Week 31 of 2012 - What do I want to be when I grow up....

Grow up?  What's that?  What do I want to be?  Exactly who I am...a woman blessed with a fabulous family and life.  Husband Mike, sons Brad, Greg and Derek, daughter in law ( no, daughter!) Lee, grandkids Morgan, Owen, Nathan, Austin and Peyton, sisters Sue, Jan, Sharon, brothers Mark and Matt, the entire Smith family,  in laws Mom and Dad Semp and the entire Semp family, dear friends from my childhood and adult life...far too many to begin to name....not to mention all the blessings of those customers that have come and gone only to return so often. They too, are like family to me.

Dad Semp's 82nd birthday Feb. 16, 2012

"Giant Cookie Baking - Florida, July 2012"

"Party Animals!"  New Years 2010

I am so thankful for my life and the blessings that God has so generously given.  Blessings also include my god given talents that have allowed me to learn, to make mistakes, to be forgiven and to do it all over again.  Jobs maybe don't come to mind first, but I've been lucky enough to try and fail and also try and succeed.  I did not do so well at Anna Mae Shovan's beauty shop when I just couldn't make the grade with my high school job.  Either the hair spray left on the hair dryer surface, or not ironing her bras well enough was my undoing.  I also didn't do well at the Vlasic pickle plant in Imlay City...only lasting one paycheck.  Packing "Vegetable Salad" into 20oz jars meant dried onion slices cut through the rubber gloves and cut my fingers.  Then the brine burned in the open sores.  That job failure allowed me to try poking kosher dills into the same 20oz glass jars.  My thumbs were bruised, swollen and sore.  I walked home that last night at 2am, showered to get rid of the brine in my hair and vowed there had to be something better to do than Vlasic's.  I also was too homesick to stay for the entire summer in the Chicago nanny job...but I lasted 3 weeks!

The very BEST sisters in the world....

I think I did better at Mitzelfeld's, the Chuckwagon, WMU Campus Bookstore, Tupperware, Mary Kay, babysitting at home, chief window dresser for Dad at HB Variety Store, Manager of The Corner Store, HB City Council Member and any number of other opportunities that have come along...even jet skiing on the first woman's team for Maritime.  But most of all...being wife, mom, grandma, sister, aunt, cousin and friend are what I want to be...now and forever...and if I ever grow up!