Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the writer and are 100% accurate. While this writer doesn't write or express her feelings in this manner often, she has always believed and thanked God for these things every day of her life. Writings such as these don't happen often, so as her friend Ginny would say, "sit down, shut-up and listen."
I read a blog by an old friend I went to middle school with that writes about how amazing her life is. While some of the things she writes make me want to vomit in my mouth, other things she writes really do inspire me. They make me realize how little I tell people how appreciative I am of them and how blessed I truly am. So here goes, in no particular order, my top ten list of blessings.
1) I am thankful that I live in a country where I am free to do as I please. No one tells me who to vote for, who to worship, or what my opinions are. I dig that about America.
2) I am thankful for my amazing husband who loves me even when I'm witchy. And even though I complain incessantly about all those long hours he works, I am thankful I get to stay at home with my growing babies.
3) I am thankful I don't have to cry every month when our mortgage and other bills are due, like I painfully remember my mom doing when I was growing up. Financial literacy and stability is something I never have and never will take for granted.
4) I am thankful that I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not. What you see is what you get with me. So what if I say "oil" or "twice" different from the way everyone else says it. I could enunciate my words to appear more proper and less-hickish, but quite frankly my way is WAY MORE fun.
5) I am thankful that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for ME, even though I screw up all the time and don't come close to deserving it. While I readily admit that I don't pray every, single day, I haven't read my Bible cover to cover, and (while I'm at it) I don't have a lot of biblical knowledge, I still rest peacefully knowing that I am a child of God.
6) I am thankful for our church family, those we met 9 years ago and those we more recently found in 2004. They love me even when I'm unlovable, even when I open my big mouth and say things I shouldn't, and even when I use sarcasm when it's not all that appropriate. They mean more to me that I could ever express.
7) I am thankful for the amazing progress Benjamin has made over the last 18 months. I am thankful for his therapists, whom he loves and talks about all the time, and for the time and encouragement they give both of us. I am glad my little guy has rejoined the world and can now tell us how he feels and more importantly what he needs. It truly is one of my greatest joys that at one time I thought I might never see.
8) I am thankful for our friends. When you don't have family close-by, your friends really do become your family. We would be awfully lonely if it weren't for them.
9) I am thankful that I have 3 siblings that call me to scream, cry, and harass me all in one phone call. They each represent the longest relationships I'll ever have, and I'm glad to have them by my side.
10) I am so thankful that we are healthy and can live in a place where we get to breathe clean air and feel safe driving with our windows down.
And now for my bonus...my selfish blessings that make my life a little easier: Cable TV, TiVo, my cell phone, my car, microwave ovens, tampons, and oh yes, who could forget the Internet.
So there it is...my list. This is as contemplative as I can possible get in one blog, so "seriousness over," as Ginny would say. I don't say, or even think, these things near as often as I should.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Great Walnut Brigade
We feel so blessed to live in a place where we have an abundance of beautiful, massive, old trees. It was really what drew us to this land in the first place. Every fall, the walnut trees drop literally thousands of walnuts in our valley. So, this year, Levi has decided to collect these little suckers and sell them at the feed store in Elm Springs.
I decided to let Levi go at this on his own. It was his business, and he got to make all the decisions. I thought it would be interesting to see how he went about it.
Deciding to maximize his income potential, he decided to ask two of our neighbors if he could pick up their walnuts as well. They happily agreed, as walnuts don't usually agree with mowers. Next he picked his employees. Benjamin agreed to help and I signed on as well. At first he offered me a dime a day, but I negotiated my rate up to $1.00 for every day I pick up. He also gave our neighbors, ages 5 and 3, jobs as well. Now, as long as the child labor officials don't hunt him down and prosecute, he was ready to get to work.
After a few hours, hurting legs, and stained hands, we were done for the day. I kept my complaining to a minimum (shocking, I know) and was content with the fact that I was helping him reach his goal. It was a great way to enjoy the beautiful weather, spend some time together, and let Levi become an entrepreneur in his own right.
Speaking of such, just last week I caught him charging Benjamin a quarter to wash his John Deere Pedal Tractor. He's learning young. There's nothing like conning your little brother and making a quick buck in your own driveway all at the same time. Watch out world. He's 18 in ten short years.
