Side kick

Okay, so you probably noticed that I have been missing for a little while. I have been having a family crisis. And since most of you are facebook friends, you likely already know of which I speak. But just in case someone is out of the loop, I'll link you to my sister's blog and you can read her version. It's her story, really. I'm just the BFF, who has jumped in as hero support.

I make a good side-kick.

Hmm... gonna have to think of a good side-kick name...

Meanwhile, I'm stewing on the sidelines with a few good zingers, which the fact that I'm trying to do the upright thing, won't allow me to scream.

We aren't really sure what to expect next, but since I'm really bad "at this game" of remembering details, even five minutes after things happen, (according to my sister, :) I have written a detailed account, for any event which should require me to recall stuff.

Thankfully, my kids are getting old enough to see what this has done to our family. I have shielded them from the truth, because it is so hard to understand, for children. Shoot! I'm almost 40, and I still don't get it. But this time, they have seen it all. They have seen the destruction and the pain. They have witnessed the brokenness and heartache. But the best thing, is that they have seen that real love doesn't always come from family. Sometimes it comes from friends and sometimes it comes from people you barely know.

And God has been with us through it all. They have seen me rely on Him in a way I never have before, giving glory to God all the way. What more could I ask for?

Lava Rock Girl.

I'm going with that one.

The Cruise in Retrospect

If I had to express how I feel about the cruise, I'd simply say this.

I had a fabulous time.

I was pampered.

I was cared for.

I was relaxed.

I rested.

I enjoyed myself.

That said, I could take or leave the cruise scene. I enjoyed not being responsible for food, cleaning, or childcare for a week. But we don't drink, we don't gamble, we don't care which man has the sexiest legs or the best belly flop. We don't enjoy suggestive humor all that much, and we were never really into the Beetles. And who knew that karaoke is really just an excuse to get drunk and make an idiot of yourself?!?!

We don't have money to island hop in search of the best deal on diamonds or tanzanite, so shopping isn't really our bag.

Renting a boogie board and some fins is more our speed. Playing frisbee on the beach is fun and relaxing. Watching Caleb roll around in the surf and sand is entertaining, and taking Hailey to have her hair braided by an island local suits us just fine. Touring an old military fort is educational, and shooting the breeze with the family is great.

Snuggling in a hammock grove with my sweetie is cozy, and the combined sounds of the ocean and the swaying palm trees is enchanting.

Riding ATVs up mountains and back down through sub-tropical forests is awesome, as is sampling the various native fruits and foods of a certain sulphurous island. Snorkeling around a tropical reef on a rainy day is amazing.

The color of the sea is positively alive. I am addicted to it now.

I am pretty sure that I could live comfortably on the beach where Mary and Harley got married. I hope we get to return and revisit some of our destinations someday. Meanwhile, I have tons of pictures to enjoy and remember.

Craziness

I told you I wouldn't leave you hanging.
I lied.
Mostly because I was hanging the whole time with you.
You didn't think I'd leave you out there alone, did you?!?!

So, I didn't get what I wanted. (exactly)
I might get part of it, but it's okay, I guess.
Meanwhile, since I wasn't getting any word about my wish, I decided to start looking around for something different.

In case you haven't figured out what I mean, I'm talking about a job.

A very good friend of mine had a baby recently, and a little birdie suggested that I might enjoy keeping said baby when said friend returned to work. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea, and the more I liked the idea, the more I LOVED the idea. And the more I LOVED the idea, the more I OBSESSED about the idea.

You get the, er, idea....

Anyhoo, I mentioned the idea to my friend, and got a pretty strong glimmer of hope that it might happen, but alas. It is not to be. Actually, I may be keeping the baby one evening a week for about an hour and a half, but I'm not sure.

Meanwhile, I finished getting the budget in order, and surprise, surprise, surprise! (insert Gomer Pyle voice...) The budget looks impossible. I really believe that God wants me to put Hailey in school this fall, so we had to consider other options. Shawn works full time and also goes to school full time, so he cannot get a second job. Which leaves me...
I have been technically unemployed for the past six years, which is hogwash, of course, and I never finished college, so I don't have much in the way of marketable skills.
But I used to work for FedEx, and left with a very good work record, so I went this morning and applied to go back.
The application process went well, and they told me they are hiring aggressively, so I could be at work in less than a month.

