tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88654812604280645832024-02-01T23:01:17.488-06:00Our Grateful LifeRobinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.comBlogger990125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-86608671249408602942017-02-22T22:14:00.001-06:002017-03-27T21:07:31.218-05:00The New Address...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey y'all! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And by "y'all" I really just mean my mom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi Mom!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know. It's been a long time since I've visited this little address. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For years, I dreamed of changing internet address. Moving all of this over to some place more professional and swanky. Only problem is, I'm neither professional nor swanky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So instead, I simply started over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yep. I moved. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My new address is <a href="http://robineevans.com/">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Got started in January and just kept it quiet. I wanted to see if I remembered how to write. Like real words with purpose and hope and meaning instead of just a recap of my kids' activities. I mean, that's the exact intent behind this blog. Keeping our family and friends updated on our little life from half a country away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I need to do more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I've begun the work of doing just that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope y'all will follow me over there at the new place. If you follow, you'll get a professional and maybe swanky looking email telling you there's a new post. No more randomly wondering over to the blog to see if there's something new to read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For now, this blog will stay up. One day, I'll get it all converted into books and then delete it all. But that's likely years from now. So this will likely be the last post here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's time to move. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And y'all know, I've had lots of practice with that.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-48135159608379093222016-12-03T17:08:00.000-06:002016-12-03T17:08:08.468-06:00When Goals Fail...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foolishly, I set up a goal to be completely done with Christmas by December 1st. That included buying, crafting, wrapping, and decorating. It did </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> include baking and partying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year, it feels like the three weeks we have between Thanksgiving and leaving for Alabama get shorter and shorter. Add in Chris' annual trip to Chicago and it's ridiculously short. (I may be foolish enough to set a goal but not foolish enough to think I can accomplish <i>jack squat</i> as a single parent.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honestly, I was doing so, so, so, so well. For the first year in our entire marriage (almost 16 years), Chris agreed to let me decorate the house for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's HUGE. (Please read that in a Trump voice.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris had to work the three days before Thanksgiving leaving the kids and me on our own. Christmas decorating was a planned activity for the week. And since this is a new house, I had to figure out how to decorate it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, we decided to give the kids their own Christmas tree. We normally have a long garland hung up somewhere (double doorway, stair railing) but there isn't a large enough spot for it in this house. The garland has typically been decorated with Chris' ornaments from his childhood, ornaments students have gifted to Chris over the years, the kids' godchild ornaments from Mrs. JT, and their handmade ornaments we've collected in a mere six years. (How can six years give us two gazillion ornaments????)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without the garland, we needed a place for those ornaments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kids' tree it is!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found a precious six foot tree at Target for almost nothing. Aubrey Kate begs every year for us to decorate using multicolored lights. Apparently, she feels they are prettier than the white ones I prefer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty or tacky. It's a fine line.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus, the kids' tree has lots of "pretty" colored lights. Hot pink, blue, green, yellow and red. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly, I owned approximately zero hot pink, green or yellow Christmas decorations. The blue and red, I got. The kids put their ornaments on the tree (in the complete WRONG manner but it's fine.) (IT'S FINE.) and then I decided to go ALL IN with the kids' space. So I crafted and cleaned out the Target Dollar Spot and up cycled and reimagined my entire Christmas mantle and general living room decor.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCgG7cQfC_Jy-q36ZfUjB7pOXBqKY-FA3LDeFRmMk_NtKgmqmXVabbZyzlfwkrs-xTvZFDqAFu5Mria8TgSCTY04ku3nG245b5LXjElDkRQH7rW6JBRdjQGgxLOUP6S6QHrujaDORwlI/s1600/IMG_1586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCgG7cQfC_Jy-q36ZfUjB7pOXBqKY-FA3LDeFRmMk_NtKgmqmXVabbZyzlfwkrs-xTvZFDqAFu5Mria8TgSCTY04ku3nG245b5LXjElDkRQH7rW6JBRdjQGgxLOUP6S6QHrujaDORwlI/s320/IMG_1586.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Of course, I'm not completely done. I'm never really done. Not really. But it's as done as it's going to be for this year. Next year, the trees are getting painted hot pink, green and red. That would be just super cute. But there's no time for that this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I managed to get all of that up and ready before Thanksgiving. Plus the dining room tree. Which is MINE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With my two little "helpers" around, can we all agree MIRACLE?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to invite any of the marching band kids who didn't have any where to go for Thanksgiving to come have lunch with us. In the past several years, we've had friends over or gone to friends' houses. But this year, our closest friends here either had a large family here or travel to large family. And our closest friends in the north were all traveling or had family in town. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It made sense to open up our home to people who need someplace to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">College kids always need someplace to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only two came.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And up until about 12:30 pm Thanksgiving Day, we weren't sure even that many were coming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were ready though. A sixteen pound turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, chocolate cupcakes and sweet tea. It wasn't fancy, AT ALL, but it was yummy and warm and, well, free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those two kids ate three helpings of everything. I mean. There was a moment when I was fearful I might actually run out of food. For the first time. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnB_dRux3vY4pFE881SmsnYZL4cQFbaffG7g8wXClJJ6JN0R2_YV62k5harL9WotTlYpXZVagIX7VYDjNKa1FycBNhKM152NsakImNsv3ch75FeTDJ-iHfTivfw97c1s-KGfymWRhGIQ/s1600/IMG_1584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnB_dRux3vY4pFE881SmsnYZL4cQFbaffG7g8wXClJJ6JN0R2_YV62k5harL9WotTlYpXZVagIX7VYDjNKa1FycBNhKM152NsakImNsv3ch75FeTDJ-iHfTivfw97c1s-KGfymWRhGIQ/s320/IMG_1584.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One was from Oregon and one was from Nepal. Sherpa from Nepal was just beside himself with the whole thing. It was his first American Thanksgiving and he had no ability to hide his excitement. They were both a delight. After lunch, the guys played with the kids while we cleaned up. Such a treat! They earned their lunch with that play time. For sure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're hoping the lunch will grow as Chris is there longer. He'll be more familiar and they'll come to expect the invitation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe we'll try it for Easter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shopping happened after Thanksgiving. Both Thursday night and Friday morning. Listen. The sales are hard to ignore. Especially as a family on a tight budget. Most of our gifts could be bought online. A few couldn't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Including a trip to the Habitat Resale store for teacher gifts. I thought I had it figured out how many teachers I needed to make a gift for but I was WRONG. After two days of crafting, AK tells me she has not one but TWO music teachers. So I was short one gift. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought unfinished cabinet doors. I just love the raw wood. They were a dollar each. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNCckeBv5fe2Vj0cqPwGRQFrsA7HgtM1KgE2rr6iv_7DpjakLXieJWBdQ_yRmrL7uSdj4zDKEqi-KGt5Sbw693fYQQJu_MhuzIEin_3-Cl0nrn3M9_Ci3RRuq3JissoXninVn1IEDYuE/s1600/IMG_1601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNCckeBv5fe2Vj0cqPwGRQFrsA7HgtM1KgE2rr6iv_7DpjakLXieJWBdQ_yRmrL7uSdj4zDKEqi-KGt5Sbw693fYQQJu_MhuzIEin_3-Cl0nrn3M9_Ci3RRuq3JissoXninVn1IEDYuE/s320/IMG_1601.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few coats of chalkboard paint and some fabric rosettes in festive Christmas colors created some cute chalkboards. This is the second time I've done these for teacher gifts and I love it. Although, I'm short a board. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had intentions of heading back out to Habitat but...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Tuesday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I missed my goal by two days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TWO DAYS, y'all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of finishing up the crafts and getting the rest of the presents wrapped, I was snuggling a feverish little boy for two days. And then Aubrey Kate got it. And then me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, well, Merry Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am definitely feeling the pressure of a week less time now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also feeling like I've been trapped in this house for a month. Or at least longer than the week of Thanksgiving followed by the week of strep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to strep and being unaware there are two music teachers, I missed a goal I probably should have never created to start with. Someone remind me not to make the same mistake next year. Thank you in advance.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-37069574932460704422016-11-17T21:42:00.001-06:002016-11-17T21:42:15.884-06:00The End of Pumpkin Season...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing like getting an email from my mom at 5:28 AM on a Saturday morning reminding me I might want to consider putting up a post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because, as she noted, she might be the only one reading and commenting but she still misses the updates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, Mom, you are very likely the only reader.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this one's for you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honestly, the past month has been both busy and not busy. After my birthday weekend celebration and then Halloween itself, I just needed a break. And for me, a break is not so much of a break as much as it is a change in creative outlets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thus, after swearing it off, I have started scrapbooking agin. In a short nine days, I managed to finish August 2013 to August 2014. A whole year, an entire scrapbook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In nine days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, when I could have taken a break and started writing again, the computer died. It spent a week at the Computer Hospital. So a bazillion dollars later, we have it back. Supposedly, it will last us another three years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Too bad there's nothing in writing to guarantee that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So I kept right on scrapbooking. I've not gotten caught up through Aubrey Kate's fifth birthday party in 2015. I have pictures printed for the rest of that year </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">till</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> August 2015. I'm hoping I can finish that next week. Then I'll only be a year behind and honestly, I'll have likely hit the end of my scrapbooking creative well and be ready to move on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tend to get singularly focused on projects. I'm never focused on one type of thing all the time but whatever cycles around, I get fully committed to for however long the urge lasts. So if I'm moving in to a house, I am singularly focused on moving in and decorating. If I'm crafting to holidays (that's coming up), I dive in fully. And if I'm scrapbooking, I just get it in the book. My decorating, organizing, crafting and scrapbooking are not AT ALL perfect but it's done. If I don't like something, I change it. It doesn't have to be perfect. It simply needs to be done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So these scrapbooks I finished, it's not the best I've ever done. Or even the second best. But the photos are printed, paper cut and journals done. I can't complain. Another year and a half of our little family's life documented. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, for Mom, and any other member of our family reading this, let's post some photos and recap THE LONGEST SEASON. Halloween season. Or Pumpkin season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure why, but it is the longest, busiest season. More so than Thanksgiving (the easiest, shortest season) (although that's largely because we stay home). Even more than Christmas. Most would argue that. But I promise. For us, it's Pumpkin season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe it's the costume issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or that every single business/church/school in ALL THE LAND has an event. Free, nonetheless. And the kids want to do them all. Leaving us with enough candy to last for a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So here we go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While Mom and Dad were here, we went to the little pumpkin patch down the street from us. It's the Methodist Church and I'm assuming it raises money for something but I have zero idea what. Regardless, it was precious. Aubrey Kate did not want to go. Rhys, as with all things, was super excited. The ying and yang of life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That night after the pumpkin patch, we all got dressed up for Aubrey Kate's elementary school Pumpkin Party. Both kids were crazy excited for this. Nana and Puddin went with us. We walked to school with our neighbors and it all felt very small town precious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I worked so hard to get this mermaid costume just right for AK and her sensory issues. I must have done well because she proceeded to wear it for the next three days. Solid. It could have walked on it's own by Sunday night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is AK's sweet teacher. And yes, there's a baby in there. She'll be out from Thanksgiving to February. I was initially concerned but AK seems to approve of the long-term sub who just happens to be Kathleen Kelly. I have yet to meet her but if she's as amazing as the stories of her in "You've Got Mail," them I am ALL IN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here we all are at the end of the night. Rhys really did have a blast. He just didn't want his picture taken. Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. Other than being tired, I can't predict when he'll be one or the other. AK had a blast and I got to meet some of her sweet friends she talks about from her class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next day was our little Pumpkin Block Party. Our neighbor asked if we would be interested in helping her throw one and I enthusiastically said Ummmm, YEAH. We served hotdogs, chili, cookies and waters. Several of our neighbors came by and we got to visit and get to know people. Like neighbors are supposed to do. Nana and Puddin were here to help. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And while the adults visited and ate, the kids (and Chris) carved pumpkins in the garage. It was BYOP and the kids had a blast. I was going nowhere near them, after last year when I did it ALL BY MYSELF. Because my kids didn't want to get their hands dirty. Fool me once...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, Chris pulled off the surprise party to end all surprise parties for my 40th birthday. It was so precious. I'll have to post separately on that. It was good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday, was family day. With much more family than I was expecting when the weekend started! I have a whole post on this picture too. You'll be completely NOT surprised to know I've given that moment in the photo a whole lot of thought and prayer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday, Mom met AK at school for lunch. Aubrey Kate was over the moon excited to have Nana with her. There are not enough of these moments. Just not. But I am grateful for the few we have. They are treasures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While Mom and AK were eating, Dad and I had ourselves a little In and Out Burger date. Although, we didn't take a selfie of the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next week brought, finally, the actual day of Halloween. AK could wear her costume to school. Which would have been fine. Except something set her off about her shoes and I found her in her closest bawling. At about the exact moment we should have been walking out the door for school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have bought her, no lie, EIGHT pairs of shoes in the past month to try and find a pair that fit her. Her sensory issues extend all the way down to her toes. Most of the shoes I could return but there were a couple she initially loved only to decide they hurt when it was time to actually wear them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So Halloween morning did not start out well for us. Both of us were crying. Her because her shoes hurt (or itched or just felt "weird") and me because I was exhausted from giving this issue my all and still failing. These issues aren't just hers. They extend to the whole family and I was just bone tired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, that brings me to the Reese's pumpkins. I ran and then went to Target to walk around and just breathe. I found these sugar, chocolatey masterpieces and ate them almost in two bites. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They were fabulous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't let anyone tell you food is not medication. It totally is. Maybe it shouldn't be. At least not all the time. But that day, after Aubrey Kate threw her shoes one by one against the wall of her closet and I could do ZIPPO to help her, I needed chocolate medication.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That night, Chris was actually at home. For the first Halloween in the kids entire lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not kidding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids and I have been doing Halloween by ourselves for six years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He took them out Trick or Treating. I stayed on the driveway. In a chair. And passed out over 500 pieces of candy to our neighborhood full of precious children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris says they went to every house in the neighborhood. And they LOVED IT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got to tell kids how awesome and beautiful and strong they looked in their costumes. Give out more than necessary. Tell their mommas and daddies to have a great night and thank them for coming by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halloween. The only night of the year people come right up to you to fill up bags and hearts. I love it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that night, I was done. Well, okay. I was pretty much done that morning when we all walked to school crying. But I managed to pull it together and enjoy the excitement of the night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I woke up the next morning just flat super grateful to be done with the whole thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November, you are welcome here.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-51676757964201017332016-10-14T09:52:00.003-05:002016-10-14T09:52:35.768-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am missing my babies today. Everything about my babies. Don't babies just have the most amazingly sweet smell? Heaven must smell like that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can't even with those faces. So sweet and chubby.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And you know the best part? Limited vocabularies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, sure, we weren't sleeping through the night. There were bottles and going poor buying formula. And poopy diapers. But heavens, they were so precious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not once did those babies, when asked to let me take a picture of them, say, "Okay but prepare yourself for the Shopkins poster to be it with me."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Gracious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate has been having a rough couple of weeks. She's doing well in school. Great, in fact. But all that keeping it composed and under control at school seems to equal outbursts and tantrums at home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had read about this happening so mostly, I've been doing what I could to keep her calm. But honestly, it's not helping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, let's define an Aubrey Kate "tantrum." It's approximately zero what you're thinking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What it is though is one part complaining...about all the things...ever, one part over-dramatic...about all the things...ever and one part sensory over-load...about all the things...ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She's complaining about everything and it's the sassiest thing you've ever seen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh no. I mean SEEN. Sure, you get to hear her too. The people next door can hear her. But to the extent she talks with her hands and facial expressions, it definitely has to be seen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are on our fourth mermaid costume. Trying to find something without velcro, zippers, seams that touch us, straps that sit at the exact right spot and tulle that doesn't touch are feet...well, it's a challenge. The first three were thrift store finds. I actually thought that would be better. They'd been broken in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This fourth one is brand new from Target. It's one piece and the tulle is lined with a poly satin fabric so it doesn't touch her feet. I had to cut off the embellishments on the straps and I'll have to sew some soft felt on to the back of those straps and along the front seam. BUT it works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, oh yeah, there's an also, we finally found a new pair of slippers for school. The sixth pair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sixth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think what's going on here is, in addition to her tantrums, her sensory issues are hitting a high point too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are both exhausted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other night, we had a heart to heart talk. I wanted to see if she could express in words, non-dramatic words, what she was feeling. We talked about complaining and being frustrated and things not going our way and our choices in all of those. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I admitted I was tired and not feeling like myself either. Told her I had been complaining too much and was certainly frustrated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We made a deal. Each time she hears me complain, she's to stop me and ask, "Momma, what are you thankful for right now?" And I would do the same for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After our deal, we decided to go through our list of thankful items for the day. She, as usual, could not think of a single thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I listed things for her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had gone to the Pumpkin patch that day. Met some friends sweet friend there. They'd gotten to go play at an indoor play place after the pumpkin patch and lunch. Grabbed ice cream cones on the way home. Walked to the park and played at TWO parks by our house for almost two hours. Then she got to play with her friend across the street before dinner, bath, book and bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That was quite the list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After I went through all of that, she said this...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Momma, why is it that your heart can see God and all the good things to be thankful for and my heart can't?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then my heart broke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kissed her head and thought for a minute. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Baby, one day your heart will absolutely see it. One day, when Jesus comes into your heart, He will whisper to you and you'll see. He will be all around you. And you'll see even more than I see."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We talked for a little while longer. She seemed comforted by our talk. And, thankfully, this week has been getting progressively better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I have been on my knees praying for her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She is right there. Right at that moment when she's ready to start seeking. All those parts of her that make shoes and costumes and socks hurt also make her crazy intuitive and perceptive. Her question blew me away but it's not unlike her. She's watching and processing and learning so very much. Every second of every day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For all the parts and all the ways my little girl is made, I am grateful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For all the precious whispers from my Savior I can pass along to His beautiful child He has loaned to me, I am grateful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For His whispers to me, at all, in all my mess and frustrations and failings, I am grateful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raising little people, it's hard. There's zero easy about this. Well, other than falling madly in love with them. That kinda came easy for me. Did you see those adorable faces? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the rest? Heavens. I'm hanging on for dear life.</span></div>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-27566116881099572832016-10-13T13:39:00.000-05:002016-10-13T13:39:08.666-05:00Will the Real Rhys Please Stand Up...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ate an egg today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right?!?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AK asked for eggs and grits for breakfast this morning and, well, if I'm gonna make her one, I might as well make another one for myself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So eggs and sausage it was. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I didn't really enjoy it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In case that makes my emphatic use of the word "never" from yesterday any better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(It doesn't)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Onward.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet Rhys. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The weekend AK lost her first tooth, Rhys had himself a...surprising weekend.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started with the Fire and Police Palooza in our city. There were lots of emergency vehicles, men descending down the building, bounce houses, food trucks and plenty of candy at vendor booths. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Basically, a wonderland of fun for little boys. AK tagged along because she's too young to stay alone in the house. Although, don't think she didn't ask for just that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first order of business, obviously, was the obstacle course bounce house. We got to the event early but we still ended up having to wait in line. Once we got to the front of the line though, Rhys decided he didn't want to go in. He'd done these types of bounce houses before. Strange, I though, but oh well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He did bounce to his heart's content in the next one. AK eventually joined him. Once she got over having to take off her shoes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then we decided to get a snow cone and try out sitting in a fire truck.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jTrFdoAa5IE5RpQQQQKq6yCNh8ohPCQy-JcqDVFNPX8ibxTs1Jhb9wO7XpswerTDbDJNuM3nBNYSPdeTprdQtvZbeAWSIvVK38JXZB9gohIt9BLYHzZTClMRmAbPvPwRnlSWZOiYt6M/s1600/IMG_1370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jTrFdoAa5IE5RpQQQQKq6yCNh8ohPCQy-JcqDVFNPX8ibxTs1Jhb9wO7XpswerTDbDJNuM3nBNYSPdeTprdQtvZbeAWSIvVK38JXZB9gohIt9BLYHzZTClMRmAbPvPwRnlSWZOiYt6M/s320/IMG_1370.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aren't they cute?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But sitting in the fire truck was the last thing we <i>actually</i> did. We stood in line for lots of stuff but once we all got to the front of the line, Rhys didn't want to do the activity. AK never wanted to do the activity to start with but that's not new.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We left after the fourth thing we'd stood in line for but didn't do. I was kinda over it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next day, we went to a friend's birthday party. It was at a trampoline park. One we'd visited this summer so it was familiar to us. I wrongly assumed we would have a blast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys bounced zero times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, I held him for two hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Believe me, I put him down plenty. Or at least I tried. But he'd just start bawling. He seemed genuinely scared. He kept telling me there were too many people there. I've never seem him like that. Little arms wrapped around me, holding on for dear life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate, SURE. Rhys, nope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other day, while we were at the park, he wanted me right by his side, holding his waist, while he climbed up...everything. He cried when I let him go. Which I only did because he got too tall for me to reach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen. I don't know what happened to my fearless little man, but I'd like him back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apart from those instances, he's been his usual happy, snugly kid at home. But he definitely seems more fearful and cautious when we're out and about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If someone has been praying for his fearlessness to just go away, please stop. I mean, I appreciate the intent but I like Rhys being fearless and brave. Especially considering Aubrey Kate is cautious enough for both of them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's the truth: fearless risk-takers change the world. And from the minute Skillet kicked his way into the world through my uterus, I knew he was meant to change the world. I've been telling him that ever since. "Good night, Little Man. You're gonna change the world." And I whole-heartily believe that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this scared version of Rhys? The incredibly heavy one who doesn't want to be out of my arms at a TRAMPOLINE PARK? This is most definitely not the little guy I know and love. This is a version of Rhys I might enjoy in the moment (because who doesn't love Rhys snuggles? Nobody. That's who.) but not for forever. I mean apart from the fact he's crazy heavy. All that fearlessness up until this point has put on a good amount of muscle on the boy. He's just stout. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, I do realize, if no one has been actually praying for his fearlessness to disappear, then I have to assume it's some sort of weird phase. A new phase for sure. It's not like AK ever went through a random fearlessness phase. I would have taken her to the doctor straight away. That girl is often still too scared to go down an unfamiliar slide at a new park. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if this is a phase, I would ask we all pray it ends soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I miss my fearless Skillet. Like a lot.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-68146657760156929442016-10-12T12:23:00.002-05:002016-10-12T12:23:33.803-05:00Sugar-free, Gum and Chocolate Bunnies, Oh My...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I realize the first thing you are wondering is, "How's the whole sugar free situation going?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the answer is, Meh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm still on it. Or off it. Not sure which IT it is at this point. But either way, I'm powering through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The muscle weakness and exhaustion are gone. That kicked my tail for a solid ten days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What hasn't happened, however, is a reduction in the <i>craving of the sugar</i>. Supposedly, I'll reach a point where I'm not even hungry. Where I might actually FORGET TO EAT. Considering I spend a rather embarrassing portion of my mental energy thinking about, planning for and physically indulging in eating food, I believe 100% that will be a bonafide miracle should it actually happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not holding my breath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, I can say, I've figured it out. At least for now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breakfast was the biggest challenge. For sure. I may never eat another egg, in any form, again. For as long as I live. But some turkey or chicken sausage with strawberries and a glass of unsweetened almond milk serves me well. I can even do bacon. I don't mind some good bacon. But I can never do eggs again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's kinda like gingerale. I drank that stuff exclusively for almost 20 months solid of my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm done with it. For forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for soda, I have had a couple of those. Well, literally two. Mrs. JT and I went to the movies (a REAL, LIFE MOVIE THEATER) last Friday and instead of diving headfirst into a warm bag of buttery popcorn goodness, I drank a Coke Zero. A small consolation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Monday, while my children slurped their way through vanilla ice cream cones in the back of the car, I drank a small Diet Coke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen. I do what I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than that, it's been water and a combo of half water, half sweetened with Stevia tea, which is allowable on this diet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've lost almost ten pounds. Which was not the whole point AT ALL but it helps. I've kinda stalled out there. Which is fine. My jeans fit again and I'll take that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although, I've only been able to wear jeans twice. Because it's still 88 degrees here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when fall temperatures actually arrive, I AM READY.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With that out of the way (which was obviously, the most important part), let's recap last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Sunday was an eventful day. First, Aubrey Kate got gum in her hair. At church. She does not remember how. Only that it was at some point in her mouth and then it wasn't. So we had to get our hair cut. By several inches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is the gum, in all it's glory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's her before and after. She lost probably three inches. Now in my opinion, which we all understand means zippo, she needed the hair cut. Her tangles were getting out of control. But Pumpkin wanted to grow her hair as long as Rapunzel's. And that is hard to do when you get gum in your hair at church though some magic no one can explain. So she'll just have to try again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate also finally lost her first tooth. That thing had been hanging on for dear life for a week. Chris noticed the permanent tooth coming in behind it so he took matters into his own hands. Or his own string.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He told AK he could pull her tooth with a string, and true to her strong-natured self, she said, "No you can't! PROVE IT."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And really, she had no idea who she was dealing with. Apple. Meet THE TREE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Took him a couple of tries but he got it out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would like to say she won't be asking for proof of anything again but that's a lie. She needs proof for everything all the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tooth fairy visited that night and left her a dollar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now listen. I'd done my due diligence here. I'd asked around to other mommies about what their tooth fairly had left. Our's was in the right ball park. One to two dollars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when she woke up, and I have no idea how early because she was one the couch when I got up at 6:30, she was less than thrilled with her dollar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, she'd been expecting enough to buy the Barbie Dream House she'd seen at Walmart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That costs $189. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One hundred and eighty-nine dollars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her exact words were, "But Eva had a 'generous tooth fairy!' She got a chocolate bunny!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. And I believe Walmart does not accept chocolate bunnies in exchange for Barbie Dream Houses. This is not a barter system, girl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Side note: Eva got the chocolate bunny because her tooth fairy did not have cash but she did have left over Easter candy. So "generous.")</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the end of the day, Aubrey Kate announces she doesn't believe the tooth fairy exists at all. If Tinkerbell is not real then neither is the Tooth Fairy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I think you and Daddy snuck into my room, took the tooth and left them this dollar. That's it. End of story."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I neither agreed nor denied her allegation. I find it's better just to listen and let her vent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless, she won't turn down the next Tooth Fairy visit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So instead of the Barbie Dream House and instead of saving her dollar, she opted to buy some fake, plastic food at the Dollar Store. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly the better choice. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This way, I don't have to twitch every time I come into her room and see a blasted Barbie Dream House. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, yes, I realize Christmas is coming. And it's one of the only things her list. So twitching WILL happen. Eventually.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also last week, Aubrey Kate got her Star Student stuff in the front of the school on display. She picked one of my favorite pictures of her to go along with her trophy.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyhcBwu8mYT7g9Txy3riwIF-Cq6oomcOHCEYmt4LiCF_hmu6X4RBYzWOdy1qBt1fJjXf2srwsVbvMfuc6VD7loXX5z2i1BvmwwMM0LleFQQSBEOsmhAABiw4TeJWAXx2NnbA_SrXCyd0/s1600/IMG_1381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyhcBwu8mYT7g9Txy3riwIF-Cq6oomcOHCEYmt4LiCF_hmu6X4RBYzWOdy1qBt1fJjXf2srwsVbvMfuc6VD7loXX5z2i1BvmwwMM0LleFQQSBEOsmhAABiw4TeJWAXx2NnbA_SrXCyd0/s320/IMG_1381.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love her "interesting facts" about herself. "I love to dance. I like art at school. I have a little brother."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's awesome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strong-willed. <a href="http://hsperson.com/books/the-highly-sensitive-child/" target="_blank">Highly sensitive</a>. And awesome. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Side note: I've linked up "highly sensitive" there in case you wanted to read more about it. Took me hours upon hours of researching all her delicate sensibilities to come to this conclusion. Although, I do have a pediatric occupational therapist friend who knows AK well and 100% agrees with me on my Google MD diagnosis.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Also, if you're wondering how she scored on the test, 100%. Because the girl does nothing half way)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that brings us to the end of the update on AK. I'll have to save the update on Rhys until the next post. This is getting long. And he deserves his own post. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AK got to share her post with sugar. Maybe because she's all the sweet I need? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meh. I'd take a big bowl of ice cream regardless of how sweet my daughter is. ANY. DAY.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-15851570603447676142016-10-07T08:50:00.000-05:002016-10-07T08:50:05.051-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been a big week. Lots to document. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, not now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something different now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've been visiting churches. Obviously. I think we've crossed off at least one for sure. Maybe two. The third one we visited this past Sunday. They have an interesting set up with multiple services occurring simultaneously with various styles of worship. The church was busting at the seams. People every where. They host traditional Sunday School classes on campus. And have lots of community service opportunities. The church has multiple teaching pastors preaching in their services with an executive pastor at the head. He was the same pastor we heard, oh, eight years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, if we remember correctly, we decided against the church because of the contemporary worship.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My, my, my, my, my.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really enjoyed the service. I felt at home there. Oddly. Since I've never had the experience of walking into a church and feeling like THIS IS IT. I know people who have had that and I've always been a little like, "Well, isn't that special." (Yes, please read that in your best Church Lady voice.) So it felt nice to have a sense of home. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sermon was on 1 Kings 19 when Elijah runs from Ahab and Jezebel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our previous pastor preached on this passage in one of my favorite sermons. Ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The topic, "<a href="http://valleycreek.org/media/all-series/how/how-dealing-with-discouragement/" target="_blank">How: Dealing with Discouragement</a>."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen. If you are walking a season of discouragement, when nothing seems to be going your way and you feel as if it's not worth it, stop what you are doing (reading this) and watch this sermon. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like, right now.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I believe I've listened to it a dozen times.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, yes, the passage is kinda familiar. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hearing a different perspective on this moment in Elijah's life was welcomed. Although, I suspect I listened with more...intensity...than I would have prior to memorizing our pastor's sermon. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And for sure, the two sermons hit on several of the same points. It's kinda hard not to. But one thing I knew as the pastor started teaching...God was there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The worship had been wonderful for me. And it must have been for at least one other person in the room because, whew. It's been too many Sunday's since I've felt The Comforter so strongly. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the sermon began, I just whispered, "What do you want me to see, Lord?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And started listening.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most of the passage and sermon were refreshing and filling. I adore the lesson of God's voice not being in the big and powerful but in the still and quiet. I love God providing food and comfort. And I love Elijah yelling his resume at God about all he's done and IT'S NOT ENOUGH. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not that I've ever done that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nope.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Near the end of the sermon, we got to the part where God says, "Go back the way you came..." Verse 15. