Sunday, June 23, 2013

A Welcome Home, Basketball Games, Pageant, BBQ/Bday Party, and an 8th Grade Promotion in One Weekend

This is our last weekend before our big honeymoon next week, and I'm already exhausted.  It was constant go, go, go.  Friday was spent shuttling the kids to their doctors and dental appointments.  Mia also had gymnastics.  Moreover, the son of Lance's body, Joe, arrived home from Sicily, and Lance picked him up from LA on Friday.  (I copied that from Charleston Heston's Ten Commandments movie) Lance has been stressed and excited for Joe's arrival.  He wants everything to go smoothly in the transition, and he wants him happy. We have committed to doing everything we can to support him and are truly excited to have him home.  The kids have also adjusted quickly.  I thought it was so cute when I asked Brandon to go wake up his brother.  He responded by saying, "which one?"

Friday was crazy, but Saturday was even worse.  We had two basketball games and a pageant to attend. We had to split duties.  Lance did the basketball game while I attended to Mia's activities. . 

Brandon played his first basketball game, and he is just AMAZING.  He is actually too young to play in the league, but I asked the recreation center if they would waive the age requirement for him, and they agreed so Brandon is playing against kids who are on average 2 years old than him.  He is aggressive and competitive so he can hold his own.   After the basketball game, Lance took the boys to San Diego so Joe would know where the boat was docked.

I did not watch the game, because I had to drive Mia to Ontario to compete in a pageant.  I don't know what happened, but this is her 4th pageant, and she got stage fright.  She froze and could not remember her routines.  The first time on stage, she was mouthing to me, "what do I do?"  It was embarrassing.  The second time I saw her frantically searching for me so there I was behind the judges embarrassing myself and doing the routine so Mia could copy.  Yes, I was one of those psycho moms.  Mia did not do well, but she had fun and made friends.  When I told her it was time to leave, she did not want to go. She did win best attire and photogenic.  Not bad for ordering a cheap dress from Hong Kong...







Dylan also had his 8th grade promotion this past week. I'm so proud of him, and like a stereotypical mother, I cried when I heard them call his name.  Dylan specifically asked Lance and I, "Can you guys pleeeease act mature?" so I think we did our best and did not embarrass him too much.  We even introduced ourselves to his beautiful first girlfriend, Maria.


Looking quite good--all dressed up for the promotion ceremony





Additionally, we celebrated Dylan's 14th birthday with a small BBQ on Sunday.  We played a hoop shot tournament where Shane (Dylan's best friend) won with Joe and me tying for last place making only 1 out of 10 free throw shots.  We also played a challenging game of 3 on 3 basketball.  Dylan's a ball hog! IWhat a great workout!

Dylan's basketball cake and awesome NBA team cookies




Birthday Party



My handsome young man....





Five more work days and then Lance and I will be on our honeymoon. Maybe then we can get some rest?

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Boy Who Made Me a Mother (Happy 14th Birthday Dill Weed)

3 years old
Dylan changed my life.  Becoming a mother is the GREATEST thing that has ever happened to me.  It changed who I am.  It brought me closer to God. I "BELIEVE" because of Dylan.  I was an agnostic but when I saw my son for the first time, there was no doubt in my heart of God's existence.  Dylan made me believe.  I may be his mother, but he has given and done more for me than I have ever done for him.


6 months pregnant with Dylan

I've always wanted to be a mother, and I wanted my first child to be a son. Fourteen years ago, I gave birth to an 8 lb 5 oz baby boy on June 18, 1999 at 3:41 a.m.  I named him Dylan Roy Bivens. (Roy after my father.)  Dylan was lucky because for the first 5 1/2 years of his life, he had no one to compete with.  He was an only child for those years, and he got all of my attention.  Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, Dylan was spoiled and loved by everyone. 

