Tim officially bought his dad his very first gifts—completely on his own, no help from me. He let him pick out a couple of Lego sets from his wish list, which made it even more special.
And before you ask… yes, we still love doing Lego builds! Tim may not be as into it these days, but I have a feeling he’ll still jump in to help his dad put these together… LOL!
Scot is the best dad and husband ever, and we are so blessed to have him leading our home. He provides for us so faithfully and takes such good care of Tim and me. God truly blessed us in a big way with him.
The strength of our family is because of who he is—dependable, selfless, and always willing to do whatever it takes to keep everything running smoothly. He’s the kind of person you can count on for absolutely anything.
I wish I could give him his dream Porsche, but for now, we’ll keep cheering on his love for all things cars and F1 racing related. He’s a true gearhead, and if he had his way, he’d be out racing without a doubt—and I love that about him.
I’m praying he has the best birthday yet and truly enjoys celebrating this evening with Tim and me. 💙
Everyone keeps asking how I feel about becoming an empty nester. The truth is—I’m not there yet… but I’m 32 days away.
I know life will feel different after graduation. That reality hasn’t escaped me for a second. I’m stepping into a brand-new chapter, and while it’s a little bittersweet, I’m also looking forward to the freedom that comes with it. For so long, school has been the constant in our lives. Soon, I’ll have more time—time to reconnect with friends I’ve barely seen, time to say “yes” to things I couldn’t before, and maybe even time to explore working outside the home. Who knows? It feels like doors are about to open.
For years, my life has revolved around Tim. I took him to every training session, handled his schooling, made the appointments, and met his every need. Our business made it possible for me to be there in all those ways, while Scot worked tirelessly to provide for our family. He’s been an incredible partner through it all—supporting Tim, helping with school when needed, pitching in at home, and even cooking meals when I was stretched thin. Life with Tim has been full, busy, and anything but boring.
And honestly, after graduation, not everything will change. Tim will still be at home, working with his dad, taking online college classes, and continuing his weightlifting. The biggest difference? I won’t be reminding him to do his schoolwork anymore—LOL. He’ll be fully responsible for himself. We’ll always be here to guide and support him, but now he’ll be the one steering his life and shaping his future. The “Tim show” is about to take center stage, and it’s his time to run with everything he’s been given.
As for me and Scot, I’m excited for what’s ahead. This next season gives us a chance to rediscover life as a couple—to go places, do things together, and simply enjoy each other again. It’s been a long time since it was just us. In many ways, this feels like a new beginning for us too.
Am I a little sad? Of course. My baby is all grown up. But more than anything, I’m excited—excited for Tim, and excited for us.
We’ll always be here for him, cheering him on as he chases his dreams. But it will be nice to have the time and space to explore life in new ways—together, and with the friends we’ve missed along the way.
Homeschooling has been quite the journey. It’s not for everyone, but I’m truly grateful we chose this path—it’s strengthened us and brought us even closer as a family.
That being said, I finally have everything finished for Tim’s graduation on May 16th, and it feels so good to have it off my plate—unless they come back asking me to trim the parent speech some more. Keeping it under 250 words has been no easy task—it’s such a tight limit. I used a lot of these "&" to trim the word count. It's not counted as a word in word counters. I truly hope it’s acceptable, because making it any shorter will be a real challenge.
I have to admit, I’ll be relieved when all of this is behind us. Senior year has been pretty overwhelming with everything that’s had to get done by me for his graduation. While I’m incredibly proud and excited for our son, I’ll also be glad to finally stop thinking about it all the time.
We know Tim is ready to move on from this chapter. His focus is firmly on weightlifting—earning a spot on Team USA and representing our country on the world stage. He’s really only participating in the graduation ceremony for us, his MawMaw, and for his aunts, uncles, and cousins—truth be told, he’d happily skip it. But he’s worked too hard, and we’ve worked alongside him every step of the way, for this moment to pass by unrecognized. Whether he likes it or not, it’s a rite of passage moment—and one worth remembering.
Next, he plans to take classes at Wake Tech Community College, where he hopes to explore opportunities in computer engineering and see where that path might lead him. His coursework will be online, allowing him to work alongside his dad while continuing to stay committed to his weightlifting training schedule.
So many thoughts have been running through my mind as I think about Tim turning 18 in just a month—and then graduating high school only five days later. It all feels a bit surreal. Some days it seems like just yesterday he was a baby in my arms. Oh, how I miss those days.