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go back the way you came.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I started thinking about the past five years. The years where I really did feel so discouraged. So lost. So...absent. It felt as if I had been dropped in the middle of an island. With a Threenager and a baby who ate every 90 minutes until he was four months old. Chris was gone. Most of the time. Leaving me a single parent six days out of the week. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(However, let me say, the last year of that, the year we spent in the last house. That year was not a year of discouragement. It was a year of rest. A much needed year of rest.) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of all that, here we are.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back the way we came.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And nothing has ever felt so right.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've spent most of the week meditating on those words. "Back the way you came." I'm not sure what God has planned and that's okay. I know I'm doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Meeting my neighbors, ministering to my family, finding a church home. The world would change dramatically if we all basically truly loved our neighbors. I'm seeking to do just that.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I also know those words jumped off the page because God said so. They are the answer to my prayer for Him to show me. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel such peace simply knowing we are "back." </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Peace and incredible gratitude. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time to release the hurt and bitterness and shame of the season of discouragement. And move on to getting into the Lord's presence, listening to His whisper and allowing Him to show me the full way back the way we came.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-13973269732975132612016-10-03T22:02:00.000-05:002016-10-03T22:02:32.715-05:00The Year of Yes...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wrote this in the early summer. For some reason, I never felt right about posting it. Of course, that's likely because my summer would get turned upside down. But yesterday, one of AK's little classmates from last year had a birthday party. A party we drove up one side of I-35 for an hour and back down the opposite side of I-35 for another hour. We got to see both sides of the metroplex. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">That's not really the point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">Although, it was worth every second of travel time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">The point is we were able to spend time with some of these precious friends I said yes to this past year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had a couple of opportunities to share this same </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">philosophy<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> I accepted last year. And I'm continuing to pursue it this year. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Saying yes to relationships. How would the world be different if we simply did that instead of saying yes to busy or more stuff or comfortable? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The funniest thing happened to me on the way to summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I jazzercised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There I was, happily texting friends, inviting them to meet us at an indoor play place the next day (because RAIN) (23 out of 31 days in May) (RAIN) and all of the sudden, I had somehow agreed to jazzercise instead.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking back through the conversation, I might have even ENTHUSIASTICALLY agreed to jazzercise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What in the ACTUAL world?!?!?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have no real explanation. Other than it just happened. From a relaxing indoor play place date to jazzercise. All in about three minutes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay. So maybe I do have a little bit of an explanation. Honestly, I blame <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/" target="_blank">Jen Hatmaker</a>. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her parenting post about saying <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2015/05/21/our-parenting-yess-and-nos" target="_blank">yes to relationships</a> has been my motivation this past year. If someone invited us, we went. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spent the last four years being "monumentally unbusy." And that served me well for those four years. I felt <i>undeniably</i> <b>called</b> to that. The baby and toddler years were scheduled and consistent and I was left able to manage the house, cook, budget and, yes, pray, quite a lot. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But those baby and toddler years are gone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so, this past year, with both kids in school and dance classes and piano lessons, I made it a point to say YES to relationships. The days of naps and feeding schedules and parallel playing behind. Friends and experiences and socializing in front of us. Those are the priority now. And, I guess, will be for the remainder of their years with us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is only 13 for one and 15 for another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesus be near.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because God is wonderful and loving and so incredibly gracious, He blessed us with friends and experiences and socializing this year. Amazing women and their kids and it was just... joyful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Play ground time after school? Yes! New small group? Yes! Lunch with friends during school? Yes! Free movie night? Yes! Girls night out? Yes! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Impromptu</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> after school snack? Yes! Playdates? Yes! Breakfast with kinder-moms? Yes! Birthday parties? Yes! Saturday lunches? Yes!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thus, when my friend asks me to give jazzercise a try, I said yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, that yes equaled two full days of PAIN.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Somehow, none of the other experiences equaled pain. Thankful for THAT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See, running is not jumping. Nor dancing. Nor skipping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet mercy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clearly, the best thing to do was to text my friends. "Um, ladies? Anyone else in pain? Because my calf muscles may never be the same." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other Jazzercise </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">newbie agreed with the pain and said she was thinking an epsom salt bath was in her future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our Inviter, the experienced jazzerciser, she asked, "but it was fun, right?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And neither of us answered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not because it wasn't. It was. But it was painful and, I think, for us, painful does not equal fun. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pretty</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> much 10 days out of 10. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But painful does equal growth. Right? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." ~ Romans 5:2-4</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen. Making friends is hard work. Helping my children make friends is hard work. And, let's be real here, I'm a big pill to swallow. My mouth is problem and things just tumble out ALL THE TIME. I use sarcasm as currency. Regardless of whether someone wants to be paid in witty comments or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, you can't just say yes and do nothing in return. So we invited and asked and suggested and heck, I might have begged a time or two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes, people couldn't come when we invited. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For instance, last fall, I willy-nilly set up a book club in my new neighborhood. Five women enthusiastically agreed to come hang out with me on Tuesday nights to read and walk through Jen Hatmaker's "For the Love." (Are you sensing a theme here?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was SUPER PUMPED. I had invited. I was being faithful to God's gift of my house and my resources and the people in my neighborhood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one showed up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y'all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For five Tuesday nights in a row, I prepared food, set out everything with all my best white serving plates. Might have even had a weekly theme. Including a football night. Because SEC. There was homemade cheesecake and jalapeño corn dip and sweet tea and cupcakes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And no one but me to eat them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know what? It was fine. People are busy. Things happen. And I totally understand not being quite brave enough to attend a book club with basically strangers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I'd been on the other end, not sure I wouldn't have come up with a good, solid five reasons for not being able to attend too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I knew, however, I was only responsible for me and my response. (If I had a </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nickel</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for every time I've said that line to my kids, I'd buy myself a Sonic Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper.) (And a babysitter so I could drink it in peace.) I wanted to be found faithful to the Holy Spirit's nudges. Because on my own, no way I stepped out and invited new neighbors I'd never really met into my home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes, we invite and no one comes. But I know in my own life, an invitation just feels good. To be invited, asked to join, wanted, that all feels good. And so, in my year of yes, I did invite and, yes, occasionally, no one came. And it was fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though, I did much prefer the accepted invitation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which brings me back to my permanently ruined calf muscles after an invitation for relaxing playtime turned into sweating and ripping muscle fibers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first day after Jazzercise proved to be BAD but not nearly as bad as day two. When I iced and rested and epsom salt bathed. I could barely walk and let's not even discuss crossing my legs. Heavens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apparently, I need more jazzercise in my life. At the very least, more jumps and skipping and dancing. Not sure WHEN I'm gonna brave all that again. Calf muscles requiring three days to recover is a commitment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, let's be honest here and admit, if I get text inviting me to give it another try, the answer would be YES. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because the year of yes? Now turning into a life of yes!</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-8048130391679870012016-09-30T18:21:00.003-05:002016-09-30T18:21:49.322-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y'all, new episodes of "Call the Midwife" arrived at Netflix. Which was perfect timing, seeing as how the lack of sugar and carbs have caused my muscles to basically give up. Walking is a challenge. Although, I guess it's possible the fever could be contributing to that too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So let's just all give a big ole praise hands shout out to Netflix and new episodes of midwives and 1960's London.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the rest of this post, I'm going to be unashamedly bragging on my daughter. If you take issue with mommas doting on their kids, just turn right round and back out of the room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Virtual room, clearly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate has been named the Star Student for her class. She'll retain the title for six full weeks. She can pick out a picture of herself to hang in the front on the school along with something that represents her. Either something she collects or treasures. She hasn't narrowed down her picture but for sure, she's taking her dance trophy as her item. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That much, she is absolutely certain of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday at a lunch with the ladies in my new bible study, we were answering questions as a get to know you thing. My question was, "When was a time you felt joyous?" Of course, I told them about getting pregnant with Aubrey Kate. Not all the gory details. Just took a long time and then we had our little girl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will never forget the joy of seeing those two lines on a stick. Hearing the nurse confirm it with our high beta number. Which I honestly cannot even remember now. Thank goodness for scrapbooks. All those days following where I would put my hand on my belly and just pray and hope and dream and talk to her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then she was here. All barely six pounds of her. With her red hair and the world's smallest cry. Then came the ear infections. Twelve in ten months. Ten months when none of the three of us slept through the night. We were all so tired. Of course, she was the most adorable baby too. So we didn't mind the tired too much. Just a little.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then she just grew. And grew and grew. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As she grew, we started to see her personality emerge. Both strong willed and highly sensitive. She acutely aware of the atmosphere around her. Kids misbehaving. Crying babies. Worshiping family. She feels it all. Immensely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I pray over her every night, my goal is to fill her heart and head with life-giving words. Words confirming who God says she is. Beloved. Treasured. Creative. Kind. Loving. And I end with thanking Jesus for giving her to us. Words that she can hold on to as she, eventually, drifts off to sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate creates. She feels. She dances and sings. She is strong. So strong. She will have to learn how to navigate all her sensitivities. Both her own and those she feels of the world around her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So that she is her class's first Star Student is wonderful. Truly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I know this, I know the One who created her. Created her future. Holds all of us, each molecule, together. We exist because He says so. Aubrey Kate is a star, not because her teacher says so. Although, she does adore the recognition. Aubrey Kate is a star because God says so. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And not that my opinion is more important at all, but my daughter is a star to me too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bless you, precious Aubrey Kate. Shine bright, little one.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-29761586611234702162016-09-27T20:20:00.001-05:002016-09-27T20:20:18.654-05:00I Made Either the Dumbest or Smartest Decision...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...but my head is pounding and the ringing in my ears is too loud so I'm not sure which one it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I decided to give up sugar, all forms, and soda.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See, here's the thing. I've been eating mostly junk all summer. At least. But even last year, when I spent most of my days out of the house, I ate junk. I packed a lunch, obviously. However, the grocery stores were just kinda right there. Selling fruit snacks and veggie straws and gluten-free bars. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've tried to do a kind of step down thing but I start to feel bad and I know some quick sugar will fix it and so I give in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personality insight about myself, I'm an all or nothing girl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm either running like it's my job and pushing myself to the limits. Or I'm sitting on the couch scanning Pinterest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's really no in between.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully, for me, I really enjoy exercise. It's not a punishment to run. I like a good sweat. The way I feel AFTER the run, it's worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Celiac's keeps me in check with most of my favorite starches. Eating a butter, garlicy, warm piece of bread? Twelve hours of pain and days of recovery. Otherwise, me and Little Debbie would be besties. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've known for months I needed to make a change. But, getting to that point of actually doing it? Not easy. I've already given up bread, pasta, cakes, cookies and eating out in public without being a complete DIVA about my food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hate being that girl. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So to voluntarily give up anything else, that feels like too much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However. Although. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris loves to quote the the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My level of hunger had reached uncontrollable. I was sitting and mindlessly eating just because I could. I would fill up and then be hungry again in an hour. I didn't need food. My body was addicted to the sugar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in my reset of my health, I have to make this change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect to feel better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm certain it won't be a forever change. Just a time for me to get my system back under control. Go back to eating real food and not sugary junk. Even without Little Debbie as an option. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's just the super funnest part: I feel like crap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've figured out drinking massive amounts of water and putting salt on my food helps with the nausea. So far though, nothing is helping the incredibly headache. My joints ache. And could fall asleep any minute. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever. It's fine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm hopeful this won't last too long. A couple of days. I ran this morning and I have every intention of running tomorrow. Because I do firmly...FIRMLY...believe exercise is healing. I've out run too many colds to count. Experience tells me, while it might not cure all the withdrawal symptoms, it just might help end them sooner or ease them enough to function.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone out there have any experience with a sugar elimination diet? I'm working with a low carb diet. High fat, moderate protein, minimal carbs. Yes, it's extreme but, like I said, I don't do anything half-way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodbye Cheerios and hello cheese.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-91913440000751757172016-09-26T15:06:00.001-05:002016-09-26T15:06:58.262-05:00Last Summer Hurrah...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Monday, y'all! Anyone do anything fun this weekend? I mean other than my mom. She ran almost 11 miles. That's enough fun for just about all of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm slowly working my way back up to a solid run pace. This time around, I'm determined not to get used to the treadmill and it's steady, flat running space. I mean, I LOVE it. But if I'm gonna conquer the half again in February, I need to be able to run with some change in elevation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goal is a 10K at the end of October. I've been getting in between 4 and 5 so far but I haven't been running all of that. Mostly? I'm walking UP hill and running DOWN hill or on flat ground. I'll work up to running up hill. I have to rebuild some quad strength first. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I tackled a little over five. Because it was only 70 degrees. And that is blissful. I'm hopeful running in slightly cooler temps will help me push through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And approximately none of that did anyone want to know. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so Friday, the kids were out of school. Teacher work day. Although I hear it was region meetings and such instead of teachers being able to actually WORK in their classrooms. I'm not positive, because I didn't look it up or anything, but based on the number of people at the Zoo on Friday, we were the only school system out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Zoo was basically empty. Just toddlers and their mommas. Which is totally fine with us. We had a blast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Zoo has a splash pad. It's extra to go but it's totally worth it. The Zoo was getting set up for their annual fundraiser that weekend so the kids' area and petting zoo were closed. The kids were kinda bummed but the splash pad made up for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AK brought the camera she got for her birthday and took a zillion pictures. She loves that thing. And it was totally worth the five bucks from a trading site. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here she is holding her camera, ready to shoot! Rhys, as always, needed a snack break all of ten minutes in. We saw the gorilla and, more importantly, the baby gorilla, and he needed a break. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth be told, we only walked the zoo for about an hour total. We ate lunch at 10:50. And that took some serious stalling tactics to make it that far. They really just wanted to go to the splash pad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They played, ate, played, ate, played, and ate for three hours. The water was cold, according to AK but considering it was 95 degrees and sunny, I gave her a big ole WHATEVER and kicked her back out into the water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rhys complained about nothing. Water play is his happy place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for me, I managed to read half a book. I drank and read and talked with AK and gave out snacks and read and drank. Also, I sweated. But I tried to take a walk through the water every 30 minutes or so just to cool off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, the splash pad closes this week. Summer lasts all the way through September here. I wish all the pools and water parks were open past Labor Day but they close. At least we were able to have one last water play day! