The Little Things

I've been in some sort of "mood" the last few days. One of those periods of time when someone asks you, "What's wrong?" and your answer is "EVERYTHING". My kids have been tired and recuperating from a busy weekend. The microscopic amount of patience I started out with, evaporated quickly. I keep spilling stuff and breaking things. I washed a rug with some white socks, and dyed all the socks a very ugly shade of brown.
But we brought home something today that has improved my mood a little. I'm tellin' ya, you can't sit and watch these little things for very long and still have your tail in a knot. Just watching the girls excitement, and watching my 5 month old son sit and watch them with his baby-face grin, was enough to cheer me up :)
They're bantams. Which I haven't been able to have since I left home 10 years ago. My mom and sister bought/built me this fancy little chicken coop for my birthday (ah, how well they know me), and the kids and I are going to have all sorts of fun :)

Wedding Cakes and Keepsakes

Well, I finished my first solo wedding cake (without the assistance of my mom, a.k.a. cake decorating instructor). I actually had a lot of fun doing it, and was quite proud, especially considering all 3 of my darling offspring were here the whole time, and their father was not. The worst thing that happened was Vivian coloring her entire left arm with a black dry erase marker. And my living room looks like Toys R Us threw up in there. We had the occasional meltdown, but none of them were mine, so it was all good. Here's some pictures.

The only sad thing was, I had to leave right before they cut it. My kids did pretty well through pictures, ceremony, and most of the reception, and then we reached THE END of that good behavior. (It's only after you become a parent, that you realize weddings are seemingly always held during naptime) Vivian was literally falling asleep standing up next to Daddy's chair, so we came home. But I bet that cake tasted pretty good, and I'm hoping there are some leftovers around at the in-laws tomorrow :)

Yesterday I went upstairs and was rummaging through my big wooden trunk. Tony made it for me right before we got engaged, and it's full of all of our stuff from our wedding. Some decorations, my shoes, our guest book, leftover wedding programs, half-burned candles..... I was searching for a cake knife and server . . . you know those ones with the fancy handles? Looking through that trunk brought back memories of our wedding, nearly 7 years ago now! But I started wondering . . why do people keep things ... like cake servers? What sort of sentiment, exactly, is attached to that? I got an image of myself about 12 years from now, sorting through that trunk with my kids and showing them the stuff that's in there. "And, THIS little beauty, is the KNIFE AND SERVER that we used for our WEDDING CAKE!!! TOTALLY WILD, right??" And I could almost see their blank looks.

But a cake server is probably a little less insane than some of the other things I've kept as keepsakes over the years. For example, I have stored away in the bottom of that trunk, a very dented, beat-up Pepsi can. One time when Tony was visiting me in Indiana, we went canoeing at a state park not far from where I lived. It was my first time canoeing, and it was the most perfect day. It was beautiful weather, and I remember the patches of sun and shadows playing on the water that was so clear you could easily see the bottom. We kept spilling, mostly because Tony kept dumping the canoe on purpose, and it wasn't long until we were soaked and muddy. I so clearly remember his muddy face, grinning across the canoe at me like a little boy. We eventually got SO VERY thirsty, but hadn't packed anything. And then around a little bend in the river, we came upon a lone can of Pepsi, perched in a little sandbar, just sitting there like it was waiting for us. It wasn't dented or anything, was in perfect shape, and was even nice and cold. So we shared it, and nothing ever tasted so good, even though I'm not a Pepsi fan. So I suppose I'll keep my trunk of strange keepsakes. My kids can roll their eyes all they want, but someday they'll have a stash of their own.

After spending the day very dressed up, I have come to a conclusion. Diamonds are not a girl's best friend. Sweatpants are.

A Tribute to My 20s

 

           Yesterday I turned 30. Although calling it my second 29^th birthday doesn’t sound quite as old.  In honor of beginning a new decade, I’ve decided to begin a few other new things. I’ve been running. So far, my progress seems rather pathetic, and judging by the fact that I can barely get out of bed in the mornings because of my aches and pains, it seems that my body is in complete protest of this new hobby. And I’m not sure how much weight I’ll lose, because running makes me very hungry.

            I’ve also decided to start blogging, which you may have noticed. Several people have encouraged me to, and honestly, writing has been something that I’ve loved since 5^th grade. I had a quirky, somewhat strict, English teacher in 5^th grade, who gave us a writing assignment every week all year, and I ended up realizing that writing was something that I loved almost as much as reading. I’m typically a very private person, so this whole idea of putting your thoughts out in front of the world is a little strange and uncomfortable for me (my sweet husband has assured me that if people are annoyed, they don’t have to read it).  But I’ve been thinking lately that blogging would be something that I could take time out away from my busy family and do that was JUST FOR ME, and that I enjoyed doing. I don’t think mamas do that enough. I have this little fear of sitting down in my empty nest someday, and realizing that I don’t remember anything I liked, or loved, or was good at. So this is an effort to do a little something for myself. And if anyone else enjoys reading it, or is encouraged in any way, that’s awesome too. I don’t know how often I’ll write, or what I’ll write about. Probably my kids and being a mommy. Maybe my husband and being married. Maybe my past. Probably Jesus. Probably not sports or politics or small engine repair.

            My twenties were pretty full. I lived in 4 states. I’ve worked as a waitress, nurses’ assistant, secretary, English-as-a-second-language tutor, telemarketer, housekeeper, salesperson for women’s clothing, seamstress, surgery tech at an animal hospital, and a registered nurse. (not all at the same time) I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. I traveled to 19 states I had never been to before. I went on a cruise. I visited Mexico, which was my first time outside the U.S. I flew in a commercial jet for the first time, and rode Amtrak halfway across the country and back by myself.

            There were bad times. I witnessed the end of my parents’ marriage, and the end of our home. I lost my best friend, forever. I battled an addiction. I had to move, and make new friends, and “fit in”, and learn how to be independent and take care of myself. But looking back, I can see where good has always won out, and God has always had a plan, and has always rescued me from myself and brought me right back to where I was meant to be.

Along the way, I made new friends, who helped me to laugh, and to keep going. I learned that trusting in Jesus isn’t about unicorns and rainbows, but sometimes it’s about clinging to the only One left when things get pretty dark and scary. I met my soulmate: This man who believed in me, and was there for me always, and kept me from giving up on love, and life in general. I married him, on a warm August day, and we’ve already been on so many adventures together. I’ve gotten to give birth three times, to two beautiful little girls, and a sweet little boy, who have filled up my life so completely with love and joy, that I can’t imagine life without them. They’ve made me a better person.

I feel like I’ve grown a lot in these 10 years. I’ve been at bedsides and held hands of people being ushered into eternity. I’ve witnessed the miracle and joy of life entering the world, too. I’ve learned more about how to forgive, how to be content, how to be unselfish…. I’m excited about what my next decade will hold, and all the things I’ll be able to learn and do, and experience with my little family.

Sorry. That got a little deep. On a lighter note, I’m pretty sure DQ Dilly Bars are one of the 7 Wonders of the World.