As a baby and toddler, he was such a character—full of energy and life. He went from crawling, to wobbling on his feet, to taking a few steps… and then he was off and running. From that moment on, he was everywhere and into everything—like a curious little explorer. We had to stay on our toes to keep him safe as he discovered the world around him. Somehow, even when he managed to slip away and take a few “express routes” down the stairs, he always came out without a scratch. Crazy, right?
As kindergarten approached, we knew traditional school might not be the best fit for him. With all that energy, we worried he’d be labeled instead of understood. We wanted to nurture his curiosity, not stifle it—so we chose to homeschool. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. He has absolutely thrived. He’s become an independent, hands-on learner who isn’t afraid to figure things out on his own. Honestly, he can do things on a computer that I can only dream of…LOL!!
In fourth grade though, Tim faced a significant medical setback that required him to repeat the year. When he reached high school, he was determined to graduate on time, so he took on an intense academic workload to make it happen. In 10th grade, he completed both his 10th-grade studies and half of his 11th-grade coursework. Then, during his senior year, this school year, he's finished the remaining 11th-grade work while also completing all of his senior requirements. We knew he could do it and in just 28 days or so he will have it all done.
Of course, we also knew he needed a strong outlet for all his energy. He began TaeKwonDo at just 4 years old and continued until he was 15. During that time, he earned his 3rd Dan black belt, along with countless medals and trophies. More importantly, he developed discipline, resilience, and a strong work ethic. He has dreams of competing on the world stage, but ultimately he realized that path would not come through TaeKwondo.
In 2023, he found Olympic weightlifting—and it was like everything clicked into place. This is where he belongs. His build, his mindset, his drive—it all fits. And all those years in TaeKwonDo? They weren’t wasted at all. They laid the foundation for the success he’s experiencing now.
It feels like everything is moving in fast forward as he steps into becoming his own man. Turning 18 is a huge milestone, and graduating high school just days later makes it even more significant. I’m so excited for what lies ahead for him, because I truly believe it’s going to be something special. He has a determination that can’t be taught—a fire to chase his dreams with everything he has. I have no doubt he’ll stand on that world stage one day, representing our country—or give everything in him trying. And through it all, he knows he has our unwavering support.
His dad and I are so grateful to have a front-row seat to this journey. Our greatest dream is simply to watch him achieve his own.
In just 31 days, he’ll turn 18. In 36 days, he’ll be finished with high school. With each passing day, the excitement builds as we get closer to these incredible milestones.
We are so incredibly proud of you - Tim! We love you to the moon and beyond!
Thank You, God, for the gift of Tim. These nearly 18 years with him have been such an incredible journey. We’re so grateful for every moment and look ahead with excitement as we watch him continue to grow into the man he’s becoming. This next chapter may look different, but it’s one we welcome with full hearts and great anticipation.
April 6th marked the anniversary of my father’s passing. It has been 24 years since we lost him, yet I still remember that day as if it were yesterday.
Dad had many flaws, but we loved him anyway. He may never have won Father of the Year, but he was our dad, and that mattered deeply to us. In his own way, he truly loved all of us, even if showing it did not always come easily for him. He did the best he could with what he had.
Since his passing, he has missed the births of so many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Three of them undeniably have his eyes, and one looks so much like he did as a young man. Seeing those pieces of him live on in them is both beautiful and bittersweet.
Mom had total knee replacement surgery on Tuesday. She needed to stay overnight at the hospital, but she came home to our house yesterday afternoon. So far, she has done amazingly well.
Now the real work begins.
The nerve block they placed in her knee has worn off, which means the new knee is fully “awake,” and she’s feeling everything. We’ve been staying ahead of the pain with medication, but she is still hurting quite a bit even with it in her system.
Physical therapy comes today for in-home treatment. I’m not sure how much they’ll be able to do with her yet because she’s doing the best she can considering the pain she’s in. Even so, she’s faithfully getting up every hour to move and walk around just like they instructed her to do.
I’m looking forward to reaching the two-week mark because I’ve been told that’s when she’ll really start feeling thankful she had the surgery.
Once she fully recovers from this knee replacement, she will need to have the other knee done as well. The type of arthritis she has gradually destroys her joints, which is why she has already had reverse shoulder replacement surgery, hip replacement surgery, and now both knees.
We have lovingly nicknamed her "The Bionic Woman."