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both kids promptly fell asleep in the car. Rhys was out before I even made it to the interstate (about five minutes) and AK gave up about half way home. It's a quick 25 minute drive. Easy peasy. I let them sleep another 30 minutes once we got home. It's a rough job to read a book peacefully in the car, but someone has to do it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once they woke up, we had about 15 minutes before our friends from across the street came over. Then they invited us over for pizza and movie night. I was grateful for the nap since the kids didn't get in bed until 9 pm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, really. My kids are living the dream, y'all. Zoo and splash pad. Playtime with friends. Pizza and movie night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Living. The. Dream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However. HOWEVER. Saturday might have been the best day of them all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids still got up before the sun. Because God has a sense of humor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my run, I took a shower and Chris left for his day of band. But by 9:30 am, the kids were playing with the neighbor friends. And they continued to play together until 6:30 pm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They went back and forth. An hour here. Two there. They ate lunch there (Lunchables) and dinner here (hot dogs). There was sidewalk chalk. And coloring pages. And swinging. And OH MY HEAVENS. We have hit the sweet spot of childhood. They play. I do laundry, craft and watch football.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's BLISSFUL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So while they were playing, I managed to do all my chores and make the third wreath for the door. This one is fabric only, so here's hoping it doesn't melt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fade, likely. But watch as pieces slowly slide off? Nope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neighborhood friends are THE BEST.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until they get tired of each other. Which I am certain will happen at some point. But I'm praying not until after October. When marching band stuff ends. Cause this band widow thing is awesome when they have friends to entertain them! </span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-71537799747015966412016-09-23T08:21:00.000-05:002016-09-23T08:21:02.244-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the second week in a row for Gratitude Friday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel like this a huge win for the week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not been a bad week. It's been a good week, actually. But I'm staring down the barrel of a three day weekend. Band widow for two of those days, and I'm, well, SUPER EXCITED.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How quickly I forget how to do the awesome threesome! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sigh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night, we attended our first Spirit Night at CFA for AK's elementary school. She got to see her teacher and it might have been the highlight of her six long years. Her teacher is a delight. And she seems to get Aubrey Kate. That's a good thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mentioned yesterday, the conversations AK and her sweet friend have while walking home from school are simply amazing. I thought I'd share one of my favorites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And recent. Because they have so many, I forget quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently, in the walkers line at the end of the day Wednesday, a little boy who sits at AK's table kissed her on her head. AK had tried to bribe him not to with her friendship bracelet. She doesn't know a thing about boys. Clearly. He turned down the bribe and plopped a nice kiss on the side of her head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Yes. We discussed louder protests. Perhaps calling a teacher. Yelling no. Whatever it takes. Except bribery. That doesn't work.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So our little friend, she starts telling AK that at her previous school she used to kiss boys all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, she told that story with a slight bit MORE drama than you are imagining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of this sweet kissing story, Aubrey Kate... well... her eyes roll up to the heavens and she started fanning herself with her hands while loudly proclaiming, "OH MY GOSH!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Y'all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was mere moments away from needing the smelling salts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had she been wearing the good pearls, she'd have TOTALLY been clutching them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate. Six going on sixty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Y'all should see her with her sweater wrapped around her shoulders and the top button buttoned. It's everything a grandmother would love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the truth: I love listened to these two little people everyday. Love. It. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought, going into this season of having both kids at school for the first time, I would be scratching at the walls to be doing something...more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And some days, I am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I've attempted to make a wreath that will NOT melt for my front door twice. This week.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(That's not normal, y'all.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for the most part, I am incredibly grateful I can be home to walk the kids to and from school. Grateful I can hear their conversations. Grateful I can pass along all the dramatic details to our sweet friend's momma. Grateful the kids can play here while work-from-home parents wrap up their days in relative quiet. Grateful for precious giggles as girls attempt to make friendship bracelets. Grateful for princess dresses and half-eaten apples. Grateful Rhys and I get some additional time together just the two of us cooking dinner while the girls cook up their own meals at Aubrey Kate's kitchen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a stay-at-home mom is not the easiest job. It's certainly not the hardest. There are a great many sacrifices. But I'm not even trying to compare my stress level with a full-time or even part-time working mom. I've done both of those. They're the real deal hard. My world is fairly simple at the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I'm doing my best to stay in this season and enjoy every second of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kinda like it's a warm sweater wrapped delicately around my shoulders. Top button securely fastened. Just as my sixty year old daughter would want. </span></div>
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-67603461212177294472016-09-22T08:46:00.001-05:002016-09-22T08:46:04.034-05:00School House Rock...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kids have been in school for a month now. I think we are settling in to a routine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Praise be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I the spirit of keeping the grandparents up to date on our little life, thought I'd give a little recap of school and how things have been going so far. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First, we are super excited about being in this school system. Having spent the last five years in quite the wealthy, white bubble, we were anxious to get into something more diverse. Not sure I would have said that five or ten years ago. And not because I was opposed to diversity. More because you don't realize how much you will miss something until it's no longer there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our school system is almost an even breakdown of 30% African American, 30% Hispanic and 30% white. Our elementary school is a Title 1 school with 70% on free lunch program.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And yet, they are SUCCESSFUL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, they are beyond successful. They are KILLING. IT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During my half-marathon training runs, I listened to a "This American Life" episode titled, "The Problem We All Live With." In it, the journalists and educators discussed the one successful tool for bridging the gap between poor and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">wealthy</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> schools and success rates. More specifically, between white and black. And the one thing that has proven to work is the one thing we never talk about anymore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Integration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was eye-opening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The entire episode made me a little uncomfortable. Not because I disagreed but because the conversation had to be had at all. But it does. And it will continue to be a necessary narrative. Perhaps more now than ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What we did not want for our children is for them to live in a bubble of wealth and people who look, think and act just like they do. We wanted them to be in a classroom with people of all colors and all faiths and all cultures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our world grows increasingly larger and simultaneously smaller. My grandparents' world consisted of the people in their town. Maybe their state. Sometimes, their country. My world was slightly larger. I mean, I got my first email address in college. So clearly, I was globally aware. But my kids? Their world will be enormous. They will have unprecedented access to other cultures and viewpoints and faiths. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Letting them figure out how to navigate those differences when they've spent a childhood void of any sort of cross-cultural, cross-racial exposure seems, at its best, naive, and at it's worst, fearful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The good news? God knew our hearts. He knew the exact right school, exact right neighborhood, exact right street to put us on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our neighborhood sits directly across the street from Aubrey Kate's elementary school. So we walk. Twice a day. To and from. Honestly, it feels so "Mayberry-esq" to me. Like we're in a small town where everyone can walk everywhere. It's about half a mile from our door to her school door. That's two miles of walking a day. But, heavens, we're doing it so slowly, it takes four miles worth of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kindergartners are not known for their great sense of urgency. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And AK, especially, has never been in a hurry to one single thing in her entire life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys finds himself mostly unable to walk either to or from. Sometimes he can manage to walk </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">to</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> but not </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">from</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Other times not </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">from</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> but </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">to</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. So he rides in the stroller. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen. Don't judge me. It's not the parenting hill I want to die on. I'm not gonna push him into his first college lecture. It's fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(And let's not forget he's four. Two miles a day is a bit much for four year old legs. No matter how much energy he has. Plenty of full-grown adults don't walk two miles a day.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I'm not pointing fingers or naming names. In case you're feeling all offended.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of AK's classmates lives across the street from us. Those girls have become fast friends. She walks with us to and from every day. Listening to them talk is the MOST ADORABLE THING EVER. I can't even stand some of their conversations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've also met several other mommas in the neighborhood. And a couple of grandparents. We all walk at the same time. Obviously. I love getting to visit with them. We're planning a breakfast one morning after we drop the kids off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y'all. Neighbors. Real. Actual. Neighbors. It's an answer to prayer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AK loves her teacher but, true to AK form, she doesn't enjoy all the kids who don't follow the rules. Like last year, she simply cannot understand why kids talk during lunch instead of eat. Or can't manage to obey the rules in art and so the class doesn't get to finish their projects. I'm not entirely sure the teachers are guilt-tripping the whole class based on the behavior of a few but AK is feeling that unfairness strongly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bless her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The girl came into the world with a heighten sense of justice and injustice. Not simply right and wrong. More of an understanding of things not being equal. She notices it everywhere. I notice it no where. Or at least a lot less than I realized. Anyway, she has a hard time telling me about the unicorn project she was finally able to complete in art class because she has to...HAS TO...tell me why it took three weeks to finish it to start with. Has to talk about the other kids taking too many bathroom breaks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She'll say, "Well, we have a situation with the bathroom and the overuse of the privilege." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I feel like that's her teacher talking but good night, AK can totally say that all by herself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And as expected, AK is struggling to connect with the other kids. Her teacher thinks this is because she's done Kinder before and is more mature than the other kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know this to be the exact reason we had her repeat the year to start with. The work is easy to her. So she says. She'll complain about working on her numbers because she already knows her numbers. But working with sight words? We're still not quite there. However, since the work is not incredibly taxing or even new, she's able to just be her usual anxious self. My fear was if the work was hard and she was anxious, she could easily fall behind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This way, she's only navigating adjusting to a bigger class size and kids not following the rules. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the other hand, there is Rhys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And he is nothing but joyful and excited and loving school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys is learning how to play well with others. He has a class full of boys and, well, they play. Hard. He likes his teacher and he likes the other boys. He's already declared one boy as his "best friend." But he also comes home with a zillion tall tales about hitting and punching and being attacked by bears. I can't tell what's true and what's not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, obviously he hasn't been attacked by a bear at his preschool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His imagination is so vibrant and he's definitely in the stage of telling stories. Not because he means to be lying. Just because he's imagining. If there has been an issue, and there's only been one where he scratched his arm on a piece of equipment, his teacher tells me. The rest, I have to listen and take with a grain of four year old salt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys' preschool is a new concept to us. It's located inside a gymnastics building. They have a classroom and the whole preschool setup. But they believe (as do I), kids learn through play. Most everything they learn is through a game of some sort. And if for some reason, they are having a hard time sitting for story-time, the teacher simply takes a break and they all go run and climb and jump in the gym. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's like heaven in preschool form for our active little guy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, the teacher doesn't take any slack off the kiddos. She runs a tight ship. But she has a fantastic understanding of inattention, fidgeting, hyper-activity and general misbehavior as a motivation for change. It's a developmental milestone. Being able to sit for longer and longer periods of time. Doing more writing and coloring. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember when AK went from her three year old class to her four year old class. She was MISERABLE. And I genuinely believe it's because she was not yet ready for pre-K work. She did not enjoy more writing and less free play. She hated the additional structure to center time. She spent the entire first semester crying almost every day after school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you know better, you do better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I see those same tendencies in Rhys. He JUST this summer decided coloring with a crayon was worthy of his time. He loves it. It's not his go to activity but he does enjoy doing it. But no way he's ready to try writing his name. Heck, he doesn't even know his letters and numbers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other preschools in town were pretty set on making him go into the four year old pre-K class. I could not imagine doing that again. I'd already seen AK fight it. And we thought she was ready. We KNOW Rhys is not. This preschool allows Rhys to be Rhys. He's learning his letters, practicing his writing, coloring AND climbing a rope ladder. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys gets to just be a kid. Sweaty, active, energetic KID.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus. There's the additional benefit of the teacher being from the UK. So she pronounced and recognized Rhys' name right away. She actually said, "Oh! The Welsh spelling of the name! Brilliant!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen. You had me at "Welsh," Ms. Ally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just like AK's school, Rhys' preschool is a rainbow of colors and cultures. I adore it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than school, both kids decided to take gymnastics this semester. We love watching "American Ninja Warrior" in the summer. I genuinely believe that motivated them to give gymnastics a try. They take from the gym where Rhys goes to school. That means we get a serious discount for his classes. And overall, this is significantly cheaper than dance classes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AK isn't entirely sold. She likes it okay. She's declared the beam to be sooooo easy. Although, she falls off. Bars are her favorite. Bless her, she's as limber as her parents. Which is to say, not at all. I never even learned how to do a cartwheel. I'm hoping she at least learns that much. It'll help her when she decides to go back to dance. And I feel certain that will happen. We just gave her the hard lecture about once she committed to doing gymnastics, she had to do it the entire semester. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For his part, Rhys is IN LOVE with it. He is just so darn good in class. He follows directions and listens. It's a thing of beauty. I think once he gets a little older, I'll see about getting him into a more of a Ninja Warrior type class. They have those now. Complete with competitions in certain age groups. He'll excel at this kind of stuff. Being that he could dead climb the kitchen cabinets at 18 months old. Obviously, he's part monkey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kids are mostly a delight. Or a nightmare. There's no in-between really. They're either playing well or we're coloring together or even "cooking" together. And life is so sweet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or, I'm a glorified umpire. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is my least favorite title. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are excited around here, though. I expect this to be just the best year. Honestly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And you can be </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">guaranteed</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> lots of hilarious material from those walks to and from school. </span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-57092068605060540292016-09-20T09:33:00.000-05:002016-09-20T09:33:03.555-05:00One Month In: The Latest House Tour...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So maybe this should say "Part 1" because there's no way I can cover the entire house in one post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only because I really like the house and not in any way because our house is some sort of gigantic McMansion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What it is, though, is ours. And "ours" makes it my favorite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some background on the house, we had all of about three days to sell our piece of paradise and buy our next place. Paradise or not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Three days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully, our place sold, twice, in that time frame. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, we saw almost every house in our price range. 21 houses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We like to think we're not overly picky. And we're fast. Our realtor, who got to spend some quality time with us for the second year in a row, thought we should only plan to see ten in a day. Chris was all, call him back and tell him we'll see 15. We're fast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And we were. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the most part, we know what we need, what we can change, what we can't and what type of location. This time, we really needed a yard. We couldn't move back into the .13 acre yard we had. And we knew we couldn't afford the third of an acre we were leaving. A pool would have been wonderful but, more important, was a yard for the kids to run and play.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's a tall order.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most every house we saw either had a good house and no yard or a great yard and an unworkable house. Or, as in the case of one place, a nice amount of both but some really questionable remodeling and HORRIBLE paint. Those owners were under the false impression the work they'd done was AMAZING and priced it accordingly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All that to say, the house we landed in was the best of the best out of those houses on the market during those three days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How's that for a build up?