I decided to let Levi go at this on his own. It was his business, and he got to make all the decisions. I thought it would be interesting to see how he went about it.
Deciding to maximize his income potential, he decided to ask two of our neighbors if he could pick up their walnuts as well. They happily agreed, as walnuts don't usually agree with mowers. Next he picked his employees. Benjamin agreed to help and I signed on as well. At first he offered me a dime a day, but I negotiated my rate up to $1.00 for every day I pick up. He also gave our neighbors, ages 5 and 3, jobs as well. Now, as long as the child labor officials don't hunt him down and prosecute, he was ready to get to work.
After a few hours, hurting legs, and stained hands, we were done for the day. I kept my complaining to a minimum (shocking, I know) and was content with the fact that I was helping him reach his goal. It was a great way to enjoy the beautiful weather, spend some time together, and let Levi become an entrepreneur in his own right.
Speaking of such, just last week I caught him charging Benjamin a quarter to wash his John Deere Pedal Tractor. He's learning young. There's nothing like conning your little brother and making a quick buck in your own driveway all at the same time. Watch out world. He's 18 in ten short years.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sarah Palin is my Gynecologist
I'm not a political person. Oh sure, I vote and all, but I'm not a button-wearing, sign-posting, email-forwarding advocate on either political side. But here's what I do know. Sarah Palin looks exactly like my OB/GYN. Freaky, I know, but that just might get her and Senator McCain my vote.
I must admit that in the past, if I didn't know any of the candidates, I would just vote for the person that had the most clever name. Hmmm, Claude Smithpeters...check. That name reminds me of my high school band director, so he gets my vote. It's so wrong I know, but hey it's America, and I can eeny, meany, miney, mo it if I want to. What a great country.
I know that most of you reading this are probably jumping on the McCain/Palin bandwagon, and I'll probably sway that way myself. I promise I'll educate myself on the presidential candidates sometime before November, but those local candidates always get me. I should totally run for city council of Elm Springs. Of course I'll have to come up with a creative surname just in case someone else uses my candidate selection process :)
Anyway, enough advanced political chit-chat and on to more important things. Benjamin started preschool a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to be going very well. The class size is only 11 kids, so I'm hoping it's less stressful for the both of us. Today when I picked him up the teacher told me his favorite color was pink and his favorite activity in the classroom was playing with baby dolls. Terrific.
Levi has been busy selling his popcorn for Boy Scouts. He's selling to anyone with a checkbook, so if he hasn't gotten to you yet, watch out. It's just a matter of time before he finds you.
I must admit that in the past, if I didn't know any of the candidates, I would just vote for the person that had the most clever name. Hmmm, Claude Smithpeters...check. That name reminds me of my high school band director, so he gets my vote. It's so wrong I know, but hey it's America, and I can eeny, meany, miney, mo it if I want to. What a great country.
I know that most of you reading this are probably jumping on the McCain/Palin bandwagon, and I'll probably sway that way myself. I promise I'll educate myself on the presidential candidates sometime before November, but those local candidates always get me. I should totally run for city council of Elm Springs. Of course I'll have to come up with a creative surname just in case someone else uses my candidate selection process :)
Anyway, enough advanced political chit-chat and on to more important things. Benjamin started preschool a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to be going very well. The class size is only 11 kids, so I'm hoping it's less stressful for the both of us. Today when I picked him up the teacher told me his favorite color was pink and his favorite activity in the classroom was playing with baby dolls. Terrific.
Levi has been busy selling his popcorn for Boy Scouts. He's selling to anyone with a checkbook, so if he hasn't gotten to you yet, watch out. It's just a matter of time before he finds you.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Where the heck am I?
I just returned from my baby sister's house. She is doing much, much better, so thanks to everyone who has been praying for her and to everyone who has asked me about her. It was about a 6-hour trip one way, and what a trip it was.
The drive, was...well...atrocious. Ken convinced me to try his "shortcut" that he promised would save me at least 20 minutes. I don't think I'll be going that way again, as I didn't see another human being for miles and miles. I didn't have any cell phone service either, so it was just me and the CD player. I memorized every word to every song on every single CD I brought along. I've been singing to Ken non-stop ever since I got home, so he is, of course, thoroughly impressed with my memorization skills :)
I think I was able to help out a little. Luckily for me, Mindy was drugged up on some super serious painkillers, but I'm sure she'll either confirm or negate that statement when she comes down off of her high. Anywho, she can't lift over 5 pounds, so it was either me or the mother-in-law. Guess I won. I did stock up on her leftover feminine products, though, so I guess I can't complain too much.
