Diaz I Do!

During the covid shut down, we all had A LOT of family togetherness. Despite the overshadowing fear of the unknown, those were very sweet times having all my kids together, really for the last time in that way.  Days consisted of schoolwork, pool time and beach trips (until they closed the beach which was bizarre). My favorite part was our nightly conversations that were always a riot. 

Maggie spent her life at NancyDance studio and never had a chance to date.  She was complaining to me that she really wanted to have a date for homecoming and prom for her senior year.  I told her that just maybe she would meet a nice golfer when she worked summer camp at the country club. Low and behold, after her first week, she came home dreamy telling me about the cutest golfer!!  That set off daily family strategy sessions on next moves!!  Jayden was not getting the hint that Maggie was interested in him, so Mags finally asked him if he wanted to get lunch. I am thankful Jayden had no clue about the hysteria that was going on in preparation.  When Jayden came over to our house for the first time, I was in our kitchen, and he came walking in with two big, beautiful bouquets of flowers, one for me and one for Maggie. From that day, I knew he was a keeper!  

I am so grateful to God for Jayden who has loved Maggie so well and truly brings the best out of her. We have had the privilege of watching Jayden grow from a teenager into the most amazing young man.  He has exceeded every dream that we would have for a husband for our daughter. I am not sure I have ever seen a young man be so industrious and work so hard. I have seen him work at a job, house sit while dog sitting and pressure washing on top of that. Maggie and Jayden both set goals and crushed them.  I couldn’t be prouder! They both started their careers and love what they do!  That is such a blessing that not everyone achieves.  I always told my kids to figure out what you love and spend your life doing it.  So many people are stuck in jobs they hate.

Jayden called and asked Dan to play golf and we assumed it was so he could ask Dan’s permission to marry Maggie.  Dan said he felt so sorry for Jayden because he was a nervous wreck.  Of course, Dan’s answer was YES!!  Jayden really wanted to surprise Maggie which we knew was going to be difficult. Jayden knew Mags would want to be dressed nice for the engagement. We agreed that she would never suspect getting engaged on the same day as her college graduation, so the plan was set. Maggie and Jayden got engaged in our backyard where we all met Jayden for the first time.  Thank God for the sisters who hid in the bushes at our house and captured the surprise!  It was such a sweet time of celebration for all the things!

It really comes in handy when your firstborn was an event planner and planned Maggie’s wedding like a boss!  I must admit, I was bracing myself for Maggie to become a Bridezilla Diva, but she never did!  She wanted a small intimate wedding.  Bonnie handled all the preparations, and it turned out so perfect.  I did freak out the week before the wedding, but Bonnie assured me she had everything under control! Thank God for firstborns!!  

We went wedding dress shopping and that was a shock.  I always envisioned my Mags in a blinged out, glittery, sparkly, wedding dress.  I couldn’t believe the direction she was going. I have vowed with all of my kids to just show support and have as few opinions as possible.  Although I said little, my face said a lot. Thank you, Lord for Donna! She found Maggie the perfect dress that we all loved with the most gorgeous veil ever! So Stunning! 

The biggest surprise was that both Maggie and Jayden wanted me to officiate the wedding.  Some people thought it was weird, but I considered it the highest honor. To stand next to Jayden and see his reaction when the chapel doors swung open was so precious.

Not to add anything else to 2025 besides, graduating from college, getting married…Maggie and Jayden also bought a house!  I am so grateful for my nephew and niece who own Fluid Realty and took such good care of Maggie and Jayden guiding them through the complicated process.  They found the kids the perfect house that even had a nice putting green in the backyard!

There is nothing better than having your adult kids happy and on a good path.  It’s what every parent hopes and prays for.  I would love to say it’s because Dan and I are the best parents ever, but I know the truth.  As I review my Facebook memories of my parenting, I am just thankful they survived some of the crazy things we did.  I will always give all the glory to God who showed us such mercy.  If I had any advice for parents, it would be, raise your kids in church.  Yes, Christians can be the worst and we are all hypocrites but God is good all the time and is faithful to his promises.  The Bible says in Deuteronomy 7:9, “He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”  I believe that my family walks in God’s blessings and provision because my parents chose to put God first in their life.  One of my favorite scriptures that has helped me parent is "Love covers a multitude of sin."  I believe God has covered our parenting mistakes with His love and fills in all our gaps.  God is the only perfect parent and I am so grateful we have built our life grounded in our faith. Congrats to the Diaz’s!  Can’t wait to see what God has in store!

