* * * chirstmas * * *

Ahhh... Christmas! (said as I sigh heavily....). I like Christmas. I enjoy the decorations and the lights and the music and the cookies. But, I wish it wasn't such a busy time because so many people are not able to reflect on what Christmas is all about.

We had a Christmas concert at our church last weekend and while sitting there with my family, watching it together I had a thought about the night that Jesus was born. There was a special star in the sky that shone down. I am not sure if Mary and Joseph knew at that moment why it was there, but I am sure they were thankful that it brought light to the stable so Joseph was able to help Mary give birth that night. I studied Mary a few months ago. God chose her to be the mother of a special child and I feel like He did the same for me when He gave us Annie. I am trying to do my best with her, but I am new at this and I am learning a lot as I go along. I am thankful for the light that He shines down for me to help me out as well. It is not a bright shining star - but I know I am not alone. My family is so supportive and such a blessing, people at church, and things that I know to be true from reading the Bible.
Annie is a gift from heaven and I am so thankful for her and I am thankful that I know the true meaning of Christmas. We are so blessed.
Merry Christmas everyone!

pink lint

Today, I cleaned out my lint trap in the dryer. It is something I do before every use. I got a little teary eyed when I did it today because I was holding a handful of pink lint. I still am so amazed to have Annie Joy- and what a blessing she is.
I love that because of her I was holding in my hand ..... pink lint. I love dressing her in pink. It somehow matches her sweetness. All this time God was holding me in His hand and trying to get me to wait more patiently because He was able to see what was to come.
He was getting me ready for our bundle of joy.
He wasn't holding out on me.
He was waiting for the right time.
He was preparing me for pink lint.
I love you, Annie.
Thanks for making me a mom.

Annie

Just a few pictures of my little girl. She is the sweetest little princess in the whole world. We are so blessed. This one of us with her is one of my favorites. We took a few like this and she was sound asleep. But, not this one. I love how her little eye is peeking at me. This was the day of the court case. We came home and were excited that we were able to celebrate as a family. God has brought Annie to us and we are so thankful.
I have been missing her the days that I have to work, but I am so thankful she can have some time with her grammo. Thank you for watching her, mom. You are the best!

too long

To the 3 of you who read this- I am very sorry for the long lapse of time in my blogging!! I am not even the same person who last blogged. That is how long it has been. People say that I don't even look the same - I have some kind of goofy grin plastered to my face.

Annie Joy Blessing.
She is my Annie Joy Blessing.
My Annie.
My Joy.
And my Blessing.
I know that sounds silly. I should say that she is God's - He is entrusting her to me and I am so thankful. She is just starting to laugh and her little personality is coming out. Her favorite things are grunting and stretching. She loves her bouncy chair and I think she could win a burping contest. At least the hiccups are not as frequent. She is getting so big. Today she is 6 weeks old. How did that happen - where did the time go? She slept 6 hours last night. Way to go, girl!!
I am going back to work on Monday. Do you think she will be mad at me? I hope not. At least she will be with Grammo - that is the next best thing.
Thanks for all your prayers, everyone. I am sure there were at least a million of them offered up on my behalf. God gave us a beautiful princess. I am so blessed.

a note to "Tummy mommy"

I wanted to add this into my blog because it is where my heart is right now.........
There are some struggles and bumps in the road but, God is in control and I am trying really hard to rest in that truth. So, this blog is a combination of an e-mail I sent to the "tummy-mommy" that includes an e-mail from my sister. I hope it is not too hard to follow and gives you a better glimpse into my heart.

T-M,
but i know you might not read this anytime soon because you don't have a computer right now but I am praying for you and thinking about you and I wanted to share a few thoughts.

