up so many nights laughing and giggling in bed that it isn't funny. I know that I can go to her with anything- she'll always tell me what she thinks and no matter what my decision, she still always supports me. We have quite the interesting relationship, and people from the "outside" usually question the way we talk to each other. I love this girl, and though we can get into some pretty nasty arguments- I would do absolutely anything for her. I am so thankful that I am so close to my baby sister.

My brother says hey- Carolina rules. {obvi}

2010

Happy 2010!!

To all my girls out there who had a less than perfect 09
-you know who you are-

Sprinkles
Liz
Kate
Rasha
Summer
Nicole

WE MADE IT!!!

Here's to the best year/decade ever.

{via weheartit}

Love you all.

what city?

ok, so the title of this post is for my one and only julia... my outback lover.

I took a very last minute trip to Virginia on Sunday.

I had a BLAST.

I:
met new people, had coffee with old friends, danced my tail off with Julia and
had fabulous girl talk with my favorites.
Oh... I even went out on a rooftop that overlooked Downtown. It was beautiful. And we're sleeping out there when it gets warmer.

More pictures coming soon, but for now... I can't get enough of this picture of
my gorgeous girl Hannah.
I seriously don't know what I would do without this girl.

Hannah
{left}

Me
{right}

More pictures coming soon.

Also, opinions welcome.
I'm considering going to grad school.
yes/no?

Laura Bell-Burkett

Per my first post, I decided that my first few posts easing back into the blogging world were going to be about the strongest women I know; because blogging about these women help me remember what true, feminine strength is... and if they can come out stronger in the end, then sure as heck... I will not only get through this, but will come out on top. Am I a feminist? Absolutely not... but I believe in women having their own backbone, aside from men. I believe in women being confident in who they are and what they are capable of aside from being attached to someone else. Individual strength... it's not a character trait that many women have today.

I thought long and hard about the first woman I wanted to feature. I have a few other women that I will blog about as well, so I won't give it away as to who else I will write about. You'll have to check back for that. Without further ado though, I will introduce my first Woman of Strength:

Beautiful, isn't she? She actually looks very similar to my mother and other 2 aunts. As I sit here and stare at this picture, tears sting my eyes because I can't imagine the personal turmoil that this woman has faced.

Rewind 35 years ago and you find yourself in 1974. Sixteen yr old Laura Bell, still a child herself found herself pregnant with her first, a little boy she named Michael. Against all odds that she would make it in life with a baby at 16, she kept the baby and worked harder for this boy than any 16 yr old should ever have to. Never once did she enroll in the state's welfare program. She married, but sometimes two "wrongs" don't make a right... and Laurie found that she was better off raising Michael alone.

Fast forward a few years and Prince Charming came prancing into her life, only to sweep her off her feet and give her 3 more beautiful babies- Tracey, Jason and Abby. Although life was hard and money was tight, Laurie had her family. Ten years later, she found that marriage doesn't live on love alone, and what was once marital bliss ended in brokenness.

Here's Laurie, 4 children {one of whom is autistic} and single without even a high school diploma. You wanna talk about "odds being against you"?? But she pressed on knowing that tears would never provide food, a roof over her children's heads or clothes on her kid's backs. Tears would never pay bills, get homework done or clean a home.

More so now than before and against all odds that a woman in this situation would ever be capable of staying on top financially and emotionally, much less further her education, Laurie worked her tail off as a waitress to not only provide a clean, loving home and food for her 4 children, but also somehow managed to put herself through school to get her 4 year nursing degree to provide a better income and future for her family. Through the seven years that it took her to do it, she sacrificed to provide a life for her children- her own pride, her dignity, her money, herself... all for the sake of her children. Selfless love.

Fast-forward again many more years into 2008. Life had its ups and downs between the years. She married a wonderful and patient man named Craig, Michael {her oldest son} had married a beautiful woman and was the father to her 3 handsome grandbabies; her oldest daughter graduated from a reputable college; her youngest son was engaged to an amazing woman and Abby brought sunshine on a cloudy day. Because of every situation that this woman has faced up until this point, Laurie, only in her 50s can already be called a strong woman who came out on top.

But that's not it.

November 10, 2008.

Life as Laurie had come to know it came to a screeching halt. In the blink of an eye, her baby boy was taken. "Not Michael... not my Michael," were the words that she screamed repeatedly when the haunting news was revealed. Devastation. Anger. Hurt. Pain. Disbelief. Is it possible to put a word on the feelings that this woman felt during those moments and grueling days to follow?

The weeks to follow brought even more devastation that no one should have to deal with after the loss of a child- afterall, you're not supposed to live longer than your children. Her grandbabies were safe, but backs were turned within the family after nothing but love had been offered to a hurting family. The loss is almost unbearable to think about, much less live through.

Time. Time is the only thing that can heal such deep wounds... and until you have suffered a great loss that is out of your control such this, you won't understand. There is no human and there are no words that can fix or heal the pain. Some days you get out of bed... and other days you don't. You realize that there is no rewind, fast-forward or pause button to life. It keeps going on no matter how much you beg for it not to; morning still comes after sleep.

This is a woman who sat on the couch with me for hours and told me to my tear-stained, sorrow-eyed face: it doesn't matter why it happened to you, it's how you're going to handle it. "It is what it is and life goes on. The situation is out of your control, but how you handle it is in your control. Sometimes it's about pickin up the pieces in your Red High Heels.

I could go on for pages about this woman and her courage and strength and the trials that made her the woman she is today. After all the pain and hurt, she still loves with all she has. I don't understand why this woman has had to face as much pain as she has... but I do know that my Aunt Laurie is strength in human form.

{with her baby, Mike}