WE ARE SPARTANS!

FOUR YEARS!  It seemed like a never-ending, far reaching, distant and unattainable dream. Opening our new upper school and gymnasiums has been as surreal as surreal can be.  The moment has been a little lost in my mental exhaustion but seeing students in our gym last night was definitely a milestone moment of shock and awe. 

When I started my job as Executive Director at Cornerstone Classical Academy, I was at the lowest point of my life.  Our Founder, Lindsay who is a former youth group kid of mine, loved me back to a good mental place.  She believed in me and has hyped me for four years.  She has defended me, promoted me and has been the best partner in all the good that I could ever have.  She allowed me to lead with no question, she trusted my judgement and together we prayed this school to where it is today.  No question that our success is only because of FAITH and the God of the universe ordained it.  

We are normal, local, non-classically trained ladies who love Jesus more than anything and believe in miracles.  We believe we are born for such a time as this…we will work and fight for the next generation until death.  Are we more exhausted than we have ever been…YES!!  Are we going to sit back and enjoy the accomplishment of our school…NO!  We are already hustling to build the first charter school in Nassau County in the Wildlight Community!  We will go where God opens doors!!  We are fighting to save our country!

Last night as I watched my 5^th baby, Eddie play at the first basketball game in our new gym, I remembered that my first son, Bubba played the first game in the last gym that we built ten years ago. How crazy!  I promised my two boys they would have a home gym and by God’s power, that promise was kept.  The only thing that could have made last night better was if my Dad was sitting in the stands with my mom cheering on my boy!  

Four years ago, we kicked off the fundraising campaign for our gym.  Our family gave the first donation to the gym campaign, the Spartan 300 and set reoccurring monthly giving.  We accidentally and miraculously gave enough to qualify to name a room in our new building.  My bestie Carrie pulled the donation records so we could contact those who qualified, and I’ll never forget her face telling me my family was on the list. I was shocked because it's been a struggle raising five children.  It showed me the power of small, consistent, monthly giving. 

I was so honored to name the Cornerstone Gym lobby after my wonderful father, Stan Smith. To know him was to love him.  He was taken too soon from us, but his legacy of faith, family and love of basketball will live on forever at Cornerstone.  He met my mom because he joined the Baptist church basketball league and became a member of the youth group.  Our family found faith and has a generational blessing because of basketball.  That is the reason I am so passionate about athletics.  It changed our family forever!  I can only imagine the athletes that will have a blessed future because of what we have built at Cornerstone.  May God always bless and use our facilities for His glory.

We also hosted a blood drive in our cafeteria gym to give back to our community.  So many Cornerstone families showed up and because of their donation, saved lives!  Many of my friends and family gave blood for the first time, pushing past their fears.  It was so beautiful to see!  My great nephew Jack who is fighting cancer, felt good enough to come to the basketball game.  I know God will use my nephew Britt's families suffering to bless so many through awareness and research.  God always uses our pain for His grand purpose if we allow Him.

The other amazing thing that I sit here and reflect on is the most incredible team God has assembled at Cornerstone.  I arrived and it was just our principal and myself that first summer.  It was spooky in that big building.  Slowly but surely, God started calling the right team together.  I truly believe my Admin team, Facility team and teachers are the best there is.  The love they show for our school and the care they give it is the most beautiful thing of all. Working at CCA is not a job for us, it is truly a calling.  

Dream Team doesn’t even begin to describe how we all work together.  I will be forever grateful to each one of them for their commitment and dedication. It would have been so much easier to go to a built school with all the necessary classrooms and facilities. I will never forget last night at our first event in our incredible new gym watching the concession stand run, watching players and cheerleaders on the court, the stands filled with students of all ages and our Spartan fans cheering!  

Our miracle school is built, but the miracles will keep coming to Cornerstone because we dedicated this school to the Lord.  It is written in the foundation of both buildings "JESUS IS LORD!" Our school is built on the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus Christ and he will always receive the praise and the glory for our success! 

“…A tested stone, a precious cornerstone a sure foundation, the one who believes will be UNSHAKEABLE!” Isaiah 28:16