My sister blogs regularly so people here can better understand what they are doing in Indonesia. I find it interesting that even though we are a half a world apart - we are still going thru some of the same stuff at the same time. Her blog this morning was something she learned at church today. I am going to copy it, put it in here and then write more at the end.
***************************************
I learned about a word today that you don’t hear very often. The word: mourn. I always thought it meant to cry. But it really means to bring to the surface that which was on the inside. In church the guy who was talking about it, went to a class on it at a university last year. This is what I learned from him. We all have heart wounds that leave their mark and tell a story. Like a scar on our heart. How we deal with them helps determine our spiritual well-being. Most of us want to ignore them or divide our lives into two parts-the part that is hurt we hide deep down and the other part is full of fake joy (“Oh, me? I am fine.”) But what God wants us to do is to deal, grieve and heal. When you deaden yourself to the pain you are also deadening yourself to the joy god wants you to have. There is a saying-Hurt people hurt people. Many of us choose a “pain killer” (something to help hide the pain in our hearts) – like TV, exercise, work, food…But it never works forever. There are blessings hidden in our grief, like the first step in a dance or the first note in a song, they are there. Start a journal of the things in your life that have scarred your heart-things from your past that you are still holding on to and have never dealt with. Pray through these things, give them to God and ask Him for healing. Forgive those who have wronged you, then move on-don’t hang on to that pity or guilt. Matthew 5:4 says “Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted.” God says we will be blessed and comforted when we bring these things to the surface instead of hiding them deep. It is a process with a great reward. Experiencing pain in a real way allows us to experience real joy.
Think about it.
Love you.
Rachel
****************************************
I have been working thru some things in my life in the past few months that have reminded me of some "heart scars". I knew back in April that if I was going to be a mother - I needed to deal with a few things that I have been ignoring for a while. Thinking that everything would be all ROSES if I concentrated on getting my life together - I jumped into a book called "Captivating". While reading it, I realized that the hurts and scars from my past were painful and hard to deal with. (I am not sure why I thought it was going to be easy). I am still working on a few things and I am thankful that God has me on this journey. My life was much easier before. I just went about my day - coasting along - doing things on my own. Now that my eyes are opened to God's leading and I am more sensitive to being the woman He designed me to be, it is harder - but much more rewarding and fulfilling. When we get hurt, like a cut on your toe, that usually happens in an instant. The healing time takes a while - especially if it is not cared for or dealt with properly and it gets infected. The scars are what gives us character and make us unique but they are produced after the healing is done. The healing is the most important part. How do we deal with it properly so that the healing can take place and how do we learn from it so we won't have to go thru it again?? I am praying for you as you have some pain right now. Please know that I care - and I am here to help - and that you are not alone. -C

the blessing

This is a little deeper than normal, but here goes.....
4 years ago when I miscarried I never thought there would be anything good that could come out of it. But, I was wrong.
Since then, God has used me to help others in the same situation. I have been able to encourage them, listen to them, and even help wipe away a tear. Not the same fulfillment that I would have gotten from raising a child and I didn't even always smile while God was using me help others.
I was a bit confused and angry. Is this His best for me? Why would God choose for my life to be this way?

I asked those questions and many more - countless times over the past years. I know the answer now.
God has known what is best for me all along. In the back of my mind I knew that - but I was too mad to accept it. Now it is more clear. I am who I am..... and I am where I am because of my past experiences. The struggles in my life have made me stronger. If everything would have worked out the way I wanted it to - then I wouldn't be able to be a part of this incredible blessing that we are embarking on right now. I truly believe that God can turn every situation to point towards Him and He is able to make something beautiful and good out of heartache and sadness. His ways are always better than anything I can imagine. I am so thankful that He didn't give up on me and He is choosing me today, to take part in this incredible blessing.

picinic

Today we had a picnic lunch. We went to the botanical gardens in Janesville and enjoyed the beauty of the flowers and plants and shrubs and trees and birds. It was a good day of fresh air and being together. Who doesn't love a picnic on a beautiful summer day that has a warm breeze and a blue sky?! God's creation is so beautiful. I was reminded of that today so many times. God could have made just a few flowers but instead there are thousands with so much variety in the colors and sizes and smells.
In a book I am reading it was talking about creation and how God started with nothing and then created light .... and then water and land .... and then plants and tress and flowers .... and then all the stars in the heavens .... and then birds and fish .... and then man. Like a painting each thing building on the next in an increasing crescendo to show His creativity and power and love. We are his masterpiece. More important to Him than anything else. I am in awe of that and how that proves how much I am loved and cherished by such a big God. We are so blessed.

anchors

Whenever I am sorting thru some of my stuff - I wonder where it all comes from. You'd think that I would know... I am the reason why it is there. I have a hard time throwing things away. Why do I keep so much meaningless amounts of paperwork? I have bank statements and bill stubs and invoices and receipts from years ago. What I am I supposed to do with all of that? I need to eliminate and simplify and shred....

So, at church tonight we were talking about the things in our lives that act like an anchor holding us down and distracting us from being the person that God wants us to be. Clutter... Things that are not important that we spend too much time on.... thinking about.... dreaming about..... What do I think I am holding onto that I need to let go of? More important than that - what does God think I need to let go of?

ahhh summer......

