Avery Brooke

I don't even know where to start. I was just going to make a facebook post and realized there isn't enough characters allowed for everything I want to say about this child. If you're new to reading my (not so up-to-date) blog I have 3 kids. 2 boys 1 my oldest the other my youngest, I love my boys it is a different love, a mother son love, a love that I'm raising strong, independent young men and teaching them how to treat and love a woman but in the same respect how to not be used and fall victim to crazy ones (lol). I also have a girl a sweet, sensitive, dramatic not-so-little-anymore girl, my sweet Avery Brooke. This will be brutally honest but stick with me because hopefully in the end it will make all sorts of sense. 

I didn't want a girl. I'm not a girly girl, I dress up ok when I need to but I'm no where near high maintenance I need 10 minutes tops to get ready. Being a mother of a boy worked for me, he fell I told him to get up and brush it off, he got dirty I could just pass it off as "he's a boy", he plays sports and I'm his biggest fan. The day I went to find out what Avery would be I went just absolutely knowing she was a boy, she had to be, what on earth would I do with a girl!? I was 12 weeks pregnant and there she was legs spread on a teeny black and white monitor with all the little girl parts. Surely he was wrong!? I mean 12 weeks is early to be 100% positive. He told me not to paint the room pink but he was 90% sure that he was indeed a she. Fast forward to my 20week ultrasound it was confirmed I'm being thrusted into the world of unknowns. I was a horrible kid rebellious and angry and my sister was the girly girl, God, what am I going to do if she wants dresses all the time!? I became ok with the fact it was a girl, I even started buying little girl clothes, dresses and pink shirts adorned with "daddy's little princess" sayings on it. Who am I becoming!? 

December 3rd I was handed a screaming hot beautiful mess of a pink bundle. I fell so deeply in love with this child. Laying in the hospital bed alone with her and her sweet squeaky breathing as she slept, I promised her to be the best mom I could ever be, that I would teach her how to be a lady but not to ever have to depend on anyone. I knew she would be strong, I knew she would be intelligent and I knew I had my work cut out. 

Days turned into months, months into years, 7 to be exact. She's a drama queen, she wears her emotions on her sleeve (she got that from me, not that I readily admit it, I grew tough skin with a hard exterior you've only seen me have emotions if I trust you now)  she wants so badly to help everyone she sees, her heart is bigger than her body. She has a good little mixture of Tom boy and Princess. Any day it's above 30° outside you'll find her in girly clothing but barely recognize it since it's covered in mud. 

I'm hard on her, very hard. I realize this, I'm determined. I need her to know how strong she is, I need her to use that strong willed attitude for the good, I want her to go far. I want her to let those nasty words someone says roll right off her back without even thinking twice be be able to still love that mean person anyway. I want her to achieve it all, to go as far as she wants to go without NEEDING a man to get her through. I want to watch her succeed and then find a man that is her perfect match, that loves her and doesn't hold her back. I WANT SO MUCH FOR HER, and that is why I'm harder on her. 

I got a call from the school last week. Avery had been nominated from her class to receive the Student of the Year award. My heart fluttered, I didn't even know this award existed and neither did Avery. That's what makes it special, she wasn't striving to achieve this, she was just being Avery. We kept it a secret. She had no idea why she was there. They started with 5th grade and worked their way backwards. I watched her smile, proud of her peers and clap for them, agree with what the teacher had to say about them, her eyes tear up in joy for them. (Just a side note: this child spent her entire summer memorizing names and faces from her year book, she didn't stop until she could recognize every person in the school and call them by name, she knows them all). It was time for the first grade awards. Her teacher was up first, she still had no idea it was her name that would be called. "I've nominated Avery Williams" her face lit up like Clark Griswold's house at Christmas. She was so happy, so proud, she stood there while Mrs. Eckard read a summary of why she picked Avery:

" Avery Williams is not only a hard worker who excels in all academic subjects, she is a kind and caring student who tries to bring out the best in everybody. Avery will go out of her way to help other students in class that are having a bad day or struggling with something. She has kind words to say to everyone and will encourage those who may be frustrated. She gives compliments to her peers and does not hesitate to help when she sees somebody in need. I have noticed Avery is especially kind and helpful to students with special needs. She truly wants to see everyone around her be their best, and she does everything she can to help others achieve and feel good about themselves. 

Avery is responsible, kind and respectful to her peers and teachers. I am privileged to be her teacher this year and I know she will do great things in her future" 

I cannot even put into words the feeling I feel in my heart right now, how I have this love, this pride, this feeling that I cannot even begin to put into words for this child. I am beyond blessed to be able to call her my daughter. I am beyond proud of her for being the compassionate, loving, caring, hard working GIRL that she is. I wouldn't trade my children for anything. 

Avery, you can do anything you want to, I pray you never change who you truly are. Your compassion, your understanding, your empathy, your love for human kind is absolutely amazing, you are indeed a role model for your peers and adults around you. I love you with all my heart Pootah bear. 

So yeah, I'm a Mom, I have 2 boys and 1 girl and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Today is my parents 36th anniversary. Their story is a story of true love. It started a little something like this:

Sometime in the mid 70's my Uncle Tim (Dad's older brother) turned 18 So Greg and Nancy (Nanny and Pawt) moved to N.C. I am guessing sort of like 'ok kid, you're 18 welcome to the real world'. Tim stayed in VA and Dad went to N.C. with his parents. I can only imagine how devastating it must have been to move in the peak of your teenage life leaving everything you know behind but Dad was no stranger to moving (I want to say he had moved 13 times but that could be wrong). So they settle in Conover N.C.. Little did Dad know what would happen. He would meet a gorgeous, flip flop wearing woman (apparently her flip flops made a clacking sound and he knew she was coming down the hall in school, at least that is what I remember of the story). Grandaddy called Dad bozo apparently he didn't appreciate Dad's coif *I wish I had a picture to insert here but I think Dad may have burned them all.* and I don't think Mamaw liked him very much but in her defense he was dating her baby (as in youngest) girl.


