30 facts about myself

1) I was named after a Fleetwood Mac song. 

2) My guilty musical pleasure: Britney Spears

3) My favorite color is yellow

4) My favorite sports teams are Denver Broncos(NFL) Syracuse Orangemen(college basketball)

5) My favorite food is sheppards pie or Reuben sandwhich

6) I have 5 biological nephews and just 1 niece 

7) I am super competitive

8) I love Jeopardy and trivia 

9) I used to hate my curly hair but now embrace it

10) I am very sensitive and some mistake that for being too serious 

11) I need work on my patience 

12) I am my own worst critic and have been told by many to give myself a break

13) I am a daddy's girl. His favorite daughter

14) I get resentful at times when I see people I love make the same mistakes I did

15) I care way too much about what others think of me

16) I love animals

17) My children are EVERYTHING to me

18) Jesus is my savior, this should be #1

19) I have been watching General Hospital since I was 4

20) The only time I wish I could walk is at a wedding reception when I really want to dance 

21) I struggle finding 30 things to say about myself

22) I quit playing video games because I felt they took me away from The Lord

23) 34 is my favorite number or any combination of those numbers. I don't know why. I have always liked those numbers

24) I love the sun! 

25) I hope God has it in His plan for me to visit Ireland some day

26) I can be lazy or overly ambitios and have few settings in between

27) I struggle with balance

28) My eyes are blue

29) I look forward to a nap time every day 

30) I hope you all enjoyed learning 30 facts about me

5 Blessings in My life

I really love to reflect on how blessed I am. It keeps me appreciative of the things that I have. It humbles me. It encourages me and drives me to do more. Here are 5 blessings. 

1) My family: They say people are either a blessing or a lesson. My family are a true blessing to me. Being a Mulverhill is something that makes me smile. We are unique. We have our quirks and habits that people who know and spend time with us can say, "It's a Mulverhill" thing. 

But it's not just my Mulverhill family that makes me blessed. It's my extended family. It's the step parents, step siblings, friends, coworkers, inlaws and people close to me that have become my surrogate family. All vital to my life and sanity. My children are blessed as well to have so many people who love and support them. 

2) I am blessed with a unique ability. The ability to love other children as my own. It has given me a great opportunity to co parent, foster and raise children who were not biologically mine but whom I love as they were. Shout out to my nephews, Gage, Brayden, my Doolittle girls, Aiden and Aryeonna. You all have brought such brightness into my life. I love you all so very much! 

3) TJ. Where would I be without him? All my life I have searched for a love like yours. Sometimes it feels so foreign. Sometimes I don't know how to accept that love. But them I seen you climbing in and out of the back of a truck to load and unload my wheelchair and happily push me around the store. Or dumping my potty for me. You have let me put down my walls. You have let me open my heart. To trust again. I love you. Thank you! 

4) My daily amenities. I am blessed with the technology to post this blog. The electricity to power these devices. Indoor plumbing. Clean water. Refrigeration. All the wonderful things that I sometimes take for granted until I have to live without them. 

5) Living in the USA. Although our country is going through changes. Even though our politics have turned away from God and are across the board unethical; the blessing of living in the USA is the hope and the ability for things to change. In the USA all dreams are possible. In the USA we have laws like the ADA and civil rights that give all people access to basic human rights and gives me the ability to live independently. 

I am curious. What are your 5 blessings? 

Something you told me and I never forgot

If you read my Facebook, have known me since I was 17 or are part of my life then it's no secret that I had a 7 year battle with drugs and alcohol. After 7 years, a car accident would change my life forever. This is not a post about how that accident changed my life. I have posted many things about that. This post is about how the gift of recovery has made me realize that there are no accidental meetings or happenings. Everything happens for a reason and God puts people in our life or removes them for a reason. Some we might never understand in this mortal lifetime and some are quite clear. 

Part of my recovery took me to the rooms of NA. I have met a lot of amazing people along the way. Some of these people have become my family and I care for them deeply. This post is not about them either. This post is about a chance meeting at a pancake breakfast that changed my life forever. 

I heard the words of a young speaker. She was early in her recovery. Less than 90 days. She talked about her experience, hope, and strength. I could relate to her struggle. The feelings that no matter how hard I tried and no matter how much I changed, it was never good enough. Certain people could always find flaws in what I did. I tried very hard to be perfect. To make all the right choices. To be the best person. My biggest competition, myself. It pushed people away from me. People either felt like they couldn't live up to my expectations or felt like I was phony. Honestly, I felt mighty and faked a lot so their feelings were justified. I lied to make myself look better or avoid confrontation. That is actually a character defect I still work on. Honesty. 