Phooey has arrived- (our little hummingbird). He came in last Monday. The first time we saw him was when Lauren was here for dinner so we all got to sit and stare together. I think Lauren and I were staring at Donald- wondering how a grown man could get so excited about a little bird! Since then my husband has done some yard work. He bought some rocks and put them in a ring around 2 trees in the front yard and moved some plants around, weeded and mulched. Today he bought a few flats of flowers and planted them in the flower beds on our back patio. He also installed a sprinkler system to water the flowers and other plants. He is quite excited about it and he did a great job. I wonder if we will notice a difference in our water bill over the next few months.
Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner. The BIG start to summer. I am not sure what this summer will be like.... so much anticipation for the sunny weather and BBQs and baseball games and walks by the lake and rummage sales and long hot days and fireflies. I can't wait. I plan to cherish every moment. I need to make my list of things that I want to do so I can get it all in and use my time wisely. Maybe I will even go on a hot air balloon ride! I will keep you posted on my adventures.

mom

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
Happy Mother's Day, Mom....
I love you.
Sometimes I don't feel very creative. Or maybe it is because of the English language. I want to say something but I just don't know how to get it out. How do you tell someone that you love - how much you love them when you know the words to describe the feelings you have don't even exist?!? So I will just sum it up with a few simple words.

My mom is the best. I am very blessed to have her in my life and I know if it was not for her - I would not be the person that I am today. Thanks mom. You mean the world to me and so much more. I love you!

the yard work..... (now, the hard work.....)

The part of the project where we tear out the bushes is complete. Now, we need to fill that spot in with something. That is where things start to get tricky.
We talked about everything from ripping out the cement slab behind the old bushes and the tree to the right of the bushes and putting in a new driveway and entry area and also making a new walkway in front of the house to the other door and ....... Oh my! So, we called it a day and grilled out and enjoyed the patio in the back yard.


We have seen some orioles and now we are waiting for the hummers.. We have had a few hummingbirds that spend the summer with us. One we call "Phooey" and one we call "Whooey". Hopefully they will return again this year and make my husband happy. I will keep you posted!

a little bit of yard work...

I had planned to sleep in today but I woke up.....
I just finished an extremely busy week and was convinced that I needed to sleep in today - but I think I was wrong. Right now I am enjoying the quiet peacefulness of this beautiful morning. AHHH.
We went to Janesville last night for a little date. It was my husband's birthday a few days ago and he wanted to celebrate by eating at Red Robin. We have been there a lot and I get something different from the menu each time. I have items that I'm still looking forward to ordering and I am yet to be disappointed by my decision. Last night my burger had a Mexican twist and it was very delicious. He had fish-n-chips, again!

This morning he asked me if I would help with a "little" yard work. A "little" yard work?? Is there such a thing?? Not sure it is going to be a "little" project because it includes ripping out bushes in our front yard. I am sure it will take a lot of time - a lot of muscle and we will probably spend a lot more money than I want to before this project is complete. But it is a beautiful day..... so, off I go to break a few fingernails.

red light - green light

I feeling like blogging about my vacuum cleaner. I am not sure how you feel about that but I am going to do it anyway.
We have a vacuum that is not my favorite. Vacuums are supposed to suck dirt out of the carpet and make the floors look nice. Ours does that but it also does more. It gets me in trouble and puts me in a bad mood.
There are 2 little lights on the base of it - one is green and one is red. The red one shines when the carpet is not yet clean and the green one means I can move along. I don't think I like the vacuum telling me what to do - maybe that is the problem. And when my husband is watching, he doesn't like it if I move to the next spot when the light is still red. I have thought about putting tape over the lights so I don't have to look at it while I am trying to use it. Seeing that red light gives me a D.R.A.!
So many times in life I wish I had little lights to direct me. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a little green light go on when we were trying to make a decision to know if it was right or not? Should I exercise more? (green light). Should I try to get more sleep? (green light). Should I buy the new shirt I do not need? (red light). Should I choose to have a good attitude in a stressful situation? (green light). Should I worry about something instead of praying about it? (red light).
Those are all very obvious answers but do I actually take the time to ponder what color the light would be when I need to make a decision? And there are times when I am searching for a light because I don't know what the right answer is. I am thankful that God sees the big picture and knows all the right answers.
So I will vacuum and when I see the red light - I will try to smile.

It's the little things...

