Writing a bio was hard for both of us. There aren't many times you try to explain yourself in a few short sentences. So yes, they are lengthy but hopefully you will find them informative and they will give you a better idea of who we are and where we come from.
Lemonade Mom "C"
Since I’m the older twin, I guess I’ll go first! 
I have to say I am not entirely sure if there is one way to describe myself, more like lots of different ways. I and blessed with great friends and an amazing family. I love to work (yes work), travel and I absolutely love snuggling up with a good book, a cup of hot tea and our wood stove blazing in the background…although part of my journey includes trying to find the time for things like that!
I was the first of us to become a mommy. My son was born on October 20, 2010. At this moment we’re also expecting our second little one! In the interest of protecting my family I’m not going to mention my little one’s first name throughout this blog, so I’ll just call him “Lil’ C”. He is the joy of our lives and has taught us more than we could have ever imagined about life, love and each other. My hope is that this blog not only helps other people, but also serves as somewhat of a journal of my journey that I can pass down to both my children.
My husband and I were blessed to be introduced by Shay’s husband several years ago and have now been married for a little over 2 years . Despite our bias view of Lil’ C, our lives are far from perfect. Being working parents has definitely presented challenges and making time for each other has yet to be a priority like we know it should. Sometimes we’re more like fire and ice than I’d like to admit, but he makes me a better person! His type A personality balances with my laid back “come as it may” attitude. And vice versa. So we work hard at doing what makes the other person happy thus searching for that fine balance between the regimented culture of a military base and the mellow world of hippies living on a campground. And in order to keep that balance, I work very hard at creating habits for myself, use lots of lists and spend lots and lots of time getting organized and re-organized (all of which you’ll learn about along the way).During the duration of my pregnancy I picked up lots and lots of books and read lots of articles about being pregnant, breastfeeding, newborns, sleep training, etc. So I’d say I’m probably considered the reader of us two. I feel empowered by reading and hearing other women’s stories. I Google everything and I’m definitely the patient with a notepad and pencil at each doctors appointment! I am blessed with several dear friends, who have all helped me along the way with becoming a wife and mother. All of which I’m sure you’ll hear about along the way also. I love to cook when I have time and hate to cook when I am rushed. And above all, I find my strength in God.
To sum it all up, here is one of my favorite quotes. Which I’d like to think is the basis for most of this blog and I pray that all of us can learn to live by these words.
'May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly
where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite
possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you
use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has
been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you
are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul
the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and
every one of us.'
Lemonade Mom “Shay”
Well then......I guess I'll go second! Although, I must say C, I hardly think being 12 MINUTES older counts!
So, when I think about writing a bio about myself I can rarely think of anything exciting. What I mean is, I kind of consider myself the everyday women. I am the mother of an 8 month old daughter (for the purpose of this blog we'll call her "Miss H"). I am... a wife (to my hubby Shawn, xoxo), a daughter (to Cathy aka. Momma Lemon), a sister and a twin (to C), and a "mom on the clock" (our term for a working mom). And like many of you, I'm a friend, a volunteer, a board member, a cook, a maid, and the list goes on and on! But really that’s not what you want to know, right? You want to know who AM I? 
Why should you listen to my ranting. So, I figure I would take this time to tell you a little about who I really am (like the things I like and dislike) and who I really want to be. So here it goes…I love education, learning about new people and new places, different societies, different religions and philosophies, but I did not like going to school. I love all animals but I do eat meat. I love to travel but believe there is no better place than home. I love music, anything from hip hop to country. I love to read but hate to sit for a long period of time. I love exercise but get bored with it very easily. I am willing to try anything once. I love to write but could care less about grammar and spelling. I am a great friend and an honest straight shooter. I love sports and competition (especially baseball/softball). I am empathetic yet sometimes non-sympathetic. I believe in the power of thought and embrace the power of persuasion. I have strong values and beliefs, but more than willing to change my perception if presented with a good argument and statistics (the sociologist in me). I believe that everyone has the authority over their own lives and their own destination. I am who I am because I decide that is who I want to be. I want to be a great role model for my daughter. I want to be my husband’s best friend and strongest supporter. I never want to be stuck in my ways so much that I'm not be open to new ways of thinking or new ways of doing. I want to be a contributor to my society. As one of my favorite quote says I want to “be the change” I “wish to see in the world.”
