Greetings once again from my little piece of the world!  It's Monday night and I am just home from bowling.  Yes...I bowl!  Two nights a week actually - Sunday and Monday nights with different people that I consider friends! I didn't grow up playing sports of any kind - more of a bookworm finding myself reading and studying! So this is a little different as bowling is a competitive sport, but there aren't things flying at me (like softball) and I don't have to run (thank goodness for that!) Anyway, I have been participating in this sport for a few years and am in it for the FUN!  Thank goodness I have friends that let me participate with them!

I now would like to introduce you to some of the rest of the family!  I did mention that I am married in my first post - so I would like to introduce you all to John!  John and I met while I lived in Mississippi and he lived in Alabama, (We now live in Iowa - more about how we got here later.)  We met in an AOL chat room arguing about whose hockey team was best!  We became friends despite the fact that we could not agree on that hockey issue (nor college teams, nor NASCAR teams....you get the picture!)  and after a few years of dating, decided to join our lives together.  Over 11 years now, we have been partners in this life - moving around the country from MS/AL to Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and finally here!  It's a sometimes crazy journey, but am glad we are on this ride together!

As for the rest of my family - my Dad and step-mom live in Florida, one sister lives in Maine, the other in Louisiana, my brother in MS.  And most of my nieces and nephews live in MS for now. My oldest nephew, Tyler, does live here in Iowa with John and me and the fur-kids!  AND...there are now 3 great-nieces and 2 great-nephews in the family!  We keep growing!

One of the things that I do miss most is getting together with the family. I remember the holidays spent with family - Thanksgiving dinner at my grandparent's house down the street from ours, Christmas gatherings at my great-grandma's house in Mobile, AL and Fourth of July bar-b-ques in Texas. We had some great times though I am sure sometimes I thought it was just something we "had" to do - I would give so much to have some of those times back - to spend more time with those that are not here any more. I would ask so many more questions of them than I did back then about how they grew up - what their lives were like - how do you cook that?! LOL! And of course, just time to spend with them to talk about anything and everything. Lost moments that can never be regained - to just have one more day with them - my mom, my grandparents - how I miss them. (And yes, I am singing that song "One More Day" by Diamond Rio - love that song!)

Now that I have tears in my eyes - I guess it's best that I turn in for the night.  Thanks for your time - I do wish you sweet dreams...until next time.