Mama Mia Day 1 (Part 2)

I guess you can only have so many photos in a post and I guess I reached that limit. It seriously wouldn't let me add anymore. So... here is part 2! Hehe.

Nearing the end of our journey, we stopped at a little place for a bite to eat. There was this great tree. Without any prodding from me, Sarah and Charlie decided to play a little game. It was HILARIOUS! I won't bother explaining the situation because I think it's one of those "you'd have to have been there," but I had fun catching them on camera anyway!

Not so fun was Brooklyn's fall. She scrapped up her knees a bit. My sister, bless her heart, was all broken up because it was the first REALLY BAD fall that Brooklyn has taken. I think BS and Suzanne taught Boo well, though. Here she is trying to kiss her own knees better because the hurt so much!

We did a lot of other cool things and have a million more pics. I think I'll add a slide show tomorrow with ALL the pictures for the moms. For this post, I'll close with this cool one of the kids. I was trying to just get their hands as they played with the water stone together. When I checked out the pic at home, I saw there faces reflected in the surface. It's not a perfect pic... not well centered or anything... but I like it.

I had a wonderful day with all my nieces and nephew. It was a mini slice of heaven--not only taking them to the zoo but being able to share in their excitement for life and being able to document our adventure for their moms. I can't wait for tomorrow! You just never know what they'll do next!

Mama Mia Day 1 (Part 1)

It all started with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had been up since 6:30 am (like Christmas, remember) in preparation for the arrival of Sarah and Charlie. Sprinklers were fixed, laundry moved, dishes unloaded, and then the PBJ. I thought they might need a snack while we were at the zoo today and I didn't want to go unprepared. I wanted today to be wonderful for them. It was as I was packaging up the little sandwich quarters that I realized how much I have missed... without knowing that I was missing it... making PBJs for my own little ones. Motherhood in a sandwich. Sure the sandwich may vary, but the essence is the same. And this morning I ached for all the mornings and sandwiching making that could have been, but haven't. It was fleeting, but I felt it.


After kids were dressed and lunches packed, I found out they need some breakfast too. Not being Mrs. Cleaver, I decided eggos were in order. I couldn't resist a couple of shots when I saw Sarah's jam smile. She is adorable!


Then it was off to the zoo! I hope you'll indulge all the photos! I don't get to post them very often so I have quite a few. I tried to narrow them down... I really did.. but I loved all of these so much!

Our little three amigos. I went to the zoo with my sister Suzanne and her kids. Sarah, Charlie and Brooklyn got along wonderfully!!!

Charlie was adamant that the first thing we visit be the elephants. I like this shot of him just watching. While there, we even got to touch something that resembled elephant skin. It was a ton rougher than what I had expected! (And judging by the shrieks and squeals, it was different than what the kids expected too!)

I wish I had a clearer picture, but I was moving so this is the best I got. This is Sarah and Brooklyn holding hands. They were so cute walking around the park together! Sarah helped us by keeping our little a.d.d. Brooklyn nearby.

Come on... how could I resist this one! Can you say "couple" in the making! hehe

Charlie was so much fun to watch. He was excited about everything! The oo's and ah's that came from him were the best!

Everyone LOVED the carousel!!! Sarah rode a kangaroo and Charlie snagged an elephant. I have a million more shots of everyone, but these are my favorites. And thanks to Suzanne... my behind the scenes compadre who helped me pull this off!

Just a bear... but he was COOL! Suzanne said she'd never seen one up and moving before, so we snapped this one as proof. The kids loved it!

Bear watching. Isn't he beautiful?

So part way through our zoo excursion, Charlie plops down with his map to find out where we are and where we need to go. With a little help from Sarah, they figured it all out and we were on our way! I just loved this photo opp!

So Excited!

So tomorrow I get to watch Sarah and Charlie (niece and nephew on Joe's side) while Marla has her new baby. I am so excited for this little chance to "play mommy." We are headed to the zoo tomorrow with my sister Suzanne and her kids and then Tuesday I'm hoping for a stop at the pool. I love these two little kids (as I love all my nieces and nephews) and I can't wait to hang with them and take them fun places!!! I hope they enjoy their stay as I have them until Wednesday! I'm just so grateful that Jimmy and Marla trust with the care of these two while Marla spends a couple of days in the hospital with the new baby. Anyway, hopefully I have some great pictures to post tomorrow!!! Now... if I could just fall asleep. It's almost like Christmas!!!

Just a Little Annoyed

Okay. Two gripes today. Just two and then I promise I'll utilize my new glad skills...