I have the windows open and if my laptop didn't need to be plugged in, I would be sitting outside. It is overcast but a beautiful spring day. The grass is getting green. The flowers are starting to come up. The trees are budding. Spring is here!
Another sign of spring is the robin. They have been here for a while and now we have moved on to the next expected arrival. We are watching for the orioles.
My husband just called me a few minutes ago to ask me if I have been watching out the window this afternoon to hopefully catch the first glimpse of one of our orange and black feathered friends. We have fresh juicy oranges hanging outside so they can have a snack after landing in our yard. They need it after completing their long flight from somewhere south. No sign of them yet - but we are ready.
While looking out the window I just saw a squirrel climbing down one of our many bird feeders. We have a lot of squirrels and obviously this one is "new" to our yard. He has just experienced the "Yankee Flipper". My husband thought it would be fun to have one of those bird feeders that twirls around when a squirrel gets on it - so he bought one a few years ago. During that time we have witness several squirrels spinning around and getting flown off. It is quite funny to see. The one I just saw was not a disappointment and it has definitely been a highlight of my day.
I am glad that I can enjoy the little things in life.
I am glad that my life is not so busy that I can't stop and notice the buds forming on the branches or take time to hang oranges in the tree. I am glad I can sit and watch out the window to see spring slow creep back in after a long winter and most of all - I can watch a squirrel experience the "Yankee Flipper".
I am so blessed.

peanut butter and jelly

I have a bigger sweet tooth than my husband.
He reminded me of that this week when I was making him a P B & J sandwich and he told me not to put too much jelly on it because then it would be too sweet and he would not enjoy it as much. Then he exclaimed "I just don't like things as sweet as you do!"
He has never been into desserts much. When he was growing up they didn't eat them very often. I always had an abundance of yummy treats to choose from when I was younger because my mom is good at baking things that are VERY delicious. I have been trying to eat sweets with more moderation lately - which is not easy.
There is nothing wrong with me liking sweet things and my husband liking the salty stuff. We are all different and unique and that is what helps keep things balanced. We can crave different things and still enjoy being together. I don't mind buying less ice cream than I'd like to - and keeping the cabinet stocked with a bag of chips. And I will continue putting less jelly on his sandwich even though it is dry and boring that way!

Easter

It is Easter!
I am working on making my jell-o for our family lunch tomorrow. This jell-o is one of my signature dishes that I am asked to bring to many family functions. I don't cook or bake very much so I stick to the things that I am familiar with. It will be served along side ham and turkey and many other yummy side dishes. We will not be short on food that is for sure! My mom just sent me a picture of her decorated lamb cake which is another family tradition that makes us all smile and miss grandma Ethel.
There is also a buzz in the air about Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets and jellybeans and chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps.
Easter..... Easter??
Last night after hanging out with some super good friends - we went to church to see the movie "The Passion". It was my husbands first time seeing it - my second. I was again brought to tears watching all that happened to Him that Good Friday so long ago. Jesus went thru all that for me. He loves me and His wounds are my HOPE!
That is Easter.

my life this week

What do I have for you this week? hmmm. Sometimes I wonder if I should be doing a blog because my life just really isn't that interesting. Mainly for these 2 reasons - I spend a lot of time at work and a lot of time at church. Those 2 places are not are usually full of excitement.
Work was exciting this week though because one of my coworkers decided to go from part time to full time. She is a tremendous blessing to me and I am excited to see her there more hours, learning, and doing, and fitting into the "team".
But, more exciting than that was church yesterday. I had the opportunity to sing with the worship team. I have not done that in a while and it was so much fun. It brought my worship to a level that it has not been to in a while. It gave me a little glimpse of what heaven will be like!
Other than that my week was full of birthday parties and making birthday cakes and spending time with good friends. I also twisted my ankle and bruised my kneecap , practiced with the worship team, sent another package to Indonesia, ordered some shirts for work, finished our taxes, watched a little March Madness b-ball, made fajitas and saw a woodchuck in my back yard. Life is good!

saturday

It is one of my favorite things to crawl into a bed with crisp cold clean sheets. Every Saturday the sheets on our bed get changed. Today was the day that we decided to also flip the mattress. We are supposed to do it regularly, but I think ours gets done once or twice a year. Our King size mattress is very heavy. When we bought it, the salesman told us that if we pay $25 they will come out and flip it for us. I laughed when he said that. How hard can it be? We are young and strong and willing to do it ourselves. There are far better ways to spend $25!! Our room is not very big which doesn't help. Today my neck got pinned between the mattress and the wall. It wasn't pretty, but the job is done.
Taking 5 minutes twice a year is supposed to increase the life of the mattress. It should be a no-brainer! Why is it that I don't always spend time on the little routine maintenance things that in the end will make a big difference. I get so busy with life that I don't always slow down and focus on those little things. I need to work on that.
But for right now, I am just thinking about clean sheets! I can't wait till bedtime!

springtime

I do love spring!! It is my favorite time of the year. There is something special about everything coming back to life again after a LONG winter.

