50 years old....seriously?

50?...50??...50???...really? Then how come I don't feel that old? :-/  After all, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to be when I grow up. One thing I feel deep inside is that this is going to be a large year. I love it that I will roll out of my forties with one of my greatest blessings of this era, my sweet little Camille that made me "Nana". Anyone who reads my Facebook can see I am over the top in love with my grandaughter!

So, today begins the off road hike whereby every time someone asks "how old are you?" that I will reply 50....with a smile on my face. Except for my stupid back that hurts almost everyday of my life and my gel pack abs that have replaced the six pack abs, I proudly sported on the beach in my 30's; I actually feel pretty good about turning a half century old. My staff at Bank of America opened the path by showing up dressed in total black... I didn't even notice until someone said something about it! I work in a bank after all....we all wear black or something in that part of the color wheel 75% of the week. For you artists, yes, I know black is not on the color wheel but in the conservative business world, the color wheel of fashion includes black, grey, charcoal...you get the picture. I wore my flashing button that announced to every customer that "oh no, the big 50" was a reality for me. My line moved a little slow today due to gabbing with anyone brave enough to make a comment! haha

On a slightly more serious note, I have found myself being very introspective as I approach this milestone. Quietly gazing on the people in my life the Lord has blessed me with and feeling so much peace and joy. Christmas without Bryan, Betsy and Camille was hard, hard, hard (did I say hard?)  for me to swallow and I prayed daily for God to lift up my heart and show me the joy...as always, He came through! I'm sitting here counting the people in my heart that daily make me smile and bring tears to my eyes at how much I adore them. My heart feels so full that I want to share it with the world and try and let you see through my heart and words who they are to me....

I will start with my little sis, Sharon, aka Aunt Sha to my kids. I wish she lived just a little bit closer and in a climate where I could wear my favorite flip flops and tube top dress over my bathing suit. But Bangor, Maine never gets warm enough for that sort of fashion statement. Mainers would look at you like you had grown a third eye if you showed up in Walmart dressed like that. Sharon and I had a typical childhood sister relationship...love. hate. don't touch my Barbies. want you to move into my room and then drawing a line down the center of the room and daring you to cross over it would mean serious business! By the way...she drew the line, not me, just for the record. hehe But now, she is one of my BFF's. She can make me laugh at the drop of a hat with her very, very funny sayings regarding her life at 44 with a 4 year old and 3 month old twins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today she melted me to tears with a text message saying she wished she was boarding a plane to be with me to celebrate my 50th and then a second later breaking me into laughter about how in the world, calm cool and collected Jason and her end up with  TWO boys that are "high energy" (yes, the nice phrase for wild boys with more energy than parents are equipped to keep up with)!! She is an amazing woman with a fabulous sense of humor, a beauty that starts on the outside and runs so deep that you can not even see the bottom,  and a spirit of devotion to her incredible husband Jason and all her family that I can't even find words large enough to convey. Yes, I adore you sis! ;-)


If you enjoyed....stay tuned...there will be more ;-
xo

Half Century Living

Half Century...Good Lord willing,  half?? Really??

This has been a very difficult holiday this year...NEVER have a I said, "I made it thru it" and still breathing, but some years just are that way.

2011 was a year full of blessings...Miss Sweet Camille being a big, big blessing in our family's life, a summer living the sweet, sweet life in Charleston which is burned in my heart and soul forever, and time with my fabulous kids who are now the MOST amazing adults I know!

Ashleigh's blog quoted Diane Sawyer, "years can be categorized in two ways; years to ask questions and  years to find the answers. 2011 was a year of asking many questions. In 2012, I will turn 50 and realize that the people I admire most are the ones who dig deep and find their passion and then have the fortitude and faith to reach out and go for it. This year, I am resolved to reach back and retrieve the pieces of me I left behind 10+ years ago and at the same time reach forward to the woman I want to be in my fifties.
I am blessed to walk this path with three incredible children, the most incredible girlfriends (Lynett, Lydia, Simone, Wanda and Cindy) I have ever known in my life,  and a new grandbaby, Miss Camille Sullivan Cates who carries the "Sullivan girls" name into the next generation of strong women in our family.

Blessings in abundance!
Jer
aka...Nana
xoxo

AKA....Squatters Inn

Anyone who knows me well, knows I am a bit technologically challenged. So, I'm sitting here wondering if changing the name on my blog means my "followers" all three of them, will think I disappeared?? I purposefully do not want to know much about the workings of my computer or ipod because I can use it as an excuse to have my husband or Ashleigh and John fix those things for me! Uh oh...cats out of the bag now!

The truth is I really did sort of disappear this summer and my "voice" has become too quite.  I felt so overwhelmed with life when I retreated to South Carolina this summer, that I thought all the quiet was just what I needed....indefinitely.  I remember Lauren telling me one time that while she loves alone time, she also realizes too much of it draws her inward and is not healthy. Remember in Top Gun when Tom Cruise disengaged...he got called out on it and then jumped back into the fight.

I'm jumping back into the game of life....xo

A love affair with God.....