The end of this girls speech, her last sentence, has stuck with me. It's been Mantra and has helped me be honest with myself and others. It has helped me grow and is a reminder of how God's love for me is. I can't remember this girls name, I loaned the audio of her speech to someone and forgot and never heard the message again. But the line that keeps me afloat is "I am perfectly imperfect and I am perfectly ok with that" 

10 things that make me really happy

The top 10 things that make me truly happy in no particular order. 

This was challenging. I do try to be gracious but all the things I am grateful for don't always add up to the things that bring joy into my life. 

10) The sunshine on my face! There is something so intoxicating about the warmth of the sun's rays. Even on a crisp fall day, the sun shining can warm your body right to the soul. 

9) Traveling. I was blessed by my last job with the availability to travel all over. I enjoyed staying in a hotel, exploring new cities. When TJ and I took the kids to Louisiana, it was such an experience for us all. Teaching the kids little tidbits about the cities we passed, spending time together in close proximity, figuring out how to keep ourselves and each other entertained. I am looking forward to traveling again in the future. 

8) Meeting new people. Along with the traveling comes meeting new people. Not just people who I form an everlasting bond with but people I might just meet by happenstance who make an impression on my heart. 

7) Helping others. I love to give of myself. Give my time, advice, share my home, and whatever I can offer to enrich the lives of someone who is trying to make it on this world. I have volunteered at various humanities organizations since 7th grade. It puts a smile on my face to make someone's life easier. 

6) Spending time with my dad. During my teen years, my lack of gratitude and inability to accept my own wrong doings drove a rift between my father and I. However over the past 10 years I have grown and have been able to be open and honest about some of my negative choices. My dad is a very understanding man. Many times I have made choices that he has advised against and many times I have said to myself, "I should have listened to my dad." My dad is insightful, he has so many stories to share, some hysterical and some historical. My most favorite memories have been these past few months as dad has been down here working on the house and it's just been him and I sharing stories and asking questions about each other. 

5) Food. It's no surprise that food makes a fat girl happy. Barring the unhealthy relationship I have with food, there are things that make me happy and joyous about food. I love to cook. My favorite are family recipes like baked Mac and cheese and spaghetti. I also love to bake. I love the precision of baking. I love the challenge myself in the culinary realm.  

4) Babies. I love babies, the smell, the cry, the snuggles, the dependency. I just love babies. I read once that spending time with new borne released endorphins. I believe it. There is nothing more soothing to me than cuddling with a baby in a rocker, lulling, or singing. Ah pure joy! 

3) TJ. I couldn't make a list about happiness without mentioning my love. I usually have no problem venting my frustrations to him. I know that I need to work on loving him better. He is a good man and an excellent father! TJ is so kind and passive. He is my biggest fan and supporter. No other partner has loved or adored me in the capacity that TJ has. He truly is my soul-mate! The ying to my yang. I can always count on him! He is helping me raise the best children. He has went on some wild journeys with me, some that he knew would be catastrophic but loved me and supported  me through it all. He is my biggest fan! I love him so so much. 

2) My children: Let me start with my first born. My flesh and blood. My miracle. My Louis. Being a mom at 15 was not easy! I knew it all and didn't want to take advice from anyone. I can't always say I made the right choices when raising Louis. I can tell you that Louis has always given me hope! When I was in an abusive marriage, Louis was my hope that things would be better. My motivation to stay away and make changes. When I lost my leg, Louis was my reason to fight! His encouragement kept me going! I love the person he has become. Face timing him makes my heart warm. 

Then there was Aiden who has been in and out of our lives for years. I fell in love with him the day he was born. Aiden inspires me. He has over come so much at such a young age. He is so smart and resilient. Aiden's heart and his story would touch any heart. His hugs make me warm! 

Last and certainly not least is my baby girl, Aryeonna. I have always wanted a daughter and the day I held Aryeonna for the first time, my heart belonged to her. I have been accused of loving her too much but growing up the only girl, it was so nice to finally have a girl of my own! Aryeonna is easy to love! She is smart and independent. She is a people person. With her good heart, strong people skills, and intelligence, I could see her running this country some day! She is a natural leader and displays all the characteristics that I love about myself and see within her. Aryeonna and I have a special bond. She has stolen my heart.  

1) The holy trinity. The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has guided me in this post. There is no more joyous feeling then when I feel the Holy Spirit filling my soul. I am washed in the blood of Jesus. Because of Him, my sins will be forgiven and I will join Him as a co-heir to our great kingdom. And God, creator of all things, all things that make me happy. He is joy!