With all that said you can probably tell I am a little bit of everything. I don’t believe anyone has to fit into a tiny box. I believe I can be one thing today and something different tomorrow. In fact, another one of my favorite quotes is below.
"They say, 'Be Yourself', like you know exactly what that is... like you're a toaster or something... like there's only that one way to pop out you. Well maybe being me isn't just one thing. Maybe just searching for me is being me and not being them... being themselves... being toasters. Maybe being me is more like a breakfast cereal variety pack. Maybe that's what I'll be... today. But tomorrow, who knows?...maybe the blue plate special"- unknown
For purposes of this blog let me tell you a little about my journey as a mom....
Shawn and I had been married for 5 years when I found out I was pregnant with our daughter. To say this was a surprise seems odd because we were married and weren't using any real methods of BC. However we were stunned to find out I was preggo! Every year since we were married we always felt "we weren't ready". Whether it was financially, mentally, or me physically there was always a reason why we would "start trying next year". Then came the sickness (not sure why they call it morning sickness when mine tended to be at night!). So, I decided to take THE TEST and with a little *splish splash*
our life was changed forever. And what a change it has been! Neither one of us can look back and remember why our lives were so exciting before HER! The truth is, I don't think I was ready even up until the day we had her! But the second she came into this world was the second it just fell into place. Not without challenges of course. The first 6 weeks were rough and tough... throwing us for a loop every time we thought we had things figured out, Miss H would switch it up! We learned to adapt and we are continuing to adapt at every bend in the road!
My role as a mother for this first 8 months of my daughter's life has been a little reversed compared to most of my friends. As the primary “bread winner” (although I hate that term) I worked full time and Shawn stayed with Miss H since his appraisal job allowed him to work from home. It was incredibly hard leaving every day. Although most people think that working in Real Estate means I have a “flexible schedule”, I work most evenings and weekends so I miss out on making dinner and bed time quite often. So Shawn has taken over the typical “mother” roles and it truly has worked out great. With a slowdown in the market, Shawn has been able to spend some time thinking about a career change allowing him to get into a position that gives him more satisfaction. With the few number of jobs and the LARGE number of applicants this proved to be challenging, yet he continued his education, stayed the course, and recently got certified as an EMT. Just this week he was hired on at a local hospital for medical transport!! YAY!!!
So yet again our roles will shift and we’ll adapt! He is an INCREDIBLE dad and he and our daughter have a bond unlike anything I've ever seen. I'm hoping many of you out there have the same dynamic as we do and can appreciate my dialog as it will be a little different from the norm.
Hope you will follow our journey and take part in the conversation!
Our Contributors
Our guest contributor and author of The Sunday Squeeze is none other than our own Lemonade Mom! We definitely attribute much of who we are to her and our dad! She is an amazing cook and since she’s a woman who had three children in 1 year, she’s here to teach us some things to “squeeze” in on Sundays, to make our lives a little easier! Check out her posts in The Sunday Squeeze.
Cathy- Our "Momma Lemon"
Hello, I’m the “Mama Lemon” and as you have heard before, “the lemon doesn’t fall far from the tree“, so, let me tell you a little about myself so you can learn where C and Shay started.
While I have written many professional bios, this is my lst personal one and it forces me to think about how I see “who I am”, so bare with me!
I am a sibling to 3 brothers, ugh yes….3! I always wanted a sister, and since I didn’t get one, I decided to have twin girls! No, really I didn’t have full control in that decision, but believe I was blessed with 2 girls to make up for all the boys in my life!!! Oh, and by the way, my brothers are twins. And of course my brothers would tell you I’m spoiled rotten, but that’s not true!
My father was a career Navy man, then in the restaurant business after he retired. My most recent move was my 27th! Growing up, I had to adjust to constant change, new places, new schools, new people, etc. I believe this is what has made me the strong, flexible women I am today. My father was gone a lot, so Grand Mama Lemon kept us 4 children in line like little soldiers, disciplined, respectful and worldly.
