Life and Death

My Papa Rockwell is ready to pass from this earth and go on to a better place...

I just received a phone call from mom telling me that he isn't responding and has been put on morphine. Death is such an unexplainable happening to those of us who are still living. No one truly knows what the body, mind, and soul experiences in the last moments accept the people who have gone before us. Is Papa in another place right now even though his heart is still beating? What is he thinking about? Is he rejoicing with other souls around him? My heart hurts and longs to be next to him in his last moments here on earth. I want to kiss his great big hands one more time and tell him I love him dearly. I believe in heaven and know that his faith is strong and will be passing on to a better place where his love of over 50 years here on earth will be waiting for him. Can you even imagine what that will be like? Seeing the love of your life after years and years of not being together? wow...what an overwhelming feeling.

I love you Papa....my heart is with you....

Run2Overcome

This is a picture of my friend Jen and I at the end of the race we finished this past weekend. The run was so much fun, but had a meaningful purpose. The race was to benefit a family who experienced a terrible experience. About two months ago a 19 year old girl was raped while going for a Sunday morning jog at 9am. It happened in a nice area and at a time you wouldn't think something like that would happen. Before we started the race two victims of abuse/rape spoke and inspired everyone to be cautious and aware of your surroundings when you run by yourself. I thought about the victim as I struggled through all of the hills and challenges the race brought. There was a huge turn out...I think over 1,000 ended up coming and supporting the cause. What a fantastic day!

Love Conquers All

On Children

by: Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.


I think this is so beautifully said...and so very, very true.

HITTING THE PAVEMENT

I'm writing my goals down so they become a reality. I've talked about doing a marathon for years and it's time I actually followed through with it. I'm running a half marathon in October of this year and then plan on doing the Disney Marathon in 2009. The Disney run might not work out because it's almost full, but there are several other runs I'm looking at if this one doesn't work out. I have a group of people that are interested in doing it with me so I can't chicken out!

Okay, I'm off to hit the pavement with my boy and buggy....

Life is all about Changes and Changing

It's been a cRaZy couple of weeks for the Martin's. I'll start off by saying that it was WONDERFUL to be home over the 4th. So much has happened for my family this last year and it was good to see everyone and know they are doing well. As much as I love new things and new experiences there are some changes that just, well, suck. Dan, Will, and I also went to my 10 year high school reunion....WOW. How crazy to see all of my old chums grown up and doing their thing! It was surreal to say the least and dinner was definitely the highlight of the night at the Happy China Buffet- puke. haha!







We just moved into our house and I still have a few rooms to finish unpacking and then the next project is painting and fixing little things here and there. I tend to want to decorate the walls first and then leave the unpacking for last. It's kind of like eating desert before dinner for me. I love the house, but our neighbors are interesting. There's the guy at the end of the road that has a small farm and his rooster never fails to wake me up every morning at 5am. The lady next to us asks me for rides all the time and she freaks me out. She also has a strange fascination with my son and tries to take him out of my arms all the time....in which case I tell her,"He doesn't like people.". The people across the street are quiet as mice and then there is the lady who is diagonal to our house and her name is something like Yolanda. The only cool person in our neighborhood besides Caroline and Dan is our other next door neighbor on the other side of our house...he is hilarious and keeps us in stitches whenever we see him.

I started singing in a band called Hit Mob 7 about two months ago. I love it and I love the people. We are a party band and we'll have our first gig in August. We are recording our demo right now and after that's finished our web site should be up. If you want to check it out in the next couple of weeks the site is: hitmob7.com



This was taken in rehearsal the other night...



Dan is starting to travel like crazy again. I HATE IT WHEN HE'S GONE. We are doing well though and I'm so in-love with that man. It's amazing! We just celebrated our 5 year anniversary. This year I made salad, salmon, red potatoes, vegetables, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dinner. We cuddled on the couch and watched a movie...and it was just so nice to not have anything to do other than enjoy each other's company. Dan and I just sat for the cover of the Greenville Magazine for this month. If you want to check it out go to: www.greenvillemagazine.com

Taking a break before I split my head open

I had to sit down for a moment and write. I felt myself starting to breath heavy and doing eighty million things at once and decided it was time to....take a break. I am currently sitting here looking at a living room filled with open and closed boxes, a coffee table filled with odds and ends, an ironing bored leaning up against the only wall that is empty, and Will's toys spread all over the floor. UUUUgggghhh. I try to be organized. I really, really do. Why didn't I get that gene from my Mother??!! I start on one project and then my mind goes to something else. For instance I came home from the grocery store this morning and decided that I was going to go through all of my laundry and get rid of everything I don't need. I started to go through my clothes and thought that maybe I should go ahead and puree' some food before Will woke up. So, I started pureeing and before I knew it I had five different things I was trying to accomplish. Then I just decided to give up and sit down before I have a melt down. There is just way too many things going on in life right now and it just doesn't seem like things ever slow down. I'd love to just have an hour to myself....no one around, a book and a hammock...that's all I ask. hahah!

Dan and I are headed to Maine on Monday. We'll be leaving our new place filled with boxes and headed home. I'm thrilled to see my family. It's been too long since I've hugged my Daddy Bear. I miss my mother and sister terribly but I see them more often when they come down to SC for mini vacations. I'm sure I'll have endless stories from the trip and look forward to posting some pics.

Until then.....I'm headed back to the laundry.....boooh.

xoxoxox