The town where she lives is about 3,000 people (OK, Matt, 3,267 people...sorry). They have a McDonald's, a grocery store, and the world's smallest Divison 1 Wal-Mart I've ever seen. A tour of the town took about 7 minutes. We did manage to go to Jonesboro one day, which was about an hour away, but as my luck would have it, we had a flat tire on the way home.
Now I know we all have our talents and gifts, but let's just say that changing tires is NOT one of mine. Mindy was pretty much helpless, so I knew I was either going to have to show some major cleavage or figure this thing out on my own. Fortunately for everyone, I didn't have to do either as a nice, older gentleman stopped very quickly to help us. Seriously, though, I was very grateful for him. I'm sure it would have taken me light years to figure it out on my own.
On a lighter note, I had a great 33rd birthday yesterday. The kids gave me my presents yesterday morning, and Kirk and Amanda came over last night bearing Guitar Hero Aerosmith for the Wii. SHUT-UP! It is so much fun and gets me as close to a rock star as I'll EVER be. Great birthday...even if I'm getting way old.
The drive, was...well...atrocious. Ken convinced me to try his "shortcut" that he promised would save me at least 20 minutes. I don't think I'll be going that way again, as I didn't see another human being for miles and miles. I didn't have any cell phone service either, so it was just me and the CD player. I memorized every word to every song on every single CD I brought along. I've been singing to Ken non-stop ever since I got home, so he is, of course, thoroughly impressed with my memorization skills :)
I think I was able to help out a little. Luckily for me, Mindy was drugged up on some super serious painkillers, but I'm sure she'll either confirm or negate that statement when she comes down off of her high. Anywho, she can't lift over 5 pounds, so it was either me or the mother-in-law. Guess I won. I did stock up on her leftover feminine products, though, so I guess I can't complain too much.
The town where she lives is about 3,000 people (OK, Matt, 3,267 people...sorry). They have a McDonald's, a grocery store, and the world's smallest Divison 1 Wal-Mart I've ever seen. A tour of the town took about 7 minutes. We did manage to go to Jonesboro one day, which was about an hour away, but as my luck would have it, we had a flat tire on the way home.
Now I know we all have our talents and gifts, but let's just say that changing tires is NOT one of mine. Mindy was pretty much helpless, so I knew I was either going to have to show some major cleavage or figure this thing out on my own. Fortunately for everyone, I didn't have to do either as a nice, older gentleman stopped very quickly to help us. Seriously, though, I was very grateful for him. I'm sure it would have taken me light years to figure it out on my own.
On a lighter note, I had a great 33rd birthday yesterday. The kids gave me my presents yesterday morning, and Kirk and Amanda came over last night bearing Guitar Hero Aerosmith for the Wii. SHUT-UP! It is so much fun and gets me as close to a rock star as I'll EVER be. Great birthday...even if I'm getting way old.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Uterus for Rent
My little sister Mindy has one amazing little boy. His name is Noah, and as it turns out, he is probably her miracle baby. Yesterday, after enduring years of pain with endometriosis, she had a hysterectomy at the ripe ole' age of 26.
She's had a tough year; she lost 3 babies in about 13 months. But this is a welcomed surgery for her. No uterus means no cramps. No cramps means no more taking 30+ Advil everyday. So, after the recovery, she will feel much better, hopefully much better than she's felt in years.
So, on Sunday afternoon, Benjamin and I will be going to Corning in Northeast Arkansas to help out a bit. We'll come back on Thursday morning. It's about a 6-hour trip one way. I don't anticipate it being much of a fun trip...just a necessary one. Ken will be dropping Levi off and picking him up after school.
They had, of course, hoped for another baby ever since sweet Noah was born, but now, obviously, adoption seems their only option. That's where I come in.
I have a perfectly fine uterus. It's just sitting in there somewhere...I'm not even using it. I have told her for years that since I'm done having my babies, she's more than welcome to rent it for 9-10 months.