I am a wife to my husband of 31 years who has been my greatest teacher, supporter and confidant. His French Canadian flair and charm still gives me butterflies in my belly. I am a mom to JD (my son), C and Shay and most recently a new Memere (memay), which is the most FUN part! Lil C and Miss H make Memere and Pepere (pepay) melt inside!
My mom is the “Grand Mama Lemon” I spoke of, who I can give full credit for teaching me how to “Squeeze That Lemon”. She instilled some key messages throughout my life…Mind over matter (if you don’t mind, it don’t matter), you can do/be anything you want (as long as you work hard to get it) and this too shall pass. To this day these messages are what get me through my day to day challenges.
Motherhood came early for me with a wedding at 23, a “fruitful” honeymoon, and my lst Lil lemon 9 months later, my son JD. When JD was 12 months and 2 weeks old, along came 2 more Lil lemons, C and Shay. Yes, 3 in 1 year. But I wouldn’t take back a second or the chain of events that made it all happen. As you can imagine, I have some great stories and lessons to share!
Prior to becoming interested in health care as a career, I worked in restaurants doing almost every job possible! College was part time with no goal. Due to that immediate plunge into the family life, I actually went back to school when I was 34 to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse. Some people thought I was crazy to have three kids in school, work outside the home, have a husband who works full time and travels quite a bit and a full time school schedule. But I guess I just knew that it was the right decision for me and my family. Hmmm, may be a good future blog? Now, almost 20 years later, I practice in the world of chronic disease and diabetes management ever since I gradated. I have a passion for helping people achieve their highest potential, despite their illness and the barriers they may face. It gives me great joy!
Music also brings me great joy.
It has always been a part of my life, from locking myself in my room as a teenager and listening to the Beach Boys “In My Room” to hearing “Butterfly Kisses” in a restaurant and breaking out into an ugly cry just thinking about how fast my little children were growing up. I am not super emotional, unless there is music involved; add a song and I’m a mess! I feel music and it moves me in ways I cannot otherwise know. My love for music has rubbed off on my children, which makes me very happy. So, you will see music links on my post from time to time and I hope it moves you in special ways.I love plants and find peace in nurturing them to grow. It makes me crazy when they start dying. If the plant is totally uncooperative, I throw it away and go buy another beautiful one that makes me take a deep breath and smile. Most of the time, I can revive almost any plant from the dead! Let’s just say, I have a lot of plants in my house.
I love reading magazines and books about health, wellness, and cooking.....but enjoy skipping around much more than reading cover to cover. So, novels are a bit hard for me. Actually I "read" cookbooks... crazy huh?! Especially considering I love to cook, but rarely follow a recipe...I just get loads of ideas! Notice I said I love to "cook"......not bake. Baking is too precise for me, I always want to change something "just a little". So, if I do bake, it's something I've made over and over again and have down pat, or I have to put special concentration to following directions, ah boring!
My style of cooking is to feel inspired by what I see when I'm in the grocery store, at the market or in a restaurant, then use that inspiration to create a meal. Sometimes I look in my fridge and pantry before I go shopping and cook something that includes what I already have on hand, then......a dish is created. My husband loves my style and often says "This is delicious, but your never going to remember how you made it", and he's right! Later my husband will say, "remember that dish you made.....", I interrupt him and say NO, I don't and I can't make it again! NO MORE a little of this and a little of that!
My goal is to start keeping track of my "creations", write a recipe, then share them on The Sunday Squeeze.
Doing this may help me fulfill another one of my dreams, to create a book about my style of cooking that focuses not just on my recipes but a memoir of experiences in my kitchen. So, you can consider me a ONE WOMAN TEST KITCHEN!!!!
I’ve sometimes been called Pollyanna, which if you don’t know means, “One who expects a favorable outcome or dwells on hopeful aspects, one who is blindly optimistic”. It use to bother me. I was afraid people thought that I thought I was perfect! Ah, nope, I know I’m not. But optimism is not about being perfect it’s about being hopeful and positive.
Please join our chats about family, living life without a sour face and
becoming who YOU want to be!
This quote helps me be who I want to be!
"Dance like nobody's watching;
Love like you've
never been hurt;
Sing like nobody's listening;
Live like it's heaven on earth."
-- Mark Twain