As my other friend says...

Craziness!!!

Does This Jet Pack Make My Butt Look Big?

So I heard on the radio the other day that we have finally caught up with the Jetsons. Apparently, a jet pack has been invented for the masses.

I'm assuming that you will have to sign a legal waiver along the lines of, "I __________, being of sound mind and body, (for the moment) do hereby release __________ from any and all legal responsibility concerning the stupidity that shall herewith commence, as I strap my body to an explosive, highly flammable device, and attempt to break free of the gravitational force which God hath so graciously bestowed upon our planet, although, if the force could be released, ever so slightly, I would not weigh as much as I currently weigh...(wait, that's another agreement.) ...I won't sue if I run out of gas, hit a bird, get a bug in my eye, collide with a jet-liner, or choke on a cloud."

I was telling Shawn about it, and mentioning that, if money were no object...

Don't you love sentences like that?

If money was no object...

If I had all the money in the world...

I would pay off all my bills, fund a cure for cancer and stupidity, and buy my husband a jet pack.

So then we started talking about the beauty of owning this wave of the future.

He could leave for work and get there in 15 minutes, instead of an hour.

He wouldn't need much of a parking space.

It would get great mileage.

Or would it?

Just what is the weight limit on this thing, anyway?

About That Cliffhanger

I know I left you hanging, and I didn't mean to. I just didn't know the answer to my dilemma until today.

I have been homeschooling for some time now. In fact, this is our fifth year. I have loved it. I have enjoyed it. I have hated it. I have groaned some mornings when the sun rose. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions sometimes.

But there was one thing I was always sure of until now. This was what God wanted me to do. This year I have been struggling with a certain young lady, who shall remain nameless. She has whined, complained, thrown tantrums, begged, pleaded, etc. to get out of doing school. I am worn down by the battle. And since I am easily swayed by all such methods, this year has been very difficult.

But all that changed with a single text. Someone in my sister's office quit. Someone who did a job that I knew I could do. So I hit my knees and sent out prayer requests to my friends, asking God what to do. If it was time to send the kids to private school, I needed a job that would pay for it. I have been a stay-at-home-mom since Hailey was a tiny baby. I don't have many marketable skills. Besides, I didn't want to leave my cushy life as a kept woman. But I needed to do what God wanted me to do, so I prayed and dove into the Word, looking for an answer.

I got one.

It wasn't the one I expected, but since it's even better, I'm okay with that.

Shawn got two job offers in one week. He wasn't even seeking employment from these companies, but they came looking for him. The first offer was good, but the second offer was too good to pass up. He accepted it and will start in a few weeks.

It will pay for Hailey's tuition and I will stay home, continuing to homeschool Caleb.

Isn't God good?!?!

**Lest anyone think I'm banishing my daughter, I think she will flourish in school. She needs interaction with other kids more than she has in the past, and she filters her attitude better with other teachers. I wish she would with me, but I know she will do fabulously.

Meanwhile, Caleb needs to work on building a few good character qualities before I subject a teacher to him. I'm hoping a little one on one will help him learn a little tenderness and compassion, as well as respect for his elders.

WHERE'S that Easy Button?

Wouldn't it be just dandy if there was an easy answer to all of life's big questions: if there were verses in the Bible that clearly stated what to do...

Thou shalt have dinner at Chili's tonight, and order the sirloin cooked medium rare with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy (light on the pepper) and corn on the cob.

Thou shalt not forget to charge thy Zune before you go work out today.

Thou shalt....

Thou shalt not...

How easy our lives would be then.

But alas, this is not always the case. Sometimes decisions come our way which have no perfect answer. Some of these decisions are even fraught with hefty costs and benefits, neither outweighing the other.

I got some news today that I have secretly wanted to hear, but been afraid that if I heard it that I'd be forced to make a decision that would certainly mean upheaval of my life as I know it. And the lives of my children. My husband's life would be changed little, except in the fact that his whole family had been upended.

It would have been great if I'd heard a "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not" from him, too, but he's just being supportive of me while I wait for details. Such a slacker.

Meanwhile, I had to leave home today, thinking about this decision, praying about this decision, and forgot my phone.

No worries. I figured, I'd get on the treadmill, plug my ears with headphones, crank up the tunes and worship.

