Excitement

So I am so excited!! Why I can't really pinpoint just one thing. There are definitely things going on that are totally annoying like there is something wrong with either the electricity to the A/C or the A/C itself, which I am for sure is no cheap fix, my floors have not been mopped in . . . I really have no idea when the last time was, my laundry is overflowing, my mother in law is requiring an extraordinary amount of care, and my kid's have to go to the dentist tomorrow (please let there be no cavities), but none the less, excitement.

I would have to say most of it is because Peter is going to be done with his hospital job next week (yeah), but also, I sponsored a new jeweler (yeah, Paige that's you if you didn't know that already!), My jewelry business is going well, my kids are happy, tomorrow is Halloween (which promises to be fun), and God is faithful!

I thank God for moments like now, when despite the yuck parts of my day, I still have lucidity about all the great things God is doing in our lives and in our family. I am not missing the little things and focusing only on the big pressing things. I know God has great things in store for us and I am excited!

Schlumppy

So I am such a shlump, it was so cold this morning and I was tired so . . . I totally dropped Grace off in my giant jean skirt that is to the floor and is missing the button so I use paperclips to keep it shut and Peter's giant blue sweater that I essentially swim in. I can only imagine what people thought when I walked into school this morning. Granted I am no supermodel in the mornings generally, but this morning I think I might have looked like a walking laundry hamper just swimming in clothes, not to mention the slapping jean noise that this monstrosity of a skirt makes when you walk. It screams Little House on the Prairie, all I need is a bonnet and a basket of wildflowers to fit in. I am the poster child for that show What Not to Wear today. I could take a picture so you can see what I mean, but I won't subject you to the horror that is my wardrobe choice today.

Kids

It's Monday:

Grace got sick earlier this morning, No actual throw up (until later) only wretching, which I don't know what is worse? As a mommy, I know that you should have some immunity to throwing up, poop, and all the other gross things that go along with kids, but to tell you the truth, I still find throw up turns my stomach. Oh, I sit there in the moment and hold her hair back and tell her everything is going to be okay, Mommy's here, but I am breathing through my mouth the whole time. And now all I can think about is the trailer for that new movie (which looks hilarious by the way) Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Resse Witherspoon. She's holding that baby and it throws up on her and he just starts gagging and telling her she has to leave or else he's going to throw up too. I literally am laughing while I am writing this picturing the scene. If you haven't seen the trailer, you won't get what I am saying, but if you have I know you are right there with me . . . hilarious and so true. Anyway, baby girl seems to be doing much better and is watching Movie Time Monday. She's eating Cheez-It's, hopefully they don't make a reappearance later.

Element

So, it's been a while since we left the church Peter and I had attended for over 15 years . . . in truth it has been 2 years since we left. And in that time we have tried different churches looking for one that we could call home. This process has been very difficult because we had attended our previous church for so long and our roots went very deep in that church, plus we had been jaded and burnt out by church work. We tried a couple of different churches in our area for a while, but never seemed to be able to put down roots and begin growing again. However, for the first time in a long time I feel like we have found a church that we could call home. It is called Element church (http://www.iamelement.org/). The lead pastor there, Bobby Triplett, is someone that we have known for a while and actually was on staff with Peter at our former church home. He and his wife have a vision for doing church differently and Bobby is a leader that is transparent and real when he speaks. I feel, for the first time in a long time, excited to go on Sunday morning. Not because the worship is amazing, or the speaking is out of this world, but because it is a place that is real and authentic. And isn't that what church is supposed to be?

Nicholas Sparks

Okay, it is official, I am done reading Nicholas Sparks books. The last three I have read have been so depressing and I saw Nights in Rodanthe, all of them were Ughh! I read Dear John, horrible. I just finished At First Sight, severely depressing. I also read The Choice, not as bad as the others, but still not good. It seems like all the ones I have read lately end in someone dying or something horrible happening. I read books as a way to relax and escape reality and live in a world were depite all odds people who are meant for each other end up together, not where people get married and have a baby just to have the mother die in childbirth! Where are the books like the Notebook Mr. Sparks? I am going to have to find another author, when is Stephanie Meyer coming out with her next book? C'mon already!