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, you're CRAZY excited to see what kind of hovel we are living in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We love the house. Truly. It just needs and needed some elbow grease. The house had been a rental property for years. According to our neighbors, it's been a revolving door of people. Lots of people equals some pretty nasty carpet, beaten up walls, general repairs for things like toilets and sinks. Not to mention an over grown exterior. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since we were working with a razor thin time frame, we didn't have time to do any of that before we moved in. Ideally, painting and floors would have been done before we put all of our stuff inside. BUT, we needed to be in the house so AK could start school. We moved in on a Saturday and we walked her to school on Monday morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What we COULD do was some kitchen updates. There's an entire post coming about the kitchen updates. For now, we've done new counter tops, back splash and all new appliances. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This time around, having Chris here to get the big items up on the walls has been the challenge. With band camp and school starting, he's been a little busy. He worked really hard on getting the garage set up too. That's mostly done now too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ANYWAY. There's some background on our latest house. We do really love it! We miss our pool. FOR SERIOUS. But the trade off has been sweet neighbors to play with and more living space for us to hang out in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And our closets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They are things of beauty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, done with the talking. On to the pictures!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Front door! Yes, that's a fall wreath. Because I'm hoping decorating for fall will remind the summer to kindly MOVE ON DOWN THE ROAD. It was 100 degrees here today. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Summer. Leave already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The poor front door needs a good paint job. It's been beaten up something awful. I tried cleaning it but that only made the nicks and scratches shinier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, the front of our house gets afternoon sun. Which is literally MELTING my wreaths. I took this picture in the morning. The wreath is now on my dining room table awaiting repair. With what, I have no idea. The heat is melting even super glue. Any suggestions?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Walking in the door is the dining room. Listen, we could open up our dining room table and seat twelve people. And still have room. It's, by far, our largest dining room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, I clearly was not kidding about decorating for fall. It was the last box I unpacked. And I did that Saturday night. So instead of putting it away, I simply decorated. Why not?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the entrance wall. The piano is here. It's that big black thing, in case you were wondering. I painted the mirror this weekend. I kinda love it. I also kinda love the art work my kids contributed. Precious littles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dining room wall. Those shutters are the headboard Chris made out of the trash my friend grabbed off the side of the road for me. They were poop green before. Kinda like the current color of my dining room. Who thought that color was a good idea? Oh! The medallion in the center is an antique. I got it for ten bucks off a trading site. It's falling apart. Which clearly means I should hang it on the wall by a ribbon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Right next to the front door is my desk. It's that faint thing on the right of the picture. That desk came out of a hotel room on Sea Island. The original Cloister Hotel. I dust it. That's it. I'm changing absolutely ZIPPO about that desk. Ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not horribly sentimental about STUFF but that desk? It's going with me to The Home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The back wall of the dining room is my favorite spot in the whole house. The kitchen...well, really, the pantry...is much smaller than either of our houses in the north. These southern metroplex builders put in just regular closet pantries. Obviously, all my white serving pieces can't fit in a closet. And really, they're better off being on display. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's my scrapbook cabinet. I made the curtains for it for staging at the last house. It hides all the various colors of the scrapbook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The shutters I got for free off a neighborhood trading site. She'd intended to Pinterest them up but never got around to it and the husband made her get rid of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was crazy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I was thrilled.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAiHAECMopCZbGPQ1R36ZYn3wFQL7o_Ttd3uGWiQfCRx7VHSdsYwysdP6mKSsTbBWBgGjicZxljBikwVFg1jFDWRoSSmFO09bXvpu59WY63WHpnI_ZXq8Adx6NrHLkjgW5sQJjXB9LhE/s1600/IMG_1273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFAiHAECMopCZbGPQ1R36ZYn3wFQL7o_Ttd3uGWiQfCRx7VHSdsYwysdP6mKSsTbBWBgGjicZxljBikwVFg1jFDWRoSSmFO09bXvpu59WY63WHpnI_ZXq8Adx6NrHLkjgW5sQJjXB9LhE/s320/IMG_1273.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moving down the hall, this is my gallery wall. I had to lay it out on the floor, send a picture for approval to my design whisperer, Tabitha, and then Chris spent the next FOUR HOURS getting it hung. He like measures and stuff. I would have just driven a whole bunch of nails in until I got it right. He's a way better person than I am.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6qpsSziYk3T8saaBp6yWr5sVaMNK0gH-p_dzBfOJ3XCc1ADba3V1Y6Hb4cI6ye7FcKAfLYTiYQxprckhb4g_h4uXLj_RxfcsA2khaeK2-enXWr6Mz3Coep18Wu2D_qfhyphenhyphen3BixOJ5fC8/s1600/IMG_1274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6qpsSziYk3T8saaBp6yWr5sVaMNK0gH-p_dzBfOJ3XCc1ADba3V1Y6Hb4cI6ye7FcKAfLYTiYQxprckhb4g_h4uXLj_RxfcsA2khaeK2-enXWr6Mz3Coep18Wu2D_qfhyphenhyphen3BixOJ5fC8/s320/IMG_1274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You'll notice the poop green stops with the dining room. The rest of the house is khaki. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So 2001.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On to the great room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have I ever told the story of this couch? I used to have an old brown thing. That I had because someone allowed me to select furniture at 25 years old. And then Chris held me to that very poor decision for the next 15 years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris told me I could replace the big brown monstrosity if I found the one I wanted for $100 or less. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found one for $50. I then bought a new slipcover off Ebay for $60. So all total I went over by ten bucks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think I win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, really, don't we all win when bad decorating decisions are rectified? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes. Yes, we do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's not much to say. Other than OPEN. It's a large space and it's so open. I adore that. Plus, the fireplace. It's a corner fireplace. And I swoon every time I look at it. Oh, here's what it looks like NOT decorated for fall...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMURg1UXL3gT_s0bThgQsfg9FsB9AmZGLsY6bE_LT2HtfNk2NxWJxf52Rv6KcP3c2irFZANwgy8ObenN9m7g8lOcxctECFW41QNHkLy4CMrOg51ZU_dDZxU0AZ3CoYC5Voy_EQYCjUYU/s1600/IMG_1275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMURg1UXL3gT_s0bThgQsfg9FsB9AmZGLsY6bE_LT2HtfNk2NxWJxf52Rv6KcP3c2irFZANwgy8ObenN9m7g8lOcxctECFW41QNHkLy4CMrOg51ZU_dDZxU0AZ3CoYC5Voy_EQYCjUYU/s320/IMG_1275.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know. It's kinda boring. Thankfully, there's always something for which it can be decorated. Fall turns into Christmas turns into Valentine's turns into Easter turns into Summer and that, thankfully, turns back into fall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had to take those pictures after the sun set. Those windows are FABULOUS. So much amazing light pours into the room all day long. But I haven't figured out how to take even really bad iPhone photos facing all that natural light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We passed the kitchen to get to the great room. This kitchen is very literally smack in the middle of the house. The heart of the home. Cute, huh?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40WUky5oZytFVMfO2rG7RSS6tp82dXJJdnRLM9-BhKALWMYq4Z6bFlrDAYcTlL7A7b12MZjzZWHGlaU6uTrL74dsa6MzfC5euFBc30fuo0PvuBgSotuf5stllHpe0_ixaQFTAweZzXMo/s1600/IMG_1324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40WUky5oZytFVMfO2rG7RSS6tp82dXJJdnRLM9-BhKALWMYq4Z6bFlrDAYcTlL7A7b12MZjzZWHGlaU6uTrL74dsa6MzfC5euFBc30fuo0PvuBgSotuf5stllHpe0_ixaQFTAweZzXMo/s320/IMG_1324.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New dishwasher, oven and microwave. They're swanky. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtWiw7iufBvRa5jifSkg25qBzCDcYZUA69n_gvgsBTwpXo77eShL1xJMGBaDdD3AeaJWuBod66nnslMfR4lcnLezjQBDKLtVmUxj2NoZHlCouuqqNr6XH0kZz7l4Ye3DaLd3TTKhUzqs/s1600/IMG_1329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtWiw7iufBvRa5jifSkg25qBzCDcYZUA69n_gvgsBTwpXo77eShL1xJMGBaDdD3AeaJWuBod66nnslMfR4lcnLezjQBDKLtVmUxj2NoZHlCouuqqNr6XH0kZz7l4Ye3DaLd3TTKhUzqs/s320/IMG_1329.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">View into the kitchen. It's really open. There's no hiding the junk. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsmai-Du918l49mns6tLR0gURAPDeSqhMX728W7Lacem98FqCmQbpMJm-6P7hZ2hxPa5ka1Lf0umsYcJp27wKuFnW1dJa0TH0MwWqlMhG5kJL5lHQR581Kt25szFoI-97S8HS534tmI/s1600/IMG_1325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHsmai-Du918l49mns6tLR0gURAPDeSqhMX728W7Lacem98FqCmQbpMJm-6P7hZ2hxPa5ka1Lf0umsYcJp27wKuFnW1dJa0TH0MwWqlMhG5kJL5lHQR581Kt25szFoI-97S8HS534tmI/s320/IMG_1325.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Subway tile. I LOVE IT. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrtjPnCblyEq87nRtKw9eGKgGfDXZHMnNkV7N13vVzV-qiARWZxNH4-90rs7-jE0ae-Xi8fY23okmpHG52CQXz4FAD8iLZ6CbBN0NcF-_PDOKm7gd8BGmBQWW9hvDzNbD-hjNfs_LeHU/s1600/IMG_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrtjPnCblyEq87nRtKw9eGKgGfDXZHMnNkV7N13vVzV-qiARWZxNH4-90rs7-jE0ae-Xi8fY23okmpHG52CQXz4FAD8iLZ6CbBN0NcF-_PDOKm7gd8BGmBQWW9hvDzNbD-hjNfs_LeHU/s320/IMG_1330.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the view from my sink into the great room. I can see straight out to the patio too. Not that the kids are ever out there. Because did I mention it was 100 degrees today? It's a nice size patio and a nice backyard. I'll post pictures of that once it's clean and not looking so much like Samford & Son's junk yard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so, thus, ends our tour for today. Bedrooms will have to come in on Part 2. </span></div>
<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-33794132513989340702016-09-16T14:54:00.001-05:002016-09-16T14:54:09.873-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, in case you don't want to look it up, I'll just go ahead and tell you, this is my first Gratitude Friday post since April 3rd.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Five and a half months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember when I said these last months have been a little crazy?!?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, my computer and my phone are still not playing well together. Largely because it's not yet Sunday so Chris hasn't had time to fix whatever is not working. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Possibly also he doesn't <i>know</i> they're not working because he hasn't read the blog. Since April. Like everyone else. Because I haven't been posting and so why would anyone keep blindly checking a blog not being updated? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, I emailed myself pictures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, from my phone. Then opened them on the computer. And saved them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sitting on the couch. Two technologically advanced computers. Right next to each other. Unable to communicate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where have we gone wrong? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided to keep this list pretty simple this week. Because there's no way for me to go back and list almost six months worth of stuff, I'll just start right here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing like the present.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate begged...BEGGED Y'ALL...to sell a box of "World's Finest Chocolate" for her school. They gave these kids the hard sell and my kid bought every rewarding word of it. We committed to one box of thirty chocolate bars. Her reward for selling one box would be a free ice cream at school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a family, we have managed to eat four bars ourselves. That's eight dollars. An ice cream sandwich at school probably cost way less. By seven dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But IT'S FINE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rest of the box, I suggested, we should take to Daddy's band rehearsal and sell to the band kids. (Are they "kids" anymore?) (What ARE college people called?) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AK liked the idea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The call of free ice cream is loud, friends. So.Loud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I bought a </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">poster board and some stickers at the Dollar Store and let the kids decorate it for our upcoming sale. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the best $2 I've ever spent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I added the word "CHOCOLATE" to the top. After confirming how to spell the word "chocolate" so as to not have to blame the children for being poor spellers. Mom owns that title.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">enthusiastically</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> agreed to wear his Mavericks tee-shirt. AK refused her wear her pink Mavericks top with equal gusto. Stinker.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So we loaded up the poster, the remaining chocolate bars, our yard sale bag of change a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nd off we went!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07v_8qTQJNdur2NMiX_bCDd0MOGiU8-43vuoa_3P7iaCEn1r1U8g99DUB6ziLt95x8sUIiVDlec3rYlaoIjLAXKetfe467e8sLv7lyFU5omajOq35XUS3JgVxdNjlpFYKtOrADxOw_d8/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07v_8qTQJNdur2NMiX_bCDd0MOGiU8-43vuoa_3P7iaCEn1r1U8g99DUB6ziLt95x8sUIiVDlec3rYlaoIjLAXKetfe467e8sLv7lyFU5omajOq35XUS3JgVxdNjlpFYKtOrADxOw_d8/s320/image1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the social media photo <strike>we</strike> I shared. Aren't they just the cutest?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Obviously the only answer is YES.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEzTHjCQE8Hdrnf36aTRODwJuLM2Lm7PV966HAAT-deszHYNZk7fWujaeEN6Bq3vJR4cYEF-nicfNslc8kJfsnqPxKXfeYcurrkKOHyURRwNHprmqNe3rOU6fitlETij3tWEvhul_ImM/s1600/image4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEzTHjCQE8Hdrnf36aTRODwJuLM2Lm7PV966HAAT-deszHYNZk7fWujaeEN6Bq3vJR4cYEF-nicfNslc8kJfsnqPxKXfeYcurrkKOHyURRwNHprmqNe3rOU6fitlETij3tWEvhul_ImM/s320/image4.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But THIS is how Aubrey Kate looked most of the pictures. She <i>was</i> happy. Just not necessarily about having her photo taken. Chris had to tickle her to get the smile in the previous picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, for.the.love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, however...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08PuB4N4V3V7G_b78jKOQRGCHfiz_5GxSznU-qXykDyW2WydnJAvEUcAYVxbr1KuIxw3JTBs9fMcDGZ7J1ieo-J8hyphenhyphenpTj46ppLVuz4Wd0Ek8GdgSpbSoS4cbrS6hEOgRj_m-_K_h3xkQ/s1600/image2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08PuB4N4V3V7G_b78jKOQRGCHfiz_5GxSznU-qXykDyW2WydnJAvEUcAYVxbr1KuIxw3JTBs9fMcDGZ7J1ieo-J8hyphenhyphenpTj46ppLVuz4Wd0Ek8GdgSpbSoS4cbrS6hEOgRj_m-_K_h3xkQ/s320/image2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He was FOR REALZ happy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's an entire end zone of BLUE. It's physically impossible for him to NOT be happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I took this one as my two men walked into the stadium for rehearsal...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvo6fDCm6V28AqGhJilNwQS5vEmwOH1-pEAsCkWXv67zVOo-iI_SxhU-QfgFy81uYeDeg7Rv8yjkjWx61KHI-WLcHMzE3c2ZkrJ5vodphd7pZWr99ptm1Ne_WP_rViUKvqGaiPAEk4Yk/s1600/image3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvo6fDCm6V28AqGhJilNwQS5vEmwOH1-pEAsCkWXv67zVOo-iI_SxhU-QfgFy81uYeDeg7Rv8yjkjWx61KHI-WLcHMzE3c2ZkrJ5vodphd7pZWr99ptm1Ne_WP_rViUKvqGaiPAEk4Yk/s320/image3.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STOP. IT.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Look at Skillet carrying his little notebook just like Daddy's carrying his. I die. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhys walks with just as much force and determination as Chris. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus the amount of "AWWWEEEE" from the band kids was epic. And how could you not feel that way about Rhys? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, I'm sure some of those were for AK. She IS cute. And she didn't frown the entire time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We ended up selling all but six bars. Considering we sprung this on college students who likely don't carry cash anymore than I do, I find this to be wildly successful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scrooge Daughter aside, I am grateful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for hungry college kids who buy chocolate from cute but total strangers just because.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for the Dollar Store and their plethora of cheap craft supplies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for a precious elementary school and a PTA to sell chocolate for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for crazy adorable kiddos who get excited and take off running when they see Daddy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for the new job, complete with BLUE, and a group of fantastic college students who embraced not just Chris but all three of the rest of his blond, blue-eyed family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grateful for the memories my kids created and will create in this new world. A world, a space, a time where we are a FAMILY OF FOUR. And not our Awesome Threesome. A full family of four. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the years of waiting and hoping and praying for relief, we are here. And I find my heart almost giddy at the joy of the timing. Not when I wanted it. Not when we begged for it. But exactly the right moment.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-28968010615214058222016-09-13T22:31:00.001-05:002016-09-13T22:31:23.333-05:00Reset...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, y'all. The computer has been returned to me. And I thought it would be a joyous moment but, mixed in with the joy (because, seriously), there is a bit of anxiety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am six months behind here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the amount of "stuff" I need to process is way further behind than that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It all feels like A BIT MUCH. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That, A BIT MUCH, is actually an <i>excellent</i> description for how life has been feeling these last several months. Starting with my boss's sudden death the beginning of March and leading all the way up until...like NOW...our world has been just in hang-on-for-dear-life kind of survival level. Things came and without much chance for processing or recovery, something else came too and...I just hung on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Spring has been had it's own brand of craziness for the past several years. </span><span style="font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif;">But</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> certainly the past two. One where we moved and the next where we were <i>hoping</i> we would be moving. Again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But buzzing around me, coming from every direction, is the word "reset." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our church did a series by that name this summer. My favorite podcaster mentioned it at an event this weekend. Another podcaster said it in her podcast I listened to this morning. My precious friend used it to describe what she felt like an upcoming change in her life would bring. And so, reset. It's swirling around me and there is no denying, we are in a full-blown season of just that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I was processing "reset" and this season, I concluded almost every area of our life is experiencing it. Whether I realized it or not. God was clearly pointing it out. Unfortunately, He has to send me the same message a zillion times for me to go, "Oh wait. That was for me. Right?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some areas, like technology in our newest world, are experiencing reset.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Such as the fact that the computer and my phone are not playing well together now. I connected them to get the photos off my phone and ZIPPO. I'm fairly certain there was some pop up notice about iTunes not recognizing my phone but, because I am quick but not smart, I hit ignore or okay or cancel and the message disappeared. For forever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris will have to make them play nice tonight. Or Sunday. More likely Sunday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The computer had to be used for Chris' new job as he waited for his equipment to be set up. We have certainly learned things on a college campus move at a much more pedestrian pace. For sure slower than my world in corporate American and even slower than public school pace. It's been eye-opening. Frustrating for Chris. Interesting for me. Since I didn't <i>need</i> a computer. Unlike Chris who actually needed a computer to do his job.