Dylan became a big brother for the first time at 5 1/2 years old

Dylan with his younger brother, Brandon.  They fight all the time, but I know they are best friends (even though they won't admit it)

Dylan had a very unique and close relationship with my mom, because as the first grandchild, he is the only one who knew my mom before she was sick.  Unfortunately, all of the other grandchildren  only knew my mom when she had cancer.  She would often pick him up from daycare at her lunch hour from work and take him to lunch.  She took him on weekend vacations to visit my brother in Las Vegas.  Because of Dylan, she got to be a grandmother without the burden of cancer for five years.  When my mom passed away, Dylan was 10 years old.  She was dying, and he was at his paternal grandparents house.  I called him and told him that it was just a matter of hours before she would die.  I asked if he wanted to see her to say bye.  He refused, and I did not want to force him, but Dylan is amazing.  He called me back five minutes later and told me he wanted to see her.  It was difficult for a 10-year old to face death like that, but he did. I was so proud of his maturity.


Kissing Grandma


My mom's funeral was attended by many. Ten-year old Dylan stood behind the podium in front of 100+ people and spoke at my mom's funeral.  It wasn't just about giving a speech in front of hundreds.  It was his strength and courage and ability to express the love he had for my mom while managing his own personal grief.  Both my former and current bosses attended the funeral.  Both are CEOs who have led organizations of over 10,000.  They have seen it all, and yet they both were in awe of him.  They told me how incredibly impressed they were by Dylan, which is a huge compliment.

I love all my children equally, and each one has their strengths and weaknesses.  My mom always told me that Dylan had the softest heart and when I'm older, he would always take care of me.  She is right.  He does have the kindest soul.  He is genuinely a good kid. What is additionally impressive about Dylan is his honesty.  I trust him completely.  I don't think I can find a more honest kid.  Dylan is given opportunities to conceal things from me, but he never does.  He is always straight with me. I don't think he does this intentionally.  It is just who he is...He is extremely honest....a quality I admire so much.






Dylan is graduating from middle school.  He is doing so well in school.  We had a meeting with the school's principal and teachers; they told us they have never met a kid who was so concerned about the grades he receives.  He wants tests corrected immediately so he can find out how well he did.

Dylan loves basketball.  He has influenced the entire family.  Because of him, we are all watching the playoffs. I actually am an avid follower of pro basketball....thanks to Dylan.

Dylan is an extraordinary long-distance runner.  He has completed three half marathons with his personal record at 2:14. All done without any training.


Dylan running his first official race- a 5.8 mile Conquer the Bridge run.  He placed 4th in his age group at nine years old


March 2013--Dylan runs the OC Half Marathon in 2:14

Dylan did jiu jitsu for three years and placed 1st in the Kids World Jiu Jitsu Tournament for his division


Dylan has a girlfriend.  I am not surprised.  He is an incredibly romantic guy. He is beyond his years....in fact, adult men could learn a lesson from this kid.  I may be biased, but I think he is incredibly good-looking.  Actually, I don't think I am biased. I have seen other boys in his school. Dylan is very, very good looking.

Dylan loves to cook, and he is actually quite good.  He regularly cooks 2-3 dinners a week for the entire family.

Dylan is rather passive, and I think it is because he is just too nice.  He is non-confrontational. 

Dylan is also incredibly funny.  He wants told me that pro basketball players fly to their away games on NBA Airlines.  Strange? I never heard of NBA Airlines.  Have you?  He also told Lance that, "I'm a black man from the waist down if you know what I mean?"  Moreover, he said to Lance, "In the NBA, it is a requirement to have a 6- inch penis, so I know why you got cut from your college basketball team.  They found out you didn't meet the requirement."  As twisted as this may be to most, he shares our weird sense of gross humor.  Lance and I purchased a new truck this past week, and while at the dealer, Dylan sends me a text message with the below photo and caption..."Buddy left you a present"



Dylan is also an animal lover...another trait of a good soul.

I am suppose to love my son because he is my son.  However, I don't just love him.  I really like him.  I like who he is as a person. I'm proud of him.  He has great integrity and character. 

Dylan--You are a blessing to me.  I am so proud of who you are....Don't ever doubt how wonderful, wonderful, wonderful you are.  You are God's gift to me.  I love you more than you will ever know, and there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you.  Tears are in my eyes now because that's how much I love you.  Happy 14th Birthday.  Thank you so much for being my son.  I could not have had a better son.







