Kids, kids, and more kids!

This summer, I took time off from writing to spend quality time with my kids. We have moved from one event to the next to whiplash speed. There isn't a day where half the neighborhood kids are not in my house yelling and screaming.The girls play with their  baby dolls while the boys tackle every sport as if they were playing in a professional game. 


On this Thursday, I am thankful for my kids. While at a given moment of every day, my hair is standing on end from their, "Look what I can do, Mom!" shouts, but I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. My house may only stay clean from 10pm to 7am while my busy bees are sleeping;) In just 21days (who's counting?) all of my kids will be off to school. This is the first time all of them will be attending school full-time. I am looking forward to getting back to my writing, however I am enjoying the hectic life of four non-stop children:)

Great outdoors

This week, I am thankful for the outdoors. My favorite colors are green, brown, and blue. Being outside kinda wakens my spirit. It doesn't matter if I'm hiking through the woods or playing in the backyard with my kids, as long as I am outside, everything seems right in the world.

Happy Thankful Thursday:)

BOOKS!

This week, I am thankful for...BOOKS! It seems strange I had never done a Thankful Thursday for books yet. One of my favorite things in the world is to pick up a book and get lost in the world created by the author. I (sigh) love to read. I love the smell of old books, the feel of a spine, and the stunning cover. I read where ever I go. I am the annoying woman who spots someone reading and I have to ask, "What are you reading?" 

The feeling I get when reading is pure joy. I sometimes crash from a reading high after falling madly for a story. I love all kinds of stories! Give me urban fantasy, paranormal, cowboys, BDSM, short stories, romance, angst, law enforcement, WHATEVER...just give me more!!

I keep telling my husband, that when our kids are old enough to move out, I'm going to build myself a library. Here are a few pictures of some stunning libraries I wish I could read in.

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Recipe for Mmmm

This week I am thankful for Mexican food! YUM! I could eat something Mexican everyday. (HEY! Mind out of gutter!) When I was pregnant, I craved Mexican food and ice tea. Here is one of my family favorite recipes. It is quick, simple, and feeds an army. I hope you enjoy!

This is a favorite at our house and not difficult to make! This recipe will easily feed 10-12 people, and isn't easy to cut in half. So what I do when I don't need to make THAT many chimichangas is to make the entire batch of "filling" and then freeze half of it. Makes dinner even easier the next time I want to make chimichangas. The filling works GREAT for enchiladas, too.


You will need:
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or finely chopped (I put them in a crock pot with a can of coke for about 6 hours on low... they fall apart!) If you are a beef eater, subsitute with bagged precooked Fajitia steaks strips
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
1 cup sour cream
1 can green chilies
1 can rotel (optional)
1-2 cups shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl.

Spoon filling into centers of large tortilla shells and wrap, burrito style, with both ends tucked in. Set aside on a tray or in a large baking dish.

In a large skillet, heat 1/2"- 1" oil. When oil is hot, carefully place 2 chimichangas at a time into the oil. Let sit 1-2 minutes and then carefully flip over. I use tongs and a spatula to move them around. When both sides are golden brown, remove from oil and place on a paper towel covered plate or tray. Repeat til they are all cooked.

Top with sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, extra cheese, pico de gallo or your favorite toppings.

Let me know if you try this! Trust me, it's soooooo good!! 

Weekend Getaway!

This week, I am thankful for the weekend getaway my husband as planned...JUST FOR THE TWO OF US! Holy cow this is the first time Jeremy and I have ventured out alone in the 7 years (minus a few days) we have been married. We take adventure trips with the kids, but this time they are not coming along.

Jeremy and I will be be staying at a local State Park for caving, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, and canoeing adventures. I am a Kentucky girl through and through, I love being outdoors! Kentucky has some of the most beautiful nature made vacation spots in the world. Kinda bias huh? Just can't help it;) I am so excited to get out and relax!

I hope you all have a very wonderful Thursday!

Down Syndrome Angel

The past few weeks I have been absent from the writing world. In my everyday job, I work as a caregiver to individuals with special needs. I have worked in this field for the past 9 years. I love my job. Honestly, I never consider it a job because I love the men I work for. I work in a home assisting three older men. I have worked with the same men for the last 6 years. Each one is special to me. I take the guys home with me for holidays and they play with my kids. These men have become family. One of the men became sick. We called in hospice to assist us in his dying process. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. To watch someone you love fade away it utterly painful. I would sit by his bed and sing to him when he became upset and could no longer talk. It seemed to settle him down for a bit. Little Man as I called him enjoyed the simple things in life. He didn't worry about bills or political events. He enjoyed the taste of an ice old coke and anything sweet to eat. Little Man had a pure soul. He brought laughter and love into my life. I will miss him like none other.