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then there's a hard reset in my health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used to do this activity called "running." Or at the very least, I did some form of "exercise" more days than not. Packing up a house in record time and the whole 90 degrees by 9 am thing combined to keep me and my growing backside inside this summer. Packing boxes burns calories but not like running does. Plus, let's go ahead and talk about the eating out and overall JUNK we ate in the process. Honestly, I'm not stressing over the extra pounds. However, I do have clothes I would like to wear at some point. I can't live in the same five outfits forever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, I've successfully done just that for two months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But really, I need a reset on my diet and exercise. Not to be some photo shopped version of myself. But simply to be more healthy. God graciously gave us these bodies. I'm not interested in punishing it but I am going to need to be more aware of how kindly I am stewarding it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(And because JEANS.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fall brings it's own process of "reset." Shows up every year. Almost like it's scheduled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New classes for the kids. This year, whole new schools. New friends. New bible studies. New fall flowers for the front of the house. (And in our case, a whole new batch of flower beds.) (Again.) Chris has new students. New classes to teach. A new marching show to tackle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are new extracurricular activities. Like both kids taking gymnastics. Which is a whole thing in our house now. All the little people are in love with gymnastics. Meanwhile, I'm on the bleachers remembering how I never learned how to do a simple cartwheel. Because I decided early on in life there was little to no need for my bum to go OVER my head. Silliness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then there's the new environment we are now in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The search for a new church, a new small group, a new local tribe, new doctors, new piano teacher, new antique stores to explore and thrift stores to pillage. Goodness, there's even a new house to decorate. A new yard to tame. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our family is going through a "reset" too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gone are the 90 hour work weeks. Chris was home last Friday afternoon to walk with us for after school pick up. He's home at least two nights of the week and a whole lot more Saturdays. October will be busy with marching band stuff but, y'all, this new job has been life-changing for our family. The kids and I are getting to spend more time with Chris than we have in the last five years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big ole family "reset."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me personally, I am getting to "reset" too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate is in full-time school and Rhys is in preschool five days a week. That has given me 25 hours a week. Twenty. Five. Hours. Obviously, I have a house to manage. Laundry and meals and cleaning. Managing a house is a task. And, believe it or not, I am finding it fulfilling all by itself <i>in this season</i>. After spending all of last year out of the house every day from 8 to 3, I am grateful to be able to be IN the house and able to do those tasks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But y'all know. I have some dreams too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So my "reset" will be figuring out how to accomplish domestic and dreams in those 25 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plus getting back to a healthier place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, there's the spiritual "reset" too. Some of that comes in searching for a new church. It's physically and spiritually exhausting. Meeting new people is exhausting for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listen, answering the simple, "Where are you from?" question is challenging. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because, at this point, we're from <i>nowhere</i> and <i>every where</i>. The last city we lived in, we actually just slept in. We were still mostly "living" in the previous city. But saying we're "from" any of those is wrong. We are from Alabama. Except we haven't lived there in 16 years. And our kids are native Texans. So we're from no where. And Texas. At the same time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apart from the people and places, there's the listening for God's direction in this new season. I mean, clearly, He intends this to be a season of fresh starts. And I am ALL IN with that. But then what? I don't know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know my husband, my children and my home will continue to be my primary ministry. As much as I have resisted that label over the years. (Let's not forget, I really did not want to be a full-time stay at home mother. God called me to it and I obeyed. But heavens. It's been a process of transformation for me.) Simply moving here and watching my kids make friends with other kids in the neighborhood, my home and family as my primary ministry has been clearly confirmed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I want to be THAT mom. Where kids come and play. And eat all my snacks. And play with all our crafts. And become part of our extended family. But to be all of those things, I have to be physically, emotionally, spiritually and mindfully aware and present. I can't check out every afternoon while the kids play. One day, maybe. But likely not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Much happening. Much being "reset." Much to relish and soak up in the present. Much to look forward to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And how excited are you about following along with me for the "reset?" Cause even if I am a bit intimidated by the amount of work I need to do to get my writing caught up, I'm super pumped to have the chance to do just that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What in your life is in need of a "reset?" </span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-84335584568682840042016-09-04T23:05:00.004-05:002016-09-04T23:05:38.509-05:00The Post with Absolutely Zero Point...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello September! You are welcome here. Especially if you bring those 80 degree temperatures the weather people around these parts are promising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Totally. Welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris is out doing his annual fantasy football draft. He won. Once. Otherwise it's just another excuse to check his phone approximately a zillion times a day. At least on Sunday's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seemed such a shame to just let the computer sit there. Right next to me. On the table. At the end of the couch. And not at least <i>attempt</i> to use it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in all honesty, I'm zonked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving. It's a whole thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are close but so NOT close to actually being moved in. The kitchen is done. Which was kind of the hold up. Took two weeks for the project to be done. Whilst we waited, I couldn't physically move into the bottom half of the kitchen. That left a whole lot of boxes opened but not emptied waiting in the dining room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Yes. I realize I left a whole lot of questions in that but zero answers. I'll do a whole post about it. You know. In October.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So finally, yesterday, I was able to move into the rest of the kitchen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I celebrated the event by cooking a truly gourmet meal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hamburgers and French fries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know. You're jealous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I tackled the front coat closet. Which, clearly, I decorated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the thing: We lost a room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We gained about 100 square feet. Mostly in the closets. But we lost a room. So no office/guest room/craft room/playroom. Or any combination of those. There's a whole bunch of "stuff" that would normally hang in an office. Like the photos from Toomer's Corner when we beat Alabama during our college years. And our John Philip Sousa award from our senior year of high school.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because they only give out one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I hung those on the walls of the coat closet. Again, we gained those 100 square feet there anyway. Might as well decorate the darn things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to the decorating, I hung up the coats. It is a closet after all. In the last house, we squeezed those coats in and my, oh my, the wrinkles. In this house? Those same coats took up only half the closet. So I did what anyone would do. I hung Chris' various band event hoodie sweatshirts right in there. Still leaves me with a third of the space empty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't worry. I'm up to the challenge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomorrow will be the Hanging Stuff on the Walls day. This is the BEST day of any moving in process. It's the day when things start to come together. The house starts to look a home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not, however, Chris' favorite day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because, mostly, I'm not entirely sure where everything is gonna go. Some smaller furniture pieces have to be moved around. Angles examined. Photos taken. Truly, it's kinda like Cher in <i>Clueless</i> when she says she doesn't rely on mirrors to select an outfit. She takes Polaroids. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(You're welcome for that obscure 90's movie reference.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish houses decorated the same every time. That would make things easier. Less fun. But easier. Instead, it becomes an all day dance. Move this here. See if this works. Hold it up. No, put it down. Stand back. Turn around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You do the hokey pokey. That's what it's all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Did that flow well?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(It felt like it did but I'm almost comatose.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've done my fair share of hanging stuff in the house already. The kids' rooms are mostly done. There are just a couple of things in each room too heavy for a single nail. Or command strips. But the big things. The stuff in need of anchors and actual measurements so that heavy stuff doesn't randomly fall off the wall. Those are the things Chris has to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It always goes faster than I anticipate. Because Chris is super good at hanging stuff. That leaves me with some lag time to figure out more stuff for him to hang. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For his part, he's been working on the outside of the house. Yesterday, he cut down five crepe myrtles (there must have been a sale on those suckers) and trimmed the large tree in our front yard. Today, he tackled the garaged. He worked all day and I know he did so much but if feels like there's still so much to get done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess, that could be said of the rest of the house. So much has been accomplished but so much seems to still need to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And let's not even discuss the patio. Which currently looks like something off Samford & Son. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Man. I am KILLING IT with random references tonight.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I'm not touching the patio and all the various metal rooster sculptures the previous owners left behind for us. (Don't worry. I'll polaroid those too.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not, at least, until September fulfills it's promise of cooler temperatures and less humidity.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-2871421941848201172016-08-13T10:03:00.002-05:002016-08-13T10:03:20.877-05:00The Past 14 Months...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Waves hands)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey! HEY! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being totally honest here, my typing skills are feeling a little rusty this morning. Chris is sleeping in and he left the computer on the table. And I made the CRAZY, just spur of the moment decision to actually USE IT. He took it as his own about six weeks ago. Leaving me with my phone. But no real way to write. Other than, you know, old school pen and paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But mostly, I've been using that old school pen and paper to write out a packing schedule, preschool names and creating dinner menus with what's left in the fridge and pantry. Which at this point is one potato, two onions and some frozen blueberry pancakes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See, Chris got a new job. And it's good and right and exciting. But it means moving. For the second summer in a row. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we've been busy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All those details, I'll write soon. Because I don't want to miss documenting them and because I need to process it all. My head is still on spin cycle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I'm going to write about and pay my respects to this little house we've been occupying for the last fourteen months. I would like to say that's the shortest time we've lived somewhere but it's not. We lived in our first apartment in Brunswick for less than a year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never posted any real pictures of our house. This little piece of paradise in the middle of a huge neighborhood. Chris said all year long he thought we'd only be here a year and I kept saying NO WAY. I thought for sure God had given us this house for the long term. To be THE house all of our friends and the kids' friends would come to for fun and relaxation. I just knew we were gifted this house to bring rest to ourselves and others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we absolutely found that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For fourteen months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In oh so many ways, it offered us the rest we desperately needed. This is the only house we have purchased needing no work. It was clean, new flooring, new paint and completely ready to go when we walked in the door. No ugly wall paper to remove. No poor duck work and windows to replace. No bathroom remodel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, it's not really in our nature to do <i>absolutely nothing</i>. Plus we do enjoy house projects. But the things we tackled were optional. Because we wanted to do them and not because anything HAD to be done. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And thankfully, the projects we did added value. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plus, we loved them. So totally worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So with all that said, enjoy the tour of our latest home!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RjxvlKCkV2eHWT7YMgGug5xMT7Q9oMDyHAa6VZGv92htsm5gG1HRv8KfQAl_Ujm6e1gARX08mi5gthI8_jLpvalmC2uCIot1gxhyUrmqndE39gRDAuA5CAlKWI04edb1kiqaLYF6QlQ/s1600/Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RjxvlKCkV2eHWT7YMgGug5xMT7Q9oMDyHAa6VZGv92htsm5gG1HRv8KfQAl_Ujm6e1gARX08mi5gthI8_jLpvalmC2uCIot1gxhyUrmqndE39gRDAuA5CAlKWI04edb1kiqaLYF6QlQ/s320/Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Front of the house. I kinda loved the blue front door and the big tree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our side yard. The lot was a third of an acer. Out here, that's HUGE (I'm gonna need you to say that in your best Trump voice. Thank you.) Had we not moved, we would have fenced in this side yard to add more play space. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The view as you opened the front door. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs6rhMpY8ZlHXtO-l4Yvg1L__qXuEEN9_duPHOlG0NakzJCjXuUfUWLob567oH-yBO89IftrVd_PnZ7lf-TENR2OYa3Mi0Rr4kqXJtRFWvIpf0yTE3o6ihM3_7kJ6K2fzEH3PeuxITXI/s1600/Dining+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs6rhMpY8ZlHXtO-l4Yvg1L__qXuEEN9_duPHOlG0NakzJCjXuUfUWLob567oH-yBO89IftrVd_PnZ7lf-TENR2OYa3Mi0Rr4kqXJtRFWvIpf0yTE3o6ihM3_7kJ6K2fzEH3PeuxITXI/s1600/Dining+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dining room. Our HUGE (Again. And thank you.) dining room table fit well into the space. We installed the wood chandler. I got it off a FB trading site. Super cheap. And gorgeous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Across from the dining room was the bonus room. We used it as the playroom/guest bedroom/craft room. This is the staged version but I totally dig it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like last year, stagers came as part of our package deal with our realtor. I worked like a dog to get the house staged before they came. I wanted them to walk in and just love it all and change nothing. Basically, that's what they did. They moved two things out of the living room but left everything else. The entire time, they kept saying that normally, they would pare down the decor much more (which, for me, was already bare bones!) but they loved the styling so much, they wanted it to stay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, yes, I pretty much beamed. Our realtor has suggested I get into the staging business and should I ever decide to do it, to call him. I'm not interested (mostly) but I ATE IT UP regardless. I love, love, love homemaking. All the things that make a home a home. I'm in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay. Moving on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the front of the house, the kitchen was the next space. It was such a nice size. The walk-in pantry was dreamy. The appliances were new with the exception of the dishwasher. Which we updated right away. Those older dishwashers are loud and use obscene amounts of water. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dream was to paint the cabinets white. Except for the island, which would have been turquoise. Clearly. But we never got around to any of that and that's okay. </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kitchen table and the dining room were open to each other. It was super nice for guests. The adults could eat in the dining room and the kids in the kitchen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking from the kitchen, our little living room. </span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0kZwglvDou89qOFs8UAHHQ30DWPluFTKfoIcMaxc1V_8qcmBcmD3zg8qZAhqNIKMl-r19SQ2-cPmsEDL0ROxYYx92GnA51rGUr0yS_ewwWufVxJTvwAtqci27ggG6I4XEsZ810zdDUA/s1600/Living+Room+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0kZwglvDou89qOFs8UAHHQ30DWPluFTKfoIcMaxc1V_8qcmBcmD3zg8qZAhqNIKMl-r19SQ2-cPmsEDL0ROxYYx92GnA51rGUr0yS_ewwWufVxJTvwAtqci27ggG6I4XEsZ810zdDUA/s1600/Living+Room+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was certainly our smallest living room. Minus apartments, of course. But it was cozy and, honestly, a good size for our family. Other houses in the neighborhood with our floor plan have fireplaces in the corner. I am grateful we did not. Because the chair and table are way cuter and much more useful. In Texas anyway.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AvN_EJLQw8s4DeelE9svkyHOCwh3R2RItfo7vVS645rLgDHj21_s-oN7XK2ToXePts448YVbN7Of0BfrZkmAEeH_mRFPWZ_yiXLFTy_SAi9Kk0GdpQ-KpTlwVkt0tbGQwtXSMpCZD7U/s1600/Pallet+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AvN_EJLQw8s4DeelE9svkyHOCwh3R2RItfo7vVS645rLgDHj21_s-oN7XK2ToXePts448YVbN7Of0BfrZkmAEeH_mRFPWZ_yiXLFTy_SAi9Kk0GdpQ-KpTlwVkt0tbGQwtXSMpCZD7U/s1600/Pallet+Wall.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the view of my favorite house project. The pallet wall. Chris built this for me and y'all? It took about two hours. For reals. He laid out the sizes and colors in the garage before nailing it to the wall. We had the pendent lights installed when we moved in. There were no lights there at all and it was dark. We picked out lights that worked with Mason jars. Really, the entire thing is swoon-worthy. And so on point with decorating trends. Thank you, Fixer Upper.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5dMOcNJ30k4rTdFGBllo-xuZEC0PxKazDf3_SUJl2tmPvoTvtBTVyHg4_y64918vwl_4wQ8E4IM0JFc_EY8fUBVDLfJZCIOr7OmmlRxP5F3Bs4Y8FuoIW-cDM7CuDVGu-9D95OdVx3E/s1600/Living+Room+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5dMOcNJ30k4rTdFGBllo-xuZEC0PxKazDf3_SUJl2tmPvoTvtBTVyHg4_y64918vwl_4wQ8E4IM0JFc_EY8fUBVDLfJZCIOr7OmmlRxP5F3Bs4Y8FuoIW-cDM7CuDVGu-9D95OdVx3E/s1600/Living+Room+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I totally loved how the kitchen opened up to the living room and, when the back door was open, to the outdoor space too. Beautiful flow and function.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWOkroDc6rtSPIuHwGZ4yE7IJIA1Kp-GCypO_dXUzvBRv8bX4x9_dbe9XjthS_giE1DbfY0KsRfecMnjGFeS8aX8zW1LicI-YNv64qKgqIqhfkfWXBePOAv3fV_HKSSiEu-i2RXZfwFI/s1600/AK+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWOkroDc6rtSPIuHwGZ4yE7IJIA1Kp-GCypO_dXUzvBRv8bX4x9_dbe9XjthS_giE1DbfY0KsRfecMnjGFeS8aX8zW1LicI-YNv64qKgqIqhfkfWXBePOAv3fV_HKSSiEu-i2RXZfwFI/s1600/AK+room.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bedrooms were split so Aubrey Kate and Rhys had their own side of the house. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVFdopDY3wpqUpy9jdObvMPZWGHerd47Df59C3iJgta4DorPwZlSm6n25p1wjsdkgy7I3HWAF3VvK3tvfWeV_VT5AUGVT5Rj-3Ax3ob50y6db8ePgpriX8DdkUTl_OoZwBE9-iHxz9n4/s1600/RM+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVFdopDY3wpqUpy9jdObvMPZWGHerd47Df59C3iJgta4DorPwZlSm6n25p1wjsdkgy7I3HWAF3VvK3tvfWeV_VT5AUGVT5Rj-3Ax3ob50y6db8ePgpriX8DdkUTl_OoZwBE9-iHxz9n4/s1600/RM+Room.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-Xgv1LFHkuuussD9uu2GlSUejOwi1Wyoovmfmu6uCPHyF0iSy1TnxXM04LWP8hbGNzAKn9g06FPs_mWrYTKXSHcWqG76abRGLmOLSzgBnQgexMmTOvjbgy5euacVYSEJTNKJN7nraQQ/s1600/Second+Bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-Xgv1LFHkuuussD9uu2GlSUejOwi1Wyoovmfmu6uCPHyF0iSy1TnxXM04LWP8hbGNzAKn9g06FPs_mWrYTKXSHcWqG76abRGLmOLSzgBnQgexMmTOvjbgy5euacVYSEJTNKJN7nraQQ/s1600/Second+Bath.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their bathroom was small but it worked for them. Chris built the pallet shelf. It stayed with the house. It fits the house well and took so little time to build. If I want another one, he can build me one on a Saturday. The shower curtain is an embellished sheet. The stagers went nuts for that thing. They had never considered using sheets for anything other than bedding. To which I said, I rarely consider sheets for bedding! All three bedrooms had sheets for curtains. They are cheap and easy and long. What's not to love!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsQIlrFnKjg_WIIfrAQuNOGHqQgUv0UMaJh-l9bdkyjFi4HPa3J8nHJ0fRByP8HD3eXV3f98v3y-QBp2VpLrj9PwIuMP-pVNB-5mCEdCsMTjfbog7HW4lUzG1ukGl7WFZG9UbWvsVN5o/s1600/Master+Bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsQIlrFnKjg_WIIfrAQuNOGHqQgUv0UMaJh-l9bdkyjFi4HPa3J8nHJ0fRByP8HD3eXV3f98v3y-QBp2VpLrj9PwIuMP-pVNB-5mCEdCsMTjfbog7HW4lUzG1ukGl7WFZG9UbWvsVN5o/s1600/Master+Bed.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our bedroom was comfy. Not huge, or even spacious but it was enough.