Well, it's been a very quiet week in IOP. The new condo is settled and ready for the two new "squatters" to move in, one this weekend and one the end of the month. I'm flying low on the radar screen on the details of the who, what, when and where till I get full permission to speak in detail. Stay tuned! :-)
But, I was thinking as I drove to work...can't believe I get paid to do what I'm doing right now at the Rec Center at IOP, it has been an uneventful week. Do you have ANY idea what that's like to say that in my world?? haha....
I thought....did I miss a small moment to relish in this week. I remembered a quote from a book. "When I stop and pay attention to 'holy moments' in my day like a smile, a hug for no reason (there is never a need for a hug...I adore hugging!), a rabbit hopping across our yard (does the largest palmetto bug I've ever seen walking across my carpet heading straight for my computer bag this morning count?? BTW, it freaked me out so bad I grabbed the hand held vac to take him to the Lord this morning!) or a family of geese making their way to the lake ( I... am... waiting... in anticipation to see the turtle team lead a family of sea turtles out to sea this summer....this will be BIG ya'll!) or my heart connecting with another....ahhhh, there's an adorable mom who brings her three little ones to the gym every afternoon so they can play together. I love it! My heart swells everyday when I see her and think about the country song, 'someday you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast'. I think it on a regular basis with a smile of joy for the blessing of my three fabulous children! These are the moments I start living with the awe and wonder of a love affair with God."

So,I just had to stop and change the blog name because this wasn't at all what I thought I was going to write. But, here it is........
Tomorrow, take the time to stop and notice the funny things in your day (um...like me screaming while I suck a roach up into my hand held vac----do the South Carolinians realize their Palmetto bugs are ROACHES!!?) and the moments when you live with the awe and wonder of this love affair God ordained for us!

Bless your hearts ya'll ;-)
jeri
aka...Momma

A sweet southern weekend.....

This past weekend was one of those weekends that just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. No big ticker tape parade, big shopping trip or monumental life moment this time, but none the less a truly great weekend filled with laughter and some of my favorite things.
Scott and I made it to our first "Shaggin on the Cooper". He tried to slide a few other ideas onto our plate and even procrastinated getting ready. Dancing is not one of his favorite pastimes. I LOVE to dance and haven't done nearly enough of it in the past few years. I know it was a true gift of love for him to concede and go along with my party plan! The band came thru with more than just shaggin music, playing some Van Morrison and a little Motown. We tried to do that thing we see the kids do and take a self pic....here it is post dancing our little feet off...

Sunday morning on the "camp Jerilyn plan" was kayaking around IOP. I found a jewel on the Nile. We started out of the marina and decided to cruise through Wild Dunes. Lots of boats and big houses. Fun dreaming. But the jewel came as we turned the corner and the houses disappeared and all we could see was water and reeds... birds...fish jumping in the water like acrobats and the most wonderful sound of nothing but mother nature. I have a quote on one of the walls in our home (yes, the kids make fun of all my motivational plaques) ...."Take time for the quiet moments, as God whispers and the world is loud". I could hear him whispering. It took my breath away!

The day finished off with Sunday night dinner at Morgan Creek grill at the dock. More fun music and a beautiful sunset! A sweet southern weekend, Charleston style.

The Squatter's Inn: I Know you're confused......welcome to my world

The Squatter's Inn: I Know you're confused......welcome to my world: "I forget sometimes about my 'tat'....guess who talked me into doing it? :-) Thanks Ashleigh...I truely love it and it inspires me and remind..."

I Know you're confused......welcome to my world

I forget sometimes about my "tat"....guess who talked me into doing it? :-) Thanks Ashleigh...I truely love it and it inspires me and reminds me of how God wants me to walk through this life. Mair Le Feda is "Walk with Faith" written in galic, taken from our Irish bloodline.
I was shopping in a furniture store today...looking for a couch for the newest "Squatters Inn" in Charleston. More on that later. Flip flops are 90% of my shoe wardrobe these days living in Isle of Palms. The sales woman noticed my tat and asked what it meant.  She honestly showed little interest in the depth of the meaning, but that was ok, because speaking the words reminded me of what I am presently doing in my life.....walking in faith. The ringtone on my phone is "Jesus take the wheel". So, if you're feeling confused as to why I'm burning up the road between Greensboro and Charleston, well then welcome to my world.
For those of you who haven't heard, I am spending more time this summer in Charleston, working part time at the Isle of Palms Recreation Department, which by the way is ridiculously fun, and settling a new "Squatters Inn" for the Cates/Turnamian soon to also include an adorable young lady named Betsy Tapley, Bryan's girlfriend. I will elaborate more on that later as well. I'm not really trying to string you along so you keep reading my posts, it's just such a big story that I need to break it down into parts. Betsy will be joining us on June 12th and Lauren...yes, that's right, will be moving down here from Wilmington a week or two after that!!
If you've read Ashleigh's blog today, you will see some fine print about her having a niece or nephew by the end of the year here in Charleston. Yes, our family is going to be blessed with a new member by Christmas.
The Squatters Inn is growing and Momma aka Nana is thrilled!