OK, I know I joke around a lot, but I'm being totally serious now. I now what it feels like to want another baby more than anything else in the world. And for a long time, I thought Levi would be my only one. I know there are thousands of babies around the world that need good homes, but if she wants another biological child, let's face it, I'm her best bet. I don't see anyone else volunteering.
My oldest sister Shelly can't do it. She eats everything in sight when she's pregnant and gains like 60 pounds. She was easily the largest pregnant woman I've seen to date. Well, I guess Kate with the sextuplets was bigger, but she also had 5 more babies in there. Anyway, that puts her out of the equation.
If you ask me, being pregnant is the easy part. It's the next 18+ years that pose most, if not all, of the challenges. I'm not minimizing the fact that giving the baby up after carrying it for 9 months would be easy. I can't even imagine how hard that would be, but I'm willing to do it for her. Seriously, Mindy, it's up for rent, and you know that. Just let me know when you're ready.
She's had a tough year; she lost 3 babies in about 13 months. But this is a welcomed surgery for her. No uterus means no cramps. No cramps means no more taking 30+ Advil everyday. So, after the recovery, she will feel much better, hopefully much better than she's felt in years.
So, on Sunday afternoon, Benjamin and I will be going to Corning in Northeast Arkansas to help out a bit. We'll come back on Thursday morning. It's about a 6-hour trip one way. I don't anticipate it being much of a fun trip...just a necessary one. Ken will be dropping Levi off and picking him up after school.
They had, of course, hoped for another baby ever since sweet Noah was born, but now, obviously, adoption seems their only option. That's where I come in.
I have a perfectly fine uterus. It's just sitting in there somewhere...I'm not even using it. I have told her for years that since I'm done having my babies, she's more than welcome to rent it for 9-10 months.
OK, I know I joke around a lot, but I'm being totally serious now. I now what it feels like to want another baby more than anything else in the world. And for a long time, I thought Levi would be my only one. I know there are thousands of babies around the world that need good homes, but if she wants another biological child, let's face it, I'm her best bet. I don't see anyone else volunteering.
My oldest sister Shelly can't do it. She eats everything in sight when she's pregnant and gains like 60 pounds. She was easily the largest pregnant woman I've seen to date. Well, I guess Kate with the sextuplets was bigger, but she also had 5 more babies in there. Anyway, that puts her out of the equation.
If you ask me, being pregnant is the easy part. It's the next 18+ years that pose most, if not all, of the challenges. I'm not minimizing the fact that giving the baby up after carrying it for 9 months would be easy. I can't even imagine how hard that would be, but I'm willing to do it for her. Seriously, Mindy, it's up for rent, and you know that. Just let me know when you're ready.
Monday, August 18, 2008
First Day Jitters
There is no doubt that about 99.9% of you have seen me cry. It's no secret; I cry all the time for all kinds of reasons. I couldn't hide it if I tried. And if you've ever told me a story and cried in front of me, chances are I cried right along with you. And to those of you that have been to funerals with me, I'm sorry...really, really sorry.
I wish I could watch just ONE American win a gold medal and NOT cry while our national anthem is played. I wish I could watch a baby being born on Baby Story and not lose it. I wish I could hear Benjamin say something new and NOT tear up. I wish I could, but I just can't. I swear it's just the way I'm made. It has to be genetic (those of you that know my mother know what I'm talking about.)
That said, Levi started 3rd grade this morning. And, unfortunately, he is the male version of me. I'm sure he's fine now, but he was quite nervous this morning.
This weekend I was forced to face the cold, hard truth that he's getting to be such a little man. That's right...I had to buy him a jock strap and cup. There's something I never wanted to do...ever. I actually put it off for as long as I could, but I seriously got in trouble last week in karate by the sensei himself because Levi couldn't do the "secret knock."
It's times like these that I'm so glad I'm married. This thing looked like a cross between a slingshot and a pair of really uncomfortable thong underwear. Needless to say, I hadn't a clue how to assemble this contraption, much less how to actually put it on. Does the cup go inside the thong thingie? Do the legs go here? Do you wear underwear with this thing? I must admit that I'm still not quite sure.