1-Medicine is CRAZY insane expensive. I laughed at Joe's pharmaceutical conspiracy theory, but after yesterday, I think I'll believe him. I went to the doctor because I felt like I was breathing through water. Normally I try to wait it out, but finding myself the next host for Finding Nemo 2, I thought I better call a professional. It was a quick visit (my doctor is AMAZING) and then a hop, skip and jump to the pharmacy. All was well until register time. Medication Cost: $150+ dollars with insurance. Nervous breakdown at the counter: Priceless.

2- Inconsiderate neighbors. This evening all I heard outside was our neighbor driving around his 4wheeler. Loud and obnoxious. But whatever, I could just turn the TV up louder so no big deal, right? I thought so until I took Josser out for a bio break. The neighbors and their drunk friends were tearing it up in the swamp area next to our lawn. (Technically it's part of our property... we just didn't know it until a bit ago and so the land is still dirt/mud). The guy over there already gives me the creeps. Tonight, as I'm outside watching in horror, he just points at the swamp and laughingly says, "We're just playing in your puddle." I go out later to check the damage. Nothing terribly wrong. But there are huge mud chunks all over my lawn from the ATV spray and I can see where they have been driving over my grass. Times like these make me wish I were a little more confident. But both Joe and I HATE confrontation, so we let it go. Looks like tomorrow I'll be raking dirt clumps from my lawn before I water. I mean, honestly, who throws a shoe? I expect this from pre-pubescent teenagers, but 30-40 year old men? Come on, give me a break!

So now that the ranting is over and my blood pressure has started to descend to normal, I am glad that I have an HSA account to cover the cost of crazy medication. And I am glad my inconsiderate neighbors haven't complained about my Josser (he did try to eat their little girl twice... okay, not eat... just lick A LOT). I should also be glad it's just mud that ended up on my lawn. I think FENCE just shot to the top of my priority list.

The Glad Game

I'm sure most of you have heard of it. The Glad Game, which consists of finding something to be glad about in every situation, is from Eleanor Porter's novel Pollyanna (also a Walt Disney movie starring Hayley Mills). I haven't thought about the movie or the game for years... not until Friday as I ate lunch with a friend. She is new to me. We met in karate and though she is years older than me, I adore all the time I spend with her. If I had to guess her age based on her sunshine and love of life, I would put her in her early twenties. In fact, our luncheon Friday was a quick break from the motorcycle shopping we were doing. She wanted a new bike and asked me to come with her. Are you kidding? I would LOVE to! A girl after my own heart. We had a great time looking at the various bikes on the market. (Victory's Vegas Low is a new favorite of mine). I was amazed at her knowledge and her fearlessness. I was so timid getting on the motorcycle and even more so when she told me to tip it up and get a feel for it. I sweat buckets each time I pushed a bike off its stand. Phew! I am SO glad I didn't drop any of them! But, back to Ilona. (Cool name, huh).

So anyway, we were sitting in a Vietnamese restaurant just chatting about everything. This was our first interaction away from karate and I was loving every minute of it. She is like the first breeze after winter. You know, the one where you can actually smell Spring and you know the cold, bitter season is almost over. Oh, how I love that first breath of life! And she is abundant with it! I am only 29 and sometimes I feel like my time has come and gone. But not Ilona, she grasps every bit of life and squeezes every ounce out of it. I mentioned this difference to her... that she lives to live and I, for the most part, live in fear. And that's when she asked me, "Have you ever heard of the Glad Game." Well, I had. I think everyone knows about Pollyanna. And she let me in on her secret. She plays the game... and that helps her to be happy.

Really? The Glad Game? That kept her going? I thought about it the rest of our day together. And then on Sunday when I visited her after finding out she tore a ligament. And then on Monday and now today as mole hills seem to be blowing up into towering infernos of volcanic proportions. I even looked it up on Wikipedia to make sure I really understood the game. And I do. It's simple... probably too simple. Like when the staff is raised to the children of Israel and all they have to do is look to be healed. But they didn't. Like me they probably thought it was too easy. It wouldn't work. So why try? Just spend 30 seconds with Ilona and you'll see why you should try. Or at least I see why I should try. Because she is a wonderfully amazing human being and I want to be like her. I want to be happy. I want to let go of the crap and hold onto the amazing.

So, here I go. Even though I am sick for the millionth time this year, I am glad that I don't have a boss that I have to plead with to stay home. And although volcanic situations threaten to overwhelm me, I am glad that I have Joe... who has proven to be VERY fireproof at the moment. He's absorbed the heat and protected me. I am glad I have friends who love me, "As Is." I am glad I have a Heavenly Father who is watching out for me, whether or not I deserve it. And I am glad for Ilona, who reminded me to look for the silver lining in every cloud.

