Friday, March 29, 2013

Flashback Friday

This was yesterday.

That's not that long ago I realize. Flashbacks don't necessarily have to be from a long time ago. I make the rules here.

That was a joke.

Joy slept without blankie, the love of her life, last night. It was a long night. She wakes up feeling for blankie kind of all night. I know this because I let her sleep with me to calm her down and all night a little three year old hand kept feeling the sleeve of my pjs. Bless her heart.

Today, the quest to find blankie begins. If its not found by 2 pm the quest to replace blankie begins.

Wish me luck.

Update!!!!!

Operation blankie recovery successful.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

A perfect day

Planting new things, having a picnic outside, looking at the pool and planning our first big swim. It'll be soon, mark my words.

I love Spring.

The End.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Today is a new day

So last week I fell off the workout wagon. My back was messed up and I got a cold. The kids had allergy junk and I was exhausted.

Today is a new day.

Yes, today is a new day. The cats, (mine plus Emmy's) have already killed a mouse in the house. I've already written, "Call Orkin and talk about the mice issue" on the calendar. Emmy is headed to her old place to talk to adjusters and HOA reps. Ty is already at school. Life is already moving on.

It's quite a ride we've been on, isn't it y'all? You've stood by me through really low times and we've laughed at the I-could-not-make-this-stuff-up times. Fears have run rampant and when I've shared them you've supported me. Today is a new day, and I'm saying thank you.

This blog is my best therapy. Thank you for sticking with me. And now...it's time for the ball. Gotta run.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

And then Emmy's house burned down

Y'all. Yesterday there was a fire in Emmy and Ethan's condo. It started in the wall of the condo below theirs and spread up to theirs. They were at work. We got the call around 1 pm.

The rest of the day looked like this.

The firemen got everything under control before the whole building caught on fire. Once they let us in the devastation hit. It could've been much much worse.

But it was bad.

For about an hour Emmy couldn't find one of their cats. When she did he was hiding deep in a dresser. Once she had him everyone was relieved.

But it was bad.

They are staying with me for a little while. Their cats too. My kids are thrilled. There are tons of reasons to be thankful. They could've been home. The lady who smelled smoke early on could be been at work. The cats could've never appeared. Lots of blessings.

But it was bad.

Lord, sometimes lately it feels like You're using loss an awful lot in our lives to refine and teach us. Help us cling to You. Help us find You in the bad. There is bad, Lord, no doubt about it. Loss, confusion, heartache, pain, and questions. Lots of questions. But we are trying to trust in Your plans. Don't leave us, Lord. Meet us here, in the middle of the bad. Do Your work in all of us. Help us believe that all things are governed by You, and all things will be redeemed for good one day. Even if it's on Your side of Heaven.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sock bun tutorial

What it looks like. Not for everybody, and I'll admit I wasn't interested either until about a month ago. But my sister told me about this.

It's a sock bun cheating tool. Watch this.

Good morning crazy hair. Let's talk.

Ponytail. Done. Slide donut (that's what I call it,) over pony tail. Easy.

Make your best Cousin It impersonation. Spread your hair around donut to completely cover it up. Smooth hair over it and distribute your hair evenly.

Slide a ponytail holder over the big mound of hair.

Not looking right yet...

Wrap hair in one direction around the bun and use bobby pins to hide the ends. In my case the leftover hair is still long so I had to use approximately 67 bobby pins. Maybe it was closer to 27.

Done!

It took about 3 minutes.

The End.

Monday, March 18, 2013

How Joy does homemade donuts

I let her be in charge of the sprinkles.

The End.

It's Nattie's birthday today. A full day of celebrating, drawing pictures, eating junk. The kids and I couldn't be more thankful for Nattie. For who she's been and who she is now. She wears many hats but none is as important to her as being a mom and grandma. We love you Nattie!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Friday, March 15, 2013

I don't like lions

This made me nervous.

This did not.

The spring break zoo trip this year was a huge success. Yes, we were there with the rest of the metroplex and even getting there at 9:30 am didn't let us park in the actual parking lot but it was a perfect trip.

These kids spent every waking moment together until we moved away. When they're together now it's bittersweet for me...their mommas, (Carley and Jennie,) have stood by me through the worst of it and given me support and space depending on what I've needed. It was great to be with them!

My brother's family (minus my brother,) have been here all week so I haven't made time to post but now that Spring Break is winding down I'll be back! Y'all be good.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Flashback Friday...on Saturday

Tis the season. Bring it on!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Donut date

Notice anything out of the ordinary about our donut date? Look closely.

Bunny enjoyed her donut hole that Joy gave her. When I reached for the donut hole Joy protested. "No mommy dat is Bunny's."

This is my life.

You're welcome.

Tiny dancer

Nothing could've prepared me for this day. It was costume day at dance so emotions ran very high. Charlie's class didn't get costumes today...sadness...but Joy's class did...even more sadness from Charlie...y'all the drama was thick.

Joy twirled, posed, giggled, and danced in a whole new way. The girls all did. It was so cute. And not just because its my kid. It was universally cute.