Ghetto and Fabulous

So I have admit, I have always considered myself a little on the ghetto side at times, but aren't we all. For example, I have a bad habit of taking things off the shelf, then finding something comprable at a better price on some other aisle and I will leave my original purchase where ever I am in the store. Ham comes to mind. I once had the lady slice me some ham at the deli counter and then when I got the prepackaged meat section they had buy one get one free on Hillshire Farms ham, so I just left my deli ham there in the case and took the buy one get one ham instead Hey don't judge me, at least I left it in a cooler area instead of on a shelf, although I have done that before too.

And I won't even go into the tarp incident that I had today, let's just say it involves my neighbor's yard and giant, plastic, blue, walmart tarp with neon orange stakes attached to it, need I say more.

I also find that I don't always wear shoes to drive and pick up Grace from preschool. God forbid they ever need me to get out of the van for some reason, the ghettoness of it all will be too much . . . I don't even want to think about it, I may have to come up with some excuse like my butt is glued to the seat?!? I also don't wear shoes when I take the kids outside. My across the street neighbor is out there regularly and she and her daughter wear shoes, as well as my next door neighbor and her boys. I have on occasion looked around and realized my kids and I are not wearing shoes and Ben is regularly in just a tshirt and diaper (all he needs is bottle full of coke to complete the look). Grace is hair all a mess and wearing her latest wardrobe creation (and I use the word creation loosely) and think uhhh, wow I'm so ghetto and I am wearing off on my kids too.

So here I am in all my ghetto fabulousness raising little prodigies of shoeless Riverview existence with my dear husband (who I think lacks the ability to be ghetto in any way) and loves us all the same. Amen for a hubby who can look past permanently redneck dirty feet, a stained shirt and sticky faced kids and think wow I have the best family in the world.

Wednesday

I swear it feels like it is perpetually Wednesday! Constantly the middle of the week. Most people say they despise Mondays, but I have to disagree, for me it is Wednesday. I don't mind Monday, getting back into the groove the beginning of a fresh week, no problem, but by the time Wednesday hits it feels like I have been in the grind for days and there are still days ahead before the weekend break. I say we get rid of Wednesday altogether, or make Wednesday a day off mid week. Yes, I know I am dreaming of the unobtainable dream! Most likely people would want to add a day to the week and only have a one day weekend to "increase productivity." Gross. I will press on through Thursday with the promise of a Friday date night with my husband and haircut (hopefully)! As my hair is growing into a mullet practically, it needs to be cut badly. Ugh, but first I have to finish out my Wednesday, and there is a load of laundry calling my name.

Collision

What do you do when two dreams, two worlds collide head on. When one person's thoughts about their life completely differ from yours. When you believe one thing about your life, but someone else living the same life thinks totally different. It feels like a shock of reality. How do you reconcile two lives so irrevocably intertwined that to unravel it would be unbearable, but to leave it the same means someone is unfullfilled. How do you ovecome feelings of regret, hurt, and inferiority to be able to think clearly and make a decision not based on how you feel, but what you know. How . . . the answer, the ability to feel differently escapes me.

The Bag

So my husband bought me the best red bag ever today, I have always wanted a red bag and this one is perfect. The picture does not do it justice at all. It is the perfect shade of red, not too maroon and not bright red, just the right mix. It is like patent leather so it is shiny and has silver accents. It is big enough to carry all my jewelry business stuff, but not so big I feel like I am carrying a suitcase.

I saw it at Best Buy a month ago and really liked it, but didn't get it because it was more money than I would ever spend on a bag for myself. I have to say that I was so excited to get it and when I took it with me tonight for my meeting I felt totally professional. It is a great bag and my honey is the best husband ever. I can't wait to go to training, because I know everyone is going to love my bag just as much as I do! If you're reading this babe, I love you and I love my new bag! Thanks for thinking I was worth it and making a special stop even if I did give you a hard time! You are my number one!

Patience

Sometimes I feel like my patience is paper thin. Things that would normally never bother me become life and death. A misplaced crayon bucket becomes an international affair until it is found, a messy playroom is marked as a disaster area until it is cleaned, and a toy left on the floor is like hazardous waste that requires a 20 minute discussion on why it wasn't put away properly. I swear sometimes I think I'm crazy or getting very close to the edge. I hate when I yell at my kids and when I get to this point I generally do about ridiculous things. It totally stinks to yell and the apologize, because I know that I have already wounded them with my words. I am so thankful that they are so forgiving and full of unconditional love for their imperfect mommy.