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3htAd1GOwz1kbGumetdDE4Um3m7T0cKHyqcIdlY7rgurMbn0fJyZFzutifTY4EUZhyLqACrJ9IWYQQ9qDDkVGa_xT7RIWt_OxIBdgm3AnYWAqaS1K1xZuE837OfRS3oOgyHksOHgaVY/s1600/Master+Bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3htAd1GOwz1kbGumetdDE4Um3m7T0cKHyqcIdlY7rgurMbn0fJyZFzutifTY4EUZhyLqACrJ9IWYQQ9qDDkVGa_xT7RIWt_OxIBdgm3AnYWAqaS1K1xZuE837OfRS3oOgyHksOHgaVY/s1600/Master+Bath.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The master bath was a better lay out than last house. It also had our first granite anything. I wanted to paint the cabinets black but, again, never got around to it. I will say the granite was super nice. Easy to clean and it almost never really looked dirty. That was nice since I spent most of the year being out and about instead of cleaning. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgljKZ46dd2cc_R0e-hO7FBFn5fhzL54EKFx1A_BDTD0DW4butRHDiYjB8TUat5Ma__WOIiEL0ZrXj_BCQ3FAlYK5JtW5ZFrqQiOLvsV58WIAMWozuTrCcOewkzwBcQ-v0k-0XUcIqlU/s1600/Deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgljKZ46dd2cc_R0e-hO7FBFn5fhzL54EKFx1A_BDTD0DW4butRHDiYjB8TUat5Ma__WOIiEL0ZrXj_BCQ3FAlYK5JtW5ZFrqQiOLvsV58WIAMWozuTrCcOewkzwBcQ-v0k-0XUcIqlU/s1600/Deck.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without a doubt, the best part of the house was our back yard. The kids spent ALL YEAR on the deck and patio. We had a TV and fan installed. Hours, y'all, hours spent outside playing, grilling, eating and just being kids. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP0X888ywdnnvUzj43tj44HMfptDspAVxs6MqgzpNw31lAMv4TyI2y3NmvmOb9oLxMciizkFPePc5OTgZDlogLMuJkZjQeNBvYzp1o7hBXHS8nvR_q6xbjIJWmTAHuuLXh2oslj9esgc/s1600/Backyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfP0X888ywdnnvUzj43tj44HMfptDspAVxs6MqgzpNw31lAMv4TyI2y3NmvmOb9oLxMciizkFPePc5OTgZDlogLMuJkZjQeNBvYzp1o7hBXHS8nvR_q6xbjIJWmTAHuuLXh2oslj9esgc/s1600/Backyard.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The yard was plenty of space for us too. Chris built some corn hole boards this summer. Those along with horseshoes? Kinda the perfect outdoor experience. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxg8lmFiKGz5-jy7As00sJ_Mp8Zz6DcFzHB1DHo-P5Aq99woV6uRZkYc3E8FpKFnWoejfYIu6K9Ye1Q0NqIl7_g79yzWm1dQbEIb77r-Eo_b-j1QNwGcDV_dJx5dc8vM5EiQJ_ysVXiE/s1600/Pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxg8lmFiKGz5-jy7As00sJ_Mp8Zz6DcFzHB1DHo-P5Aq99woV6uRZkYc3E8FpKFnWoejfYIu6K9Ye1Q0NqIl7_g79yzWm1dQbEIb77r-Eo_b-j1QNwGcDV_dJx5dc8vM5EiQJ_ysVXiE/s1600/Pool.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the pool. The pool we were in no way looking for but we got anyway. We lived in it for two summers. We swim every day and we have not gone a single week this summer without having at least one play date here for swimming. My favorite response to the kids' question of "Can we swim today?" "Yes, we own the pool. The answer is always yes."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even in the winter, when we didn't swim, having the water there was relaxing. There is something about the sights and sounds of water moving that is so refreshing. And thanks to the relatively mild Texas winters, we were able to spend a good deal of time outside. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, having the pool for a mere fourteen months has ruined us forever. Our next house does not have a pool Not for lack of want. It simply was not a possibility. We had about three days to sell the current house and buy the next house. We saw over 20 houses in two days. Literally, we had to buy based on what was available <i>at that moment</i>. Because of school, we had to move quickly. AK needed to be registered for kinder somewhere. Moving to an apartment for a little while and waiting to find the perfect house was not an option this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the kids will tell anyone who will listen, or dares ask, they are not happy about moving. Because the new house doesn't have a pool. It does have a good sized yard and a patio to play on but I get it. I'm gonna miss the pool as much as they are. Possibly more. Because let's face it, play time in the pool is good for several hours a day of entertainment. And in a summer where the togetherness factor is sky high, THAT IS GOOD STUFF. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I am older and, hopefully, wiser than the kids. I can be grateful for the two summers with the pool without wasting too much time and emotional energy being disappointed for the next move. I will for sure miss it. But the job change is completely worth it. Being with Chris more is worth a pool. One day, the kids will know that too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoyed the tour of our last house! That is if anyone is actually reading this. I've been out of pocket for so long. Hopefully, Chris will get his new work computer soon and my laptop will be returned. Hopefully!</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-40588269201528275792016-06-12T21:01:00.001-05:002016-06-12T21:01:46.058-05:00Love...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About this time last year, I sat on an uncomfortable pew in my childhood church. My family moved from Montgomery to Birmingham in 1986. The months and weeks run together in a child's memory but I'm pretty sure we joined the church sometime shortly after we moved. Thus, my parents are approaching thirty years as members.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This particular Sunday morning followed the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. In the middle of a prayer service, ten people were shot by a domestic terrorist. Nine died. The shooter later confessed to the shooting in the hopes of starting a race war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And there I sat, a few days later, in my home church in Birmingham, AL. A city who had endured it's own act of terrorism during an actual race war with the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Four little girls died and twenty-two others injured. Simply because of their skin color, four members of the KKK, our own domestic terrorist organization, planted 15 sticks of dynamite underneath the church. And blew it up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My own heart ached to see attacks simply because of skin color still happening over fifty years later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I sat there, in my hometown, attending my childhood church, sitting on my family pew and listening to a pastor speak from the pulpit I knew so well, I heard words of healing. The pastor. He condemned the attack in Charleston as evil. Not of God. Not of love. Not of peace. But done as an act of racism and cowardice. And there in the same city responsible for the deaths of four precious little girls, the pastor loudly declared the act evil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Evil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I genuinely wept. Right there in that uncomfortable pew. No doubt, these attacks should be long over. A thing of our dark past. Something we talk about as a teaching tool so we do not repeat the same sins. And yet. It happened again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this time, in 2015, the Southern Baptist pastor in my childhood church spoke truth. He boldly said what sometimes pastors and church members and regular people who aren't sure what to say don't. He said it was evil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I wept. Because he was right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Early this morning, another act of terrorism occurred. Domestic terrorism. Again. Meant to help cleanse the world of a group of people, not defined by skin color, but by lifestyle. We caught the headline just as we were turning off our phones for worship. This year, in our own church. Comfortable, padded seats in a worship center with zero stained glass and lots of loud music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only this afternoon was I able to sit down and read about the shooting. Scan the news stories to get the updated details. Log on to social media to see what the church leaders I admire were saying. Read stories of loved ones waiting, praying, terrified. Saw posts declaring the act as pure evil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I wept. Because it is evil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart breaks for this world. It breaks for the mommas, sisters, friends, co-workers, teachers, cousins, fathers, pastors and brothers suffering an immeasurable loss. It breaks for the millions of people who will live with fear on their shoulders because if it can happen there, it can happen here. It breaks for those of us, Christian and Muslim alike, who are sickened by the taking of human life in any manner, but especially through such horrific violence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart also breaks for those who will see this as their opportunity to spew hate and lies and more evil. My heart breaks for the inevitable political conversations, as if people can be reduced to rhetoric. My heart breaks for the lines drawn that will divide and hurt and alienate. My heart breaks for the images we will endure of screaming and pointing and blaming.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart imagines those mommas and friends and spouses holding baby pictures of their lost loved ones. Watching videos of graduations, dance recitals, weddings. Flipping through social media posts to read their words over and over and over again. Laying down on their beds, wrapping up in their clothes. Calling voice mail messages to hear their voices one more time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My heart feels certain there are those who know no one involved and, yet, will suffer through weeks and months of fear and anxiety and sleeplessness. For the mothers and fathers who want to rush to their adult children's sides to offer comfort and understanding. Mommies and daddies who will snuggle their littles tighter tonight and pray the world will look vastly different in just a few short years. Spouses and friends will wonder where will the next attack be and what will we do if it's on us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And because of all of it, I simply can't muster the care to engage in any sort of political or theological or cultural conversation about this event. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just cannot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, I will mourn with them. I will weep. I will pray. I will listen. I will hug. I will let this attack cleanse nothing except any fear and misunderstanding in my own heart. I will teach my children of God, His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His pursuit of us and how we are each made in His own image. I will honor others because God saw fit to create them and because He loves them as much as He loves each of us. I will carefully consider my words, my actions, my heart's desires and compare them to the two commandments of Jesus: Love the Lord my God and Love my neighbor as myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh how I wish we could go back 50 years and do better. But we know better now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesus, come.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-78525437448464822382016-05-31T15:03:00.000-05:002016-05-31T15:03:08.029-05:00It's Totally Fine...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, I need to confess this: My children ate popcorn for lunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today marks our first official summer day at home. And I'm already wiped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had planned a nutritious lunch of organic kale and beet salad with a fresh squeezed citrus vinaigrette from the lemon trees in our yard followed by some flashcard work and bible study. But, alas, popcorn in front of some educational "Angelina Ballerina" while I showered and ate leftover pizza won out today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(No, my children do not eat kale or beets and no, we not have lemon trees in our yard.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Do lemon trees even grow in Texas?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Probably not but I suspect we're forcing them to somewhere. Because we're Texas, dagnabit, and what you can do, we can do better.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(We're looking at you, Florida.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, the kids vetoed the flashcards and bible study (I had planned some Leviticus for them) and opted instead to play in the rain. Right now, they're cleaning their plates (they had pear for a snack) (see, something healthy) while they collected rain water in their Halloween buckets and jumped in the puddles with their clothes and rain boots on. Not sure why the rain boots were needed because the rest of them is soaking wet but who am I to argue with playtime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They've now poured full Halloween pumpkins onto the dry, covered patio to "create more puddles!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week was spent in Alabama. Traveling, especially home, is amazing. I loved every minute of it. Well, okay, maybe not the minutes when my kids became overtired and over-sassy because of it. Or the trapped inside away from Public because of pink eye minutes. But other than that, EVERY. MINUTE. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then small group came over yesterday for an end of the year party. We offered to host after the leaders' little guy came down with croup (Bless his heart! How about y'all come here and we all just avoid sharing that?). But I had only about 24 hours to get ready. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning consisted of after-party clean up. Round 2. Not everything fit in the dishwasher last night and while I totally <i>could</i> have washed the dishes last night, that's simply not how I roll. And it's certainly not how Chris rolls, since he was the one doing the clean up last night. I managed to glutenate myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After-party clean up ranks as one of my favorite types of clean ups. With the exception of two, all of my mason jar glasses were used and I smiled filling up the entire top drawer of the dishwasher with them, one at a time. Half the pinwheels set out for decoration found lovely homes with some precious kiddos. Empty water bottles and a chip basket with only crumbs remaining equals filled tummies. And every dirty plate and napkin left in random locations means people were too busy talking and enjoying themselves to worry with finding a trash can. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes me smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grateful to have a house where we can host a last minute swim party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grateful to have a now mostly dry covered patio to sit and write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grateful to have a home to visit, even when we bring pink eye with us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy the pictures from our week at home!</span></div>
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Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-68868493377027033032016-05-09T20:18:00.000-05:002016-05-09T20:18:27.673-05:00Nearing the End of Round 1....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello May! Nice to see you! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are wrapping up our school year in typical fashion. With a level of scheduling craziness for which I have zero explanation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're just hanging on for dear life. Trying to make it through each day one packed lunch at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, we had Kindergarten Round Up at Aubrey Kate's new school. She'll be attending the elementary school in our neighborhood. We'll walk to school every day! That feels so Norman Rockwell to me. I suspect the reality will be the exact opposite of that but I'm gonna enjoy my dreams until then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aubrey Kate has had an amazing year in kindergarten this year. Without a doubt, private, half-day was the right choice for her. She has just blossomed. Her teachers tell us she is kind, hard-working, a good listener and always follows directions. She hasn't quite gotten the hang of reading but they tell me that's a developmental milestone. One day, it will simply click with her and she'll be reading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If she were to start first grade, she would likely be somewhere towards the back of the academic pack. But they believe she could and probably would catch up quickly and think she would be fine to move on to first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's what her teachers see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I see has more to do with her personality. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She does not love doing "all the work" at school. She misses crafts for the joy of crafts instead of being told she has to make a blue bird. "But blue is NOT my favorite color. Why can't I make a pink bird?" She does not like doing the homework. Largely because reading and writing are still a struggle for her. It feels like a have-to-do-task instead of a get-to-do-fun-project with Mom. There have been tears shed and declarations made. And truthfully, she's got too many years of school to already dislike it that much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, there's also the introverted, highly-sensitve part of her personality too. The part that fears new places and people and hides behind her lovie, Rosy, and cries with anxiety. She's been at her current school since she was two. It's incredibly familiar and everyone knows her there. This new school will be much larger, complete with a big cafeteria for lunch and new teachers on new hallways in new rooms. Every new year, even in a very familiar place, brings a fresh batch of anxiety for her. I have no reason to suspect this will change all of the sudden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her teachers said they don't see any of that from her. I'm grateful. I'd rather be the one dealing with her crying because she hasn't gotten any free center time than her complaining to her teachers about it. They see her working hard to improve her handwriting and learning her sight words. I get the tears and frustrations when she has to rewrite her name for the fourth time and she gets her "2" backwards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If she were reading and writing in some sort of advanced manner, the introverted, highly-sensitive issues would be less of a concern. But she's not. And since I know she's crazy smart and the reading and writing will come, the personality issues are my primary focus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kindergarten Round Up confirmed that for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She spoke to zero people. She never answered a direct question. She hid behind Rosy. And my legs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, when we walked through the kindergarten rooms and we talked about the stations and how she had those in her room now, I watched her open up. "Oh yeah! We have a calendar!" "Hey, we have a cubby too!" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her teacher asked me at our last conference what my momma gut was telling me. And truly, my heart tells me she needs another year. Not for the academics. That'll come. But for the time to adjust to the new environment, larger class and more responsibility. My momma gut says she'll be adjusted completely by Christmas. That's been her usual pattern so I see no reason for that to change. But while she's getting socially adjusted, she'll be getting a refresher of this year instead of missing out on learning new information. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm excited to see her continue to grow next year! When reading clicks for her, she's gonna get lost in it. Her imagination is amazing. Reading is going to thrill and enthrall her. Her left-handed hand writing will improve too. She'll figure it out. I've suggested and shown her a zillion times how to turn the paper to make it easier for her to see what she's writing. One day, she'll believe me. Although, likely she'll think it was her idea. Which is fine. You and I will know the truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cannot wait for her to begin this new journey! At the big kids' school!</span></div>