Oh the joy.

The cuteness.

Yo Joy what's up. You just hanging out or what?

We got home and had two buddies over to play. It was the best day ever, just like her shirt says.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Once upon a time I identified with Paul

I went to Italy. I can't wait to go back. When I talk about my trip and show someone pictures they always ask which part of the country I enjoyed the most. We went to Venice, Florence, and Rome. Well, and flew into Germany both ways but never left the airport...so anyway that doesn't count. So when people ask I say Rome, hands down. It's a city, it's noisy, yes. Not my usual favorite things! It's been so long that I have forgotten lots of what we saw but one thing is burned into my memory. I marked it on the map in the days leading up to the trip and as pitiful as my navigation skills are I did my best to find it once I got to Rome. I did find it. I reacted differently than I thought I would once there but it was still my favorite memory of this dream vacation.

So once upon a time I walked down a very small staircase and got to the bottom floor of what seemed an ordinary building. There it was. A tiny room with no windows. The only openings in the whole room were that staircase, a drain in the floor and a hole in the ceiling. It wasn't glamorous or in any way lovely like the rest of Italy. It was dark and gloomy. Want to know what it was and why I wanted to go there?

It was one of the prison cells that Paul wrote from.

Paul.

The real Paul. The one who did things we learn from and try to imitate in our Christian walk.

A prison cell. It's not a scary place anymore. There are stairs you walk down to get there and stairs you walk back up to leave. I waited until I was almost alone in that cell before I turned on my video camera and started filming. I didn't want to miss a thing. I stood in the middle of that tiny room and just thought. How would I feel here if I couldn't leave? If I was the accused. If I was on trial. Would I care about anyone outside this room? In the video you can hear me start sniffling. Then start crying. Then sobbing. I was so ashamed that I could honestly answer, "No." No, Lord, I'd be scared and only focused on getting out of here. I would want to be free, then I can tell people about You. Then I'll be able to tell them that You saved me from this. I don't think I'd have been able to talk about Your goodness from this place. I couldn't shake the feeling that place gave me. I think I'd have set up camp there if they'd let me just because that tiny room was the beginning of a new way of relating to God. It was where my walk really started. I wanted to turn things around. I wanted to get real.

Why was I so intrigued by this? I was in college, on a Spring Break trip with a friend and we had the world at our fingertips. I was so intrigued even back then at what God did through suffering. If Paul had been sitting on a rooftop of a fancy hotel writing would we all find such comfort in his words? I wonder about stuff like this. Would Jesus have been able to use him so powerfully if he'd been free? Of course, God can use anybody. Anywhere. But Paul was in jail, isolated and hated. He couldn't wait to keep telling people about what he saw, what he did while being with Jesus. He couldn't let a little thing like location keep him quiet. You know why? Because HE GOT IT. He got it. He knew the whole thing was about Jesus, not him. God knew that people would be able to relate to suffering and shame. He knew that we'd relate to Paul and we could learn from how Paul never backed down, even when no one was asking him to retell or recount what he saw--he still told people. He couldn't NOT tell people because he, of all people, knew what Jesus did for him. Suffering was just part of the deal.

Prison y'all. I've never been a prisoner but I've been in jails. When I first started counseling I worked in a juvenile detention center. I was scared to death every day. They told us to come without makeup, with baggy clothes, and with hardened faces for our protection. Not my favorite job. Since I was a little kid Dad has gone to jail almost every day. Ha! He's visited clients and gotten to know the bailiffs. He told me today that the guy who gives him the eggs we eat all the time is a bailiff that he's good friends with. He knows him well. The guy brings eggs from his farm. How cool is that? It's a relationship that has spanned years and years between a lawyer and a bailiff. Their lives spent dealing with people in prison. Their paths crossing probably only because of their profession. The bailiff has come to Dad's Sunday school class when he's not taking care of his sick momma. He and Dad talk about God, about honoring what they're called to do. And we get farm fresh eggs all the time.

Not sure why I'm telling you that side story sorry. Well, yes I do. It's about relationships. The whole thing, this whole life.

It's no secret that this week has been scary. I can't lose my Mom. I don't want her to suffer and I sure don't want her to leave. I don't want my kids to see someone sick, and God help me for them to lose someone else so close to them. Like I always do, I went to the dark, scary place for a while. What would I do? How would I protect the kids from more loss? It was a dark place, yes indeed. But I only stayed there for a little while. Then I walked back up the steps and started trying to live without fear again. It's a constant battle I'll face, y'all are well aware. It takes 400 decisions a day to turn away from fear for me. Maybe 401. I can do it, though. He's shown me too much that He can be trusted! I can't NOT tell people that He can be trusted. So y'all are who has to hear about it. You're welcome.

I'm sitting in my newly minted craft room, all cozy and safe and drinking my hot chocolate. I'm free. There is a prison cell in my heart that Satan reminds me of. That place where doubt and shame reside. Satan will always try to make me live there but he's not in charge.

My sheep know My voice and follow Me wherever I lead. John 10:4