Dad Graduated (and I am almost positive Nanny and Pawt moved back to VA 'Good luck kid, happy 18th birthday' It may sound harsh to you but it's how we roll and honestly if we parented like that generation we would likely have a lot less problems in this world ) and Mom Graduated a year later. May 6th 1978 they were married. (I'm positive Dad picked the date because who could ever forget 5678!?)

Awwwww

I am sure that the photographer chose this pose but you can't help but wonder is he thinking of jumping? Is he watching over the car to scare away anyone with shaving cream? Is he just simply praying for it all to be over!? (of course he really is thinking this is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!)

The look on my Mother's face in this picture makes me smile.

They went on their honeymoon in Myrtle Beach and mom got horrible sunburn on the back of her knees.

Let's fast forward to the best part. Just over one year later the most amazing little girl was born.... ME (duh!) I was so awesome that they wanted another one so three years later my sister.

How cute are we!?

I don't ever remember my parents fighting. Like seriously never. I am sure they did argue but it was never in front of us and you could never ever tell there was turmoil. We had a great life, we really did. In my 4th grade year something happened in the house and Dad said 'That is it, we are moving to VA'. Mom may have been sad and upset but if she was she never once disputed in front of us. She would follow Daddy wherever he went. Dad went ahead of us to VA I don't recall how long it was but it seemed like an eternity. He would land a job as the VP of Vector Industries in Waynesboro.

Handsome, huh!? That is the picture that ran in the paper (and that was like the one year my Dad forced his reluctant eyeballs to wear contacts.)

We (mom and us girls) packed up and moved to a 2 bedroom apartment in Waynesboro. We stayed there a short while and Dad bought a house in Staunton. Dad was excited but he obviously knew Mom was going to be less than thrilled because when he took us to see what he had bought he drove us by a 'mansion' first and all the nice houses on the street before parallel parking in front of a dingy yellowish tan falling down stucco house. I am positive Mom cried. She was happy just being his though so I don't recall any arguments over it. We entered the house to find that all the fireplaces were covered with drywall and the drywall was falling down. There was wall paper with presidents on it in one room and the kitchen was orange and by orange I mean BLAZE orange. My Dad worked all summer in that house so that we could move in and be comfortable. The house now is amazing, it was in a published book too!
In the early 90's Mom found out she was pregnant I was going to be 14 years OLDER than my youngest sibling. Along comes Ashton. I still call him Ashton but the rest of the world calls him Greg (and they have since like his 2nd grade year). The first boy born in the Humphries family in over 30 years. (talk about being born with a weight on your shoulders!)

Anyway.

I look at my parents, I see how they care for each other, how they truly love each other and think that everyone should have love like that. I am not saying it was all easy, I am sure it wasn't. I realize that love is a choice that you make every single day. I am sure there were times it would have been easy to throw in the towel, but they never did. I felt weird going through school because the majority of the kids in my school were of divorced families (not all but a lot).
My parents have been through so much together, they have laughed together and cried together. They have shared literally everything in their life. They make it look so easy. The combo of Mom being a God fearing, loving, caring (like literally 'give you whatever I have if you need it' type of caring), loyal woman and Dad being God fearing, compassionate, strong, loving man makes their marriage work.

I wish you both a very very happy anniversary and pray for many, many, many more. I hope you both know what an amazing inspiration you are to all 3 of your children. I hope you realize that you did the most amazing job of teaching us what a marriage is, what love looks like and how it can work as long as you work together and trust in God first and foremost.

Love you both so very, very much.

Oh-m-Gee... WHAT-Evah mom.

Yeah, that's what I heard from the back seat of the car, my sweet (sometimes) little baby girl, my ONLY girl is now one of "them".
And as I was having that "e-card moment"

I remembered my Mother.
My sweet, patient, God fearing Mom.


Believe me, I needed God right this very moment or Avery Brooke was about to have a come to Jesus moment.


Things flashed into my head, things I used to say (probably WHAT -EVAH) and only the good Lord knows what else.

I remember finding out I was pregnant with Walker, finding out you're pregnant when you were a HORRIBLE child will also make you have a come to Jesus moment. (Hind sight, it's 20/20 ya know) I remember apologizing I mean begging basically- in tears. For forgiveness, I don't remember the exact words, but I remember them telling me, hey, that's how parenthood goes, we all got through it.

Well I'm going through it. AB has been a screaming red hot beautiful mess since the day she was born, always into something, super intelligent (almost too intelligent) and now, here she is, months from being 6 (SIX!?) and she's gone all bratz, monster high on me. She wants to know when she can drive and reminds me that she doesn't NEED to go to school cause she "already knows everything there is to know"
.......

My Mom, God bless her heart. Such a good woman, best woman God placed on this earth. She's simple, and not always best with articulating whatever it is she's trying to say, but we all understand her. Her love and actions speak louder than her words.

My sister and my husband and my brother (ok everyone) tells me I'm turning into Mom. And ya know, that's ok. That's what I strive to be...this woman, this amazingly beautiful, kind, generous, loving, caring woman. The woman that raised me even through the "what-Evers" and "I hate you's" the slammed doors, the suspensions from school, the yelling and hatred that spewed from my young teenage lips.

So thanks Mom, thanks for teaching me how to love. Thanks for showing me how to be a good Mom (though some days I fail) thanks for reminding me, we all go through it and that I will survive it (with or without my natural color hair ;) )

I love ya oodles.