And you know what... I am glad that the Glad Game is already working!

Attitude = Listener Potential

Sounds weird, I know. Attitude equals listening potential. What does that mean? I just finished editing a paper of a friend of mine who is taking communications her first semester of college. I was fascinated to learn that in class they have been discussing listening and I was even more interested in the concept that one's ability to be a good listener "is dependent upon my attitude and my feelings toward the individual with whom I am talking" (her words). Wow! Really? She went on to cite several examples of this in her own life and I was blown away. It had never dawned on me that how I listen could be affected by my attitude. Deeper still is that I never realized how other people listen when I talk is based on their attitude towards me.

I briefly took myself through the same exercise as my friend. I thought about the many conversations I have. Who am I listening to? Who am I just giving a smile and a nod? What is my attitude towards them? I realized that I am a better listener when I believe the speaker loves and cares about me. I am also a better listener when I feel the speaker and I have a connection. One example of this is with infertility. I immediately tune into any woman who has suffered the pains of not being able to conceive. It's almost like, "Wow! Someone who intimately understands what I am feeling." And I sometimes shut down when those who have never had issues try to offer their two-cents on the subject. But all of this is weighted against my perception of my worth in your eyes. So, even if you haven't had issues with fertility, but my perception is that you love me, then I am an attentive listener. Interesting, huh? I could go on and on with various examples of my attitude determining my willingness to hear what you are saying.

Which brings me to how are others listening to me? How is what I am saying or doing affecting others' abilities to hear what I have to say? I am opinionated. I know, big shocker, right? I don't always share what is in my head, but more often than not it comes out anyway. The question I have had to ask myself is, "Am I loving enough that when I call a friend for a shoulder to cry on, do they want to listen to me?" I've thought about family relationships. When I just call to chat, are the "uh-hus" and "yas" I'm hearing (basically a "smile and nod" over the phone) a reflection of the way I've portrayed myself in their eyes? And maybe for some of my family and friends it has nothing to do with love and everything to do with whether or not they connect with my problem... think I'm intelligent... or can make great balloon animals. I think it will be different for every person. For me, it's all about the love.

I guess what I have learned is that perhaps it is better to hold my tongue unless I have taken the opportunity to develop a positive relationship with someone. So... if I have offered advice in the past or said something out of line, please forgive me. I will work on building your trust first and save listening to myself talk for when I'm sleeping or singing in the shower.

Job Hunting

Job hunting is so much like dating it makes me a nervous wreck. I never was good at the dating thing. You give your phone number out to very specific persons... ones you think will be as good a match for you as you are for them... and then you wait by the phone for them to call. You might pretend you're not waiting... not checking your voicemail or email every hour or so just in case you missed their call... but waiting you are. And the rejection you feel when the line doesn't ring! What have I done wrong? Why doesn't it ring? Maybe I should have said B instead of A? Maybe I am not meant to find the perfect job/guy? The comparisons could go on forever. As will my job hunt in this economy, lol. But... I did find the right husband... so maybe it's not so hopeless with the job. I guess only time will tell!

Glad to Be of Service

Last night I headed over to a friend's house around 11:30pm. She was at the hospital without an estimated time of departure and her babysitter had to head home. Really I was just a body in the home for her sleeping children. I slept most of the time and cuddled with the little ones when they finally woke up this morning until their mommy got home. Nothing crazy or over the top. But as I sat on the couch last night, trying to fall asleep, I was grateful that I didn't have a job. I felt so good knowing I could help out a friend like this. And I was thankful that I didn't have to call a boss to plead my case for arriving late or for taking the day off. No feelings of guilt and no feelings of fear. Instead, my friend needed me and I could be there for her. I know it won't last forever. I know I have to find a full time job (soon) for us to survive. But for one night, it really felt good being able to serve when and where I was needed without excuses. I wish it could be like this always. La sigh. **Moment of silence.** Now that the stay-at-home fantasy has passed, I better go find a job.

Bon Anniversaire de Mariage

Happy anniversary to us! Joe and I have now been married 8 YEARS! So I just wanted to give a shout out to my honey who is the most amazing man in my life. He is PERFECT for me! I love that when we marry, we marry partners who suit us. Like I totally couldn't be married to my brother (and not just because that is sick and wrong). I love him, but we would butt heads ALL the time. Nope, Joe is the man for me and I feel so blessed that we found each other. I love you babe and look forward to the rest of eternity. (If you can last that long with me, lol).