Click the Life Well Lived logo above to see past posts, and how it all started.I was an assistant in a Special Ed class.
I realize how vain it seems to only have my face in focus, but there is a legit reason. I didn't feel right posting children's (and teacher's) faces on my blog without permission...and since I have no way to collect permission from everyone, I decided to play it safe. Which sucks because I WISH you could see all their sweet little faces. Especially the little guy in my lap. Let me back up - While I was still in college, I worked as a nanny, but decided to assist in a classroom for the summer program that my local school district does for children with special needs. This was taken my first summer with the program. This program really made a GIANT impact on me...one that has had lasting effects. Working with these kids taught me so much. One in particular; The little boy in my lap. His name is Jake and I think about him often. He was 5 in this picture and has Down Syndrome. I learned (just enough) sign language to talk to him, because he didn't speak. He couldn't tie his shoes. He didn't like people to touch him. But for some reason, we connected. Since it was one lead teacher and 3 assistants (one was taking this picture) we were able to give them lots of one-on-one attention. The lead teacher automatically noticed my connection to Jake and had me work with him every day. By the end of summer, he could tie his shoes. He could say SIX words (!!!!) and had expanded his signing vocabulary. And most amazing? He ran to hug me every morning, and cried when it was time to go home. (I am almost crying typing that part.) Jake was in a foster home. A GREAT foster home, for the record. The Mom was a saint and I have no doubt he had a great life there...but he hadn't bonded with anyone quite like he bonded with me. I went home crying almost every day because I wished so badly that I was older, married, in a different place in my life so I could have adopted him. And I was serious. I really would have adopted him, if I hadn't been 19. The next summer, he wasn't there. His foster family had moved out of the district...and I never knew what came of Jake. BUT, that experience...that connection to this little human being...it was an absolutely priceless experience that I would never give back.
I realize how vain it seems to only have my face in focus, but there is a legit reason. I didn't feel right posting children's (and teacher's) faces on my blog without permission...and since I have no way to collect permission from everyone, I decided to play it safe. Which sucks because I WISH you could see all their sweet little faces. Especially the little guy in my lap. Let me back up - While I was still in college, I worked as a nanny, but decided to assist in a classroom for the summer program that my local school district does for children with special needs. This was taken my first summer with the program. This program really made a GIANT impact on me...one that has had lasting effects. Working with these kids taught me so much. One in particular; The little boy in my lap. His name is Jake and I think about him often. He was 5 in this picture and has Down Syndrome. I learned (just enough) sign language to talk to him, because he didn't speak. He couldn't tie his shoes. He didn't like people to touch him. But for some reason, we connected. Since it was one lead teacher and 3 assistants (one was taking this picture) we were able to give them lots of one-on-one attention. The lead teacher automatically noticed my connection to Jake and had me work with him every day. By the end of summer, he could tie his shoes. He could say SIX words (!!!!) and had expanded his signing vocabulary. And most amazing? He ran to hug me every morning, and cried when it was time to go home. (I am almost crying typing that part.) Jake was in a foster home. A GREAT foster home, for the record. The Mom was a saint and I have no doubt he had a great life there...but he hadn't bonded with anyone quite like he bonded with me. I went home crying almost every day because I wished so badly that I was older, married, in a different place in my life so I could have adopted him. And I was serious. I really would have adopted him, if I hadn't been 19. The next summer, he wasn't there. His foster family had moved out of the district...and I never knew what came of Jake. BUT, that experience...that connection to this little human being...it was an absolutely priceless experience that I would never give back.
I played a role that allowed me to wear some AMAZING dresses.
When I was in high school, I got to play a lot of really, really amazing roles. Of the plays I was in, I had three roles in particular that rocked my world. Martha in Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf, M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias and Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner. It's really hard to pick a favorite role because they were all so different...but the wardrobe? Hands down, Lorraine Sheldon wins every time. The pictures don't show up very big here, so feel free to click on them to blow them up...but I digress. It is based in the 1940's so, my theater teacher and I went vintage dress shopping for the role. Let me just say...the clothes from that era fit my curves like a glove. Nothing had to be altered. And it was so much fun playing "dress up" in clothes like my grandmother's wore. I really wish I still had that black dress on the end...it was my favorite.
I went to a high school dance with my husband.
There is a perk to living in the same town for most of your life. History has its benefits. (And it's downfalls...for the record.) Ryan & I were dating when he entered his senior year of high school and even though I had graduated and started college, I was still happy to go to his senior Homecoming dance with him. In fact, I think I was more excited than he was! I was friends with a lot of the people in his class, so getting to see them all was great. But more than that, the memories make me smile. Knowing that someday we can show our children pictures of us, all dolled up for a high school dance TOGETHER. I think that's a pretty cool thing. :) 
I was a lucky kid. My maternal grandparents lived in Kentucky, but would "migrate" south to Florida during the winter months. Just about every year from birth to 10 or so, we would go visit them in Cocoa Beach, FL for Spring Break. We would stay with them in their condo and spend hours on the beach. This also meant we got to go to Disney World almost every year of my childhood. I told you - LUCKY! After a certain point, my grandparents were no longer able to travel to Florida, so we would visit them in Kentucky...and our trips to Disney stopped. Well, in 2001, my parents decided it would be fun to go back since Frankie was 15 and I was 18. We would be able to see the park in a different way and do things we couldn't as kids. Our trip was planned for October 2001. When the attacks on 9/11 happened, we discussed cancelling the trip out of fear - but my Dad, who travels a LOT for work, convinced us it was really the safest time to travel. So, we went. The airports were quiet. The plane was only half full. And Disney World? Practically deserted. This made for an amazing trip. The Disney employees treated us like royalty. We didn't wait in line for anything. And I got to skip around the Magic Kingdom, at 18 years old, hand in hand with Daisy Duck.
This picture makes me laugh every time I look at it. While at a Kings of Leon concert, the guys across the isle started talking to us. They had Australian accents (YES!) and were asking us what there was to do around the venue. We gave them a few ideas and went back to watching the concert...and discussing how incredibly good looking one of the guys in the group was. Like, movie star handsome. Like, when he walked past, all the women around him stopped and gawked. So, I decided we HAD TO HAVE a picture to remember him by. We planned it out carefully. I would lean against the railing in front of us and act like I was taking a picture of Brittany and Kim - but really, I'd be taking a picture of the dude. We'd been very quiet in planning our "sneak attack" and it was executed flawlessly...until I got home and uploaded the pictures, only to find that we'd been outsmarted. He totally caught me...and put his hand over his face. FAIL. But we sure did laugh about it! And isn't that what makes Life Well Lived?! 
As I think I've talked about on this little blog of mine before, I. Love. Baseball. I was raised by a man who pretty much views it as a religion. Yes. My Dad worships the game. He played it his entire life, until his back physically wouldn't let him anymore. So, growing up it was always a part of my life. We went to more baseball games than I can count. Both games HE was playing, and major league games. Growing up in Texas, most people rank football as their favorite sport. Not me. I chose baseball every time. So, when our very own Texas Rangers made it all the way to the World Series, my generous Dad jumped on the chance to treat us to, what could quite possibly be, a once in a lifetime opportunity - To go to a World Series baseball game. And even though the Rangers, sadly, lost...it was one the best days of my life.