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<br />Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-83042168036240574682016-04-24T21:59:00.001-05:002016-04-24T21:59:19.543-05:00Well, We Survived...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know. I'm about a month, or three, behind on updates. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truth be told, I've been writing but not posting. Processing but no revelation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the kids are just being kids. They are SUPER good at that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I figure the best place to start is just, well, now. Chris was gone all weekend on the band spring trip. When they do things every teenager dreams of doing. Like cooking contests. I'm not exactly sure of the prize but the kids take it very seriously. At least according to the pictures posted on IG. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes me hungry. And also very aware of how easy it is to cook with gluten-filled stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Us? We ate really healthy this weekend. Grilled cheese. Hotdogs. Pizza. Mac n'Cheese. You know. The four major food groups.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had big plans and dreams of cooking food just for myself. I made a dinner last week that only I ate. The rest of the family said thanks but no. Only without the thanks part. So I was determined to cook myself things only I wanted. Because if I'm the only one eating it anyway, might as well be some of my favorites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shrimp was bought. Spicy Asian recipes pinned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I cooked approximately nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, I ate the kids leftovers, granola bars and lots of cereal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids were off from school Friday so I knew going into this weekend, they would be with me for three FULL days. I'm guessing the exhaustion from Aubrey Kate's birthday week/weekend and the clean up, set-the-house-back-together week caught up with me. Combine that with knowing we had three FULL days to be together and I just flat out lost the ability to care. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About most anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Certainly about food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus, I ate cereal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weekend was fine. They were kids. No one slept late. Or all the way through the night even. So the witching hour was super fun but honestly, that's relatively normal. They ate some but mostly not. We read a lot of books. And discussed every drawing of every character in every book until I wanted to pull out my hair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mostly, we stayed on the go as much as we could. The kids do better with a few strategically scheduled events. Staying at home all day is too much togetherness. For all of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did manage to finish reading a book. That's an accomplishment in and of itself. I've also binge watched "Long Lost Family" on TLC. Because apparently, I needed a reason to cry. Heavens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in case you think things have really changed, I'll leave you with this story from AK. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was running on Saturday, I was thinking about AK and her dance routine and, well, I was listening to some Michael Jackson (as one does when you run) and I started envisioning AK and I doing a dance together. Just something fun and easy. But something we could do together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we were driving home, I made the suggestion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hey, Aubrey Kate, what would you think about us doing a dance routine together? Maybe your dance teacher could video your dance and we could do it together. What do you think?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Furrowed brow..."Um....I'm not sure. Let me think about it. I'll let you know."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Okay. Well, good. You let me know how you feel about it just whenever you get a chance."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm glad time with me requires some thought. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the pictures from the weekend. ENJOY.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen. I'd love to tell you what's happening in that picture. But I really don't have words. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go with God, Rhys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My COMPLETED book. Please. Read it. Change the word "lovely" for "gratitude" and you'll see why I'm telling you to read it. Not in a bossy way just in a YOU NEED THIS BOOK way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe I'll get inspired or have some revelation to the twelve posts I have drafted. Or maybe I'll write again in another month about Easter. At this rate, I'll get the birthday post up in June. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I rock at this.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-50919062253315987872016-04-03T15:03:00.002-05:002016-04-03T15:07:32.195-05:00Gratitude "Coming At You Sometime Over the Course of the Weekend, We Hope"...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last weekend was a busy one. Although, not for all the reasons Easter weekends are busy for people with, you know, family nearby. No. We had no fancy supper. No ham to bake. No casseroles to transport. None of that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What we did have was a flower bed being turned into a retaining wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And maybe the Easter bunny visiting with some left over Valentine's candy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Don't think for ONE SECOND that escaped my super-smart daughter. The only answer I could offer her as to WHY the Easter Bunny might give us candy in heart shaped containers is because he/she/it just LOVES US SO MUCH. Why wouldn't it be expressed through the shape of the candy?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(CLEARLY.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We started off the weekend with a little Good Friday trip to the Zoo. I'd offer you pictures and witty stories only, I still haven't recovered. Because the entirely of Fort Worth was at the Zoo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm gonna need some more time to process and let time pass. Since time heals all wounds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our church was offering six Easter services at our campus beginning with a 6:30 pm Friday option. We opted for that. We wanted to make sure there was enough room for people to attend on Sunday morning. You'd think a Friday Easter morning service wouldn't be that crowded but no lie, it was more crowded for that service than I'd ever seen any other service at our church. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having gotten "the family fun time" and the Easter service knocked out on Friday, that left us with two full days at home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris had plans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have a flower bed behind the waterfall feature on our pool. Mostly, it's spent the fall and winter being extremely overgrown and possibly serving as a home for snakes and such. Chris had cleaned it out the weekend before and, thankfully, there had been no snakes in the bed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I vaguely remember Chris telling me what he wanted to do with the flower bed but, being totally honest, I'm pretty sure I was only half listening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grass + weeds + possible snakes = ROBIN OUT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But I was in no way prepared for the amount of work he ended up doing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He completely REMOVED the existing flower bed and built an <i>actual</i> retaining wall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A wall. He built a wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it's super pretty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is why we are such a good fit. I looked at our existing flower bed and thought only, "Awe, that's cute."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris looks at the same thing and thinks, "That's JUNK. It much go." And then proceeds to consider every CATASTROPHE that <i>might</i> happen if the junk of a flower bed is not removed and a wall built.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which goes something like this...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"If we do not remove this flower bed out and replace it with a retaining wall we risk the structural integrity of the pool and when that happens we risk flooding not only our yard but the neighbor's yards and that much water could do some serious foundation damage and since our pool will be the cause of the damage, we would have to pay for the foundation repairs of not only our house but the houses surrounding us and let's not forget, the pool is still broken and we can't just leave a big hole in the ground so that would obviously need to be fix and once that was fixed, I'd have to build a retaining wall to prevent it from just happening all over again. Only we'd be completely bankrupt and have to move in with our parents. So, anyway, I'm gonna need to take out that flower bed and build a retaining wall."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me? I'm like, "Cool. I'm going to a thrift store. Let me know when it's done, K?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perfect fit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flower bed vs. retaining wall discussions aside, for the most part, any big, life altering stuff, we utilize the Traffic Light system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So say we're discussing if we should buy a truck. We each pray about it and then discuss. We will say, "Are you getting a red or green light on that?" Unless we're both getting a green light, it's a no. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Occasionally, we'll just start a discussion with something like, "Okay, building an outdoor shower, are you getting a green light or a red light on that?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although, that's clearly a silly example because once Chris has decided he's building an outdoor shower, it just is happening. Kinda like my decision to redecorate AK's bedroom. This is not up for discussion. It's just happening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last weekend, after the wall was built, we were sitting on the couch talking. We don't really have any big, life-altering decisions coming up but we do have a little thing we have to green or red light. I asked him how he was praying about it and what kinda of light he thought he was getting. He shared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then I shared what I was praying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which was a big ole "WHATEVER."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please, picture me making the "W" with my hands as I pray and telling God in my sassiest of voices, "WHATEVER." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a lot of ways, my relationship with God has reached a trust tipping point. Not sure I could have said that a year ago. The Pruning helped. We've come to that place where I'm simply okay with whatever comes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris said, "So basically, the traffic light and it's color is irrelevant. You're more, 'Look. Another traffic light.'"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Exactly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of this is my personality. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Which, SIDE NOTE, everyone should take a personality test of some kind. We did during small group a couple of weeks ago. Largely because we'd had a guest speaker that week and although he was LOVELY, we didn't have a whole lot of revelation to share. But one of our members is getting his MBA so he's studying these kinds of things and those of us who'd never taken one became incredibly curious.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I'm an <a href="https://www.16personalities.com/infj-personality" target="_blank">INFJ</a> and a <a href="http://kindredgrace.com/temperaments/" target="_blank">Beaver</a>.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Seriously. Go take one. Now.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I'll wait.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But part of my new "whatever-ness" is truly, simply, being okay with whatever God does. I'll go. I'll stay. I'll work. I'll stay home. I'll lead. I'll follow. I'll join. I'll create. Whatever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I am immensely grateful for that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would I have chosen to go through The Pruning? No way. Opted to feel like God had led us out into a dessert alone? Nope. Asked for silence from My Father as He waited for us to let go? Never.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But that's what we got and that's what we did and it was good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It. Was. Good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He's been giving me some things to ponder, consider, examine about how we handled The Pruning. Challenging me to see His faithfulness and my own. Asking me to think about what we actually gave up instead of what I FELT like we gave up. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truly, this feels like the healing I've been praying for this past year. I was waiting for an instantaneous relief. Like those testimonies when God takes away someone's addiction to heroine the second they pray for it to be removed. But that's not what's happened for me. Although, I have prayed so fervently for just that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And believe me, this is not something where I lay it at His feet and then keep turning around to pick it back up. I DON'T WANT IT. No part of it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But this is the way healing has come for me. Slowly. Deliberately. Faithfully. Likely, exactly the way I needed it to come for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because God knows my personality far better than a test. After all, He gave me Chris with all his talent for catostrophic thinking. Otherwise, I would have lived life on the edge and just left the flower bed alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-49794705412228634582016-03-24T21:24:00.000-05:002016-03-24T21:24:13.637-05:00More Than One Post a Week Seems Like a Good Thing...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Truly, y'all, I don't have much to say. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rhys is on week two of being an ABSOLUTE JOY. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Sarcasm font.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no idea, at this point, if it continues to be overtired. Although, that's totally playing a role. Since he went to bed last night after 8 pm and got up at 6:45 am. Or if the grace I gave him last week is simply biting me in the bottom this week. Because the week after daylight savings time begins deserves grace. The week <i>after the week</i> after daylight savings time begins deserves nothing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was so inconsolable on Monday, I ended up holding him most of the day. I dropped him off...CRYING...at school after I'd carried him to the car, then from the car and then into his classroom. His teacher actually said, "Rhys, it's almost the end of the year! Don't cry now!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I arrived for pick up, he was standing against the wall in the room, back pack on and crying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His teacher says, "When he's ready to go, he's ready to go."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then carried him, crying, to the car and, once at AK's school, inside to get her. He played on the playground for about 15 seconds before he started crying and I got to hold him again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time we got home, my back had revolted. I spent the rest of Monday on the heating pad and popping Advil. Good times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully, my back recovered. Rhys and his attitude/neediness did not. I thought he might have been sick or becoming sick but no. At least nothing I see or feel. He's just in a FOUL MOOD.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night, we, Rhys and I, had to come to an understanding. Which was I was DONE with the fits and the tantrums and his inability to walk from place to place. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being that he's three, he pushed the boundaries again this morning and I was flat out of grace. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that final incident, we had a much better day. He gave me a sticker. And a zillion kisses. Fingers crossed, my sweet boy stays here and the Threenager is gone. Again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from dealing with the Threenager, I've been getting ready for Aubrey Kate's 6th birthday party. There are not enough words to say on this upcoming EVENT. Other than, it's here. At our house. And she wants to invite every person she has ever known. Plans have been in the works for months. But this is kinda like a wedding, I can do only so much before the actual event. But the clock is ticking. So I'm working.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, having a party at our house requires more work than just the party. The house needs to be done too. All those little projects I've been dodging in favor of watching <i>The West Wing</i> now have to be actually completed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know. Like actually sewing my living room curtains currently being held up by straight pins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Basically, there are party projects and there are house projects and they both have to get done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris has his list too. Like the flower beds. He's working on getting those cleaned out and replanted. Tonight, he and the kids took out the heart shaped flower bed in the front yard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can we all agree here that anything HEART SHAPED does not AT ALL say "Robin?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heart shaped anything is just too precious for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My almost six year old daughter? Yeah. She's totally fine with it. Also on the list of things she's fine with, princesses, Shopkins and all things pink. Obviously, we are not on the same page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flower bed goes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris is fine with that. As it was kinda the pits to mow around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy this picture of the heart shaped hole in the yard. It will be filled with sod shortly.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECLe5iIwwX1vIfzIagXlKPIgUWLCIpa5CSf76zHJVe7JpnpfLrFImdVg2YoFXK916Trz6fz6C-2UrZ3wMBlJJHwLQF-lzvFelG1BZ5rb0-YHzGesYmtfF5aW37ZiwsTQsrGSoYY_IwIA/s1600/IMG_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECLe5iIwwX1vIfzIagXlKPIgUWLCIpa5CSf76zHJVe7JpnpfLrFImdVg2YoFXK916Trz6fz6C-2UrZ3wMBlJJHwLQF-lzvFelG1BZ5rb0-YHzGesYmtfF5aW37ZiwsTQsrGSoYY_IwIA/s320/IMG_0571.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris let the kids help him dig so please enjoy the little orange shovel there in the corner. They were both so excited to "help Daddy." Listen, they adore their daddy. It is a JOY and one day, they won't run outside to help him dig up a flower bed. There will be eye rolling and "too busy" instead. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQDYII0thRsKBAu-JjyrsJHhExDKmMFAoQFoLMaBTYZdXYYbKX-FARbpqFvZpIttjkyKYmPR8Cy8d4ZmfUvFzKdXxSE-XCPdG7CzsUZ94qqxkUX50WyedfKJe_eaaOhEhnU1gezESw8/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQDYII0thRsKBAu-JjyrsJHhExDKmMFAoQFoLMaBTYZdXYYbKX-FARbpqFvZpIttjkyKYmPR8Cy8d4ZmfUvFzKdXxSE-XCPdG7CzsUZ94qqxkUX50WyedfKJe_eaaOhEhnU1gezESw8/s320/IMG_0572.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After such hard work, Rhys needed a break. Cornbread and a water hit the spot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't let his flip flops go unnoticed. Doesn't everyone do yard work in their flip flops? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now you have been updated on our SUPER THRILLING life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gosh, I hope you have something more exciting to do now. Like watch paint dry. </span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8865481260428064583.post-50993262038997611432016-03-18T10:03:00.000-05:002016-03-18T10:03:00.163-05:00Gratitude Friday...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can we all just agree here and start a grass roots letter writing campaign to our Congressman and Senator? Let's remember our founding fathers' and all they stood for. Let's do them proud in this endeavor. Join forces and voices and letters making it impossible for us to be ignored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The time has come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DAYLIGHT SAVINGS MUCH END.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can I get an AMEN?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So tonight, because truthfully, I'm writing this on Thursday night and scheduling it for Friday, I did a resetting cleansing ritual. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate Milkshake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Long Walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Popcast: Episode 132</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Where they assigned <i>Lost</i> characters to presidential candidates) (Sweet heavens, I needed those laughs.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, rewatching the single best hour of television ever made...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The West Wing</i>, Game On.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have not seen it, we can no longer be friends. I'm gonna need you to go watch it. Now. Then return to confirm your viewing and I will return you to your proper place as "Member of My Life."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You're welcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, can we talk about Lily Tomlin in The West Wing? Because, AWESOME.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now listen, I get that after a week spent dealing with Rhys crying every five minutes OVER I HAVE NO IDEA and Aubrey Kate sitting CATATONIC on the couch too tired to even play, I should be doing something holy like lighting candles and reading C.S. Lewis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I opted for podcasts on pop culture and television from 1999. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am simply THAT level of holy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be impressed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost as impressive is Rhys' "Grumpy Face." Which is a total lie. His real grumpy face is significantly grumpier. What with the crying.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkEM-UT56HjN4k4MtD9CBADX3eWS_U61WqGkeup3bXCU8FpmSwSSOPgHobIY2cZjRE2LkUpnBPtNuQReqNOnhtLQJRKOIN5WvNxEHN6hIX1kis3Ov7t8fU5gkcoGuZEqZ-9FNpQpgS64/s1600/IMG_0541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkEM-UT56HjN4k4MtD9CBADX3eWS_U61WqGkeup3bXCU8FpmSwSSOPgHobIY2cZjRE2LkUpnBPtNuQReqNOnhtLQJRKOIN5WvNxEHN6hIX1kis3Ov7t8fU5gkcoGuZEqZ-9FNpQpgS64/s320/IMG_0541.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And not to be out done, this is Aubrey Kate LETTING me take a picture of her blue dress so I could possibly buy her some leggings that match since the one's I bought to go with the dress last spring no longer fit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's so pretty.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2CNmDbGnqF4jLRv7C7jGOiPn3utzynT8b_8gqYM0rYNFvoVNXDjsAJiGDA9KnoRizorNS57S0oMGKPyWi7wD2jiQ7cB6L0PPFufZgJj7im_llpQo-RysYMrGGsvwR8my6JcL9jBxnqw/s1600/IMG_0544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2CNmDbGnqF4jLRv7C7jGOiPn3utzynT8b_8gqYM0rYNFvoVNXDjsAJiGDA9KnoRizorNS57S0oMGKPyWi7wD2jiQ7cB6L0PPFufZgJj7im_llpQo-RysYMrGGsvwR8my6JcL9jBxnqw/s320/IMG_0544.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is today. Half price milkshake day at Sonic to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. On which neither of my children agreed to wear green. But we still need to celebrate our Irish heritage. Although I haven't worked my way back through Ancestry.com yet to find our actual Irish kin. However, we feel certain one of them somewhere along the line came over here fleeing the Potato Famine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So clearly, milkshakes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRN5PseGA3KdqxHsVDThPnUQivskmgZR0cdVBfK2boeLtgmeXrN6T20gL9dz1QN8EWT-GSrv7QxXs17lXaRzJt7GjJpYTnsHo8fiKiKQSjKaEKZckkneStDgCky5ZXd6bMPP7JRQO9rc/s1600/IMG_0555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRN5PseGA3KdqxHsVDThPnUQivskmgZR0cdVBfK2boeLtgmeXrN6T20gL9dz1QN8EWT-GSrv7QxXs17lXaRzJt7GjJpYTnsHo8fiKiKQSjKaEKZckkneStDgCky5ZXd6bMPP7JRQO9rc/s320/IMG_0555.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They're kinda cute, aren't they? Strangely, they look a whole lot alike in that photo. You know, besides the blonde, fair-skinned, blue-eyed thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mostly, this week, I am grateful it's over. We survived. Despite the yelling and crying and staring blankly off into space, we survived. Some weeks are JUST THAT. And that's okay. Not all the days of all the weeks in all the years need to be blissful and memory worthy. Some simply need to BE and well, this was one of those. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe, if I am actually a little Irish somewhere, I'll be lucky enough that the kids only remember the milkshakes. And that I loved them SO HARD. Even though they were overtired and grumpy and not all that much fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you need a reset, I recommend my formula. It's never failed me yet. Go in peace, friend, and DRINK THE MILKSHAKE.</span></div>
Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11611341697570008552noreply@blogger.com1