My husband is a LAWN LOVER. Already this spring he has managed to spend a lot of money getting our lawn ready for the upcoming competition. What competition, you ask? He wants to win the award of the "best looking lawn on the block". And for the past 9 years he has won first place - mainly because no one else is officially in his imaginary competition.
We have been discussing having a lawn service again this year. Every fall he tells me that he might not do the lawn service again - but every spring when they call to give him an offer he can't refuse - he simply can't refuse. Those salesmen know exactly what to say to sucker him in. I admit it - they are smooth. And in the end - the lawn does look good.
I can appreciate a nice lawn and I enjoy my part of planting flowers and doing minor landscaping but it is not as important to me as it is to him. He is like a little kid right now on Christmas Eve. He knows it is going to rain this week and the anticipation of that is so exciting for him. He has raked and aerated and over seeded and is now out there doing something else with some other loud piece of lawn equipment. To get that all done just before a nice spring rain will be perfect! I can see his little boyish grin now.
We are a good balance for each other. I can sit in the kitchen on my laptop and blog while he is out there working on getting another trophy for the mantle. We are both doing something we enjoy!
Happy Spring, everyone.

zip zap

Anyone ever been zapped before? Like when you accidentally touch a live wire? I remember being younger and touching my tongue to a 9 volt battery. I didn't like the way it felt. The other day at work I was working with a small tool that was plugged in. When I was done, I laid it in the sink. One of my co-workers asked me if I thought it was safe to put it there since it was still plugged in and I laughed because I didn't think that one thru.
Zapped.....
It has been 10 years since I have been zapped. I had lasik surgery in March of 1999. It only took a few minutes and in a little way - my life was changed forever. No more contacts or glasses or squinting or wondering what time it was in the middle of the night. AHHH! Perfect vision 24-7! It was definitely a good decision.
There are so many things in life that would be easier if all of a sudden things were clear. But, that is not the way life works. I can't see the big picture and even though I may think I know what is best and how things should turn out in the end - only God knows. I am glad He knows and I am also glad that I can have hope because of that.

the squirrel that saved the day

How could a squirrel save the day? Well, let me tell you a little story......

First of all - I am not a fan of the whole "day-light-savings" thing. I am the girl who has said that they should just change it a 1/2 hour and then never change it again. It takes me too long to adjust in the spring to the new time. I am wide awake at night and dragging in the morning. (Maybe I am like that every day and I just have an excuse this time of the year!)

Monday morning comes and I am running late for work. I know I can drive fast during parts of my commute because there are only so many places for a police car to hide. I have been driving these roads for 12 years and I am certain that I have discovered all of the hiding spots. I will admit that I was speeding. No need to disclose to you how far I was over the limit I was - we'll just leave it at this - it was plenty.
So, out comes Mr. Squirrel for his daily jog. I didn't hit the little fellow. He turned and looked my way with very wide eyes as I hit the break. I think I even heard him make a little shreeking noise. But, it was because of that moment that I was then going slower as I passed the police car a 100 yards away.
Am I thankful for that squirrel? I most certainly am!!
I got to work at 8:01 - not setting the best example for my co-workers but getting a speeding ticket would have been worse than clocking in at 8:01. I am not normally late and it was entirely due to the time change of course.

So, what was my excuse on Tuesday when I clocked in at 8:01? 2 in a row - Oh man!

the results are in.....

I think the secret date - went well.
The day started out with some R & R. We went to church Saturday night so we slept in on Sunday morning and I made waffles for breakfast with bacon (and coffee of course). Then we left and headed toward Milwaukee for destination #1. I chose for us to go to the Discovery World Museum. There was a lot of hands on exhibits and I loved the aquarium. We had fun looking at all of it together. We spent a few hours there and then we were off to the restaurant that I had picked for us for dinner. The reviews for this place were fabulous and we didn't get lost getting there, but - it looked scary from the outside so we didn't go in. Instead we went to a place we had gone to once before. I knew that my husband really enjoyed it so we went back. I was prepared to pay for everything - the museum - parking - dinner - which was also fun for me.
I did have my moment to shine at the restaurant when I was pulling off my wrist-band (from the museum). When I yanked it loose- my arm whacked my glass of soda and spilled it everywhere.
That is what napkins are for.
And the date was for fun and doing something different with the one I love. Over all it was great - we had a lot of fun and the thrill of the adventure was raised a little by the essence of surprise. I am hoping to be able to tell you about our secret date #2 in the next few months. May this inspire you to be a little spontaneous yourself. Get out of the box - be a little wild and crazy. You might enjoy it more than you think.