8th Grade Graduation



Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Lance's New Toy

Our son, Joe, is coming home from Sicily in two weeks. We are very excited to have him home and to help him transition from military to civilian life.  Joe needed a car so we decided to give him Lance's old Dodge pick up truck.  It runs well, and it will get him where he needs to go...at least for awhile.

Initially, Lance and I planned on purchasing a new truck at the end of this year, but obviously with Joe's arrival, our plans changed.

Lance and I are a little dangerous for each other because we are too much alike with our impulsive behavior/actions.  We casually looked at vehicles with the intent of possibly purchasing at the end of the summer, but yesterday, Lance and I impulsively decided to go to a car dealership after work and before we knew it, we drove off the car lot after 9 p.m. with a new truck.

We looked at two models of a Dodge Ram.  The difference in price was $4,600 but one model had EVERYTHING.  Lance was hesitant to go with the upgrade, but I told him he should get what he really wants.  He is not in his 20s anymore.  He is in 50s, and at that age, my belief is that you worked hard your entire life and you should be able to buy what you want so we did it!  We bought ourselves a 2013 Dodge Ram Laramie.  We initially looked at the Chevy Silverados but the cost was almost $10,000 more.  Lance currently has a Dodge Ram and he absolutely loves it!


I'm weird.  I photograph everything, embarrassing Lance in the process. Here we are with our salesman.


Before the purchase...waiting for the paperwork to come through






posing.....

So let's get to the fun stuff.....all the cool features and gadgets of the truck!!  I'm not going to describe all the details about the engine; I won't pretend that I know what I'm talking about.

  • heated front and rear seats
  • air conditioned seats (so on a hot sweaty day, your ass wont get so wet)
  • navigation system
  • satellite radio
  • wi-fi center
  • heated steering wheel
  • adjustable brake/gas pedals that move forward for short people (this is something i really need because I'm so short that I push the car seat all the way forward so my chest is almost touching the steering wheel--not exactly safe)
  • camera for backing up
  • Tow things in the front and back of the car
  • blue tooth
  • outlet (a regular one) so we can plug in our laptop or curling iron? Weird.
  • leather seats
  • wood trim
  • electric seats with lumbar support on passenger side
  • a window in the rear that slides open so we can pet the dogs
   


Lance's new bigger truck with his older truck (This looks like Daddy and son trucks which equates to Lance and Joe.  Isn't that cute?)









 



Rear seat 


I want Lance happy.  He deserves it.  Frankly, I'm a lousy driver.  I hit stationary things all the time so I'm less inclined to drive this big ole truck.  Maybe one day though if it was absolutely necessary....... 


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

My Dad (An Early Father's Day Tribute)

People frequently have commented how much I resemble my mother, not only physically but characteristically as well.  I can identify with those comparisons, but as much as I am like my mother, I am very much like my father as well.

If I were to describe my dad…..loud, obnoxious, crude, vulgar, doesn’t give a sh*t what people think, full of vices, fun, funny, embarrassing, instigator, selfless, hardworking, giving, sensitive, emotional, caring, easy to talk to, and extremely generous….

My dad, Roy S. Fellows, was born in Paducah, Kentucky, but was raised in a large family in New Orleans.  He is the oldest (twin) son in a family of six children.  As a youth, my dad was a rebel and a trouble maker.  He did not do well in school.  It wasn't because he was stupid, but he just didn't really give a sh*t.  He also started smoking at a young age after being cut from the track team. He was runner like me.  He was very athletic which is something I inherited from him. Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the army and was later sent to Saigon, Vietnam where he met my mother.  Both my mom and dad have retold the story of their fateful meeting. He was reading Gone with the Wind, and she approached him saying, “you must be the last person in the world to read that book”.  My dad married my mom even though her family did not approve.  Her parents did not attend the wedding. My mom's father was a high ranking official in the South Vietnamese army, and my dad, an enlisted man, was not good enough.  They had three children together, and by the time, we came into the picture, my mom's parents accepted my dad. I know being the first grand kids played a heavy role in that.  Before the fall of Saigon, my dad took us all back to the states where we spent the next few years living the life of army brats.


