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You know those quizzes that ask you your three best traits? Today I'm answering the non-existent quiz that asks me for my three worst. 1.  I'm insecure in regards to relationships. 2.  I have a constant voice in my head, telling me that I am worthless. 3.  It is almost impossible for me to forgive people who have hurt me. No joke, consciously or not, I have had these feelings much of my life, and certainly for my entire adult life. My heart goes out to my family, but especially to John.  He is such a support to me, helping me through the times when I don't think there's much reason for my existence on this earth. I credit these feelings to not really having any feeling of belonging to a family, and to my own choices. In other words, I blame others, but I also blame myself. My family life in a nutshell.  My parents divorced when I was three, and when my mother remarried (when I was six), my father relinquished all rights to me.  From what my pa...

Please tell me this isn't happening.  One more child done with high school?  This just can't be.  If the proverbial brick would work, I would put it on their heads! For the first time, I was actually excited for graduation weekend.  I had just about the most perfect gift to give Hannie, and it was hard to wait for the day. Earlier in the week, Johannah was one of about 100 kids invited to the Senior Awards ceremony.  Sometimes the kids know what award they are getting, some don't.  Hannah didn't think much of the invitation (thinking that it might just be certificates for PMEA), but her choir director, Mr. Drafall, approached her and encouraged her to go, because as he said, there might be a check involved (channel the Grinch here).  Uh yeah, nothing will get the Kennedys to do more than free money, am I right? Turns out, she won the James T. Langston award given to a senior for a superior GPA and plans to earn a degree in music from an accre...

Taking the high road.  It seems to be a theme in the lives of the Kennedy family.  In fact, I may have written about it before which makes me question if perhaps some future family members will feel the same pain and will want comfort. With that in mind, and with the love that I already feel for future Kennedy generations, I'm going to share very raw, very real feelings. I hate taking the high road.  In very few situations does it ends up being a good thing for me.  In fact, in my mind, I end up in a world of hurt, and I once again question why I feel the need to do it in the first place. About four years ago, I was called as a Sunday School teacher.  I wasn't too sure about the calling at first, because I was given the oldest youth in our ward (Mark was in the class at the time).  That can be a tricky age--not quite an adult, but not wanting to be treated like a child.  I expected just one thing from the kids:  respect.  I'm not talking ...

Johannah had some professional senior photos taken, but in all honesty, the photographer has been terrible about getting back with us.  So, until I figure all of that out, I headed out and took my own photos. In all honesty, I'm seeing a business for Glo and me.  I get the girl ready (dress, hair) and I find a good day with the weather.  I even take the pictures (although with the classes Glo has taken, she often gets a better shot when we are both shooting at the same time).  Glo, however, is the master at editing.  She can take a photo that is too dark and make it look perfect.  Again, it's amazing what some education can do for someone!  John suggested we start an actual business, and after pondering options for names, he came up with "Glorious Photography".  Just think about it. Got it? Here are some of the final shots that I really liked.

Two things I love about where we live:  it's on the way to just about anywhere, and we can easily (and happily) accommodate anyone who is willing to stay the night. Our friend, Doug Craddock, is an Englishman who lives in Italy with his Italian wife and their three kids.  We met them in Bitburg, Germany, and have been friends ever since.  In fact, Doug likes to remind us that he is the reigning Siedler world champion.  I recently noticed that Doug has been taking trips to the US, and with us living only four hours from New York City and New Jersey, I wondered why he didn't contact us. When I shared this with John, John did what any self-respecting friend would do, and called him up.  You know, they haven't spoken in eight years, but John calls him like we still lived just down the road from each other.  Turns out, he was coming down I-80 from Chicago in a couple of days.  John insisted that we meet for breakfast. Friday afternoon came around, and...

I recently saw a buzz feed about normal, ordinary words that mean something completely different to the Mormon population.  One of those "normal" words?  Sunday, or the Sabbath. For most people, Sunday is a fun day.  A day to take the boat out.  A day of barbecues and picnics.  A day to do the grocery shopping.  Since none of those things are approved for Mormons, you would think it would be a pretty laid back, relaxing day for us, yes? No. Instead, we Mormons like to fill our Sundays will a whole heck-of-a-lot of other things that are good, and righteous.  And down-right exhausting. Last Sunday was no exception.  I give you the Sabbath, Mormon style...with a dash of Kennedy. 7:30 a.m.  Wake up, get dressed in my performance blacks.  Notice that John is not home, and wonder exactly which congregation he is visiting that day.  Say a quick prayer for Hannah (at HOBY), for Mark (in Russia) and for Ethan and Rebecca (in Utah)....

The end of an era is coming quick. Almost four years ago, Ethan left on a mission to Poland.  That's right.  He gave up everything he had going for him at American University in Washington DC, and devoted two entire years to being a missionary for our church in Poland. Fast forward two years, and his brother, Mark, was leaving to do the exact same thing (although this time in Russia).  Mark left behind rowing for the Michigan Men's rowing team, and a lot of momentum in his music career.  However, he exhibited the same faith of his older brother. My promise to them?  I would write them everyday of their missions.  That's right--EVERYDAY.  John and his siblings have spoken about how terrible they felt as missionaries, never receiving mail from family, so I was determined to keep my boys from having that story. So what did I do four years ago?  I headed to our local Staples, and bought this: Since then (if you calculate all the days they...

A couple of months ago, I decided to take up running...again.  The doctors couldn't do much for my hip except inject it with steroids, because as they said, there was nothing really wrong with it (bursitis was the final diagnosis).  I figured then that there was no harm for my hip in running (even though there always is for my back).  I signed up for a Beginner 5K running program. I love the website I use:  Active Trainer.  It figures out exactly what I need to do to be successful and tells me each day how far I need to walk, or run, or cross train.  It's not based on mileage, thank goodness, because that can be the mental death of me.  It's all based on time i.e. run for five minutes, walk for two, run for five more.  Last week, I ran my 5K. This is HUGE for me.  For years, I haven't even been able to run a mile, let alone THREE!  Granted, they were the slowest miles on the planet, and it wasn't easy, but I did it. I might have ev...

Let me tell you, folks, I have pretty high expectations for Mother's Day.  I know it sounds terribly selfish, but in all honesty, I feel like it's the one day in a mother's life where she CAN be selfish! :-) This year, my family totally came through for me, and I was incredibly grateful.  It was one of those perfect weekends (i.e. times spent in Ireland, or Michigan), and I just didn't want it to end. The best part?  Ethan was home.  It would be nice to think that he came home just for me, but he had a conference in Washington DC the week before.  What was nice was that he decided to stay for me.  I told him that it rivaled the one Mother's Day when Mark performed the unthinkable:  after attending a regatta in Philadelphia the Saturday before Mother's Day, he drove back to Michigan with his team (it was required), hopped in his car, and drove back to Pennsylvania, through the night, to spend a few short hours with me that day....before driving ba...

I love that over the years, Celebration of the Egg has become the premier event in the Kennedy holiday household.  In fact, when people ask me about Easter and what we did for it (thinking that maybe we visited family), I casually drop the name of the event, and their interest is immediately piqued.  In fact, over the past couple of years, some of my friends have actually stolen the idea, and are now hosting their own celebrations! I love Celebration of the Egg.  It is a party unlike any other.  Think of the Olympics, Easter style. We actually postponed Celebration of the Egg this year.  Ethan and Rebecca were flying back home three days after Easter, so we waited until the following weekend.  It gave me a glimpse into what it will be like, having kids who have their own lives.  It was a monumental effort for me to plan Easter on the actual weekend, and then plan a party the next weekend.  I'm thinking that in the future, it will be more of a ...