This week I am thankful for a lot of things, but most of all I am thankful for the chance to be in Little Man's life. I am blessed by his presence, his compassion, and his everlasting love.

Stress

Today is Thursday! Which means it's Thankful Thursday around here. I have been a little absent lately, mainly because I have been working on my current WIP! I only have 4k left to write:) It may seem a bit odd, but this week I am thankful for STRESS. I am thankful for the six letter dirty word because it keeps me going. When something tries to knock me down or when life gets tough, it's hard to see the silver lining of stress. This month has been one issue right after the next. However, I am still thankful to be dealing with these issues. It is helping build my tolerance level and showing me what I am really made of. So, while I am pulling out my hair when my twelve year old back talks, I will remind myself to be thankful:)

It takes a village

One thing I have learned since I decided I wanted to write, is that it takes a village. For the past year I have been in a writing/critique group . We met in the M/M Romance group on Goodreads and formed a private group of our own to meet the needs of the authors. I first joined the group solely as a beta reader because I hadn't started writing on my own yet. From this group, I not only formed life changing friendships but found my 'author voice' as well. I have fallen madly in love with my writing group.  They make me laugh and cry, but mostly importantly, they make me Summer Michaels. In all seriousness I wouldn't be who I am without them. I hadn't adopted a pseudonym or put two sentences together as a writer until I met them.  


There are some writers who don't use critique partners or that can sit down and write without bouncing ideas off anyone else. For me, the whole process is more exciting with a writing group to fall back on. I love tossing ideas out for a new story or discussing character development and plot. 


Another benefit of a writing group is the drive to write. My village pushes and cheers me on as I complete my book. I love the text messages I get when I am folding laundry and someone from the group as just read a section of my story. My writing group makes me feel like I can do, that one day my dream of being a published author is reachable. 


So, for this Thankful Thursday I am thankful for the critique group. I am thankful for their support, their love, and their insight. I am thankful for my village. 

I can hear them fighting over who gets to be which character now! 

Celebrate Life

This past week a dear friend of mine passed away. On Tuesday with his wife and kids by his side, my friend left the world a sadder place without him in it. We all knew this was coming, he was only given two weeks to live, but  showed us he would go on his own time and survived three weeks. Larry said he didn't want a funeral, but wanted a celebration instead. So on Friday with 300 of his closest friends, we celebrated Larry's life. Person after person came forward to share a story of laughter and tears with the rest of us. It was so moving and beautiful, I turned to my husband and said, "This is how I want to be remembered."

This Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for the chance to sit and listen to how Larry made other people happy. I am blessed for having known him and his family. I am thankful for those who can see death as a reason to celebrate and remember.

Jer-Bear

This week, I am thankful for my husband. Jeremy and I have been married for almost 7 years now. We have grown so much more closer this past year than I ever thought possible. I am thankful that when I called him Sunday from work in tears, he just got in the car to come check on me. I am thankful for his love that seems to grow daily. I am thankful for the thousand phone calls I get during the day to check up on me (okay, maybe not really on that one, but I'm trying, lol) I am thankful for his support and his willingness to read a scene I am struggling with. Most of all, I am thankful for the past six years with this man. There is not another living being who I would want to share my life with, other than the man I married. 

Little Brother

This week, I am thankful for my little brother. I love my baby brother:) He's uncomplicated, funny (don't tell him I said that), and he's always there for me. For the past 24 years my brother and I have never had an argument, never fought of a toy or anything like that. We played a lot of pranks on one another, but never had ill words for the other. 


When my brother was growing up, he was diagnosed with a blood disorder. It was terrifying to watch him every week at the Children's Hospital. Now he is healthy and stubborn as a mule;) So for all the laughter, joy, and love my brother brings to me, I am truly thankful. 

The Clown and Gem! 

To the outside world we all grow old.  But not to brothers and sisters.  We know each other as we always were.  We know each other's hearts.  We share private family jokes.  We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.  We live outside the touch of time.  ~Clara Ortega

Net Fixed

This week, I am thankful for Netflix. I love searching through movies I would never have heard of or gotten to view otherwise.