D-E-A-D, dead Zune.

Okay, God! I get it. Be still and know...

Here am I Lord. Speak.

The Clever Disguise

I don't think anyone will ever guess my secret. Of course, now I am revealing it, but if I weren't revealing it, no one would ever guess it, that's for sure!

I'm sure we all have them: those tiny details about ourselves which we hide under clothing, make-up, the cover of night, etc.

No one would ever know by looking at me that I have red blotchy skin, which I cleverly cover with fabulous foundation.

No one would ever know that I am a closet control freak, but I panic under pressure to run the show.

No one would guess that I am feeding my family a vegetable tonight for dinner which is brilliantly masquerading as a pasta.

At least I hope they don't!

Countdown to Freedom part II

Looking forward to the upcoming event of purchasing a new house took on a new dimention this past weekend.
I suddenly realized that I will be losing something that has come to be very dear to me in the past two years.
It took a while to get used to having people around that were looking out for my family. The first time Mr. M came to my door, knocked briefly and entered without waiting for me to say 'Come in' took me by surprise. But I have come to understand that that's how it goes around here. If the front door is open, you are welcome to come in. The knock is just a warning sound, so I don't turn around from the kitchen sink and find someone standing right there.
And over time, I realized that I have the same freedom. So I do. Walk two doors down, knock briefly, and enter the house that has become so familiar with a gentle call of 'Hello!'
Any time I need an egg or two, a cup of flour or whatever, I go shopping at the 'M' general store, as I have come to call it. I never take advantage. I always replace whatever I've borrowed. But these people have come to be like grandparents for my kids, in a world where grandparents are scarce.
The first time she came down here to cry and tell me that he was so sick that she was afraid, I held her while she cried, and prayed with her.
And the other day, as I was leaving, she said the words I already knew.
"Love you!"
There are few people in life who accept you for who you are.
I'm sorry to be leaving these particular neighbors.
And I'm glad we are not moving too far for visiting.

Home Ec.

Convicted by my revealing statements yesterday, and truly wanting to commence with the packing efforts, we have spent the whole day studying home economics.

Of course, this means nothing more than we thoroughly cleaned the house from top to bottom. (with the exception of the laundry room. It's scary in there.)

Additionally, we have done about forty-seven loads of laundry.

What? It's school!

So feel free to drop by anytime in the next ten minutes. I promise not to be mortified.

Economics 101

In the attempt to stick it to the man economize in the grocery section of the budget, I have sent Shawn out for the Sunday paper. I have never been a coupon person. I find that searching the local flyers and ads for five cents off a loaf of cracked cranberry bread to be a trifle tedious. I do not pounce gleefully upon the little coupon holders cleverly placed in the aisles of my grocery store. I would rather pay a little bit more money at one place than flit about town seeking all the best can't-pass-up sales, all the while my gas tank can literally practically be heard with its slurping and burping.
But as I was standing in Wal-fart this weekend I decided something must be done. I have been purchasing the same bottle of Cascade for years. And suddenly it has gone up in price. Not the easy to digest twenty-five cents, either. No, it has gone up exactly $1.25. I thought about looking around for the camera. I mean, this has to be a joke, right? Where are the hidden cameras? No? There are no hidden cameras? Then you won't mind turning a blind eye while I slip this bottle into my pants, right? I mean, no body notices the unsightly bulges of a really big woman, so I should be able to walk out of here without being stopped.
So excuse me while I go sit for the next two hours staring at a pile of coupons I have to cut out and organize, write a shopping list based on meals I can cook for my family which include massive amounts of Betty Crocker instant potatoes (I have a coupon!), and put sticky notes around the house in various places to remind me not to forget my coupons and list when I actually go to the store.

Wordless Wednesday (play doh silliness)

Post 100! Yee Ha!

Spent the weekend hanging with the peeps. Dad was in town for a few days. He brought the rain with him. Hasn't rained in months, and we want to hang by the pool for a few days. So, of course, it would go and spoil our beautiful, beautiful plans. That's okay. We managed a few splashes between the scattered showers. It was nice to sit around and do not much with the ones you love.
We watched a few movies, caught some of the olympics, introduced Dad and the cousins to geocaching, and played some games.
Fun was had by all, including the six dogs.
Think I laughed so hard I cried while playing Clue.
We were getting bored with it, (note to self, the game is MUCH longer with six players) and Caleb was playing with the game pieces. I shouted, "Caleb, stop touching Miss Scarlett!"
Bethany and I hooted for a while. And every time we caught each other's eye, we laughed some more.
Can't wait to do it again.