I have a few pictures I will try to add in the next day or 2 so you can see the smiles on our faces.

secret date

Tomorrow is the day of the big date.
A few months ago I decided that I wanted a little change in my life.... something spontaneous. So, I came up with this plan of a secret date.
I tend to go with the flow and not make my own decisions which in turn keeps me in the same rut and routine - so I decided to plan a date for my husband and I. This date had to include something we have not done before. He has no idea what I have up my sleeve. I have just told him when we are leaving and what he should wear.
I have been looking on line at some different restaurants and other events in the area that might be fun to go to. I was going to set a budget for the date but I am hoping that my husband comes up with a secret date for me next - so I threw out that idea. Why put a limit on fun?!
One part of the date is at a restaurant that I have never heard of and that I am not even sure of the location. This could back fire on me. If we get lost or if the food is not as good as the on-line reviews - I could be in BIG trouble. I am hoping that my husband will be patient and open minded so that all of my planning efforts will be worthwhile. I will let you know the outcome of our little adventure in my next entry.
Maybe it will be the change I need....... plus a little more.

change anyone?

There is not much in my life that changes. Sometimes things may seem like they are different but when it is all said and done - it's the same.
I have been thinking about that today. I mentioned a few blogs back that I wanted to change my ways and sweep the kitchen floor everyday to keep my husband happy. Honestly, I have made an effort and swept it a few more times than I normally would have - but... everyday?? Lets face it - my intentions are good but when it comes down to it - I am the same girl I was before. (and would all my efforts even be worth it?)
I have been with the same guy - in the same house - with the same cat - going to the same church - driving the same car - for a very long time. I have been at the same job for over 12 years working for the same boss - even wearing some of the same clothes......
Change.
Change....
Sometimes, I want to chuck it and cut my hair start something new.
Am I just fooling myself? Am I really ready to actually make some changes in my life? Can I get out of the comfortable box that I am in and do something different? I hope to think that I can.
I will keep you posted.

one of my favorite days

Today in Wisconsin, it is March 3rd. My big sister lives on the other side of the world and for her it is already March 4th - her birthday. March 4th was always a day that I looked forward to and I would count down the days until it arrived - 5 more days...4 more days...3 more days...2 more days....
On her birthday we would always spend the day together - usually the 3 of us would do something special- my sister - my mother and I. We spent many a March 4th going out to eat (usually Olive Garden)- a few hotel overnight stays - a late night movie.... A lot of fun times.
This is the 2nd year I am not able to spend with her because she lives so far away. I wish I could see her today to give her a big Birthday Hug!
I love you, Sis! Thanks for being you and being my best friend. You are the best sister ever. Happy Birthday!

my mom

I am using this blog to let everyone know what an amazing woman my mother is. I would rent a billboard and plaster my message on there - or put a banner behind the space shuttle as it circles the earth if I could. How else could I tell everyone how special she is?? How can I even put it into words how wonderful she is?? Out of all the people in my life I think she is the one that means the most to me. She has always been there and will always be one of my biggest fans. No matter what. I know she will always be there cheering me on, supporting me, and loving me. She is the best.... That is all there is too it. I love you, Mom!

one second

One second is not a lot of time but in one second a lot can happen.

I was reminded of that today as I watched a car accident happen right before my eyes. In a single moment - 2 cars collided and the people involved had a dramatic change in their day.
It could have been me but it wasn't and i am thankful for that. But, it made me think.... Do I make every second count? Do I take for granted the seconds that God gives me as I go through out my day?

You are spending part of your day reading this I want to take a few seconds and let you know how thankful I am for you. I have some of the best family and friends in the world and I am truly blessed to have each of you in my life.

So, this is just a reminder............ Let's make every second count.

Thursday

I am a fan of Thursdays. Not because the work week is more than 1/2 over and not because the weekend is almost here, but because I can have some time in the morning to do whatever. I don't start work until 11. Sometimes I go into work early because I can get a little bit caught up on stuff there. One of my co-workers usually calls me a "nerd" when I do that but it is helpful when the piles on my desk are not 3 feet high.

What exciting adventure can I report to you today?
My Canine sister, Daisy is getting fixed this morning. Did you know it is national get-your-dog-spayed day? I hope that goes okay and that she recovers quickly (and maybe has a change of attitude).
My husband has a cold. He is a miserable patient and very dramatic. Hopefully, he will not share with me and will get over it soon.
My sister turns 35 next week and I am wishing we were not so far apart. Everyone that knows Rachel is blessed to have her in their life! She is the best sister ever and I wish I could tell her that in person plus give her a big hug.
I am thinking we might get another little taste of winter today. They are calling for some snow and I am really not happy about that. I love spring and and longing for the day that the last flake falls and the trees start budding and the flowers think about peeking out of the ground.