This week I watched a Gay Fiction movie titled The Green. The Green follows the life of a high school teacher (Jason Butler Harner) and his partner (Cheyenne Jackson) when a troubled student accuses the main character of molesting him. I really enjoyed this movie. I liked the supporting cast more than the main character, but still was a good film.

So many movies and so little down time to watch them all is the only draw back.

Laughing Matter

Today I am thankful for laughter. The sound of my daughters laughing is one of my favorite sounds in the world. I love their silly jokes and games. It makes my heart lighter:)

NCAA

I love college basketball. I mean, I LOVE college basketball. I turn into the screaming at the TV, jumping up and down, Blue and White wearing fool during basketball season.

I have my bracket made, my team's play times, and snacks ready for consumption. This week, I am thankful for March Madness...even if it doesn't have a cure...and lasts until April.



It goes without saying....Go Big Blue!!

Remembering Travis

In 2008, I lost one of my childhood best friends. He was an amazing human being.I can't recall a single time that he didn't pick up the phone to answer one of my calls. Travis was a forever friend. Late one night, Travis was returning home from a firefighter's funeral when he was involved in a car accident. At 8am the following morning my phone rang. They had just found Travis's truck and he was no longer with us. I remember thinking this couldn't possibly be right. I had just talked to him. We made plans for lunch the following week, they had the wrong person. Not MY Travis, couldn't be. I called his cell and got his voice mail, so I called his mom where she confirmed he was no longer with us. We cried with one another on the phone. She told me to always remember Trav loved me.

This week his mom asked me to write a few of our adventures together for a book she was writing. At first, I was hesitant. How could I put into words what our friendship meant to me? How could I talk about him as if he was no longer here? How could I clean up some of the things we did? (heehee)

I haven't picked which story to tell, but so many memories have been floating in my mind. Travis and I loved the outdoors. We had gone hiking, rock climbing, skiing, camping, and white water rafting with one another. Thinking of these times has brought so much joy to my heart. I have so upset with his passing that I never thought about how he could live on in my stories. His mannerisms, his tone of voice, or his laugh may never be heard again, but I could tell of them. I could share those things with others. I could bring him back to life in sorts.

So on this Thursday, I am thankful for Travis. For his strength, compassion, and love. I am thankful for the time he was in my life. We may not see one another all the time, but he is still here with me. I am thankful also for the chance to share him with others. I am thankful for memories like Travis singing "Fancy" by Reba McEntire at the top of his lungs. Most of all, I am thankful Travis was in my life. I am a blessed woman for knowing him.

Muse's attention

This week, I am thankful for my Muse. I did not participate in this year's M/M group writing event, but this picture and prompt spoke to me a lot. I wanted to know who was at the door! What secrets were being kept? Can this couple who seems to have it all survive? So many questions!!

I have decided to write this piece after I complete my current WIP. I am really looking forward to finding out those answers and more!

Dear author 

For the past 3 years the two men who live here have been blissfully happy. Their love has made this house a home and their relationship gets stronger every day. Today a knock on their door will change everything. One of them hasn't been entirely honest and the gorgeous man on their doorstep has secrets to tell. 

Yoga Bliss

This week, I am thankful for YOGA! There are some days where nothing seems to center me like yoga does. I took my first yoga class in college and fell in love over time. Now with four kids, a husband, job, and writing I need some alone time to clear my thoughts. Yoga brings my life peace in my ever constant hectic world.

Love Out Loud

 This past year I have been lucky to watch a few young men discover who they are, who they want to be, and their impact on our small community. These brave men love out loud for the rest of the world to see. They inspire me to write, to love, and to be a good friend. These young men show the rest of the world the struggles of being themselves in a world that wants to label and place them in small boxes. Somehow they stand on those small boxes day after day and shout, "This is who I am" to those who try to hold them back. These men breathe new life and meaning into the word love. For me, being able to be a witness to their growth is a true gift. A gift I am truly thankful for. 

If I could give you one gift, I would give you the ability to see yourself as I see you, so you could see how truly special you are.
-- Author Unknown

Steadfast Friends

For this week's Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for good friends. I'm a very headstrong (some would say stubborn) woman. I'm grateful for the people in my life I know who are there to catch me when I fall. I may not know how to express what I need when I need it, but somehow these people just know. For those people, I am truly thankful!