My Dad and my Mom at their wedding in Saigon, Vietnam in 1969.
My dad has a loud, boisterous personality.  Most people find him either very offensive or hilarious.  For me, he is hilarious and just FUN.  However,  he can be incredibly embarrassing.  He is obnoxious and can be crude, blunt, and shocking. He will test people’s limits by making completely inappropriate comments.  He just doesn’t give a sh*t.  People who can shrug off some of the things he says are the ones who get along famously with him. When I was growing up, my friends loved hanging out with my dad.  He was very involved with us as children, coaching our athletic teams.

Photo from last summer - My dad with my bra on.  He insisted that I post it on Facebook.

My dad loving on Lance. 

My dad showing his fun side.
My dad is also the hardest working man.  Being an enlisted man in the army, we did not have a lot of money so my dad worked two jobs to provide for his family.  As a child,  I remember him delivering newspapers (before he went to his day job) for that extra income. 


Dad with the three of us. 

My dad is also the most generous man I have ever known. 

What I love and respect most about my dad is the relationship he and my mother had.  They separated when I was 13 years old and finalized their divorce when I was about 18.  My dad had an affair, and he ended his marriage to my mom.  I don’t blame my dad for the affair.  I love my parents deeply, but some people just are not meant to be together.  Obviously and as expected, the divorced created some hurt and anger, but what I love about my parents is how they behaved in the years after the divorce.  We continued to do things as a family.  I’m not saying we took every vacation together, but there were many many times over the holidays or even non-holidays that we would all get together, which is incredibly unique. Most divorce couples do not sustain a close relationship with their ex spouse, but my parents did.  In fact, when I write about this, it makes me cry.  I have many memories of my dad, mom, and my siblings together sharing good times “after the divorce”.   Most couples end up hating each other and could never tolerate being in the same room with each other.  My parents were an extraordinary exception.  There are videos of all of us just hanging out as a family even though my parents were no longer married.  I cannot emphasis what an effect that had on me.

My parents would still complain negatively about each other (like an old married couple), but there was never a doubt in my mind that they loved each other deeply.  I know they were not in love, but they loved each other.

During one of the family times where we all spent time together as a family even though my parents were not married anymore.  My mom was undergoing chemo treatment.  My dad's sweet wife, Pilar, is to the left of him.

Not the best photo of my mom because she has something stuck in her teeth, but it shows how special the relationship my parents had....they were divorced but still cared deeply for each other.  This is my parents with my nephew Aidan.

My dad with my mom's mother and sister.  My parents divorced, but my mom's family always loved my dad.  He helped get them all to this country.

My mom was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, and she bravely battled this disease for almost five years.  She stopped working and had to undergo vigorous treatment.  Her medical bills were astronomical, and she asked my dad if he would financially help her.  My dad had remarried, and there was no obligation.  Their divorce was finalized over 20 years ago.  What makes my dad such an extraordinary and giving man was my dad began to send my mom money every month to help her with medical bills.  He continued this until the day she died.  I have to give credit to his wonderful wife, Pilar, too. He remarried an amazing woman who didn't complain about my dad sending money to his ex wife.  I will never forget what he and Pilar did for my mom when she was sick.

In addition, during my mom’s last few days when she was drifting in and out of consciousness, she began to talk about my dad.  We called my dad and told him that mom kept talking about him.  My dad took the next plane out and was in California the very next day.  My mom was barely conscious, but I could hear my dad telling her that he loved her and that it was because of her that Yvette, Leroy, and I had turned out so well.  He was there with her when she died.

My dad may not have made the most money.  He may not have been super successful in a career.  He may have divorced my mom.  He may have embarrassed the hell out of me many times.  He may smoke like a chimney and drink like a fish.  He may be crude and obnoxious, but I will say this…..there is no man with a more giving, generous, and kind soul than my dad.  

I have been married twice. In my first marriage, I kept my maiden name.  When I married Lance, he really wanted me to take “Wade”. I could not give up the “Fellows” so I became Fellows-Wade.  It was not just about independence.  It was also because I am proud.  I am proud of my family.  I am proud to be a Fellows. Most importantly, I am very,very proud to be Roy S. Fellows’ daughter. 

I am his daughter. I think God blessed me with a really amazing dad, but he is more than that.  He is a really, really good man. 


with his only two granddaughter

  
Grandpa sleeping with the kids.