Hooray for June!

So besides a great trip to Michigan, May pretty much sucked (sorry, Mom. I know how much you hate that word). I'll save you all from the boring details, but basically this month had way too many downs on our little roller coaster of life. We tried to keep positive, but life kept throwing large, rotten, maggot infested lemons at us. In times like these, it was great to have my faith, my Sam and Nicholas, and a really great view of the ocean to keep me from cracking. Here are the things I have learned this month:

1. When life throws large, rotten, maggot infested lemons at you, sure you can make lemonade. And it's okay to make one batch with sugar and another batch with a little anthrax if you have a some in your cupboard.

2. There isn't too much a bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper can't cure for the time being.

3. It's always good to stop and smell the roses. Nicholas and I did just that, but in Key West they are called bougainvilleas, and they are all over the place. Even though they really don't smell like anything, it was a really sweet moment walking down the street and stopping to smell each flower with my little guy.

4. Hope is a very powerful antidepressant. Chocolate is good, but hope really feels better (plus there are less calories). When the rotten lemons moved in, and brought along their friends, Hope moved in, and stayed in our room with us. Hope is a great house guest. She keeps out of your way but is by your side in a flash. And one day, she just sort of quietly lets herself out when you aren't looking. Before I knew it, her stay wasn't needed anymore. I can still feel her presence, but I am not as dependent on her as I was.

5. When the boat rocks, you hold on tighter to the person you are in the boat with. "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Sam and I are not dead, and we are much stronger together because of it. Also, it is hard to feel down when you have a cute Nicholas telling you that he loves you or saying, "Mom, you're my sweet girl," and "Dad, you're my sweet boy."

6. If you think of someone, call them. Write to them. Google them if you don't know where they are. Tell them they are important to you. God puts their name in your head for a reason. I learned this lesson the hard way, and now I have shoulda-coulda-wouldas to deal with forever.

I think I would have loved to have just been told these lessons instead of walking through them the hard way. But like the Footprints poem goes, there will be times when He carries you. I am grateful for those times.

So from the Delises, we give May '08 the finger and say "Hello June. We are glad you are here."