Birthdays. When we are young, a child, we can’t wait until that next birthday comes. The day after we have one we start counting down the days until our next one, just like Christmas. However, when we get older, typically after 21, birthdays just become another day where we turn older. They don’t mean as much. Well, two days ago it was my birthday. It was one of those significant ones. I turned 40. I was holding onto my thirty’s as long as I could. In fact, here is a little funny story. … [Read more...]
Memorial Day
This is a little late as far as posting when it was Memorial Day. Right now I am sitting in our temporary home while we start to the process of looking for a place to live. My husband and I got into Anchorage, Alaska just over 24 hours ago. We've been so excited to move here. The journey was long as we traveled both across the country by car and then a very long ferry boat ride. When my precious daughter passed away almost five years ago Memorial Day took on a whole new meaning for me. … [Read more...]
Taxes, Oh What Fun
I meant to get this written back on April 15 but with the move to Alaska things have been a little bit busy. Almost two years ago my husband and I took full legal guardianship of our niece Athena and our nephew Trevin. Trevin came to us on July 17, 2011 and Athena came on August 2, 2011. And guess when the cut off time for being able to claim them on our taxes? That right, June 30, 2011. My brother was fine with us claiming them because we spent a lot of money to not only get them here with … [Read more...]
19 Years Today
It's hard to believe that nineteen years ago today my husband, Keith, and I went to the justice of the peace with our friends Tina Davis, Michael Brooks and his wife Courtney. They watched us as we took our vows and became husband and wife that day. The last nineteen years have been fraught with ups, down and one tragedy. Most marriages would have ended by now, probably ten times over. But each and every time we have persevered through it all. Do I or Keith take credit for this? No. It is … [Read more...]
“Oh that won’t happen to me”
I think there is an old saying that when something happens to others we always say something like, “I’m so sorry it happened to them but thank goodness it didn't happen to me. We’re human and selfish by nature. I think it is natural that we think this way because no one in their right mind would actually say, “Oh I wish it had been me,” when something terrible happens. I know every one of those parents from yesterday who were able to bring their little ones home were so thankful their kids … [Read more...]
A Sad Day
I was walking on my treadmill this morning like I do almost on a daily basis as I try to strengthen my hip. I had been reading a book by Lynette Bonner when my mother-in-law called. She just called to chat. My cell phone sat on the treadmill in front of me. I have the Fox News App on my iPhone. About an hour and ten minutes into talking to Mom and walking I get a news alert stating this: “BREAKING NEWS: Reports of Multiple Fatalities at Conn. Elementary School.” I told mom that there has … [Read more...]
All in a picture
What do you see when you see this little girl? You might first notice her vibrant blue eyes that remind you of the Caribbean. Or maybe it’s her mischievous smile. Or maybe the fact that she looks like a perfect healthy typically little girl. You can’t see that she has autism or the fact that in just three weeks she will have died from contract E. coli and what it did to her little body. I look at this picture and see the vibrance she always had. She was such a happy little girl. Always … [Read more...]
Sitting here thinking
I sit here staring at my precious baby girl’s slide show on this very site. There are so many of her from all different ages. From when she had longer hair to when we finally cut it short so she’d quite using her hair as a chewing device. The little smile that stares back at you cuts right into my soul. It is something I miss all the time. I haven’t just looked at the pictures in a while and tonight I posted something on the site and then sat there staring at the slide show remember all the … [Read more...]
Unexpected turns in the road…
Life has a funny way of dictating the path it wants to take you on whether you want to go that way or not. I guess you could say I’ve had my fair share of bumps, bruise, and downright avalanches in my lifetime. You never really know which way your life will go. You just have to follow the road before you and when a fork comes your way, choose the path and take it forward without looking back as there isn’t a way to change anything anyway. Tonight I sat here play on Facebook a couple of … [Read more...]
A book worth mentioning
I feel blessed the I am a member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) group. It has been through this group that I have received the obvious, lots of help improving my writing. But more than that I have start to form some of the most wonderful friendship. The road that it took me to get to this group has been an interesting one but God knew in his timing when the right time would be. On my www.kristenatunstall.com website, I have started to new weekly columns. One is where I … [Read more...]