That is about all I have for today. I think I will end this and go get ready for work even though that will give me "nerd" status once again.

Dropsie

I want this blog to be interesting. My life is not super exciting but it is fun and there is not a lot I would change.

I think I might do some research about one thing that I wish I could change. I am not very coordinated. Someone told me that if you are right handed and your left eye is dominate- then maybe you are not as good at hand eye coordination. Maybe that is part of my problem. I think I might find out if it is true because then I will have an excuse!

The reason why I bring this up is because I dropped a plate of cake on Sunday, in the church parking lot, on my way into the building. Somehow it went from my hand to upside down on the pavement in a matter of less than a second. Accidents happen and it was an accident but I felt bad because there was a lot of wasted frosting! I love frosting!! Oh well. I will continue to try to be more careful but knowing me - I will probably also continue to drop things.

Pleaser-itis

I think I suffer from a disease called "People Pleaser-itis"
I have known about it for a while but yesterday, I saw it in a different light.
It runs in the family. My father who is one of my heroes is a very hard worker and I owe a lot of my work ethic to him. He received the "People Pleaser of the Year" award a few years ago. Only one person receives it per year and once you get the award - you can't get it again. I am sure if he was still in the running he would get it every year.
One of my other heroes is my mother! She doesn't let a single day go by without helping someone and she works very hard. Even when we were kids and she had to go back to work - she would get us dressed while we slept. I can remember her trying to get a shirt over my head and socks on my feet because she wanted to help get us ready before she had to leave early to go to work.
It is in my blood and it runs deep. I love to help others and do things for people. Sometimes when I think what I do is not good enough - I struggle with that.

Like yesterday......
Whenever my husband and I do housework together we add a little frustration into the mixture of cleaning supplies. He says it is time to do "Saturday Chores" and I groan on the inside. Most of it is me getting frustrated because I think that he thinks I don't keep up with the cleaning so he has to do it himself. Why can't I just be thankful that he is helping me out around the house. We both know that I work long hours and that I am not home everyday sitting around watching Judge Judy! But, I want him to be pleased and I know if he is in a messy house - he is not pleased. So, here is my plan... I am going to try to sweep the kitchen floor and do a quick - pick-up and put away of items that get out of place as part of my daily routine. He would be much more pleased to see me doing that than blogging.

But, I also want to keep you pleased by blogging regularly....... Hmmm now what?

airport run

My ride to the airport was pretty uneventful. I was thankful for the signs with the airplane pictures on them with an arrow- showing me what way to go. I forgot to remember that I didn't really know how to get there until I was trying to get there. But I found it. I parked in the parking structure and went in. I could see on the arrival's list that his plane had landed and now I was on the look-out.
I went as far as I could towards the gate but, in front of me was a huge DO NOT ENTER sign - so I didn't go any further. I waited for a while. Then, I saw some passengers coming my way and I asked a nice looking man if he came from Denver. He said his flight was from Atlanta. Atlanta? Was I in the wrong spot? I checked the sign again and the Atlanta flight landed 20 minutes after the Denver flight - so maybe I had missed the one who I was waiting for. I went down to the baggage claim area and looked and even went outside and walked to see if he had his stuff and was already waiting out there. (If he only had a cell phone.......) No luck. So I went back upstairs and was walking back towards the gate and low and behold I saw him coming my way.
It wasn't the slow motion greeting that all of us girls long for..... dropping everything on the ground and start running toward the one we love. Once in a tight embrace - a little twirl in the air with the girls feet wrapped around the strong man holding her up. I got the one armed hug and a kiss from a scratchy 6 day old beard. Oh well. He was home and I was glad about that.
So we went downstairs to get the luggage. I lead the way since I was just down there. We talked a bit about experience of the week while we waited for his bags, and then we turned for the door to head to the car.

That is when the dreaded question came - "Where did you park"?