It would have taken me hours to figure it out, but as luck would have it, Ken knew the ins and outs of cup wearing. This one is ALL him. I just hope this thing doesn't fall off during a front kick or upblock or something. Wish us luck.
I wish I could watch just ONE American win a gold medal and NOT cry while our national anthem is played. I wish I could watch a baby being born on Baby Story and not lose it. I wish I could hear Benjamin say something new and NOT tear up. I wish I could, but I just can't. I swear it's just the way I'm made. It has to be genetic (those of you that know my mother know what I'm talking about.)
That said, Levi started 3rd grade this morning. And, unfortunately, he is the male version of me. I'm sure he's fine now, but he was quite nervous this morning.
This weekend I was forced to face the cold, hard truth that he's getting to be such a little man. That's right...I had to buy him a jock strap and cup. There's something I never wanted to do...ever. I actually put it off for as long as I could, but I seriously got in trouble last week in karate by the sensei himself because Levi couldn't do the "secret knock."
It's times like these that I'm so glad I'm married. This thing looked like a cross between a slingshot and a pair of really uncomfortable thong underwear. Needless to say, I hadn't a clue how to assemble this contraption, much less how to actually put it on. Does the cup go inside the thong thingie? Do the legs go here? Do you wear underwear with this thing? I must admit that I'm still not quite sure.
It would have taken me hours to figure it out, but as luck would have it, Ken knew the ins and outs of cup wearing. This one is ALL him. I just hope this thing doesn't fall off during a front kick or upblock or something. Wish us luck.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Hello, Mr. Alarm Clock
No more staying up late and sleeping in; this is our last official week of summer break. Yep, school starts up again next week, and I must admit that I'm not quite ready. We are physically ready, I guess, with our school supplies and new lunch box, but I'm just not quite there emotionally. This summer seems to have been the fastest yet. From San Antonio to boy scout camp, we were pretty busy these past few weeks. Goodbye sleeping in...hello Mr. Alarm Clock.
Benjamin started soccer last week. I, as always, was apprehensive about something new, but I wanted him to have something that he did without Levi, so I signed him up. He walked right up with the group, told the coach his name, and talked and played with some of the other players. He did really well, and, you guessed it, I was the only mom there that teared up during practice. He doesn't have a clue how to actually play soccer, but I'm sure he'll figure it out along the way.
Speaking of sports, I'm super excited about the Olympics. I am always amazed to watch people do things that are totally unimaginable for me. I'm HORRIBLE at just about every sport I've ever tried. I mean, I can barely swim for crying out loud and don't even get me started on roller skating. Whoever came up with the idea of shoes with wheels anyway? It just doesn't make any sense.
I played softball for one summer when I was 12, and what a season it was. I sat on the bench whenever possible, but when they were forced to let me play, I was the position where they thought I would do the least damage...the hard-working, yet unappreciated back catcher. Of course, I couldn't actually catch the ball, so the umpire would reach out and grab most of the balls for me and then hand them to me so I could throw them back to the pitcher. I wasn't the worst player on the team, though. That honor goes to my sister, Shelly, who can barely even run. That poor, poor coach. She probably still has nightmares about that season :)
Benjamin started soccer last week. I, as always, was apprehensive about something new, but I wanted him to have something that he did without Levi, so I signed him up. He walked right up with the group, told the coach his name, and talked and played with some of the other players. He did really well, and, you guessed it, I was the only mom there that teared up during practice. He doesn't have a clue how to actually play soccer, but I'm sure he'll figure it out along the way.
Speaking of sports, I'm super excited about the Olympics. I am always amazed to watch people do things that are totally unimaginable for me. I'm HORRIBLE at just about every sport I've ever tried. I mean, I can barely swim for crying out loud and don't even get me started on roller skating. Whoever came up with the idea of shoes with wheels anyway? It just doesn't make any sense.
I played softball for one summer when I was 12, and what a season it was. I sat on the bench whenever possible, but when they were forced to let me play, I was the position where they thought I would do the least damage...the hard-working, yet unappreciated back catcher. Of course, I couldn't actually catch the ball, so the umpire would reach out and grab most of the balls for me and then hand them to me so I could throw them back to the pitcher. I wasn't the worst player on the team, though. That honor goes to my sister, Shelly, who can barely even run. That poor, poor coach. She probably still has nightmares about that season :)
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