A new adventure

I am a brave woman. I am a strong, confident (sometimes), fun-to-hang-with Mom. I was reading an article in a parenting magazine about fun activities for families. I like to look for new stuff to do because I have a wacky sense of adventure.
That's how I roll.
So I found the new craze is this thing called geocaching. Basically, you sign up online with any number of websites dedicated to the sport, and log in the zip code where you want to hunt. There are many, many "caches" hidden in various and sundry places in your area. Using a GPS receiver, you enter the latitude and longitude coordinates and head out to find it. Part of the fun is doing it secretly. One of the objectives is to find the cache without anyone knowing you are up to something. You retrieve it, sign in the log which is enclosed, and put it back as well, or better hidden than you found it. Then you go back to the website and log your find.
There are other variations of the sport, but being new to it, we are starting with the basic cache hunt.
It was really fun with six kids on the adventure, but it was a sad moment for my ten-year-old when she realized there was no "cash" involved.

**After we found another cache today, we realized this is a great way to witness to people in a non-confrontational way. And people come from all over the place to find these things! We'll simply leave a tract in the ones big enough to hold one, and put a scripture sticker on the log we sign.

Bad girls, bad girls, whatcha' gonna do?

Well, I am tired of lying around, but mostly I am just plain tired.
After camping for the week, I came back just in time to practice for two days and perform in our annual Fourth of July musical I Hear America Singing. I absolutely love the show because I love the history of our country. I even choke up a bit now and again during the show. We take for granted the freedoms we enjoy today, and we don't even know it.
But that's not what I wanted to talk about today.
I learned something last week about myself.
I learned that I dig being a biker chick. I love riding around town. I love the wind in my face. I love being a little bit different, and dare I say it? It makes me feel a little bit like a bad girl. I always wanted to be a bad girl, but if you grew up like I did, you didn't dare. You didn't disobey or even sass, lest you find your mouth in another county. In fact, I got on someone else's kid yesterday for sassing her Daddy. I told her it was disrespectful to me for her to speak to him that way in front of me.
But I digress.
I also learned that, while I dig riding about town with my bad self, I don't dig distance riding at all, thank you very much. I rode my bike to camp because I had to come back home during the week. We can't afford the gas on the truck we use to pull the camper enough to make the trip twice, so in the interest of conserving gas, I took my motorcycle to get back and forth. It was an uneventful ride down. The sun was shining, and the clouds were often enough to keep me from cooking. (Yes, I wore SPF 70 sunscreen.) It was all-in-all a pretty nice ride. A little long, but not too much. Then I came home a different way. I heard there was a faster route, and decided to come home that way. But the day was different. First, the wind was variable, and that was difficult to handle. Once I would get comfortable with the angle of the wind, and start to relax a bit, the wind would shift, and I'd have to get used to it again. But the hardest part was the speed. It was entirely too fast for my comfort. You know that exhilarating rush you get in the thirty seconds to two minutes of a roller coaster? Well, multiply that times three hours. Not fun, I tell you. For the first hour and a half, I spent all my time talking to God about how I wasn't afraid to die, but that I really didn't want to do it right in front of my sister. (She was driving behind me.) And that I would rather die altogether than be a vegetable. I didn't want to put my family through that. My grip on the throttle was so tight that my thumb and first two fingers would go to sleep. I had to engage my throttle lock and flex my hand every few minutes to regain feeling in them. That's how tense I was.
Now, I know that I have a famous history of being rather melodramatic, but I was honestly terrified. There were several times I wanted to pull over and call Shawn to tell him I couldn't do it. But I got myself into this mess, so I was going to get out of it by myself. So I prayed and braved myself through it.
Later that night, after a nap and a bite to eat, I went to practice, where a friend told me she and a whole list of people had been praying for my safety. She was so worried about me that she had friends join her in prayer on my behalf. Thanks, T! I love you, too!
And before you ask, I drove Shawn's little Aveo back to camp the next day. My ear drums were bruised after the ride, but that's a story for another day.