Where did I park? I didn't remember exactly what the # said on the pole near the car but I knew it was a red pole and that I had gone up a few levels in the parking structure before I pulled into the perfect parking spot. At that point - Mr. Happy-to-be-home turned into Mr. I-can't-believe-you-can't-remember-where-you-parked. I tried the "I was too excited to come see you" line - but that didn't get me very far. I knew I knew where the car was and that I could lead him to it in a matter of a few minutes but that was not the answer that he wanted. Next time I will remember to tuck a pen in my pocket and jot down the exact location . Maybe I'll bring a black sharpie marker and write it on my forehead. That will save him some frustration and not steal away a little of my joy.
Besides that, my honey was home and we both agreed that we make a better team when we are together than when we are apart.

today

I go to the airport tonight to pick up my husband. He has been gone for about a week visiting his family in California. I will gladly greet him with a hug and a headache. His plane lands around 10:30 pm and the hug will be because he has been gone and I am glad he is back. The headache.... will not be due to the late hour of his arrival but due to the fact that I have enjoyed staying up late while he has been gone. I have had 6 nights in a row of not having to share the king sized bed with anyone but the cat. 6 nights of no one complaining about my cold feet. 6 nights of not having to listen to snoring (or as I call it- roaring). 6 nights of no one wishing I would have come to bed before midnight. AHH the life of a bachelorette.

They say all good things will come to an end.

I would not consider us being apart a good thing. We have a good thing going. Being together is a good thing and we will celebrate 15 years of that this May. I enjoyed a little alone time but, I will be glad that tonight - someone will be there to warm my feet.

ok - here is #2

I wonder if I will get better at this as I go along? Just so you know I was recently looking at my Jr High and High School report cards. English was not the subject that I thrived in. So I apologize now for all the words spelled wrong, fragmented sentences and improperly used pronouns and whatever else there is in the big world of propositions or prepositions and punctuation. Rachel got the English genes and I got math and science (and lunch and recess).

What is on my mind tonight? A few things I think because of something I saw yesterday.
It was a movie clip from a movie called "Facing the Giants". The scene that I saw was when the coach pulled the team captain aside and told him to crawl across the football field with another player on his back - a task extremely difficult but something the coach knew he could achieve. As he got in his face and yelled and encouraged - I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. He was yelling over and over for him not to give up and to give his all - his best - everything he had!

So why did that make me emotional you ask?

My first thought was because of my job. For a 1/3 of my life (plus a little more) I have been an office manager at an optometrists office. I could give you the regular fluff about how great it is and how much I love it and how awesome my boss is - but instead I will stick to how this movie clip applies to my job. If I was in this movie, I would be the football captain (but look more like superwoman). I tend to take it all on my shoulders - carry the weight of the office on my back. I don't need to delegate if I can do it all myself, right? I also see some of the coach in me. I push myself and have high expectations. My boss doesn't push me that much- it is not his character. But I need to be pushed. I love a goal - a clear, obtainable, yet challenging goal. Give me that and I will thrive and keep moving towards the end zone. I need to be a good example for the people I work with so I try to set the standard high. I don't want to lower my standards and expectations and I don't want to give less than 110%. But, some times I do get a little side tracked - going back to the football theme- sometimes I might stop and chat with the cheerleaders or need to tie my shoe so please don't think that I am patting my own back and that I think I do everything right. I think that along with the weight of everything comes some extra stress. So I need to eliminate that somehow. But, I'll save that for another blog entry.

My first thought for this clip was that it reminded me about my job. My second thought is that the coach was a great vivid example of God. I know, I know, that should have been my 1st thought especially since I was watching the movie clip at church. I am just being honest. It is a perfect picture of God next to me - in my face - yelling at me to give it my all and to keep pushing and not give up. Not pertaining to work but life in general. I seem to think that I have had a few things in my life that have felt like I've been "tackled". I have been hit hard by a bunch of stinky linemen who all pile on top of me while I am down. Honestly, my life is good and I am blessed. I have so many people in the stands rooting me on and cheering for me. I need to focus on that and and remember that God is always there - wanting to push me - wanting me to give it my all - wanting me to do my best and above all wanting me to not give up - no matter how discouraged I may be. My goal should be to focus on the end zone and do my best for Him - everyday no matter what. I am working on that.

HMMM... Me? A blogger?

HMMM... Me? A blogger?

I have the best sister in the world. She is so talented and blogs regularly. She told me today that she likes to know what is going on with me. She loves it when I tell her how I am feeling - like the real stuff that is going on ...... on the inside. That kind of scares me. I am not too good at that.
I tend to hold things in.
I keep the smile on.
I see the glass as half full.
I am an optomist.
I don't sweat the small stuff.
But, I told her I would try to put what is inside of me into words because she asked me to. She lives on the other side of the earth so I hope this will be another way to help us stay close. She is always close to my heart but I have not seen her in a while - or heard her voice - or felt her hug. But, I am blessed to have her "in" my life. Even though she is so far away she very much a part of my life.
So, here I go. We'll see what happens next. We can take this journey of soul seeking together.